Fire
Hah! You better have Burn Heal if you think you’re ready to become a Fire Gym Leader! With explosive support options and multiple Supporter based Energy accelerators, there is a lot to love about Fire type Pokémon in Gym leader Challenge! It’s always fascinating to see cards from the Black and White era team up with Pokémon from the Sword and Shield block. That’s one of my favorite things about the Fire deck and about Gym Leader Challenge in general: at any point in the game you may have cards in play that span 10 years of the Pokemon TCG working together to form a cohesive Strategy!
Support Pokémon
Alright now, full disclosure, one of the reasons I love Fire so much is that I’ve been playing since Emboar and Delphox were in Standard format. Inferno Fandango! Get it!? It’s like the Fire version of Rain Dance! Emboar is also one of my favorite Pokemon Cards ever, specifically the Legendary Treasures print with the flavor text, “It can throw a fire punch by setting its fists on fire with its fiery chin. It cares deeply about its friends.” If you don’t think that’s cool, then becoming a Fire Gym Leader might not be for you. Delphox also has one of the best draw Abilities ever printed on a non Rule Box Pokemon in the form of Mystical Fire, which allows you to fill your hand to six once a turn. Combined with Magcargo, you can stack your deck and draw into exactly what you need when you need it!
Attackers
Nobody gets the party started like Volcanion from Unbroken Bonds. Flare Starter, which can accelerate three Fire from the deck to your Pokémon if it’s your first turn going second, is the best way to kick off any game with Fire, which probably warrants choosing to go second. With Brigette and Sonia in deck its not uncommon to get a big turn one play with Volcanion! Ho-Oh from Celebrations is probably the front-runner for most reliable Fire type attacker, and another great way to kick off the game since it can do 50 snipe for just two Energy or 120 damage for three. My favorite Fire type attacker, however, is definitely Heatmor. If I’m playing Fire, I’m going full-greed and trying to load six Energy onto Heatmor so that I can unlock the absolutely insane 180 snipe effect of Exciting Flame. With so many options, there really is no wrong way to build a Fire type deck. It’s definitely one of the types with the most options, so pick your favorite Fire Type Pokémon and get building!
Deck Lists
Turbo Heatmor
With all the best Fire support Pokémon packed into one deck, you’re sure to get set up at a blazing speed! Once Emboar hits the field, you’ll be using Inferno Fandango to load up Heatmor turn after turn. If you are able to set up Emboar, Delphox, and Magcargo at the same time, you’ll feel absolutely unstoppable! With plenty of ways to recover Pokémon, you’ll have no trouble recycling Heatmor and Ho-Oh throughout the game. If need be, Delphox also works as an excellent finisher with its Blaze Ball attack!
##Pokémon – 13
* 1 Fennekin FLI 15
* 1 Heatmor FST 41
* 1 Ho-Oh CEL 1
* 1 Salandit DRM 13
* 1 Slugma CEC 26
* 1 Tepig BST 23
* 1 Volcanion UNB 25
* 1 Braixen XY 25
* 1 Magcargo CES 24
* 1 Pignite CEC 32
* 1 Salazzle UNB 31
* 1 Delphox XY 26
* 1 Emboar BLW 20
##Trainer Cards – 34
* 1 Heavy Ball BKT 140
* 1 Colress PLS 118
* 1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
* 1 Rare Candy SSH 180
* 1 Evosoda GEN 62
* 1 Superior Energy Retrieval PLF 103
* 1 Ordinary Rod SSH 171
* 1 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
* 1 Timer Ball SUM 134
* 1 Gladion CIN 95
* 1 Giant Hearth UNM 197
* 1 Tate & Liza CES 148
* 1 Welder UNB 189
* 1 Professor’s Letter BKT 146
* 1 Blacksmith FLF 88
* 1 Nest Ball SUM 123
* 1 Quick Ball SSH 179
* 1 Brigette BKT 134
* 1 Training Court RCL 169
* 1 Teammates PRC 141
* 1 Guzma BUS 115
* 1 Fire Crystal UNB 173
* 1 Escape Rope BST 125
* 1 N FCO 105
* 1 Ultra Ball SLG 68
* 1 Level Ball BST 129
* 1 Cynthia UPR 119
* 1 Professor’s Research SSH 178
* 1 Float Stone PLF 99
* 1 Boss’s Orders SHF 58
* 1 Evolution Incense SSH 163
* 1 VS Seeker PHF 109
* 1 Sonia CPA 65
* 1 Revive EVO 85
##Energy – 13
* 1 Double Colorless Energy SLG 69
* 12 Fire Energy Energy 2
Total Cards – 60
Blaziken/Cinderace
This list forgoes Emboar and instead focuses on accelerating Fire Energy from the discard pile with Blaziken, Cinderace, and Arcanine. Salazzle‘s Roast Reveal has perfect synergy with this strategy since it discards Fire Energy and draws you cards! Wishful Baton is a neat card in this list as well, allowing you to pass three Energy onto a new Pokémon when the Pokémon it is equipped to is Knocked Out!
##Pokémon – 15
* 1 Entei CEC 28
* 1 Growlithe FST 32
* 1 Ho-Oh CEL 1
* 1 Salandit DRM 13
* 1 Scorbunny SSH 31
* 1 Slugma LOT 43
* 1 Torchic DAA 22
* 1 Volcanion UNB 25
* 1 Arcanine UNB 22
* 1 Combusken CES 27
* 1 Magcargo CES 24
* 1 Raboot SSH 32
* 1 Salazzle UNB 31
* 1 Blaziken DRM 6
* 1 Cinderace SSH 34
##Trainer Cards – 33
* 1 Cynthia & Caitlin CEC 189
* 1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
* 1 Evolution Incense SSH 163
* 1 Training Court RCL 169
* 1 Giant Hearth UNM 197
* 1 N FCO 105
* 1 Timer Ball SUM 134
* 1 Wishful Baton BUS 128
* 1 Welder UNB 189
* 1 Tate & Liza CES 148
* 1 Blacksmith FLF 88
* 1 Nest Ball SUM 123
* 1 Quick Ball SSH 179
* 1 Brigette BKT 134
* 1 Evosoda XY 116
* 1 Rare Candy SSH 180
* 1 Cynthia UPR 119
* 1 Teammates PRC 141
* 1 Field Blower GRI 125
* 1 Guzma BUS 115
* 1 Colress PLS 118
* 1 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
* 1 Air Balloon SSH 156
* 1 Boss’s Orders SHF 58
* 1 Level Ball BST 129
* 1 Float Stone PLF 99
* 1 Fire Crystal UNB 173
* 1 Ultra Ball SUM 135
* 1 Sonia CPA 65
* 1 Professor’s Research SSH 178
* 1 Marnie CPA 56
* 1 Muscle Band XY 121
* 1 VS Seeker PHF 109
##Energy – 12
* 1 Heat {R} Energy DAA 174
* 11 Fire Energy XYEnergy 4
Total Cards – 60
Fire Mill
Fire is one of the most potent Mill decks in Gym Leader Challenge! Unlike pure control strategies, this list pressures the opponent’s deck count directly with Moltres (TEU)‘s Top Burner and Centiskorch (SSH)‘s Hundred Foot Flames attacks. With Pyroar‘s Flare Command Ability, gusting and trapping unsuspecting targets while you mill is a total breeze! To recover resources from the discard pile, all you need is Heatmor (BUS)‘s Odor Sleuth attack and a little bit of luck!
##Pokémon – 13
* 1 Fennekin FCO 10
* 1 Heatmor BUS 24
* 1 Litleo CEC 36
* 1 Moltres TEU 19
* 1 Salandit BST 27
* 1 Sizzlipede SSH 38
* 1 Slugma CES 23
* 1 Braixen FCO 12
* 1 Centiskorch SSH 39
* 1 Magcargo CES 24
* 1 Pyroar PHF 12
* 1 Salazzle UNB 31
* 1 Delphox XY 26
##Trainer Cards – 36
* 1 Lusamine CIN 96
* 1 Mars UPR 128
* 1 Steven’s Resolve CES 145
* 1 Cynthia & Caitlin CEC 189
* 1 Professor’s Research SSH 178
* 1 Peonia CRE 149
* 1 Marnie SSH 169
* 1 Welder UNB 189
* 1 Lt. Surge’s Strategy HIF 60
* 1 Cynthia UPR 119
* 1 Team Flare Grunt XY 129
* 1 VS Seeker PHF 109
* 1 Guzma BUS 115
* 1 N FCO 105
* 1 Delinquent BKP 98
* 1 Hex Maniac AOR 75
* 1 Team Rocket’s Handiwork FCO 112
* 1 Quick Ball SSH 179
* 1 Rare Candy SSH 180
* 1 Robo Substitute Team Flare Gear PHF 102
* 1 Reset Stamp UNM 206
* 1 Nest Ball SUM 123
* 1 Echoing Horn CRE 136
* 1 Lillie’s Poké Doll CEC 197
* 1 Fire Crystal UNB 173
* 1 Scoop Up Net RCL 165
* 1 Counter Catcher CIN 91
* 1 Level Ball BST 129
* 1 Pal Pad FLF 92
* 1 Boss’s Orders SHF 58
* 1 Ordinary Rod SSH 171
* 1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
* 1 Evolution Incense SSH 163
* 1 Float Stone PLF 99
* 1 Giant Hearth UNM 197
* 1 Galar Mine RCL 160
##Energy – 11
* 9 Fire Energy Energy 2
* 1 Heat {R} Energy DAA 174
* 1 Burning Energy BKT 151
Total Cards – 60