Rampardos + Lycanroc — The Bonk Brothers

Rampardos + Lycanroc is a brutally efficient deck that uses just two basic Pokémon and two Fossils to create relentless early pressure. With Rockruff's ability to search for evolutions and Rampardos’s overwhelming power, this deck is all about high-damage tempo that few decks can handle.

Why Play Rampardos + Lycanroc?

If you hate relying on luck and love hitting hard with minimal setup, this deck’s for you. Rampardos + Lycanroc offers unmatched consistency thanks to a tight Pokémon count and strong support cards. You’ll be swinging for 130 damage before your opponent knows what hit them — especially if they’re running Oricorio, because yeah… this deck eats that bird for breakfast.

✅ Strengths

• Only 2 basic Pokémon — clean and consistent openings
  
  
• Big damage (130!) for very little energy
  
  
• Crushes Oricorio builds with ease

❌ Weaknesses

• Fossil reliance can occasionally brick your setup
  
  
• Awkward energy distribution can punish misplays

Game Plan

Early Game:
Start with Rockruff and immediately search for your evolutions. You want Lycanroc attacking turn one while you dig for Cranidos and fossil pieces. Don’t overcommit unless you know you’ve got Rampardos incoming. Iono is huge here to start piecing together the fossil line quickly.

Mid Game:
Lycanroc keeps up the pressure while you evolve into Rampardos. This is where tempo flips — your opponent might scramble for a response, but you’ve got enough gas to start swinging for 130 damage.

Late Game:
By this point, you’ve either closed out the game or your opponent is hanging on by a thread. Use your energy wisely and pivot to clean up with Lycanroc if needed. The low energy requirements make it easy to respond to threats while staying aggressive.

Key Card Roles & Highlights

Rockruff — Evolution searcher that keeps your plan online

Lycanroc — Consistent early-game attacker

Rampardos — Your win condition and sledgehammer in Pokémon form

Iono — Searches your pieces and resets awkward hands

Professor’s Research — Pot of Greed with better hair

Tech Options & Variants

X-Speed — Helps reposition after a retreat and smooths energy problems

Cyrus — A godsend against retreat-heavy decks

It is important to note that the deck is built in a way that already takes specific matchups into account; however, if you find that some cards are simply unnecessary, my recommendation would be to remove Sabrina. It offers the least amount of benefit in most matchups, but is still really good and is used, hence its inclusion. Another card that could be dropped is Lillie, as it only helps when you are in a neutral to winning position. This means that if you’re losing, you'll likely never get to play this card.

Final Thoughts: Mastering the Deck

Rampardos + Lycanroc is all about calculated aggression. It rarely misses a beat, and if your fossils don’t betray you, you’re going to steamroll most opponents. It hits fast, hits hard, and punishes bad draws. If you love decks that keep it simple and violent, look no further.

Deck Status:

🏆 Tier 2 — Tournament Proven
✅ Strengths: Consistent, High Damage
⚠️ Weaknesses: Reliant on fossils