How Munkidori is Wreaking Havoc in the Pokemon TCG
Who would have thought the most versatile new card in the Pokemon TCG would be Munkidori from Twilight Masquerade? While its usually the main attackers that get the most notice in the Pokemon TCG, Munkidori has proven that it should be sharing some of that spotlight. After all, it was in the majority of the decks that finished in the top eight at the massive NAIC Pokemon tournament thanks to a powerful natural synergy with Gardevoir ex.
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To be honest, it was not on my radar for being the strongest possible card. That being said, maybe I shouldn’t noticed when it helped me go undefeated at my Twilight Masquerade Prerelease tournament.
Regardless if you saw it coming or not, after the North American International Championship event held in New Orleans in June 2024, it’s hard to ignore this monkey’s effectiveness.
Let’s break down what makes Munkidori so strong in general and especially in the current Pokemon TCG meta.
Munkidori can fit into any deck
While Munkidori is undeniably a versatile card, the only thing that’s a little annoying about it is that you need to have a darkness energy handy and attach it in order to use its ability.
For that reason, Munkidori will undoubtedly work better in some decks than others. One of the reasons it works so well in Gardevoir ex is because “Psychic Embrace” makes it really easy to accelerate copious amounts of energy without fail. Of course, as you accelerate those energies with this ability, you deal damage – damage that can then be easily moved around via Munkidori’s Adrena-Brain ability.
That being said, energy search is relatively easy right now thanks to the powerful Earthen Vessel card. So it’s feasible to work Munkidori into plenty of decks, even ones that don’t have quite as strong energy acceleration as Gardevoir ex.
For this reason, Munkidori has the potential to be on one of the most effective cards in the game right now.
Munkidori acts as a strong counter to top decks
While plenty of people are writing Dragapult ex off as a lower top tier Pokemon deck, part of the reason why it was less prevalent at NAIC no doubt is due to Munkidori. Dragapult’s main selling point is that it is able to dish out additional damage to the bench in any way you like (up to 60 damage counters). However, this ability is much less handy if your opponent has a Munkidori in play. Essentially you are just adding fuel to the Munkidori-induced fire, and you know half of that damage is going to be shot instantly back at you.
But Munkidori isn’t just a powerful counter to Dragapult. It can also be quite effective against Lost Zone decks that like to spread damage with Sabeleye and the powerful Lost Mine attack. Suddenly it’s a lot harder to take all the KOs you’d like when you have Munkidori to move damage around.
Munkidori is also a boon to basic Pokemon decks
Last but not least, Munkidori offers a significant boost to decks that have a little bit of trouble taking OHKOs against bigger Pokemon. One tactic I’ve been using in my Gouging Fire ex deck, for example, is to use Munkidori to lower the HP of both Pokemon ex and V to more manageable levels. While Gouging Fire ex is a great example of how effective this can be, it could also theoretically be used in other decks to take otherwise challenging KOs.
Undoubtedly, Munkidori will fit into some decks better than others just like any card, but it’s unlikely this effective and loyal monkey card is going anywhere in the near future. Just goes to show you how impactful an unassuming set like Twilight Masquerade has been for the game.
