This Mega Excadrill ex deck guide starts with evidence, not theory. A Metal list piloted by Ap3XxX9941 finished second in a 416-player online tournament with an 11-2-0 record. That does not make the deck unbeatable, but it proves Mega Excadrill ex is more than release-week bait. Better yet, the list uses Team Rocket's Petrel and Team Rocket's Transceiver as real structural cards. I am extremely here for that.
The deck appears on Limitless under Standard with the 2026 rotation and Pitch Black included. The wider Mega Excadrill ex archetype page showed a 51.20% win rate when checked on July 20, 2026, across 584 recorded results. Treat that as a live platform snapshot, not a permanent power ranking. The second-place finish is the more useful clue because we can inspect the exact 60 cards.
The exact 60-card list
The source is Ap3XxX9941's published Limitless deck list. If you copy it, copy all 60 first. Random substitutions before understanding the engine are how a clean list turns into a pile.
Pokémon — 18
- 4 Beldum TEF 113
- 4 Metang TEF 114
- 2 Metagross CRI 61
- 3 Drilbur PBL 46
- 2 Mega Excadrill ex PBL 65
- 2 Genesect ex BLK 67
- 1 Ethan's Pichu DRI 71
Trainers — 25
- 4 Team Rocket's Petrel
- 3 Boss's Orders
- 2 Kieran
- 2 Lillie's Determination
- 4 Team Rocket's Transceiver
- 2 Energy Recycler
- 2 Jumbo Ice Cream
- 1 Ultra Ball
- 1 Special Red Card
- 1 Buddy-Buddy Poffin
- 1 Precious Trolley
- 1 Air Balloon
- 1 Gravity Mountain
Energy — 17
- 17 Basic Metal Energy
The Metal Engine Does the Heavy Lifting
The list is built around getting Metal Energy into circulation and turning that resource into pressure. Four Beldum and four Metang make the evolution engine the deck's backbone, while two Metagross provide the upper stage. Three Drilbur feed into two Mega Excadrill ex, so the star attacker is important without eating the entire Pokémon count. Seventeen Metal Energy looks huge beside many modern lists, but here the energy density is part of the plan, not bad deck building.
Genesect ex gives the list another serious Pokémon line, and Ethan's Pichu fills the final single slot. Precious Trolley is the one-copy ACE SPEC, helping the deck build a board instead of praying that every basic arrives naturally. Buddy-Buddy Poffin and Ultra Ball add targeted setup, but the list is clearly comfortable relying on its broader engine rather than stuffing the deck with four copies of every familiar search card.
The Team Rocket package is the part I love most. Four Petrel plus four Transceiver creates a dense search-and-support block with actual identity. This is what themed cards should do: make a deck function, not sit in a binder wearing a cool logo. Team Rocket cards deserve to be annoying, efficient, and slightly rude. Anything softer misses the point.
The Odd Counts Are Pulling Their Weight
Two Energy Recycler make sense beside seventeen basic Energy because a resource-heavy deck still needs a way to recover after Energy reaches the discard pile. Two Jumbo Ice Cream are not decorative either; healing can change the math around a large attacker and force an opponent to find another clean hit. Gravity Mountain supplies stadium control, while Air Balloon gives the list a mobility option.
Three Boss's Orders are aggressive. The deck wants access to targets instead of politely hitting whatever happens to be Active. Two Kieran and two Lillie's Determination round out the Supporter mix, and Special Red Card adds disruption. None of these counts should be treated as sacred forever, but they came from an 11-2-0 finish. Test before cutting them for a favorite card that merely looks clever.
The First Turns Are All About the Board
The opening priority is board quality. Establish Beldum and Drilbur, use Precious Trolley or the available search pieces to avoid a thin bench, and do not expose Mega Excadrill ex before the position is ready. A deck with multiple evolution lines can lose to its own impatience. Building one attacker while leaving the engine empty is not pressure; it is a countdown to running out of options.
After setup, the deck should use its Energy volume and gust effects to force awkward trades. Boss's Orders matters because the best target is not always the biggest Pokémon. Removing an engine piece can be better than swinging into a loaded attacker. The exact choice depends on the board, so any guide promising one automatic line every turn is lying to you.
There is no product recommendation here. Gem Mint Sleeve does not currently list a Mega Excadrill ex or matching Pitch Black design, and an unrelated case would add nothing to a deck guide. The useful thing is the list, not a forced checkout link.
Mega Excadrill ex is not suddenly the only deck worth playing. The broader results sit close to even, and one great finish does not erase bad matchups or rough draws. Still, second out of 416 is enough to demand respect. Start with the exact list, learn why the Metagross engine and Team Rocket package are there, then make changes based on games and current legality—not vibes.
Deck list and results checked July 20, 2026. Tournament formats and card legality can change; confirm the rules for your event before playing.