As this archetype is based on an existing dominant deck, Suicune ex and Greninja became one of the top decks of the Secluded Springs format. Its dominance continued into Mega Rising, where it also received Greninja ex and Indeedee ex as new support pieces.
Suicune ex's Legendary Pulse ability and a good 140 base HP makes it an excellent opener, as it can withstand attacks while also drawing cards. Its use of Energy makes it a natural partner to Greninja due to them sharing their Energy type, shoring up the early game while drawing into Rare Candy to evolve Froakie, enabling early damage with Water Shuriken to supplement Suicune's attacks or enable Cyrus to target key Pokémon on the opposing Bench.
While Suicune ex's damage potential is high at a max of 120 damage for , it can be played around by the opponent not Benching too many Pokémon; however, this is also a benefit, as opponents wanting to minimize damage from Crystal Waltz will often have to hamper their own development. Giratina ex serves to shore up the deck's damage output, pairing with Greninja to hit the important 150 damage threshold, and can use early non-attacking turns to freely ramp with Broken-Space Bellow.
Mega Rising added more tools to the deck's arsenal. Greninja ex serves as an additional Rare Candy target to improve the deck's consistency, and attacks for a consistent and strong 100 damage for . Its Shifting Stream ability also allows the deck to easily pivot between attackers, notably bringing Giratina ex into the Active Spot for free. Indeedee ex also became a prominent substitute for Giratina ex, offering healing from the Bench with its Watch Over ability.
Weaknesses
The rapid deck-thinning from Suicune ex can potentially be undone by Mars and Red Card, hampering the rapid setup the deck relies on. Copycat takes advantage of the card draw by letting the opponent also draw a large number of cards.
The Lightning weakness shared by the deck's key Pokémon also makes it vulnerable to attackers like Magnezone, which threatens knockouts against both Greninja and Suicune ex after any chip damage. Oricorio can also be problematic if Greninja is not set up quickly enough to deal with it.
Key cards
Suicune ex - A bulky Basic that offers both free card draw and decent damage output while dissuading opponents from Benching Pokémon, Suicune ex serves as a strong early-game anchor.
Greninja - The deck's proficiency at quickly drawing cards allows Greninja's Water Shuriken to start dealing damage very early on, and the use of exclusively Energy makes it a potential attacker.
Greninja ex - An alternative evolution from the same Basic as Greninja, Greninja ex allows free switching and has high, reliable damage.
Cyrus - Combos with Greninja to force any opposing Benched Pokémon into the active slot to be picked off.
Giratina ex - With Broken-Space Bellow, Giratina ex can safely sit on the Bench and build up towards its Chaotic Impact attack, giving the deck the damage needed to break through high-HP opponents.
Rare Candy - Allows Froakie to instantly evolve into Greninja or Greninja ex, putting their strong Abilities into play.
Indeedee ex - Fills up a Bench slot to empower Crystal Waltz while also providing utility through its free healing.
Energy.
Energy makes it a natural partner to Greninja due to them sharing their Energy type, shoring up the early game while drawing into Rare Candy to evolve Froakie, enabling early damage with Water Shuriken to supplement Suicune's attacks or enable Cyrus to target key Pokémon on the opposing Bench.
