Let’s play Steven’s Rival Battle Deck

TLDR;

Steven’s deck is one of the most enjoyable pre-constructed decks I’ve played in a long time. It delivers a cohesive strategy, nice card art, and flexible mechanics, while still leaving plenty of room for upgrades and personalization.

With just a few edits (adding a third Metagross ex, selecting the right Ace Spec, and polishing the Trainer lineup), you can elevate this deck from a strong beginner-friendly option to something that can win at local events or hold its own in casual tournaments.

Quick Recommendations:

• Add a 3rd Metagross ex (bare minimum)
• Choose an Ace Spec (Hero’s Cape is my top pick)
• Polish the Trainer line with a few consistency boosters
• Keep the energy recovery tools. They’re crucial.
• Enjoy every second of swinging for 200-plus damage

I’ve never actually played a game that features Steven, but his sharp outfit and even cooler Pokémon definitely caught my attention. So I picked up his Rival Battle Deck and gave it a try. I was genuinely impressed. The energy acceleration is fantastic, the theme is cohesive, and the deck plays surprisingly well. It’s a well-built, efficient product that delivers a fun experience for both beginners and seasoned players alike.

First Play

My first match with Steven’s deck got off to an incredibly strong start. I had a Rare Candy in hand and everything I needed to evolve quickly. By turn two, I was only one piece away from having a full Stage 2 setup and locking in early board control.

Then came a disruption. My opponent hit me with a hand shuffle effect, and just like that, my momentum hit a bump. Thankfully, this deck has enough consistency built in that I was able to recover quickly. A few turns later, I had Metagross ex on the field and was setting up a strong board again.

The true star during this phase was Steven’s Claydol, which proved to be a fantastic bridge card. More on that below.

The Core Engine: Metagross ex and Steven’s Claydol

Once Metagross ex hits the field, everything changes. With an enormous 340 HP and dual synergy with Metal and Psychic types, this card is the cornerstone of the deck. Its signature ability is where the real value lies:

X-Boot (Ability): Once during your turn, you may search your deck for a Basic Psychic Energy, a Basic Metal Energy, or one of each. Attach them to your Psychic or Metal Pokémon in any way you like, then shuffle your deck.

This is one of the best acceleration abilities you can ask for in a Stage 2. It turns Metagross into both a tank and a support engine, letting you power up attackers on the bench or stack energy onto your active Pokémon every single turn.

Speaking of attackers, Steven’s Claydol deserves a shoutout. It offers two attack options: a 20-damage move that inflicts Confusion (great for soft disruption) or a devastating 220-damage attack that requires discarding all attached energy.

I chose the heavy hit more than once. The payoff was well worth it, and since the deck includes multiple ways to recover energy from the discard pile, I never felt like I was sacrificing long-term tempo for short-term value. That kind of built-in recovery really makes the deck feel polished.

Deck Design: Strong Foundation With Room to Grow

Out of the box, this deck is remarkably coherent. It has strong synergy between its core cards, reliable evolution paths thanks to Rare Candy and search effects, and enough energy acceleration to keep you in the game against more aggressive decks.

That said, two things stood out during playtesting as critical improvements.

Problem 1: No Ace Spec Included

The absence of one here is a noticeable gap. The good news is that it gives you a slot to customize based on your playstyle. Some great options include:

• Hero’s Cape – Grants additional HP to Metagross ex or Claydol, making them harder to knock out and letting you extract more value from their energy.
• Prime Catcher – Gives you stronger board control by letting you target key enemy Pokémon for a clutch KO.

Pick whichever one best fits how you play — but make sure you’re playing *something*.

Problem 2: Only Two Metagross ex

This one really caught me off guard. In one game, I used Ultra Ball to search for a third Metagross ex, only to realize it wasn’t in the deck. With only two copies included in the prebuilt list, your entire game plan is at risk if one gets Knocked Out or stuck in your prize cards.

My recommendation is simple: add a third Metagross ex immediately. If you’re serious about tuning the deck for league play, consider a fourth. Running two just isn’t enough to ensure consistent access to your most important engine piece.

Card Cuts and Cleanups

While the core of the deck is strong, there are a few cards that feel like filler or simply don’t hold up in actual gameplay. For example Steven’s Skarmory. The deck includes two copies, but after several test runs, I found they rarely added meaningful pressure.

Unless your opponent is leaving unevolved basics stranded on the bench into the late-game, Skarmory’s 50 damage just isn’t enough to pose a real threat. In most cases, the three energy cost is too high to use early game. Removing both copies frees up valuable space. Advanced players using Munkidori’s Adrena Brain ability may find Skarmory useful for bench sniping, so there is more than one way to build the deck.

Playstyle Overview: Very Fast Energy Ramp

This deck performs best when piloted like a hybrid between a ramp deck and a control setup. You want to evolve quickly with Rare Candy, get Metagross ex onto the board, and begin using X-Boot to attach energy every turn. That energy can go to Claydol for aggressive swings or Metagross ex for a solid Metal Stomp, which deals a reliable 200. X-Boot can be used to attach to the active, bench, even itself, solong as the Pokemon is Metal or Psycic type.

It’s easy to lull opponents into thinking your deck is clunky or slow. Then, out of nowhere, you can swing for 220 with Claydol or set up a full bench of loaded attackers in a single turn.

Even when you’re forced to discard energy, the deck includes recovery tools that get you right back on track. Between reprints and energy support, you’re rarely short on resources.

Have you played Steven’s deck yet?

Share your thoughts below. I’d love to hear what tweaks or combos you’ve discovered to make it even better.