HAH! Jumping straight into the deep end I see. Don’t you think you’d be better off with an easier type to master, like Grass? No? Well then you better bring your A-game, because becoming a Dragon Pokémon master is not for the faint of heart! Despite missing out on the first half of the Sword and Shield block, Dragon is really making up for lost time with some of the gnarliest attackers in Gym Leader Challenge getting printed in recent sets. The difficulty with Dragon Pokémon, of course, is accommodating for their challenging and often contradicting Energy requirements. Classic Dragon stuff, right? Thankfully, Dragon has all the support it needs to be a top contender in Gym Leader Challenge, and is only improving as its cardpool grows.
Support Pokémon
Dragon doesn’t have a lot of draw support, but it’s got what every other type wishes it had: free Pokémon search and free Supporter Search! What more do you need?! Though just the middle evolution of a Stage 2 line, Gabite is the glue that holds the whole Dragon deck together. Dragon Call can be used to set up Dragonite (TEU), and once Dragonite is online, you can search your deck for whatever Supporter you want every turn with Fast Call. Absolutely busted.
Attackers
Dragon has a lot of good Stage 2 attackers, but how many Stage 2 Pokémon can you reliably put in a single deck? Typically I’ll limit myself to just a few Stage 2 Pokémon to keep things as consistent as possible. Every Dragon Deck will likely run Dragonite and Garchomp, which leaves room for roughly one more Stage 2 if you’re feeling adventurous. Fortunately, Dragon also has access to some of the best Basic attackers in the format, with Drampa and Ultra Necrozma cranking out 160+ damage for just two Energy! Zygarde is also an insane way to close out games, dealing up to 200 snipe damage if the opponent has taken five Prizes! Though Dragons have relatively difficult attack costs to fulfill, they also have access to one of the best Special Energy cards ever printed: Double Dragon Energy!
Decklists
Fast Call
Credit: Tricky Gym
Dragon is a tough type to master, but when piloted carefully, this deck can compete with the best decks in Gym Leader Challenge! Gabite and Dragonite make a fantastic consistency core with Dragon Call and Fast Call respectively, allowing you to search out whichever Pokémon and Supporter you want each turn. Utilizing Double Dragon Energy, Drampa can start swinging for 160 damage as early as the first turn of the game with Berserk, making Dragon one of the most aggressive decks in GLC! Navigating the mid to late game with Dragon can be difficult. You need to map out your Energy attachments and attackers perfectly to take all 6 Prizes. Though not the easiest deck to play, Dragon has a high skill ceiling and lots of potential for success.
Last Update: June 2024
Dragon Toolbox
Credit: Spencer Batton
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1 Drampa CEC 159
1 Druddigon BRS 113
1 Kyurem SFA 47
1 Raging Bolt SCR 111
1 Regidrago ASR 118
1 Reshiram ROS 63
1 Tatsugiri TWM 131
1 Acro Bike CES 123
1 Bicycle PLS 117
1 Energy Retrieval SVI 171
1 Enhanced Hammer TWM 148
1 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Field Blower GRI 125
1 Max Elixir BKP 102
1 Mysterious Treasure FLI 113
1 Nest Ball PAF 84
1 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
1 Professor's Letter BKT 146
1 Quick Ball FST 237
1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
1 Scoop Up Net RCL 165
1 Special Charge STS 105
1 Switch Cart ASR 154
1 Tag Call CEC 206
1 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
1 Ultra Ball PAF 91
1 VS Seeker PHF 109
1 Air Balloon SSH 156
1 Dragonium Z: Dragon Claw CEC 190
1 Float Stone BKT 137
1 Luxurious Cape PAR 166
1 Technical Machine: Turbo Energize PAR 179
1 Wishful Baton BUS 128
1 Lost City LOR 161
1 Rose Tower DAA 169
1 Stormy Mountains EVS 161
1 Arven OBF 186
1 Boss's Orders (Ghetsis) PAL 172
1 Colress's Tenacity SFA 57
1 Crispin PRE 105
1 Guzma BUS 115
1 Guzma & Hala CEC 193
1 Klara CRE 145
1 Marnie CPA 56
1 Peony CRE 150
1 Raihan CRZ 140
1 Volkner UPR 135
2 Basic Fighting Energy SVE 6
3 Basic Fire Energy SVE 2
1 Basic Grass Energy SVE 1
2 Basic Lightning Energy SVE 4
2 Basic Water Energy SVE 3
1 Double Dragon Energy ROS 97
1 Prism Energy NXD 93
Looking for more ideas or feedback on your deck?
Head over to Tricky Gym Discord’s glc-decklists channel for threads on every archetype to discuss strategy, get suggestions, and browse decklists!
Dragon Toolbox deck from the Top-4 of the Full Grip Games Journey Together 1K takes advantage of Reshiram’s Turbo Blaze Ability to accelerate extra Fire Energy into play to power up big basic attackers like Regidrago, Druddigon and Raging Bolt! This speedy and low to the ground list doesn’t play any Evolutions and only features 7 basic Pokémon! Also, don’t forget to bring your GX marker! With Dragonium Z attached, Drampa can swing for the fences with the devastating Destructive Drake GX attack.
Last Update: April 2025