GLC Fighting Deck - Hitmoncombo

Fighting is one of the least supported types in GLC, even though it  arguably has the best attackers in format, having no ways to consistently set up your board every game is really devastating. Draw engines are usually what define if a deck can be competitively viable or not.

Regardless, I’ve been having a ton of success with my HitmonCombo deck, even winning the Webcam Async League Season 2 Finals and a very sizable GLC Webcam tournament with 32 players!  In the right meta this deck can easily sweep a tournament if you’re lucky to not face psychic.
The hitmoncombo has been one of my favourite mechanics in the TCG since late Sun and Moon and when I got into GLC back in 2021 I really enjoyed how effective the Hitmonbros would be in a format with lots of setup decks and low HP Pokemon.

But why should you trust me and  play a deck with no draw engine which feels like you’re almost always playing “Topdeck Simulator”? The Hitmons have a really good matchup into most standard setup based decks like Hydro Pump Water and Rillaboom Grass, hits Dark, Lighting and Colorless for weakness and thanks to Machoke, its great into most Spread and/or Snipe lists. Psychic decks may be very difficult to beat but with a good start you too can make them sweat!

It all started with Uurtzub’s Pokéstop Hitmons list (which in turn is also known as the original engine for the LZ Psychic archetype).I took it to an online tournament and managed to win the whole thing. I saw potential in the explosive starts. Since I didn’t feel like pokestopping 3 supporters every time I tried to make a more easily approachable list that has since never been changed much in regards to the supporters I use.

Took it to a bunch of tournaments, tweaked it, messed around with different ideas and managed to find a balance, finally ending up on today’s Hitmon’s list.

As the name of the deck suggests, you’re playing a trio of efficient 1 energy attackers. You have to play the Hitmons in the correct order every turn, without missing a single attack, else you have to restart the combo from Hitmonchan again.

Hitmonchan itself is a very nice 1 energy attacker that enables lots of interesting plays like setting up math for Okidogi and Lucario or hitting and running into a already benched Hawlucha, sacrificing and returning it from discard with cards like Buddy Buddy Rescue (soon to be Night Stretcher), Klara and Rescue Stretcher. Despite only doing 30 damage, this deck has ways of enabling 1st turn KOs with the 2 damage modifiers: Muscle Band and Strong energy. Since this is a deck that really likes going 2nd to start the combo as soon as possible, you’re aiming to have access to Guzma & Hala t1, which most likely makes your Hitmonchan do 30+20+20 with Muscle Band + Strong Energy, which either ends the game there if you manage to donk your opponent, or set some damage for Hitmontop to clean up later.

After hitting and running, you usually go for Hitmonlee’s Special Combo attack. Sniping 90 damage on some key support on the opponent’s bench usually sets them way back. There’s also the option to snipe something else for a ko with Hitmontop since 90+60 knocks out almost every relevant big basic or low HP stage 2 pokemon, and even if you don’t Hawlucha is there to fix the math with the multiple uses you can get with scoop up net and when you return it from discard.

After attacking with Hitmonlee, comes the climax of the combo. Finishing the combo with Hitmontop is usually when you take multiple prizes in a single turn. If your opponent doesn’t run a bench barrier they are probably gonna be suffering a lot from all 3 Hitmon attacks. Once again, the Hawlucha plays a massive role here in order to hit those 70HP evolving basics and even the 80HP if you manage to find a Scoop up Net to re-bench and hit the same Pokémon for 1 more ping of 10 damage.  From here on you should have taken 2-3 prizes with the combo and it’s where the side attackers  really shine the most.

(Tip: Use Echoing Horn to cheese a 60HP Pokémon into play for a bonus prize card, setting you even more ahead!)

The Okidogi is a very insane  card that turns  the tide of the game the second you attach one of the 3 Special Energies that provide darkness energy. A 230 HP basic doing 170 damage for 2 attachments is absurd in GLC. If you go first but have a poor hand for the Hitmoncombo, you can usually start attacking with the Okidogi as soon as turn 2 and start the combo another time if needed. There’s probably some games where you can ignore the Hitmons completely and just manually attach twice to Okidogi, have it KO’d only to rescue it from the discard, play Raihan and have it ready in a single turn to keep swinging for another turn or two.

(Tip: if you suspect your opponent has access to Hex Maniac or Silent Lab to shut down Adrena-Power, bench Lillie's PokeDoll to deny them a 2 prize turn!) 

Lucario is yet another efficient and inexpensive 1 energy attacker. Most of the time, you’re aiming to leave Riolu on the bench while you attempt to play the whole combo out. But sometimes your opponent may not be benching that many relevant snipe targets. Assess the situation and if it justifies interrupting the combo and attacking with Lucario to deal with a big attacker, then do so!  Don’t forget Lucario also benefits from the 2 damage modifiers, allowing it to deal a whopping 190 damage for 1 single energy! Note: Lillie’s Pokédoll counts as a Colorless Pokémon when in play, so it doesn’t count for Avenging Knuckle’s bonus damage!

(Tip: Riolu itself also benefits from the 2 damage modifiers, doing a maximum of 60 damage if needed to take a cheesy turn 1 donk)

Enter Machamp, the late game sweeper, king of 2 for 1s. This is probably one of the most broken attackers there is in GLC. Having an effective 300 HP whenever your opponent is down to 3 prizes is ridiculous. Only requiring 2 energies to attack also makes it a great Raihan target. Despite not having Rare Candy in this deck, you’re usually fine just evolving it as the game progresses, since you’ll have a lot of threats on your board taking  the focus away from the puny Machop. Even so, Focus Sash usually makes the opponent unable to take a one hit KO on the bench sitting Machop making it very hard for your opponent to deny a Machamp appearance.

 Later in the game, you’re aiming to have Machamp as your only actual Pokémon in play, along with Lillie’s Pokedoll to deny some prize cards. If they play Escape Rope you just present them the Doll, a Pokémon with focus Sash attached to deny the OHKO or even Okidogi if it has a Darkness Energy attached. You can play a Switch effect card to reset the Machamp whenever you have to hit for 200 with Strong-Arm Lariat. Machoke is very useful into every spread deck in the format and usually just leaving it there is the play until the late game. As soon as they take 3 prizes, present them with a 300HP  Machamp and laugh as they have trouble dealing with both Okidogi and Machamp back to back.

(Tip: Just like Riolu, the Machop itself also benefits from the 2 damage modifiers, doing a maximum of 60 damage if needed to take a cheesy turn 1 donk)

Key supporter cards

Ball Guy is your ideal turn 1 supporter, grabbing you almost everything you need to start the combo, setting you up at least Hitmonchan + Hitmonlee + Riolu/Machop or a basic energy if you decide to get Team Magma’s Great Ball instead. While Ball Guy thins 3 ball cards from your deck, those 3 ball cards also thin your deck by 3 more cards! Thinning is winning!

Guzma & Hala is a Tag Call searchable supporter that really makes this deck work wonders. Searching for Strong Energy + Brooklet Hill + U-turn Board/ Float Stone as soon as Turn 1 ensures the combo will start (if you don’t prize Hitmonchan) and will also enable Hitmonlee to be searched with the stadium next turn (assuming the opponent doesn’t bump it). If you are thinking to forgo the start of the hitmoncombo and going for an early Okidogi is better, then by all means, do so, as the deck has the tools to just Knock Out anything that's in the opponent’s active spot turn after turn. Be aware you’ll be very susceptible to disruption this way.

Rosa and Teammates both serve the same purpose allowing you to search for the next hitmoncombo pieces, Lucario Revenge attack or whatever the situation you’re in calls. Getting the Lillie’s Poké Doll knocked out triggers both of these cards which is a very interesting interaction.

Raihan is yet another powerful card that gets triggered whenever one of your Pokémon is Knocked out.  It allows you to energize Okidogi and Machamp  in a single turn while also searching for that 1 perfect card. Use it wisely, since it’s probably only ever gonna be used once because there’s not many ways for you to search vs Seeker to reuse it.

Erika’s Hospitality has been an amazing card that draws me at least 4 cards every time I use it. Since we’re playing a combo deck, being able to have a ton of options in hand is key, and compared to a mid/late  game Professor’s Research, this is probably the best draw card you can play in Hitmons.

Technical Machine: Devolution is probably one of those cards you will hardly play at all most of the times. BUT the times you really do need it to win a game to clear a board after a full Hitmoncombo with some Hawlucha pings along the way you’re going to be really grateful for not cutting it at all. I have had some very funny plays where I finish the whole combo and actually attack with Lillie’s Pokedoll holding this devolution, both disrupting my opponent by having doll sitting in the active and having their whole board devolved!

Tech cards to consider

If you’re not scared of bench barriers, cutting Silent Lab for a draw supporter or a more useful stadium is a very good call. I’ve been toying around with Exp Share in place of Silent Lab and it makes attacking with Okidogi and Machamp even easier at the expense of having less outs to an opponent’s bench barrier like Mew or Manaphy.

If you’re really scared of Wailord, Guzzlord, Amazing Raikou or any other face card of the most popular archetypes this Sudowoodo is a really good tech. Pairs really well with Raihan and Exp. Share if you are really in the mood for some spice!

It might seem weird to see Artazon in a deck with brooklet hill already on it, but having more outs to prizing one of your two “Brooklet Hills'' really means you can find your basics in the early stages of the game and also during the turns you’re trying to find your Hitmoncombo pieces. This is definitely one of my must try techs once Shrouded Fable is released

Card to look forward to in the next expansions

Night Stretcher

This card is a straight upgrade to Buddy Buddy Rescue. Same effect for us (your opponent can’t put the Manaphy from their discard pile back into their hand (yay!)) AND now you have the option to instead put a basic energy from the discard pile into your hand, which pairs really well with how cheap our attackers are. (All credit to JustinBasil for the translation).

Colress’s Tenacity

This card plays a very similar role to Guzma & Hala, searching only a stadium and energy CARD, meaning it can search for both basic and special energies. Perhaps a Cynthia & Caitlyn cut can happen alongside Tag Call in order to free up 1 deck space. (All credit to JustinBasil for the translation).

As stated before, Artazon is a really good card to have in this deck together with Brooklet Hill, allowing you to have a slightly more consistent way of finding your basics through the whole game. Perhaps cutting Tag Call and Cynthia & Caitlyn is a good call in order to add both Colress’s Tenacity and Artazon.

Thanks for reading all the way! I have been putting a lot of games into my Hitmoncombo list and I feel like there’s always some sort of improvement to be made in the list with how my philosophy on the deck changes from time to time!