I wanted to share this GLC Lightning deck that has helped me win two local tournaments and earn my Lightning Badge for the year in December 2024, and again in January 2025! Shout-out to Burnman on Discord for the original idea. I tweaked it to play better against bench-barrier decks with additions like Hex Maniac and swapped some of the versions of Pikachu and Magnemite to fit my play style. See his original decklist here.
Deck Overview
Prize Count/Lightning Summon Tapu Koko is the main setter-upper and attacker that makes this deck POP in the early game. You want to go second so you can use Lightning Summon to set up your bench. Prioritize detonating Electrode turn two to easily get energy onto Tapu Kok and then swing with Prize Count. This strategy allows you to put early pressure on your opponent since Tapu Koko can hit for 180 damage when behind in prizes. Although you may be trading prizes by self-destructing, you’ll have good control over the board state early on. When you’re “behind” in prizes because of Magneton or Electrode, utilize Counter Catcher or Counter Energy to make big strategic plays. Continue to set up Eelektrik, Magneton, and Electivire by searching with Tapu Koko, or just use Prize Count for 90 damage if it can take out a key Pokemon to their strategy.
Turn 1 and 2: Must-do’s.
Do whatever you can to get Tapu Koko and Voltorb into play. Those should be your targets for Battle VIP and/or Stormy Mountain. Your targets for Buddy Poffin should be Voltorb and Blitzle, for energy and draw power. If you go second you should attack with Tapu’s Summon Lightning. You can get any basics you missed but ideally you should grab Electrode and Zebstrika for an explosive turn 2. Next turn, blow up Electrode and attack with Tapu for 180, using Counter Catcher or Escape Rope to take out their most important Pokemon.
This deck has a lot of early game set-up tools to help get all your pieces in place. Turn 1, you have tons of ways to get Tapu Koko out, whether it’s with Nest Ball, Battle VIP, Stormy Mountains, or Hisuian Heavy Ball. To get these tools, we have trainers like Green’s Explorations, Guzma & Hala, Arven, and Ball Guy. You may be wondering why Green’s Exploration is in a deck with so many abilities. It’s because all of our ability Pokemon are stage 1, and there will be games where turn 1 or 2 before you evolve, Greens Exploration can get you the Tool, Stadium, or any Ball you need to make a big play. Also, in some games after you blow up Magneton, or Electrode, you may not have any more abilities in play.
Draws & Flaws
This deck has one main way to draw: Zebstrika. It mainly relies on Trainers like Iono, Cynthia, Marnie, and Teammates to find the pieces and parts it needs. I avoided Colress, since Dragon is popular right now and Kyurem is very threatening to this deck. With Tapu Koko, Electrode, and Magneton doing the heavy lifting of searching for Pokemon and Basic Energy, you mainly use the Supporters to find your items, tools, recovery, stadiums, and other supporters.
Battle Compressor can make big plays possible if you think outside the box.
Be smart with the use of Battle Compressor. This is an important part of winning with this deck. In the early game, use it to get energy into the discard for Dynamotor and Overvolt Discharge. If you have one of the two Stretchers or Klara in hand, you can also use a Battle Compressor to discard Evolution Pokemon like Magneton, Eelektrik, and Energy to evolve and accelerate out of nowhere! Late game, the motto is “thin to win” and use it to get rid of less-than-useful cards.
When to use Overvolt Discharge?
If you get the early game Tapu Koko set-up with Electrode and take out a big threat, you can save Magneton and repeat the same prize trade the next turn, all while powering up another attacker. Two turns in a row with Tapu hitting 180 Prize Counts is enough to destroy an opponent who is trying to set up. I recommend using Magneton in the midgame to power up Electivire or revive the Tapu and go right back to attacking from behind. A Late-game Magneton is handy as it can help you get bigger K.O.s with Alolan Raichu, or in a pinch it can get energy onto a Pokemon stuck in the active, so that you can retreat it.
I recently swapped in Alolan Raichu over Collateral Bolt Raichu since it’s more effective for sniping bench threats, and it refills energy to the discard pile, for Dynamotor-ing.
I don’t consider this deck a “Spread Deck”, but you can’t underestimate Electivire and Regieleki’s pressure against bench-heavy types like Water and Grass. They are staples in Gym Leader Challenge Lightning Decks. That’s why we run Hex Maniac and Silent Lab, which in addition to turning off Bench Barrier, can also come in handy in disrupting common draw/search abilities, and power-up abilities like Okidogi and Cetitan.
Late Game Strategy
Once you get three or more energy onto a Pokemon you want to slap the Wishful Baton onto it so you can chain attacks without missing. Electivire attacking once is okay, but twice is game-winning. We run Luxurious Cape just to make back-to-back High Voltage Currents viable. Tapu, Electivire, Raichu, or Regileki all attack for 3 energy. Regieleki can clean up after Electivire to KO many of the 90hp support Pokemon in the format. Save Hex Maniac and Silent Lab for late-game clean-up with Electivire and Regileki against Bench Barriers. Use Dynamotor to sneakily power up Alolan Raichu, or if all of your attackers are powered up, spread energy onto high retreat cost Pokemon, like Eelektrik that the opponent may boss to the active to stall the game.
Summary
This deck is fun to play since when it works well, it works really well. The Tapu Koko synergizes so well with Magneton and Electrode, being able to set them up and then benefitting from their abilities. Not only do they power up its Prize Count attack, but they also accelerate energy onto it and your other energy-heavy attackers. On Turn 2, having access to a 180 damage attack, or 50 spread damage to everything, is crazy strong in the GLC format. Late game, it can be tough to get energy into play, especially if your opponent is answering your K.O.s with K.O.s of your own. Consider using Wishful-baton, or Magneton’s Overvolt Discharge, for when you are in a pinch. There are ways to recover, the this deck plays best when it’s on the offensive.
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