Reforged Steel

This deck requires a bit of skill to use, but it’s proven powerful against many EX decks. The main strategy centers on building up both Melmetal and Butterfree to maximize their abilities. Melmetal’s "Hard Coat" ability automatically reduces incoming damage by 20, while Butterfree’s "Healing Powder" restores 20 HP each turn to both your active and benched Pokémon. Together, they effectively reduce 40 damage per turn. Building a second Butterfree can counter moderate damage dealers and greatly weaken heavy hitters, while a second Melmetal enables you to swap between them to heal and recharge, maintaining the cycle.

All three base Pokémon serve well as starters. Meltan can provide extra energy with its Amass move; use it sparingly before evolving to Melmetal. Mawile is a good staller but is optional if you prefer adding a second Sabrina, Poké Ball, or even adding in a Red Card. Personally, I enjoy using Mawile to reduce opponents’ energy, though it's up to a coin flip. Even Caterpie as a starter can be useful for its Find a Friend move, quickly pulling Metapod or Butterfree into your hand, but I recommend switching it out early for Meltan or Mawile.

Go with only Metal-type energy, as you won’t rely on Butterfree offensively, so Grass energy isn’t needed. This deck involves frequent switching, so save your X Speeds for when they’re essential.