Andrew Hedrick deck: Regional Champion Setup & Tips

Andrew Hedrick’s featured list is a Dragapult ex-focused Pokémon TCG deck that combines steady evolution, spread damage, hand disruption, and carefully timed energy denial. It is not simply trying to attack as quickly as possible. Instead, the deck attempts to make every opposing resource awkward: energy attachments become vulnerable to Crushing Hammer, damaged Pokémon become targets for Munkidori, and low-resource hands become even less reliable after Judge or Unfair Stamp.

The strategy rewards patience. Early turns are used to establish Dreepy, find evolution pieces, and prepare the supporting board. Once Dragapult ex begins attacking, damage counters create future knockout opportunities across the opponent’s field. The deck can then convert those counters into prizes with Munkidori, Boss’s Orders, or another Dragapult attack.

Video Highlights:

• Andrew Hedrick uses Crushing Hammer selectively instead of immediately committing every disruption card.
• Dragapult ex spreads damage while Munkidori turns existing counters into targeted pressure.
• Judge is especially powerful when combined with board-based draw denial.
• Risky Ruins can create damage counters, but its timing depends on bench development.
• The final sequence uses preserved resources and a precise Munkidori knockout line.

The featured approach also shows why this archetype requires planning several turns ahead. Andrew considers whether Fire, Psychic, or Darkness Energy should remain available for later effects rather than treating every attachment as interchangeable. That discipline matters when Crispin needs to find different basic Energy types or when Munkidori must move damage at the correct moment.

The deck’s Pokémon lineup works as a connected system rather than a collection of independent attackers. Dreepy and Drakloak provide the evolution path toward Dragapult ex, while Dunsparce and Dudunsparce help maintain access to cards during a longer game. Munkidori is the tactical damage-management piece, and additional basic Pokémon can support recovery, searching, or late-game effects.

Dragapult ex is the primary pressure card, but the supporting Pokémon often determine whether the attack sequence succeeds. Keeping Drakloak on the Bench can preserve draw access. Establishing multiple Munkidori copies can make damage movement more reliable, although bench space becomes increasingly important as the game progresses.

A major strength of the list is its ability to attack the opponent’s setup without relying on a single disruption card. Judge can shuffle both players’ hands into the deck, while Munkidori and board damage make the opponent’s new cards less effective. When the opponent has already taken prizes, Unfair Stamp can create a particularly uncomfortable reset.

The Trainer package also includes search and recovery tools such as Buddy-Buddy Poffin, Poké Pad, Ultra Ball, Night Stretcher, and Crispin. These cards support different phases of the game:

• Buddy-Buddy Poffin develops basic Pokémon and can become useful again through Dunsparce-related reload effects.
• Poké Pad helps locate important Supporters or Pokémon when the board needs a specific answer.
• Ultra Ball finds key Pokémon but requires careful discard management.
• Night Stretcher recovers a basic Pokémon or Energy for a late-game sequence.
• Crispin connects different Energy types to the attacking plan.

The most important sequencing principle is to identify what the opponent cannot afford to lose. Sometimes that is an Energy card. Sometimes it is a draw Pokémon such as Dunsparce. In other positions, the correct target is a damaged Bench Pokémon that allows Munkidori to take a quick prize.

The list’s disruption plan is strongest when several small effects overlap. A single Crushing Hammer may not end the opponent’s turn, but removing an Energy can force a retreat, delay an evolution attack, or prevent a second attacker from being prepared. Judge becomes more threatening when the opponent has already used most of the cards in hand and has limited draw access.

Risky Ruins is more complicated. It can place damage counters on Pokémon, allowing Munkidori to move those counters across the board. However, using it too early may damage your own setup without producing a meaningful knockout. The better timing depends on whether your Dreepy line is established, whether Munkidori has the required Energy, and whether the opponent can exploit the same damage pattern.

The transcripted regional match illustrates how close the closing calculations can become. Andrew faced a position where the opponent needed only one more prize, yet successful Crushing Hammer flips removed critical Energy and bought time. The important lesson is not to expect every Hammer to succeed. It is to understand which successful flip changes the game and to avoid spending the card merely because it is available.

When using Munkidori, ask three questions:

• Does moving the counters create an immediate knockout?
• Does the move protect your Bench from the opponent’s next attack?
• Will the move leave enough damage available for the following turn?

If the answer to all three is no, preserve the effect. Dragapult ex already creates long-term pressure, so Munkidori does not need to activate on every turn.

The Andrew Hedrick deck is at its best when the pilot turns a complicated board into a short sequence of forced decisions. The opponent should have to choose between retreating, losing Energy, exposing a damaged Bench Pokémon, or accepting a disruptive hand reset.

Use this priority order when planning the final turns:

1. Identify the easiest remaining prize.
2. Check whether Munkidori can create the knockout without another Dragapult attack.
3. Confirm that Boss’s Orders can reach the target.
4. Count available Energy and retreat options.
5. Keep one recovery card available if the opponent resets your hand.

For practice, replay opening hands and pause before every attachment. State the intended attack, the next turn’s evolution, and the opponent’s likely response. This method exposes hands where an apparently strong attachment prevents Crispin, Munkidori, or a necessary retreat later.

It is also useful to practice losing positions. The featured strategy does not depend on staying ahead at every moment. It depends on recognizing when the opponent’s lead is fragile. A successful Hammer, a carefully placed damage counter, or a low-card Unfair Stamp can convert a nearly lost position into a manageable endgame.

Andrew Hedrick’s public player profile identifies him as a Pokémon TCG competitor, a former North America International Champion, and a five-time Regional Champion. You can follow his public updates through the Andrew Hedrick profile on X.