By now it's no secret that Silvally is a very good Pokémon Pocket card. This normal type Pokémon and its archetype managed to dominate tournaments for the first couple weeks of the new set, a first for a non-ex deck.
And while other strategies like Buzzwole and Solgaleo/Shiinotic seem to have caught up in the meantime, Silvally decks are still making up a large portion of the meta. Props to Tim for calling how mighty this 'mon was going to be. It's perhaps the best Pokémon card of the set.
However, not everyone has stuck with Rampardos as the partner for this Legendary Pokémon. While the Rampardos/Silvally deck is the most popular, relying on the enormous damage output of these two creatures to pile on the pressure, a number of other Silvally decks have cropped up in the meantime. As it's a normal type, you have a load of options. Here, we'll examine each Pokémon you can play alongside Silvally and consider the pros and cons.
Rampardos
The current favorite. These two deliver the ultimate one-two punch, with Silvally softening up targets for Rampardos to bring down. The fact you're guaranteed to start with Type Null in the active zone really helps the deck's consistency. However, because you're dependent on trainer cards, rare candy, and your fossils, you can be hurt by hand disruption cards like Mars.
Oricorio
Including everyone's favorite annoying yellow bird makes the outcome quite dependent on the matchup you face. This variant is pretty good against Giratina/Darkrai, but also a strong counter to Solgaleo, as Shiinotic is a very weak attacker. Against another Silvally deck, however, you'll be in trouble.
As Oriciorio has no evolutionary line to worry about, you can include more supporters in this build, or another useful Pokémon like grass Shaymin.
Charizard ex
The one Pokémon ex players are using in conjunction with Silvally, this plays a lot like the Charizard/Turtonator decks of last season. Charizard can one shot most targets, and even leaves Solgaleo too low to safely fight back without a heal, thanks to the favorable type matchup. Starting with a Charmander out front can be awkward, however.
Blacephelon
Fire types are well positioned in the current meta with all the Solgaleos and Buzzwoles around. Blacephelon is a bit like a fire type Rampardos - a heavy hitter that makes itself vulnerable. However, because it's a basic Pokémon it's much easier to set up, and Lusamine can help you power up your jellyfish clown once Silvally goes down.
You do need Leaf to avoid sticky situations, however.
Zeraora
While the strength of your opening hand will make or break your match, this deck can have some terrifying turns, using Dawn and the electric cat's Thunderclap Flash ability to get Silvally attacking as soon as possible. Most Silvally decks hate going first, but with this one it's less of a problem. However, with a bad hand, the strategy can feel pretty anemic.
Since you're using Lightning energy already, some Zeraora decks use Oricorio too, to block ex Pokémon. But you don't typically want to have this Pokémon out early.
The sheer number of Silvally decks on offer shows how great it is to have powerful normal types in the game. Because they can go in any deck, it's allowed for lots of interesting experimentation and variety.
What's your favorite Silvally deck, or are you sick of this card already? Share your thoughts over at our Discord. You should also check out the most costly rare Pokémon cards, and our guide to the newest Pokémon set.