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Best decks for Pokemon TCG Pocket

Best decks for Pokemon TCG Pocket

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Updated: January 22nd.

Not everyone's too fussed about having the best decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket. It's genuinely lovely simply opening packs, crossing your fingers and hoping you'll snag one of the many beautiful art rares. But, if you're here, you probably do care, dreaming of heading into the multiplayer realm and proving you're the best Pokemon trainer the TCG world has ever seen. I understand your lofty goal, and I'm here to help you get started.

In this guide, I've listed five of the best decks you can create in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Alongside the best of the best, I've also included a few budget-friendly options, allowing you to rack up a few wins without succumbing to the temptations of IAPs. Of course, the meta will chop and change, meaning the effectiveness of these decks will alter over time, so I'll endeavour to keep on top of things.

It's also worth remembering that the decks listed here are merely recommendations and a starting template. If you think swapping out Giovanni for something added in Mythical Islands would bolster your chances of winning, go for it. Half the fun of deck-building is discovering strategies not many have spotted, after all. 

So, without further ado, let's jump into the best decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket. You can either hit the big blue button below or click on a link to immediately see a specific deck. 



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Deck #1 - Mewtwo ex

Pokemon TCG Pocket Mewtwo and Gardevoir
Decklist:
  • Jynx x1
  • Ralts x2
  • Kirlia x2
  • Gardevoir x2
  • Mewtwo ex x2
  • Mythical Slab x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Red Card x1
  • X Speed x1
  • Giovanni x1
  • Leaf x1
  • Professor's Research x2
  • Sabrina x1


If you've been playing multiplayer since Pokemon TCG Pocket launched, you're probably already aware this is one of the best decks around, to the point that it's quite tiresome for many. I've entered battles before, merely throwing down my Mewtwo ex, and my opponent immediately surrendered. That's right. It's so potent that people can't be bothered to fight against it.

The reason? The damage is incredibly reliable. Psydrive always deals 150 and there's no RNG involved like some of the other deck choices. The only drawback is that it discards two Psychic energy, something you can mitigate when you have Gardevoir on your bench thanks to its Psy Shadow ability. That makes the playstyle very simple. Getting a fully evolved Gardevoir is the trickiest part, so you have to stall your opponent with Sabrina and Red Card until you've got all the pieces together before wreaking havoc with your Mewtwo ex.

The downside is that it relies heavily on getting Gardevoir onto your bench. Given it's a third-stage evolution, that can take some time. In particular, I've often found myself drawing everything but Kirlia for the majority of a match. Still, Mewtwo ex's Psychic Sphere does a respectable 50 damage. So you can get by without, but it's much more of a struggle.

Deck #2 - Koga

The deck building screen depicting Weezing's art rare as the highlight card
Decklist:
  • Tauros x1
  • Venipede x2
  • Whirlipede x2
  • Scolipede x2
  • Koffing x2
  • Weezing x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Leaf x2
  • Koga x2
  • Professor's Research x2
  • Sabrina x1


Tired of Mewtwo and Gardevoir bullying you? Want a deck entirely designed to counter it? Allow me to introduce you to Koga and his band of Dark-Types with a penchant for Poison. It might not be the best deck option in Pokemon TCG Pocket, but it certainly allows you to put Mewtwo in its place. And that's all some of us want.

The aim is to get Weezing into the active zone, Poison the enemy Pokemon and then use Koga to pull it back to your hand or Leaf to return it to your bench to avoid the high Retreat cost. You'll then want to throw Scolipede into battle and attack with Venoshock, which does an impressive 120 damage to Poison-afflicted Pokemon. However, our good friend Mewtwo takes an additional 20 from Dark-Types, so one Venoshock, plus the damage from the Poison would be all it takes to topple that big old cat.

The drawback is that it's quite slow, requiring a lot of pieces to fall into place before you can devastate your opponent, and there are no ways to accelerate Dark energy just yet. Still, when it works, it's very effective. If you're on a budget or dedicated to F2P, it's an excellent cheap option until you can construct some of the more powerful decks.

Deck #3 - Celebi ex

Celebi ex as the highlight card depicted on a green background, befitting the Grass-Type
Decklist:
  • Snivy x2
  • Servine x2
  • Serperior x2
  • Dhelmise x1
  • Celebi ex x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Potion x1
  • X Speed x2
  • Erika x2
  • Professor's Research x2
  • Sabrina x2


With the Mythical Island expansion, we've received a fun new deck that's shaking up the meta. While everyone expected Mew ex to become the new go-to (and it is indeed performing well), it's Generation II's Mythical, Celebi, providing one of the most fun, if not the best, decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket. And it's straightforward to play. Everything revolves around getting Celebi ex in your active slot and Serperior on the bench.

Celebi ex's Powerful Bloom allows you to flip a coin for each attached Energy. So, if you have four, you can flip that many coins. Each time you get heads, the attack deals 50 damage. That means the magic number three results in a whopping 150. Serperior's Jungle Totem ability allows you to bolster your chances of doing so, making each Energy attached count as two, meaning if you have two attached, that's effectively four Energy. While you're waiting to get everything set up, Dhelmise makes for a good interim battler, boasting good HP and solid damage.

The negatives are likely obvious. Celebi dishing out a lot of damage is highly dependent on RNG. Of course, this is mitigated by the presence of Serperior, but therein also lies an issue. Getting the Regal Pokemon onto your bench isn't a quick process. Without it, you have less Energy on your Celebi and, therefore, fewer chances of scoring those all-important heads.

Deck #4 - Gyarados ex

Gyarados ex, one of the best decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Decklist:
  • Magikarp x2 (Mythical Island)
  • Druddigon x2
  • Froakie x2
  • Frogadier x2
  • Greninja x2
  • Gyarados x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Leaf x2
  • Misty x2
  • Professor's Research x2


With the addition of the Mythical Island booster packs, a powerful new card was thrown into the mix, Gyarados ex. The irate water snake dragon thing comes with the devastating Rampaging Whirlpool that hits opponents for 140 guaranteed damage. While that's not on par with Mewtwo's Psydrive, the drawbacks are lesser and potentially beneficial depending on RNG. But that's not all. The rest of this deck aims to chip away at your opponent's team so Gyarados can finish them off when it emerges from beneath the waves.

While this deck doesn't run Fire Energy, Druddigon still has an important role. While it won't be attacking, you'll want to throw it in your active slot to tank hits while you set up Gyarados and Greninja. The bonus is that for anyone foolish enough to strike it, their Pokemon will take 20 damage for their troubles, thanks to Druddigon's Rough Skin ability. This, in combination with Greninja's Water Shuriken, allows you to whittle down your opponent's Pokemon, whether active or on the bench. Then, when the time is right, Gyarados EX can mop up whatever remains without issue.

Of course, even with a beast as mighty as Gyarados, there are drawbacks. Magikarp sucks, having a mere 30 HP, so if it ends up in your active slot somehow, it won't last long. Even on the bench, it's at risk from the likes of Zebstrika and even Greninja if you're in a mirror match-up. On the flip side, Gyarados' Rampaging Whirlpool requires a lot of Energy, meaning getting it online can take a while.

Deck #5 - Pikachu ex

Pikachu ex as the deck highlight card with a yellow background
Decklist:
  • Pikachu x2 (Mythical Island)
  • Raichu x2
  • Electabuzz x1 (Mythical Island)
  • Dedenne x1
  • Pikachu ex x2
  • Zapdos ex x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • X Speed x2
  • Giovanni x1
  • Lt. Surge x1
  • Professor's Research x2
  • Sabrina x2


It seems only fitting that Pokemon's long-time mascot, Pikachu, is the main focus of one of TCG Pocket's best decks. The goal is simple. Get the electric mouse into your active slot and fill your bench with other Lightning Types. Doing so allows Pikachu ex to deal a respectable 90 damage for only two Energy. Much like Starmie, it's quick to set up, and potentially more so, given that you can draw Pikachu using Poke Ball.

Electabuzz provides a way to poke at your opponent's bench while Dedenne can stall through potential paralysis. Raichu and Zapdos offer the bigger damage, although they're both situational. Zapdos relies on RNG, while Raichu's Thunderbolt is incredibly powerful but requires you to discard all of your Energy, making it better as a finisher than a reliable source of damage. If you prefer, you could run Electrode or Zebstrika instead, but I've personally had more success with Raichu and Zapdos ex.

The negatives of this deck become apparent if you hit the late game. By then, your opponent might have some powerful beasties out on the field that you don't have the firepower to bring down. You have to set up quickly and strike fast. If not, you're likely on your way to a loss.

And that's five of the best decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket. If you're new to the game, why not check out our other guides and learn how to get more precious Hourglasses in TCG Pocket? Or check out how to snag a few more Shop Tickets.

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Stephen Gregson-Wood
Stephen Gregson-Wood
Stephen is Pocket Gamer's Deputy Editor and a lifelong gamer who will tell you straight-faced that he prefers inventive indies over popular big studio games while doing little more than starting yet another Bloodborne playthrough.