What to buy from Delta Reign?

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The safest buys

This is what I'd buy without waiting for tournaments here. All of them already show up in lists in Japan.

Talonflame ex

Talonflame ex was number one in my top 5, and it's still the card of the set for me.

If you have a Colorless Mega Pokémon ex in play, it goes from your hand straight to the Bench, no Fletchling or Fletchinder needed. In other words, Mega Kangaskhan ex or Mega Rayquaza ex itself. It has 280 HP, free retreat and a 150 attack for two Energy that also searches your deck for any two cards.

What I liked most about it is that it gives up two Prize cards in a deck where the Megas give up three. And 280 HP survives Phantom Dive, the main attack of Dragapult ex, when it has no damage on it.

If you don't play Kangaskhan and aren't building Rayquaza, it can't come into play this way, and then it's not worth buying. The Japanese lists run two. I'd buy two, without the evolution line.

Legendary Pyroduct

The Legendary Stadiums come in two halves, each with its own number, and you can only play one when you have both halves in hand. Of the three in the set, Legendary Pyroduct is the best.

While it's in play, no Evolution Pokémon has Abilities, on both sides. That shuts off Drakloak, which is what draws cards in the Dragapult deck, and also the draw Ability of N's Zoroark ex. On its own it doesn't lock Dragapult, because the deck still has Basic Pokémon Abilities (Fezandipiti ex, Meowth ex) and any Stadium from your opponent knocks it out of play. It works better together with Judge, Unfair Stamp or Special Red Card: your opponent ends up with a small hand and no Drakloak to draw back.

The four-copy limit goes by card name, so you can have two of each half, which is two full Stadiums. I'd buy two of each half.

I'd buy the other two Legendary Stadiums as well, two of each half, just to have them. They should be cheap, and a Stadium is always good to have in your binder. Legendary Summit makes a knocked out Colorless Pokémon give up one less Prize card, on both sides: it works for your Ray and your Kangaskhan, and also for your opponent's Meowth ex and Kangaskhan. Legendary Trench, which doubles healing, I explain further down, with the healing package.

Aarune

Aarune is a Supporter that searches your deck for up to three cards, in any mix of Supporters and Stadiums.

With one Aarune you grab both halves of Legendary Pyroduct at once, and you still have a third search for another Supporter, like a Boss's Orders to use next turn. Without it, you depend on drawing both halves by luck. In Japan it also showed up in some Mega Lucario ex lists.

The catch is that it uses your Supporter for the turn, so whatever you searched usually only comes into play the following turn. I don't see four in any deck. I'd buy two.

Custom Vest

Custom Vest is a Tool that reduces the damage the Pokémon takes from attacks of Mega Pokémon ex by 60, as long as the Pokémon holding it isn't a Mega. Against a Mega Excadrill ex hitting for 330, a Dragapult ex holding it stays alive with 50. Against Mega Rayquaza ex, it now needs eight Energy in play to knock out Dragapult, one more than before.

Against Pokémon that aren't Megas, it does nothing. Some Dragapult, Grimmsnarl ex and N's Zoroark ex lists run one copy, to have against Mega decks. I'd buy one.

The Pokémon lines to test

Cards that depend on their own deck or on the format moving a certain way.

Mega Rayquaza ex

Mega Rayquaza ex (Ray) is the cover of the set. I'd buy it, just after Talonflame.

When you play it from your hand to the Bench, its Ability looks at the top four cards of your deck and attaches a Basic Energy to it. The attack does 50 for each Fire and Lightning Energy attached to all of your Pokémon, so you don't need to stack everything on it. To knock out a Dragapult ex you need seven Energy in play, on a 280 HP Pokémon that gives up three Prize cards.

In Japan it took 13th and 17th at the Yokohama Champions League, one of the biggest tournaments there, and 2nd at an Aichi City League, which is a smaller tournament. After that it showed up less. The lists run two, together with Mega Kangaskhan ex, Talonflame ex and Ethan's Ho-Oh ex.

If you're building Ray, you'll want Adventure Lantern. It's an Item that searches your deck for a Fire and a Lightning Energy and puts them into your hand, and Ray's attack counts exactly those two Energy types.

I'd buy two Mega Rayquaza ex and four Adventure Lantern.

Mega Golisopod ex

Of the other three Megas, Mega Golisopod ex is the only one I'd buy right now.

The attack costs one Grass Energy and does 60, plus 160 if your opponent's Active Pokémon already has any damage counters on it. One counter is enough to make it 220. And it has 340 HP, which is a lot for a Stage 1 Mega.

It needs something putting damage down first, like Froslass, Munkidori or Risky Ruins. The new Wimpod helps a lot, because it has zero retreat whenever your opponent has any Pokémon ex in play, which is almost always. The second attack, for 160, also stops your opponent's Active Pokémon from retreating next turn. And it's Grass, which is the Weakness of N's Zoroark ex and Mega Sharpedo ex.

I'd buy four Wimpod and three Mega Golisopod ex.

Cacturne

Cacturne's attack does 10 plus 50 for each Pokémon with an Ability on your opponent's Bench. Against N's Zoroark ex, which fills the Bench with Ability Pokémon, that knocks things out easily. It's a Stage 1 and it's Grass, so it fits as a second attacker in a list that has room for two Cacnea and two Cacturne.

I already mentioned it in the top 5 as a card to keep an eye on, and it's a simple card that I really liked. I'd buy two Cacnea and two Cacturne.

Azurill and Altaria

Two buys thinking about next year.

Azurill has an attack that costs zero Energy, searches your deck for any Energy and attaches it to one of your Benched Pokémon. Any Energy at all, Special Energy included. It's the Smoochum idea, without depending on type. Right now the spot for a Basic that attacks for free early in the game belongs to Budew, which stops your opponent from playing Items the following turn, so Azurill isn't urgent. I'd buy two.

Altaria gives all of your Basic Pokémon zero retreat. It's what Latias ex does today, only on a Stage 1 that evolves from a 50 HP Swablu. Pyroduct also shuts Altaria off, because it's an Evolution. But Latias is an H regulation mark card, which should rotate out in 2027 (the date hasn't been announced yet, but the last rotation was in April). When it leaves, Mega Kangaskhan ex players will need something in its place. I'd buy two Swablu and two Altaria.

Mega Golurk ex

Mega Golurk ex hits for 300 with two Psychic Energy and takes 30 back. It has 350 HP, but it can only attack with 10 or more cards in your hand, which is hard with Judge, Unfair Stamp and Special Red Card everywhere. And 300 doesn't knock out a Dragapult ex.

There are two ways around that. The restriction is an Ability, and Golurk is an Evolution Pokémon, so with Legendary Pyroduct in play it goes away, until your opponent changes the Stadium. The other is the Mew ex from 30th Celebration, which uses the attack of one of your Benched Pokémon, but then you leave a three-Prize Mega sitting on your Bench.

I'd buy two Golett and two Mega Golurk ex.

Jellicent

Jellicent's Ability draws a card each turn and lets you put a card from your hand on the bottom of your deck. It fits in the Masquerain deck, which hits harder the more Pokémon with the Bug Out attack it has at the bottom of the deck. I'd buy two.

Cards for one or two copies

None of these needs four copies. Most of them are answers to a specific deck.

Giratina

Giratina's attack does 120, and during the next turn it takes no damage from attacks. If any of your Pokémon used that attack during your last turn, none of them can use it again, so you can alternate, but not repeat. Its home is the Slowking deck, which has other attackers to use in between. I'd have one.

Pincurchin

Pincurchin does 20 for each Energy attached to your opponent's Pokémon. Against a Mega Rayquaza ex with seven Energy in play, that's 140, and since Ray is weak to Lightning it becomes 280, exactly its HP. If Ray grows, it becomes a cheap answer. I'd have one.

Raikou ex

Raikou ex has 200 HP, free retreat and a 200 attack for three Energy, which can leave it unable to attack next turn if the coin flip is tails. If you go first, its first attack searches for an Energy and attaches it already on turn 1. It also knocks out Mega Rayquaza ex through Weakness, which is Lightning. I'd have one.

Heat Rotom ex

Heat Rotom ex does 30 for each Basic Fire Energy in your discard pile and shuffles them back into your deck. It's for closing out games in a deck that can fill the discard pile with Fire Energy. I'd have one.

Zinnia's Trust

Zinnia's Trust switches your Active Pokémon with one of your Benched Pokémon and moves an Energy from the old Active to the new one. It does the job of Surfer and AZ's Tranquility, with the Energy coming along. I'd have two.

Legendary Trench, Tasty Rice Ball and Grisham

Only for people who like tanky decks.

Legendary Trench doubles all healing in play, on both sides. Tasty Rice Ball heals 30 from your Active Pokémon plus 30 more for each other Rice Ball in your discard pile, so all four together heal 300 over the game. Grisham heals 50 from each Pokémon in play, yours and your opponent's, and with Trench in play that becomes 100 each.

In a Crustle deck or a healing Mega Kangaskhan ex deck it's worth testing. If they're cheap, I'd buy two of each half of Trench, four Rice Ball and two Grisham.

What I'd leave for later

Mega Malamar ex does 70 for each Pokémon on your opponent's Bench. Your opponent decides how hard you hit, so it needs Accompanying Flute or the new Sableye, which puts Basic Pokémon from the top of your opponent's deck onto their Bench.

The Delta Reign Zoroark ex has nothing to do with N's Zoroark ex. It has 270 HP, an attack that does 20 for each of your Pokémon in play and another for 210 with three Energy that can't be used two turns in a row. For a two-Prize Pokémon, that's not much.

Magmortar attaches Fire and Lightning Energy from your hand, but only to itself or Electivire. It doesn't attach to Ray, as some people have said. With Electivire you can build a fun deck to play with friends.

Masquerain does 50 for each Pokémon with Bug Out among the bottom seven cards of your deck, and discards the rest every attack. It's a deck to play at home, I wouldn't take it to a tournament.

Kommo-o looks at the top six cards of your deck and attaches every Basic Energy it finds there to your Dragon Pokémon, and the obvious partner is Raging Bolt ex. It depends on what's on top of your deck and it's a Stage 2.

Groudon does 100, plus 170 if a Legendary Stadium is in play, for three Energy. That's 270 on a one-Prize Pokémon, but it depends on you playing the Legendary Stadiums.

Also for later: Kyogre (needs a Legendary Stadium in play), Wishiwashi ex, Meowscarada ex, Hypno, Nidoqueen, Delibird, Kecleon, the Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus and Enamorus quartet, Tate & Liza's Training, Emcee's Hype (reprint) and Mega Rayquaza Cap.

What to buy first on a tight budget

Go in this order, and stop where the money runs out:

1. Two Talonflame ex, if you play Mega Kangaskhan ex or are building Mega Rayquaza ex. If not, skip to 2.

2. Legendary Pyroduct, two of each half.

3. One Custom Vest, if you play Dragapult ex, Grimmsnarl ex or N's Zoroark ex.

4. Two Aarune, if you're going to use Pyroduct.

To start, I'd go with this:

If you want to test more decks, I'd add this. If you're only getting one line from here, go with Wimpod and Mega Golisopod ex:

And, if they're cheap, I'd round it out with:

Conclusion

For me, Talonflame ex and Legendary Pyroduct are way better than any other card in Delta Reign. The rest I'll pick up as it shows up in lists here.

In Japan, Ray showed up less after Yokohama, so I wouldn't chase it at launch. Mega Golisopod ex and Cacturne are the bets I most want to see played around here.

So, is anyone building Golisopod to take on N's Zoroark ex? Or going Ray anyway? Comment down below.