Hi there. In this Pokemon TCG card gaming post I present a budget deck that is good for those starting out. You could win a small tournament here and there and do okay at larger tournaments. It is not a top tier deck but you can provide strong opposition and cause some upsets.
This Mamoswine ex deck is not super popular but the main pieces are not too expensive and the card availability should be good.
Mamoswine ex Card Profile
Mamoswine ex is the Stage 2 evolution of Swinub. This has a bulky 340 HP and 4 retreat cost.
Its ability of Mammoth Hauler is a powerful search ability. This ability allows you once during your turn search your deck for 1 Pokemon, reveal it and put it into your hand. (Then shuffle deck.)
The Rumbling March attack requires 2 Fighting Energy to deal 180 base damage. This attack does 40 more damage for each Stage 2 Pokemon on your Bench. Combine Mamoswine ex with another Mamoswine ex or other Stage 2 Pokemon like Pidgeot ex, Luxray, Klinklang, Blaziken ex or Garganacl.
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Luxray should be cheap and easy to find as well as Klinklang and Garganacl. Blaziken ex should be priced low in late April 2025. Finding copies of Blaziken ex could be tricky in your area. Pidgeot ex should be priced below 10 CAD and not too difficult to find. Pidgeot ex usage has decreased greatly.
Mamoswine ex's main weakness is Grass weakness. Raging Bolt ex with Teal Mask Ogerpon ex is fairly popular right now. You would have to watch up for Teal Mask Ogerpon ex's attack which would double damage to Mamoswine ex.
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Blaziken ex Variation Or Garganacl Version
There are two main versions of Mamoswine ex decks. The first is Mamoswine ex with Garganacl. The second one is Mamoswine ex with Blaziken ex. The Blaziken + Mamoswine ex version is more popular as Blaziken ex has good energy acceleration and it serves as a good second attacker. Both versions use Pidgeot ex.
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Mamoswine ex does work very well with Pidgeot ex. Mamoswine ex and its ability can help setup a Pidgeot ex or even a Blaizken ex. Pidgeot ex can also help setup additional Pokemon or fetch any card from your deck once during your turn.
The ultimate setup is to have Mamoswine ex, Blaziken ex and Pidegot ex in on your side. Having another Mamoswine ex and a Luxray on the Bench is a bonus. If you have 3 Benched Stage 2 Pokemon then Mamoswine ex can deal 300 damage (180 + 40 x 3 = 180 + 120).
Sample Decklists
I present some sample decklists for newcomers to copy. Personally I am not a fan of netdecking or copying decklists but for newer players or those who are testing out decks it is fine. (Many players netdeck a lot. I netdeck and change a few cards here and there.)
Mamoswine + Blaziken ex - Rank 181 out of 1327 at Monterrey, Mexico Regional Tournament
Screenshots from Limitless TCG website.
This Mamoswine ex decklist has some extra unexpected stuff. It has the 4 Swinub - 2 Piloswine - 3 Mamoswine ex evolution line plus the 2-1-2 Torchic-Combusken-Blaziken ex line. The Pidgeot ex evolution line is the standard 2-1-2 line with the 1-1 Pidgey split.
Note that there is no Klinklang here which is okay. There are not too many Stage 2 decks in the current metagame. The replacement is Fezandipiti ex.
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Luxray is good so that is in. Cornerstone Ogerpon ex is not a bad inclusion as a stall wall option in the early game as you setup.
The 1-1 Mankey-Annihilape line is an interesting addition. The Destined Fight attack is a self destruct type of an attack where both Annihilape and the target Pokemon are knocked out.
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Arven plus Technical Machine: Evolution is really important in the early game to get your full setup as fast as possible. Precious Trolley as the ACE SPEC of choice is good for setup too. These two cards are kind of expensive and hard to find. Arven is very popular right now so its price reflects that.
The deck runs 5 Fighting Energy, 1 Fire Energy (for Blaziken ex) and 1 Reversal Energy. As this deck is a slower deck, Reversal Energy makes sense along with Luxray. You can catch some players off guard with the comeback knockout of Luxray + Reversal Energy + Counter Catcher.
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Mamoswine + Blaziken ex - Rank 260 out of 2684 at Atlanta Regional Tournament
This particular list of Mamoswine ex does not have the 1-1 Mankey-Annihilape compared to the one above. There is a 3rd Pidgey, a second Luxray and a second Pidgeotto. This list seems more stable and consistent. Having the 3rd Pidgey increases the chance of setting up a Pidgey then a Pidgeot ex.
Advantages
- Good search abilities on Mamoswine ex + Pidgeot ex
- Blaziken ex version provides good attacking option plus energy acceleration
- Scaling increasing damage as you have more Benched Stage 2 Pokemon
- Favourable matchup against Archaludon ex (non-Poison) decks. (I've lost to Mamoswine ex decks as Archaludon ex many times)
Disadvantages
- Takes time for setting up Mamoswine ex, Pidgeot ex, Blaziken ex
- Bad against fast and aggressive decks or even lucky & fast opponent starts
- Grass weakness on Mamoswine ex.
- Fire Energy can be prized if running Blaziken ex, cannot really attack with Blaziken ex
Closing Notes
Mamoswine ex is a decent alternative deck. It is not expected to win big tournaments but with good gameplay and some luck you can rank high (in theory) and get some prizing.
The weak part of the deck is the early game where you are vulnerable to fast and aggressive decks. If you get to around turn 3 or 4 you should in theory be able to setup your pieces. Once you have your setup you should be able to start swinging with Mamoswine ex for at least 220 damage. The mid to late game with this deck is strong.
If the opponent plays a deck that does not do one hit knockouts then Mamoswine ex in the late game should do okay. Pidgeot ex as its partner can fetch any card in deck which is huge.