The Pokémon TCG‘s annual North America International Championships (also known as the ‘NAIC’) are some of the most prestigious competitive events for the monster collecting card game that you can find. They’re second only to the Pokémon World Championships held each August. This year will be the third year in a row that the championships have been defined by an abundance of Dragapult ex decks. Let’s break down why this siege weapon of a dragon keeps showing up tournament after tournament.
Every year, prior to the NAIC, the Pokémon Company puts out a ‘power rankings’ article covering the strongest decks to watch out for during the tournament. Dragapult ex debuted in May 2024 as part of the Twilight Masquerade set. Sure enough, a few weeks later in June, Dragapult ex decks were listed in the power rankings article as the number one deck to watch out for during NAIC 2024. In the 2025 article, Dragapult decks were listed as the second best option in Standard. Now, in 2026, with the rotation of Gardevoir ex, Dragapult has reclaimed its place as the number one threat in the meta.
What makes Dragapult ex so threatening that it’s still considered one of the best Pokémon cards for a third consecutive year? In a single word, it’s efficiency. For only two energy cards, Dragpult ex’s Phantom Dive attack deals 200 damage to the opponent’s active Pokémon and 60 damage to one of their benched Pokémon. This potentially enables it to claim multiple prize cards in a single turn by taking out two Pokémon at once.
The Twilight Masquerade version of Dragpult’s stage 1 form Drakloak can also use its Recon Directive ability to smooth out draws and slide unneeded cards to the bottom of the deck.
If you find yourself staring down a Dragapult deck, though, don’t panic. The upcoming set Pitch Black will feature some new tools that could help put Dragapult in its place.
Are you enjoying the reign of Dragapult, or are you hoping a new contender will come and shake up the meta? Let us know your thoughts in the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
