Yuyutei Weekly: Dragapult ex Holds Firm as Counters Emerge — 6 Apr 2026
Japan's competitive meta is pushing back against Dragapult ex's dominance. Meanwhile, Yuyutei's buy list reveals sustained collector demand for high-rarity SAR singles across M1–M4 and SV series.
This week's Yuyutei coverage leans editorial: a live City League tournament report stress-testing the Dragapult ex archetype, two new deck guides exploring the Extra Regulation format, and a buy-price update signalling which Japanese Pokemon TCG cards are seeing the most collector demand right now. No booster boxes or lottery products this week — but the competitive and demand signals are worth reading carefully if you're tracking JP singles prices or scouting import opportunities.
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Article Summaries
Dragapult ex + Dusknoir Tournament Report — 3 Apr 2026
Source: yuyu-tei.jp/show/poc/content/26398
Type: Tournament Report
Author もっさ (Mawssa, @Mawssa2000) ran Dragapult ex + Dusknoir at a local event and finished 4-2 in the main bracket before going a clean 5-0 in the side event. The report is less about the final record and more about what Mawssa encountered across those nine games: a meta that has begun to organise itself specifically around taking Dragapult ex down.
Key cards or findings:
- Dragapult ex (Phantom Forces equivalent) — Still the deck to beat post-Ninja Spinner. Mawssa's build pairs it with Dusknoir for graveyard-based disruption, with Meowth ex and Toedscool ex as situational tech pieces.
- Mega Lucario ex — Emerged as a dedicated counter strategy, exploiting Dragapult's weakness profile.
- Mega Kangaskhan ex + Lillie's Clefairy ex (Kangaskhan-EX, Japanese: カビゴンex) — The more interesting counter. Ogerpon provides early multi-prize knockouts before Lillie's Clefairy takes over with single-prize chip damage backed by the Lillie's Pearl trainer card. This hybrid tempo-control approach is harder for Dragapult to navigate than a straight aggro counter.
- Mega Blastoise ex with Minccino tech — A separate opponent's list that used Minccino's "Cursed Bomb" to disrupt Dragapult's setup timing. Unusual tech, but Mawssa flagged it as effective.
The author closes undecided on whether to continue piloting Dragapult ex heading into the next City League or pivot to one of the emerging counter strategies — a telling sign of where the meta sits right now.
Why it matters for Singapore collectors:
- Dragapult ex singles remain in demand but the ceiling may be approaching. With multiple viable counter strategies appearing in JP tournament reports, sustained price growth is less certain.
- Mega Kangaskhan ex and Lillie's Clefairy ex are worth watching. If this counter package proves consistent over the coming weeks, those singles could see upward pressure in the Japanese market before filtering through to Singapore prices.
- Minccino (with "Cursed Bomb") is a low-profile tech card currently. Niche demand but worth noting if the Blastoise ex archetype gains traction.
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Yuyutei SAR Buy Price Update — 26 Mar 2026
Source: yuyu-tei.jp/show/poc/content/26342
Type: Product / Buy Pricing
This page is Yuyutei's buy-price announcement — what the store is actively paying customers to sell in. It does not list retail sell prices, but a buy list this broad signals strong resale demand: Yuyutei only buys aggressively on cards they expect to move quickly.
The highlighted buy categories span four series generations:
M1–M4 Series (Super Reinforced Buying):
- Mega Gekkouga ex SAR (Greninja, Japanese: メガゲッコウガex)
- Meowth ex SAR (ニャース ex)
- Pikachu ex SAR
- Rocket's Mewtwo ex SAR (ロケット団のミュウツーex)
- Mega Gengar ex SAR (メガゲンガーex)
- Mega Charizard X ex SAR (メガリザードンXex)
SV Series (Standard) Highlights:
- Zekrom ex SAR — SV11B
- Reshiram ex SAR — SV11W
- Umbreon ex SAR — SV8A (Moonlit Festival)
- Nymphali ex SAR (Sylveon, シルフィアex) — SV8A
- Pikachu ex SAR — SV8
- Gekkouga ex SAR (Greninja) — SV5A
VSTAR Universe (S12a):
- Leafeon VSTAR SAR
- Charizard V SAR
- Charizard VSTAR SAR
- Mewtwo VSTAR SAR
No explicit JPY buy prices were displayed on the page as extracted. For actual figures, visit the source link directly.
Why it matters for Singapore collectors:
- The M1–M4 SAR cards (Mega Charizard X ex, Rocket's Mewtwo ex, Mega Gengar ex) are actively sought by one of Japan's largest retailers. If you're sourcing these via proxy or Buyee, expect competition — Yuyutei's buy pressure suggests retail stock is moving.
- Umbreon ex SAR (SV8A) and Sylveon ex SAR continue to feature on Yuyutei's active buy list weeks after SV8A's initial release window. Sustained demand, not just launch hype.
- VSTAR Universe SAR cards (Charizard VSTAR, Mewtwo VSTAR) remain on buy lists more than a year after release. These cards have proven floor prices in Japan, which limits downside risk for Singapore collectors already holding them.
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New Writer Introduction: Yoichi — 27 Mar 2026
Source: yuyu-tei.jp/show/poc/content/26347
Type: Author Introduction / Deck Showcase
Yoichi is a new contributor to Yuyutei's editorial team, based in the Kanto region (active at events across Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Saitama, and Tokyo). Their focus is the Extra Regulation format (非エクストラ, the Japanese equivalent of Legacy/Expanded play), with an emphasis on control and hand disruption (ハンデス) decks over straightforward aggro builds. Best competitive result: top 4 at a City League during the FGH Mark Standard season.
The introduction includes two featured deck lists:
Deck 1: Itomaru Momowarou (Spinarak + Mawile Control)
- Core strategy: Use Itomaru's (Spinarak, Japanese: イトマル) paralysis and poison mechanics alongside Momowarou (Mawile) and Regice (PROMO) to lock the opponent into a slow, damage-ticked-down position.
- Key cards: Itomaru C, Momowarou U, Regice PROMO, Yamirami (Sableye)
- Archetype: Pure control, not designed for fast wins — rewards patient, experienced play.
Deck 2: Bomb Absol (Mega Absol-EX + Samiyowl)
- Core strategy: Force the opponent to take prize cards using Samiyowl's (Decidueye, Japanese: サミヨウル) "Cursed Bomb" ability, then leverage Mega Absol-EX's damage output with Counter Energy once you're behind on prizes.
- Key cards: Mega Absol-EX, Samiyowl, Counter Energy
Why it matters for Singapore collectors:
- Yoichi commits to producing Extra Regulation content regularly — a format that Singapore's competitive scene plays to a lesser extent, but which shares card pools with older Standard. Any spikes in Extra Reg card demand in Japan (particularly for Regice PROMO or Counter Energy variants) can flow through to Singapore import prices.
- Mega Absol-EX with Counter Energy is an evergreen Extra Reg combo. Worth watching if Yoichi's articles drive renewed interest in the archetype.
- This is an introductory post — watch for Yoichi's future articles on Yuyutei as they build out their Extra Reg content library.
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New Deck Guide: Crevasse (Yukikaze) — 30 Mar 2026
Source: yuyu-tei.jp/show/poc/content/26366
Type: Deck Guide / Strategy Article
Author Himari Yukikaze presents a 60-card Extra Regulation deck built around Crevasse (Japanese: ユキカイドウ), an uncommon attacker whose "Icy Mountain Crush" attack flips energy cards from the deck to deal up to 360 damage in a single turn — comparable, the author notes, to Mega Abomasnow-ex's output but without the ex price penalty (fewer prizes given when knocked out).
Deck composition (60 cards):
- Pokémon (10): 4x Crevasse (U), 4x Kachikohl (C), 2x Kyogre (R)
- Trainers (13): 4x Pokepad, 4x Great Fishing Net, 4x Rocket's Receiver, 1x Precious Carry
- Supporters (4): 4x Rocket's Lambda
- Energy (33): 33x Basic Water Energy
Key cards:
- Crevasse — Primary attacker; high ceiling damage but requires energy setup from deck flips.
- Kyogre (R) — Mid/late game recovery, returns discarded Water Energy to the deck to keep the attack engine live.
- Great Fishing Net — Pre-attack energy manipulation; ensures the right energy distribution before Crevasse attacks.
Why it matters for Singapore collectors:
- Competitive viability is limited: the author themselves notes "limited competitive visibility" for current Crevasse variants, and the 360-damage ceiling requires ideal conditions. This is a fun, creative build rather than a meta threat.
- No immediate price signal for any cards in this list — Crevasse (U) and Kachikohl (C) are common rarity and not scarcity-driven.
- Worth following Yukikaze's content for Extra Regulation deck ideas if you play the format locally. The Kyogre energy-recycling concept is broadly applicable to other water control strategies.
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Japan Market Signals
1. Dragapult ex counter strategies are consolidating. This week's tournament report is the clearest signal yet that the JP meta is actively building answers to Dragapult. Mega Kangaskhan ex with Lillie's Clefairy and Mega Lucario ex are the emerging responses. Dragapult ex retains its dominant position, but the free-run period where it could sweep without preparation may be ending.
2. M1–M4 SAR demand is structurally strong. Yuyutei's buy list spanning Mega Charizard X ex, Rocket's Mewtwo ex, and Mega Gengar ex SAR cards reflects ongoing collector demand — not just competitive play — for the highest-rarity cards from Japan's MEGA Evolution era. These are graded-card targets as much as singles.
3. Extra Regulation format gaining editorial space. Two of this week's four articles are explicitly Extra Regulation content. Yuyutei dedicating column space to this format suggests it's growing in reader engagement, which can translate to renewed search demand for older cards in Singapore's second-hand market.
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What to Watch This Week
- Mega Kangaskhan ex (M-Kangaskhan-EX) — The Lillie's Clefairy pairing is appearing in JP tournament reports as a credible Dragapult counter. If this deck posts results at City League, expect SGD prices to react. Currently a buy-low opportunity before confirmation.
- Rocket's Mewtwo ex SAR — On Yuyutei's active buy list alongside the Mega Charizard X ex SAR. If you're holding this or scouting it on tcgTalk's price comparison, the JP demand floor looks firm.
- Umbreon ex SAR (SV8A / Moonlit Festival) — Continues to feature on Yuyutei's buy list well past launch. Sustained demand across grading and collecting communities. Watch for SGD prices to stay elevated.
- Dragapult ex singles — Still viable, but the counter-meta forming in JP is a watch signal. Hold rather than buy aggressively until City League results clarify whether Kangaskhan or Lucario counters become widespread.
- Minccino (Cursed Bomb variant) — Low-profile tech card appearing in competitive JP lists. Not a price mover yet, but worth noting if Blastoise ex archetypes gain tournament presence over the coming weeks.
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Source data from yuyu-tei.jp content published 26 Mar – 3 Apr 2026. No retail sell prices were listed on these pages — content covers competitive analysis, deck guides, and a buy-price announcement. For current Singapore market pricing, use tcgTalk's /price-comparison tool.