One of the most complicated parts of a new card game, digital or otherwise, is knowing which cards to pursue en route to building a competitive deck. For Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, what decks you should run highly depends on which cards you’ve pulled as there are so many.
To help you start building to be the very best, we’ve put together a handful of budget-friendly and top-tier decks to help you get your PokéFooting.
Plenty of cards in these decks can be subbed out until you pull the cards required, so don’t fret. In other words, if you only have one Marowak EX rather than the suggested two – just sub in a regular Marowak or another set of Fighting-type cards until you pull the card you want.
Note that these decks are exclusive to the first set of cards, Genetic Apex.
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket - Best TCG Pocket Budget Decks
Below, we've got the best decks for those on a budget, or for those who perhaps don't want to spend money (understandably!) but still build a competitive deck.
Marowak EX/Sandslash Deck
The easiest way to put this deck together is to select the Mewtwo pack upon starting a new account as you’ll obtain several of the cards required, including one Marowak EX card.
Here are all the cards you need to build this deck:
- 2x Cubone
- 2x Marowak EX
- 2x Marowak
- 2x Sandshrew
- 2x Sandslash
- 2x Giovanni
- 2x Poké Ball
- 2x Potion
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Sabrina
The other difficult-to-obtain cards in this deck are the Giovanni and Sabrina Trainer cards. We recommend using your Pack Points to unlock Sabrina as you continue opening Mewtwo packs in order to pull a second Marowak EX. Giovanni is also in Mewtwo packs. They’re pretty integral to success,
Alternate cards to run: 2x Diglet and 2x Dugtrio, 2x Clobbopus and 2x Grapploct, 2x Farfetch’d
With this deck, you want to get Marowak EX out early. Its attack, Bonemerang, requires only two Fighting Energy and deals 80 damage for each head you flip. It inherently makes this deck a gamble as you can hit two tails and deal no damage, but you can also burst down opposing EX Pokemon extremely quickly. Sandslash is a great alternative if you don’t hit Marowak as it deals a respectable 70 damage for only two energy.
Exeggutor EX/Pinsir Deck
This deck is easier to put together if you selected the Charizard pack upon starting a new account as you’ll obtain several of the cards required, including one Exeggutor EX card.
Here's a list of cards you'll need to put this deck together:
- 2x Exeggcute
- 2x Exeggutor EX
- 2x Pinsir
- 2x Farfetch’d
- 2x Erika
- 2x Poké Ball
- 2x Potion
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Sabrina
- 2x X Speed
Once again, the Trainer cards, Erika and Sabrina, are difficult to obtain, but they’re both in Charizard packs which you’re going to want to keep opening to find another Exeggutor EX.
Alternate cards to run: 2x Paras and 2x Parasect, 2x Giovanni
Exeggutor EX is an incredibly cheap and powerful card as it can use Tropical Swing for only one Leaf Energy. Tropical Swing does 40 damage and 40 more damage if you flip heads. The Erika Trainer card can keep Exeggutor alive to win the match by resorting 50 health to it. Pinsir also falls into this category, doing 50 damage for each head you flip with its Double Horn attack for two Leaf Energy.
This is a great deck to begin with if you want to work toward a Venusaur EX list, which is one of the more powerful in the game.
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket - Best Overall TCG Pocket Decks
Regardless of budget, below we've got a couple of the current best decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
Pikachu EX/Zapdos EX Deck
Stick to opening Genetic Apex Pikachu packs to pull Pikachu EX and Zapdos EX.
For this Electric-themed deck, you'll need these cards:
- 2x Pikachu EX
- 2x Zapdos EX
- 2x Voltorb
- 2x Electrode
- 2x Poké Ball
- 2x Potion
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Giovanni
- 2x Sabrina
- 2x X Speed
Alternate cards: 2x Pikachu and 2x Raichu, 2x Blitzle and 2x Zebstrika, 2x Lt. Surge
While debatable, many agree that the Pikachu EX/Zapdos EX Deck is the current best deck in the game. Pikachu EX will deal 90 damage if you have a full bench for only 2 energy with Circle Circuit. Zapdos EX, on the other hand, can deal 200 damage with Thundering Hurricane if you manage to flip heads four times. Voltorb and Electrode serve as great substitutes until you get the ball rolling with your EX cards.
Starmie EX/Articuno EX Deck
You’ll want to open Genetic Apex Charizard packs until you pull two Starmie EX before moving to Genetic Apex Mewtwo packs to hunt for two Articuno EX.
- 2x Staryu
- 2x Starmie EX
- 2x Articuno EX
- 2x Poké Ball
- 2x Misty
- 2x Potion
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Giovanni
- 2x Sabrina
- 2x X Speed
Alternate cards: 2x Froakie, 2x Frogadier, and 2x Greninja
Starmie EX is very straightforward but powerful: with only two Water Energy you can deal 90 damage, two-shotting most opposing EX Pokemon while taking out most Basic Pokemon in a single hit. Articuno EX is a great backup as you can deal damage to your opponent’s bench with Blizzard in order to soften them up for Starmie. The Trainer Misty card is important as it can add quite a lot of Water Energy to your team quickly.
Dragonite/Articuno Deck
For this deck you’ll want to open Genetic Apex Mewtwo packs for both Dragonite and regular Articuno.
- 2x Dratini
- 2x Dragonair
- 2x Dragonite
- 2x Articuno
- 2x Poké Ball
- 2x Potion
- 2x Professor’s Research
- 2x Misty
- 2x Sabrina
- 2x X Speed
Alternate cards: 2x Eevee and Vaporeon, 2x Articuno EX, 2x Giovanni
This is the only higher-tier deck that doesn’t utilize EX cards as Dragonite is powerful enough without an EX. Do note that you will want to have both Lightning Energy and Water Energy selected for this deck, as Dragonite requires one of each for Draco Meteor, which deals 50 damage randomly across your opponent’s entire board. Regular Articuno makes this deck as Ice Beam can paralyze your opponent’s Active Pokemon, giving you a bit more time to get Dragonite ready to rain meteors down, enabled by using Misty to get some extra energy onto it.
Decks featuring Mewtwo EX, Charizard EX, and Venusaur EX are also quite potent but we’ve found these three to be the most consistent in our own testing.
And those are the current best decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Furthermore, the game is relatively young and other more powerful decks may emerge before long – so don’t hesitate to experiment!