Darkrai EX – Space-Time Smackdown
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2025
Ratings Summary:
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is horrible. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Otaku
The overall best Pokémon from Space-Time Smackdown is Darkrai ex (A2 110, 187, 202)! It’s a Basic, (D) Type Pokémon ex with 140 HP, (G) Weakness, and (C)(C) Retreat Cost. Darkrai ex has both an Ability and an attack. “Nightmare Aura” triggers when you attach a (D) Energy to that specific Darkrai ex; Nightmare Aura then places 20 damage on the opposing Active Pokémon. For (D)(D)(C), Darkrai ex can attack with “Dark Crystal”, doing 80 damage to the opponent’s Active. There is one version of Darkrai ex at ♦♦♦♦ rarity, and two ★★ versions.
There are zero card effects the explicitly support or punish (D) Pokémon or (D) Energy. As I’ve stated in a past review, many (D) Types have compatible strategies. The only other benefit from the Typing is exploiting (D) Weakness. Nightmare Aura will often allow you to extend your OHKO range, though sometimes it means either (D) Weakness or the damage from Nightmare Aura goes to waste. Mew ex (A1a 032, 077, 083, 086) is probably the most significant OHKO target, but it requires exploiting Weakness, triggering Nightmare Aura the same turn, and Giovanni for a OHKO.
As a Pokémon ex, Darkrai ex is worth an extra point when KO’d, and takes 120 damage when attacked by Tauros (A1a 060). Thanks to Darkrai (A2 109), we can get a good idea of what being a Pokémon ex does for Darkrai ex: +30 HP, having both an Ability and an attack, and the attack doing +20 damage. “Baby” Darkrai does have a beneficial attack effect, leaving the opposing Active Asleep. I can’t see that being worth more than +20 damage, and it might actually be worth less than +10.
Being a Basic is the best. There are no additional cards or waiting to evolve required for Darkrai ex to hit the field. It means Darkrai ex is a legal target for Poké Ball and the “Call for Family” attack found on Combee (A2 017, 157). Contrary to my past claims, there are two anti-Basic effects in Pocket, found on Victreebel (A1 020)1 and Pokémon Flute (A1a 064)2. It was a simple oversight on my part; I’ve even used both cards in the past. In my defense, both are very circumstantial, though I still ought to have remembered, or at least referenced them in a foot note.
140 HP is solid in general and good on a Basic Pokémon ex, enough to survive all but the highest heavy attacks. You’re not immune to OHKOs, but they’ll take actual effort or significant luck. 2HKOs are probable. (G) Weakness isn’t the worst, but it’s far from safe. Yanmega ex (A2 007, 180, 196) and/or Exeggutor ex (A1 023, 252) are probably the worst offenders. The Retreat Cost of (C)(C) is reasonable, though you’ll probably want a Leaf or X Speed to take all or some of the sting out.
Nightmare Aura is fantastic. It does not make Darkrai ex a fit for every deck, but the ones where Darkrai ex works? It really works. Yes, it only triggers when a specific Energy Type (D) is attached from a specific location (Energy Zone), and it can only target the opponent’s Active… but it’s Ability-based damage. This ignores most damage-reducing effects in the game, and can combo nicely with other attacks. Dark Crystal is adequate. 80 for three Energy is not uncommon, and would be underwhelming on it’s own, but it isn’t alone.
Nightmare Aura and Dark Crystal work well together. The one drawback of Nightmare Aura is your deck will need to prioritize Darkness Energy. Running even just two different Energy Types in your Energy Zone carries all the usual risks plus the potential to miss a chance to activate Nightmare Aura. You may also be in a bit of a bind when you need the damage done by Nightmare Aura, but you also need to attach that (D) Energy elsewhere this turn.
There are some simple, but important combos with Nightmare Aura. While you may only damage an opponent’s Active with it, you can use a card like Cyrus or Sabrina to promote something before or after Nightmare Aura activates. Or if the current Active only has 10 or 20 HP remaining; Nightmare Aura can KO it so that you don’t have to waste all the damage from Dark Crystal. If you need the (D) Energy for your Active, but also want to trigger Nightmare Aura, consider running Dawn. Though not good enough to be competitive, I’ve been enjoying doing this trick with Farfetch’d (A1 198) Turn 2. 60 damage can OHKO many single point Basic Pokémon! Apparently, it isn’t all that good, or else I’d be seeing it in more decks.
Speaking of decks, let’s discuss the more noteworthy Darkrai ex variants. Currently, the Greninja (A1 089, P-A 0193) is edging out the Magnezone (A2 053) variants. The former allows you even more damage counter placing opportunities. Besides Greninja’s “Water Shuriken” Ability, the decks run Kangaskhan (A1 203) and/or Druddigon (A1a 056) to hide behind. Pretty sure the deck only runs (D) Energy; neither Druddigon nor Greninja are meant to attack.
As for the Magnezone variant, the idea is to power up Magnezone alongside Darkrai ex, again while hiding behind Kangaskhan or Druddigon. The deck runs on just (D) Energy; Druddigon isn’t meant to attack, while Magnezone can rely on the “Volt Charge” Ability of Magneton (A1 098). Volt Charge allows Magneton to attach one (L) Energy to itself once per turn, so you just hold off on evolving until he time is right. Magnezone is a good, single point attacker when you’re free to use your manual Energy attachments elsewhere.
The Weavile ex (A2 099, 186, 201) variant may be the most obvious, but that doesn’t make it bad. I believe it has improved from the last time I viewed the standings, though its still neither as heavily played nor as successful as the previous two. The deck tends to run Spiritomb (A2 104, 172) as an opener, and additional source of spreading damage. For (C), Spiritomb’s “Swirling Disaster” hits all your opponent’s Pokémon for 10 damage (each). Between that and Nightmare Aura, Weavile ex’s “Scratching Nails” should pretty reliably let you do 70 for just (D).
The last of the variants we’ll cover – besides me using it with Farfetch’d4, Druddigon, and baby Darkrai – is the Weezing (A1 177, 243). This variant may also using Farfetch’d, as I only just learned. I’m not seeing the Dawn combo, though, which makes sense as the deck must already make room for Koga (A1 222, 269). There are three benefits to using Weezing: Poisoning via its Ability (even if only while it is Active), doing a decent 30 damage for (D), and being a bounceable meatshield (thanks to Koga).
The results I’m referencing have a little under 300 for the Weezing variant, but over 900, 1200, and 2000 instances for the Weavile ex, Greninja, and Magnezone variants (respectively). As with some of the other Top 10 Pokémon from Space-Time Smackdown, there are more variants, but they have fewer examples. They also tend to have worse records, and even the few that don’t have a problem: a small sample size makes it easier for luck to skew the results.
Rating: 4.5/5
Darkrai ex is, admittedly, my favorite card from this set. I’m also less familiar with it than I’d like because I’ve only managed to pull a single copy. The steep drop in success experienced by some of the older, established archetypes is indeed due to Darkrai ex. At least in part, anyway. I don’t know how long Darkrai ex will remain a top tier deck, but unless our next (small) set is intended to counter it, I think you’ll be seeing Darkrai ex continue to perform well for at least another month or two.
1Victreebel’s Ability, “Fragrance Trap”, says it can only be used while in the Active position. It lets you select an opposing, Benched Basic Pokémon and force it into the Active position.
2Pokémon Flute lets you select a Basic Pokémon from your opponent’s discard pile, then play it directly from there to your opponent’s Bench.
3Yes, I finally remembered there was a better shorthand for Promo Series A.
4I need to try swapping out Farfetch’d for Kangaskhan. I’m already running Druddigon.
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