Building a deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is easier than it might seem, thanks to the simplified mechanics that make the game accessible for beginners and rewarding for experienced players.
While collecting cards can be tough, finding the best combinations for your deck doesn’t have to be.
In this ONE Esports guide, we’ll cover the most effective card combinations and strategies, breaking down the current Pokemon TCG Pocket meta to help you build the best decks that thrive in competitive play.
Best decks for Pokemon TCG Pocket meta
Mewtwo EX & Gardevoir (Current best deck)
This card combo can deliver a 1-hit KO against most Pokemon in TCG Pocket, though it requires a bit of setup. The main strategy revolves around keeping Mewtwo EX alive in the active zone while building up Gardevoir with Trainer cards.
Sabrina acts as a stalling tool to slow down your opponent, giving you time to evolve Gardevoir. Once evolved, you can freely spam Gardevoir’s passive every turn which gives free psychic energy. With this, you can now unleash Mewtwo EX’s Psydrive consistently.
Most of these cards can be found in the Mewtwo booster pack, with some from the Charizard pack.
This Mewtwo EX deck consists of:
- Raltz x2
- Kirlia x2
- Gardevoir x2
- Mewtwo EX x2
- X Speed x2
- Sabrina x2
- Professors Research x2
- Pokeball x2
- Potion x2
- Giovanni x2
Venusaur EX & Exeggutor EX
This meta uses Exeggcute and Exeggutor EX as a stalling shield while powering up Venusaur EX.
Exeggutor EX has one of the highest attack powers for just a single energy cost, but its effectiveness is heavily dependent on luck.
Once Venusaur EX is fully evolved, it can utilize Giant Bloom to sweep through the remaining enemy Pokemon with consistent damage while self-healing. The Potion and Erika are used to keep Venusaur EX healthy during the battle.
Most of these cards can be found in the Mewtwo booster pack and the trainer cards can be obtained from the Charizard pack.
This Venusaur deck consists of:
- Exeggcute x2
- Exeggutor EX x2
- Bulbasaur x2
- Ivysaur x2
- Venusaur EX x2
- Potion x2
- Professors Research x2
- Sabrina x2
- Pokeball x2
- Erika x2
Articuno EX & Starmie EX
This setup uses Staryu and Starmie EX’s low energy costs to deal steady damage while powering up Articuno EX’s Blizzard attack. Staryu is quick to set up, letting you apply early pressure, and Starmie EX keeps up consistent hits as you build energy for Articuno EX.
With Misty supporting energy gains, Articuno EX can reach the three-energy requirement faster, setting it up for powerful attacks. This combination helps you control the field by letting Articuno EX handle strong opponents with ease once Blizzard is ready.
With the added help of the red card and Sabrina, you can easily disrupt the enemy’s hands for an easier stall.
Completing this deck can be quite challenging, as it requires cards from three different booster packs. This means you’ll need to put in some effort to collect all the necessary components.
This Articuno EX deck consists of:
- Staryu x2
- Starmie EX x2
- Articuno EX x2
- Misty x2
- X Speed x2
- Sabrina x2
- Professors Research x2
- Pokeball x2
- Potion x2
- Red card x2
Pikachu EX & Zapdos EX
This deck utilizes Pikachu EX’s attack ability to quickly inflict significant damage while also charging up Zapdos EX’s energy on the bench. To make the most of Pikachu EX’s attack, it’s essential to have numerous Electric Pokemon in play on all your slots.
You can swap out X Speed for an Erika trainer card to keep Pikachu EX in the active position longer. Once Zapdos EX is ready to go, you can sacrifice Pikachu EX and unleash Zapdos EX. Though its Thundering Hurricane relies on luck, it can be very rewarding
Most of these cards can be found in the Pikachu booster pack and the other supporting cards can be found from the other two pack
This Pikachu EX deck consists of:
- Pikachu EX x2
- Zapdos EX x2
- Voltorb x2 / Any other Electric Pokemon
- Electrode x2 / Any other Electric Pokemon
- X Speed x2 / Erika x2
- Sabrina x2
- Professors Research x2
- Pokeball x2
- Potion x2
- Giovanni x2
Charizard EX & Moltres EX (Risky)
This deck focuses on fully leveraging Moltres EX’s Inferno Dance to charge up Charizard EX’s Crimson Storm. It’s designed to generate energy while stalling for Charizard’s evolution. Once Charizard EX is ready, it can unleash devastating damage with the energy supplied by Moltres EX.
While this strategy presents a high-risk, high-reward scenario, many players continue to use this deck to dominate their opponents effectively. The combination of energy generation and powerful attacks makes it a popular choice among the player base.
Most of these cards can be found in the Charizard booster pack and the other supporting cards can be found from the Mewtwo pack
This Charizard EX deck consists of:
- Moltres EX x2
- Charmander x2
- Charmeleon x2
- Charizard EX x2
- X Speed x2
- Sabrina x2
- Professors Research x2
- Pokeball x2
- Potion x2
- Giovanni x2
Frosmoth & Wigglytuff EX sleep
This sleep deck focuses on Wigglytuff EX and Frosmoth EX to put the opponent’s Pokemon to sleep. Wigglytuff EX’s Sleepy Song and Frosmoth EX’s Powdered Snow both have the potential to render the opposing Pokémon inactive, creating a 50/50 scenario that they can’t counterattack or retreat the next turn.
With the added support from Potion to boost your Pokémon’s survivability, you can maintain battlefield control. Although both attacks deal low damage, this strategy allows you to stall effectively and annoy the majority of your opponents.
Completing this deck can be quite challenging, as it requires cards from three different booster packs.
This Frosmoth sleep deck consists of:
- Jigglypuff x2
- Wigglytuff EX x2
- Snom x2
- Frosmoth x2
- X Speed x2
- Sabrina x2
- Professors Research x2
- Pokeball x2
- Potion x2
- Misty x2 / Giovanni x2
Hypno & Wigglytuff EX sleep
This variation of the Sleep Meta substitutes Frosmoth with Hypno, utilizing its ability to induce sleep on opposing Pokémon. While Hypno’s effectiveness is somewhat luck-based, it deals 10 more damage than Frosmoth, making it a bit stronger offensively.
Most of the cards you need can be found in Pikachu’s booster pack, while additional supporting Trainer cards are available in both the Charizard and Mewtwo booster packs.
This Hypno sleep deck consists of:
- Jigglypuff x2
- Wigglytuff EX x2
- Drowzee x2
- Hypno x2
- X Speed x2
- Sabrina x2
- Professors Research x2
- Pokeball x2
- Potion x2
- Giovanni x2
Marowak EX & Dugtrio
This deck employs Diglett and Dugtrio as defensive shields, allowing you to set up Marowak for powerful attacks that can hit for up to 160 points for a low cost of 2 energy.
With Dugtrio’s ability to negate incoming damage for the cost of 1 energy, it serves as a reliable protector while Marowak gets prepared. This combination creates an effective “sword and shield” dynamic, but keep in mind that its success hinges on luck since both abilities rely on coin flips.
Both of the core cards can be found in both Mewtwo and Pikachu booster packs.
This Marowak deck consists of:
- Cubone x2
- Marowak EX x2
- Diglett x2
- Dugtrio x2
- X Speed x2
- Sabrina x2
- Professors Research x2
- Pokeball x2
- Potion x2
- Giovanni x2
READ MORE: Is there a Pokemon TCG Pocket pity system? Drop rates explained
