Help Tapu Lele-GX is almost on every player, how to counter it?

Toni Kensa

Toni Kensa

Playing and Collecting
Member
Hi PokeBeach trainers,

Besides Alola Ninetales Fairy one thing I saw a lot on my first championship was Tapu Lele-GX, every player I faced today had it to make use of Wonder Tag skill. I mean, if every one use it guaranteed, there's a pattern and could be exploited (or couldn't? lol). Do you know how to counter this monster? Alola Muk's Alchemy? Or isn't possible to exploit this and I have to find 2 Tapu Lele-GX to improve my own deck?

Today was the first time I entered in a regional championship in my city, I didn't have high hopes to win, just felt it was necessary as some sort of "Baptism" to understand what's happening with more skilled players and what they do use most of times.


Thanks!
 
Tapu-lele is just a great card to setup, Investing in one will be a smart move. However an easy counter to prevent GX abilities would be Glaceon GX. Alolan Muk would be a smart investment also to counter some of the cards coming out in the next expansion.
 
Another way to exploit, but not counter, would be to include Weavile, both the one that deals 60 damage to each Pokémon with an Ability (although it does damage your own) and the one that deals 50 damage for each Pokémon the opponent has with an Ability. Lele only has 170HP, it'll be worn down quickly.

Lele is a fantastic set-up card, however, and they're much more affordable now after it was reprinted as a promo. Although you should play a couple copies in pretty much any deck, do keep in mind it's rotating out next year and will only be legal in Expanded events after that.

Nevertheless, if you plan in playing competitively this season, getting your hands on 2 copies of Tapu Lele if you can will smooth out literally all of your decks.
 
Tapu Lele's a powerful consistency card that's certainly shaped the format to a degree, and a decent attacker to boot. It sees play in the vast majority of decks, unless you're playing stall or one-prize attackers you almost certainly run it, and even if you are you often (if not always, I don't right now) run one. That said, Hoopa's immune to its attacks, and there's an Alolan Ninetales with immunity as well. Oranguru and Magcargo offer consistency with one-prize attackers, and it can be a sitting duck with Shrine of Punishment on the field. And yes, Alolan Muk is definitely an option, at least for the mid to late game, though it won't stop that key turn 1 Lele to set up the bench. (but will stop a lot of non-Lele stuff, I'm always wary of hitting it myself as a stall player.)

I think honestly in this format you can't rely on locking your opponent out of hitting key supporters and have to accept they'll usually be able to set up what they're trying to do (if not with Lele, then with something else) - just be prepared to beat it.
 
Don't worry too much about countering it's ability, that's hard to do (especially turn 1 which is when it's by far the most useful). Instead, just make sure you can hit for 170 against GX cards, either by actually hitting 170 or if you're playing something like Granbull or BuzzShrine, for 130 + 30 choice band + 10 shrine of punishment (and put the shrine out the turn you do the 160). Then use Guzma or Counter Catcher or Lycanroc GX's ability to put Lele in active and take a cheap 2 prize cards.

But otherwise - it's something you should try and get, for sure.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, that makes sense, also the Weavile is kinda interesting but after seeing Tapu Lele’s benefits I’ll look for those in my deck.
The 170 damage suggestion was good, this is a good way to punish two who does leave lele’s sitting on their bench using guzma., I’ll figure out something to make this uncomfortable to the other player.

In conclusion: I’ll find Tapu Lele-GX for me lol :D
 
I play Glaceon Gx/Zoroark GX, and glaceon prevents abilities of EX's/Gx's if it is in the active, so turn one if you go first you can stop it if you use an energy evolution eevee. Don't know if you have the cards to build a deck around it though. Maybe Alolan Muk, but it has to evolve normally so it is not that good. But you do need a Tapu Lele, unfourtually.
 
Rezolution said:
I play Glaceon Gx/Zoroark GX, and glaceon prevents abilities of EX's/Gx's if it is in the active, so turn one if you go first you can stop it if you use an energy evolution eevee. Don't know if you have the cards to build a deck around it though. Maybe Alolan Muk, but it has to evolve normally so it is not that good. But you do need a Tapu Lele, unfourtually.
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True, got one for my wife lately. The difference on her deck is clear, being able to adjust your hand so easily is nice, but, what to do with Lele after it? Put forward to receive damage and retrieve with Acerola to trigger its ability again?
Sorry about being so pragmatic, I just wanted to know how to use it at fullest (if possible).

Thanks!
 
It's onetime use, it's ability is just too good. You just leave it on your bench. Evveryone does if they run gx's. It is worth it, even for one use.
 
Rezolution said:
It's onetime use, it's ability is just too good. You just leave it on your bench. Evveryone does if they run gx's. It is worth it, even for one use.
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True stuff, today I've got 2 to put on my deck and its skill helped me to turn the tides. I've been stubborn but now I've tasted Lele's potential and can't agree more with everyone else that uses it. Being able to adjust the hand so easily is fantastic, is Chimecho my only enemy on doing that on the first turns?

I use a malamar-necrozma deck, may I add Acerola to put it to the front to receive damage, return to my hand and place it back to the bench to trigger the ability more than one time? Is it worth the effort?

Thank you guys!
 
Toni Kensa said:
Being able to adjust the hand so easily is fantastic, is Chimecho my only enemy on doing that on the first turns?

I use a malamar-necrozma deck, may I add Acerola to put it to the front to receive damage, return to my hand and place it back to the bench to trigger the ability more than one time? Is it worth the effort?
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Alolan Muk, Slaking and Glaceon-GX all shut down Lele's ability. I wouldn't add Acerola just to reuse the Lele, especially in a Malamar deck where there is little use for it other than that. Also consider that Acerola would be your Supporter for the turn, so you couldn't use whatever you searched.
 
Vom said:
Alolan Muk, Slaking and Glaceon-GX all shut down Lele's ability. I wouldn't add Acerola just to reuse the Lele, especially in a Malamar deck where there is little use for it other than that. Also consider that Acerola would be your Supporter for the turn, so you couldn't use whatever you searched.
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Could run some super scope ups instead of Acerola.
 
THB said:
Could run some super scope ups instead of Acerola.
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True, but then it becomes unreliable and you'd be forced to run more than one copy for it to be useful in the long run. Nevertheless, it has the same problem as Acerola in the deck, serving little purpose besides reusing Lele.
 
Vom said:
True, but then it becomes unreliable and you'd be forced to run more than one copy for it to be useful in the long run. Nevertheless, it has the same problem as Acerola in the deck, serving little purpose besides reusing Lele.
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True my friend. I would play one or two and if I didn’t need them just ultra ball them away.
 
THB said:
True my friend. I would play one or two and if I didn’t need them just ultra ball them away.
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Yes, that’s also a good fit for me, I feel Lele-GX keeps there just occupying a slot that could be Malamar’s on my bank, sacrificing it costs two prizes. Am I overthinking Lele too much?
 
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