Pokemon TCG Pocket Lapras EX Drop Event: Dates, best deck build, counters & rewards

The Lapras EX Drop Event is an exciting limited-time opportunity for players in Pokemon TCG Pocket to earn exclusive rewards, including the highly sought-after Lapras EX card.

You can obtain this new more powerful version from the Promo-A Series Vol. 1 booster pack during the Pocket event, which also gives you the chance to claim four new Pokemon variants.

This guide details everything you need to know, including equipping you with the best strategies to excel in the event and effectively counter the increasingly difficult Lapras decks.

Event Dates

The event began on November 5, 2024, and will run in Pocket until November 18, 2024, at 12:59 AM ET. This marks the game’s second event and the launch of its first-ever Drop Event.

Players will take on four progressively challenging Lapras and Lapras EX decks in Solo Battles, completing missions to earn exclusive rewards. Participants can win new card variants, including the Lapras EX, along with Event Hourglasses that can be exchanged for additional booster packs.

How to start

Here are all the steps to follow to begin participating in the Lapras EX Pocket event:

• Select the ‘Battle’ tab from the in-game menu
• Choose the ‘Solo’ category
• Select the ‘Lapras Ex Drop Event’ option
• Pick from one of the four choices

The Battle menu unlocks when you reach player level 3. You can quickly level up by earning EXP through missions, opening card packs, and participating in Wonder Picks—reaching level 3 should only take a few minutes. You will also need to have completed all 6 of the For New Players steps of the Battle Guide.

The new event features an exclusive stamina system called Event Stamina, which only depletes with each victory. You can also earn Event Hourglasses from beginner and intermediate Solo Battles to replenish your Event Stamina.

Deck Overview

The Lapras EX Deck is a special Water deck that features the stronger ‘EX’ version of Lapras from the Genetic Apex set in Pocket TCG. During the event, there are alternate versions for each Solo Battle difficulty that contain a collection of different Water-type cards, as well as the non-EX Lapras packs.

See below for an overview of the Lapras EX deck:

Strengths:

• Lapras Ex’s 140 HP makes it tough to beat
• The Bubble Drain attack only costs 2 Water and 1 Colorless Energy
• Deals decent damage of 80

Weaknesses:

• Water Pokemon take +20 damage from Lightning-type Pokemon

Full Deck List

During the Lapras EX event, you can challenge four different difficulty levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert. As you progress, each AI opponent will present stronger decks.

The first two decks feature standard Lapras cards, while the Advanced and Expert decks introduce one and two Lapras EX respectively. These powerful variants boast superior stats which, paired with some stronger cards, make them formidable opponents in battle. See the full deck lists below:

Difficulty	Pokemon Cards
Beginner	Lapras x2 Ducklett Goldeen x2 Horsea Krabby Pidgey x2 Poliwag Poliwhirl Seadra Staryu x2 Swanna Tentacool
Intermediate	Lapras x2 Dodrio Doduo x2 Goldeen x2 Poke Ball x2 Pokedex x2 Poliwag Poliwhirl x2 Professor’s Research x2 Seaking Starmie Staryu x2
Advanced	Lapras EX Lapras x2 Dodrio x2 Doduo x2 Goldeen x2 Poke Ball x2 Potion Professor’s Research x2 Seaking x2 Starmie x2 Staryu x2
Expert	Lapras EX x2 Starmie EX x2 Golduck x2 Misty Poke Ball x2 Potion x2 Professor’s Research x2 Psyduck x2 Sabrina Staryu x2 X Speed x2

Best counter

To effectively counter any of the Lapras Ex or standard Lapras decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket, it’s best to use decks that are rich in Electric-type Pokemon cards.

Electric Pokemon deal +20 damage to Water types. This includes all variants of Lapras and every other Water Pokemon that feature in the decks mentioned in the tables above. However, you will also need a decent balance of supportive Electric Trainer cards to further synergize and aid you during battle.

This strategy will enable you to overcome any level of difficulty by capitalizing on this, making Electric-type Pokemon the only and best counter for these special Solo Battles.

Best deck build

The best deck build to use when taking on any of the four difficulty levels during the event would be to use cards from the Electric Lt. Surge deck.

Here are all the best cards from the Lt. Surge deck to use in your build:

• Raichu x2
• Pikachu x2
• Pikachu Ex x2
• Electrodude x 2
• Magneton x2
• Lt. Surge x2
• Sabrina x2
• X Speed x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor’s Research x2

Raichu is the star of the show here, and you get two of them. They can deal an insane 140 Electric damage with Thunderbolt. Not only that but having 100 HP to back it up makes them hard to beat. Despite the Pokemon’s signature move costing three Electric Energy, it will be key in taking down Lapras and Water-types.

Pikachu EX and Electrode will also be key when attacking, which together with Raichu will prove to be an unstoppable force against Water Pokemon. Magneton will be used as more of a support to power up Raichu with the Lt. Surge Supporter to ensure you don’t run out of Energy.

Rewards

By defeating each of the four Lapras decks, you can earn a range of rewards, including exclusive challenges tied to each level. Among these rewards, the most coveted is the Promo Pack, which gives you a chance to obtain the new Lapras ex card.

Below is a comprehensive list of every reward you can obtain, along with the bonus Chance Rewards.

Beginner

Challenge	Rewards
Complete the Beginner Lapras Ex deck battle	Pack Hourglass x2, Shinedust x50, Shop Ticket x1, 25 XP
Knock Out your opponent’s Active Pokemon 1 time with an attack from a Lightning-type Pokemon	Event Hourglass x3
Put 3 Basic Pokemon into play	Event Hourglass x3

Intermediate

Challenge	Rewards
Complete the Intermediate Lapras Ex deck battle	Pack Hourglass x4, Shinedust x100, Shop Ticket x1, 50 XP
Knock Out your opponent’s Active Pokemon 2 times with an attack from a Lightning-Type Pokemon	Event Hourglass x3
Knock Out your opponent’s Active Pokemon 2 times with an attack from a Lightning-Type Pokemon	Event Hourglass x3
Put 1 Stage 1 Pokemon into play	Event Hourglass x3
Win this battle by turn 14	Event Hourglass x3

Advanced

Challenge	Rewards
Complete the Advanced Lapras Ex deck battle	Pack Hourglass x6, Shinedust x 150, Shop Ticket x1, 75 XP
Win 5 or more battles	Wonder Hourglass x4
Win this battle using a deck where all the Pokemon are of 1, 2, or 3 diamonds rarity	Wonder Hourglass x4
Win this battle by turn 14	Wonder Hourglass x4
Win this battle without your opponent getting any points	Wonder Hourglass x4

Expert

Challenge	Rewards
Complete the Expert Lapras Ex deck battle	Pack Hourglass x8, Shinedust x200, Shop Ticket x1, 100 XP
Win this battle using a deck where all the Pokemon are of 1, 2, or 3 diamonds rarity	Wonder Hourglass x5
Win this battle by turn 12	Wonder Hourglass x5
Win this battle without your opponent getting any points	Wonder Hourglass x5
Win 10 or more battles	Wonder Hourglass x5
Win 20 or more battles	Wonder Hourglass x5

Drop Rewards

You can also have a random chance to earn extra rewards when completing any of the Lapras EX deck battles during the event.

Here are all the bonus rewards you can obtain:

• Promo Pack A Series Vol. 1
• Shinedust x25
• Shop Ticket x1

Promo Pack Rewards

The best reward you can claim is the Promo-A Series Vol. 1 booster pack. Winning each match gives you a 51% to 100% chance of receiving the special booster, which includes one of five promo cards.

Here are all the new cards you can claim from opening the Lapras Ex Promo Pack:

Card	Type	Stats
Lapras EX	Water	HP: 140 Attack: Bubble Drain Attack Damage: 80 Attack Abilities: Heals 20 damage from this Pokemon Attack Cost: 2 Water and 1 Colorless Energy Weakness: +20 damage from Lightning attacks Retreat Cost: 3 Colorless Energy
Mankey	Fighting	HP: 50 Attack: Reckless Charge Attack Damage: 30 Attack Abilities: Deals 10 damage to itself Attack Cost: 1 Fighting Energy Weakness: +20 damage from Psychic attacks Retreat Cost: 1 Colorless Energy
Pikachu	Electric	HP: 60 Attack: Gnaw Attack Damage: 20 Attack Cost: 1 Electric Energy Weakness: +20 damage from Fighting attacks Retreat Cost: 1 Colorless Energy
Clefairy	Fairy	HP: 60 Attack: Attack Damage: 20 Attack Cost: 1 Psychic Energy Weakness: +20 damage from Metal attacks Retreat Cost: 1 Colorless Energy
Butterfree	Bug	HP: 120 Attack: Slap Attack Damage: 20 Attack Cost: 1 Bug Energy Weakness: +20 damage from Fire attacks Retreat Cost: 1 Colorless Energy

Despite all the cards apart from the Lapras EX already being available in Pocket, these are still new illustrated variants. However, the powerful Lapras Ex card has far superior stats to the original version.

For Pocket, you can check out our overview of Pokemon TCG Pocket vs TCG Live, detailing all the key differences. We also have guides on how to get the secret Mew card and a complete list of the rarest cards in the game.