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

I’ve boiled this list down to the 5 best Dragon Pokémon: Dragonite, Garchomp, Drampa, Regidrago and Druddigon. The lineup is relatively light with only 9 Pokémon, 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: December 2023

  • 1 Drampa EVS 119
    1 Dratini OBF 157
    1 Dragonair SUM 95
    1 Dragonite TEU 119
    1 Druddigon BRS 113
    1 Gible UPR 96
    1 Gabite DRX 89
    1 Garchomp BRS 109
    1 Regidrago ASR 118
    1 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
    1 Energy Loto ASR 140
    1 Escape Rope BUS 114
    1 Evolution Incense SSH 163
    1 Field Blower GRI 125
    1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
    1 Mysterious Treasure FLI 113
    1 Nest Ball SVI 181
    1 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
    1 Quick Ball FST 237
    1 Rare Candy SVI 191
    1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
    1 Revive BLW 102
    1 Snorlax Doll PAR 175
    1 Special Charge STS 105
    1 Super Rod DRV 20
    1 Tag Call CEC 206
    1 Town Map BCR 136
    1 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
    1 Ultra Ball SVI 196
    1 VS Seeker PHF 109
    1 Float Stone BKT 137
    1 Luxurious Cape PAR 166
    1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
    1 Technical Machine: Turbo Energize PAR 179
    1 Parallel City BKT 145
    1 Stormy Mountains EVS 161
    1 Team Magma's Secret Base DCR 32
    1 Town Store OBF 196
    1 Arven OBF 186
    1 Boss's Orders BRS 132
    1 Cynthia & Caitlin CEC 189
    1 Guzma BUS 115
    1 Guzma & Hala CEC 193
    1 Hex Maniac AOR 75
    1 Mela PAR 167
    1 N NVI 92
    1 Professor Juniper PLB 84
    1 Raihan EVS 152
    1 Teammates PRC 141
    2 Fire Energy CRZ 153
    2 Water Energy CRZ 154
    2 Fighting Energy CRZ 157
    1 Aurora Energy SSH 186
    1 Blend Energy WaterLightningFightingMetal DRX 118
    1 Counter Energy CIN 100
    1 Double Dragon Energy ROS 97
    1 Rainbow Energy CES 151

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!