Yanmega ex – Space-Time Smackdown
Date Reviewed: February 12, 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 fifth best Pokémon of Space-Time Smackdown is Yanmega ex (A2 007, 180, 196)! It’s a (G) Type Stage 1 Pokémon ex, which evolves from Yanma. Yanmega ex has 140 HP, (L) Weakness, (C) Retreat Cost, and the attack “Air Slash”. For (C)(C)(C), Air Slash lets Yanmega ex attack the opponent’s Active for 120 damage, but Yanmega ex then discards an Energy attached to itself. There are three versions of the card currently available: one at the ♦♦♦♦ rarity, and two at the ★★ rarity.
Pokémon ex are worth an extra point when KO’d, and Tauros (A1 060) can smack the harder with its “Fighting Tackle” attack. As a Stage 1 Pokémon, you’ll have to also run Yanma to get to Yanmega ex, and wait a turn to actually evolve. Pocket has no Stage 1 or even Evolution specific support, but an opponent’s Aerodactyl ex (A1a 046, 078, 084) will prevent an Active Yanma from evolving. Yeah, lots of drawbacks, but this likely what “pays” for the cards beneficial aspects (in terms of game design).
Grass Pokémon have it kind of good, with four distinct pieces of Type-specific support1. That Yanmega ex decks aren’t using them. Yanmega ex’s (G) Typing will not go to waste. Darkrai ex (A2 110, 187, 202) decks are both numerous and effective, and Weakness allows Yanmega ex to one-shot it. The same holds true of Weavile ex (A2 099, 186, 201), who often partners with Darkrai ex. Though no longer heavily used, so is Marowak ex (A1 153, 264). If we tack on a Giovanni, Rampardos (A2 089) is also a OHKO.
Yanmega ex has 140 HP; typical for a Stage 1 Pokémon ex, and reasonably sturdy. Yanmega ex and Yanma are the only (L) Weak Grass Types right now. Besides making Yanmega ex an easier 2HKO for (L) attackers, Electivire (A2 057; Promo-A 036), Luxray (A2 060), and Magnezone (A2 053) score OHKOs. Though Magnezone also needs a Giovanni as well… it’s a really common, simple combo. Yanmega ex’s Retreat Cost is much simpler; (C) is good, even if you have to pay full price but especially if you have an X Speed or Leaf handy.
Air Slash did not impress me at first. 120 for three Energy is good, especially when they can be any Type. The discard cost had me worried. If you’ve used decks with attackers who discard Energy, you know a big concern is being unable to build anything else. There are winning decks that manage discarding two Energy per turn, but they’re usually scoring OHKOs and pack compatible Energy acceleration. If something that didn’t OHKO Yanmega ex discarded Energy from it, it’s not going to be able to attack for a turn.
Yanma (A2 006) did not help. Its a Basic (G) Type with 50 HP, (L) Weakness, Retreat Cost (C), and one attack. “Flap” costs (C) and does 20 damage. Flap isn’t bad, but 50 HP is kind of bad. There are some small, somewhat common combos that can OHKO this Turn 2. Things like Farfetch’d (A1 198) with a Giovanni. The (L) Weakness makes it worse. While not as fragile as Magikarp (A1 077) or Magikarp (A1a 017), Joltik (A1a 028) and both Pikachu2 score OHKOs due to that Weakness.
Here’s what I missed: we do have compatible Energy acceleration. The obvious is probably Serperior’s “Jungle Totem” Ability, which causes (G) Energy attached to (G) Pokémon to count as (G)(G). You’d still have to constantly use your manual Energy attachment for the turn to keep attacking with it, and Serperior might have better attackers it could run instead. Serperior decks aren’t exactly doing great at this moment…
…but we have some non-(G) Energy acceleration that works with anything! Enter Dialga ex (A2 119, 188, 205, 207), yesterday’s CotD subject. Dialga ex has an attack for (M)(M) that does 30 damage and attaches two Metal Energy, from your Energy Zone, to one of your Benched Pokémon. As with similar cards, the (M) Energy attached in this manner don’t care what Energy is currently being displayed in your Energy Zone (if any). Unlike most similar effects, you can attach to any Type of Pokémon. Dialga ex also has a beefy 150 HP, and decent second attack – “Heavy Impact” – that does 100 damage for (M)(M)(C)(C).
Dialga ex can load up a Yanmega ex, maybe even another attacker, while chipping away at whatever your opponent has Active. When the time is right, Dialga ex retreats out of the way or goes down swinging, then Yanmega ex moves, ideally for the kill. Dawn can provide a secondary form of Energy acceleration, like when you want Dialga ex to start using Heavy Impact. Cyrus also helps, as something Dialga ex dinged, or that survives one Air Slash, usually isn’t surviving another 120 damage.
Saving the best for last, we return to fellow (G) Pokémon. Forget about Serperior, and consider Exeggutor ex (A1 023, 252). It’s also a Stage 1 Pokémon ex, but with 160 HP, (R) Weakness, a chunkier (C)(C)(C) Retreat Cost, and an attack for (G) that does 40 damage (or 80 if you flip “heads”). Unless you need to retreat Exeggutor ex at full price, or your opponent is already scoring OHKOs, you’ll be able to manually build a Yanmega ex on your Bench.
Rating: 3.5/5
I’m quite happy a Pokémon I’d initially dismissed has proven competitive. Yanmega ex only just edges out Dialga ex for fifth place. As the two are used together, and Yanmega ex is depending on Dialga ex, I’d originally had Dialga ex ahead of Yanmega ex. Then I noticed Yanmega ex with a different partner (Exeggutor ex), was doing better than any of the Dialga ex variants. Maybe that’s really just due to Exeggutor ex’s own strengths, but I took it to mean Yanmega ex was better.
Not by enough to raise its score. Dialga ex, Infernape ex, Lucario, Pachirisu ex, and Yanmega ex are of comparable quality. Not perfectly equal, but close enough for me to annoyingly bounce back and forth over whether I low-balled Lucario and/or Pachirisu ex. Fortunately, while the top four still have some wiggle room, they’re all clearly a cut above even the bottom six.
1Caterpie (A1 005), Erika (A1 219, 266), Lilligant (A1 030), and Serperior (A1a 006, 070).
2Pikachu (A1 094, Promo-A 009, 045, 026) requires a Giovanni; Pikachu (A1a 025) requires a Bench full of (L) Pokémon, or two Benched (L) Pokémon and a Giovanni.
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