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In this guide, we will go over some key pointers that you should keep in mind while building your deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
Pokemon TCG Pocket has already seen tens of millions of downloads in just two weeks of its release. In this short while, some specific decks and cards are already dominating the competitive meta. If you are a competitive player, you will mostly see the same decks making rounds, which can be rather annoying.
You can always build innovative decks yourself for either competitive or casual plays. Deck building is a fun activity, and it can sometimes create niche decks that end up doing very well on the competitive ladder. Rules to build decks in TCG Pocket are different from the standard game and require different strategies. In this guide, we will mention some of the key things you should keep in mind when building a deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer’s opinions.
Things to Keep in Mind While Building Your Deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Here are the key factors you need to keep in mind while building your own deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket:
- Select at most two different elements only.
- Make sure to include pre-evolutions with Basic cards.
- Have a healthy ratio of Trainer cards to support your main players.
- Do not put too many Pokemon with high-cost attacks.
- Do not have too many “ex” Pokemon cards.
You will find a more detailed explanation of these points below:
1) Select at Most Two Different Elements Only
When building your deck, the first step is to select which type of cards you want. Ideally, you can have a Rainbow Deck with any different elemental cards. Unfortunately, these decks are unlikely to do very well because each card will need its own energy type. The Energy Zone will randomly generate energies, which can make it difficult to set up your card and form a proper strategy.
Monotype decks are the most common right now, especially with the Mewtwo ex – Gardevoir and Pikachu ex decks. However, decks with two types of energies have also been on the rise. One of the best examples will be the Dragonite decks, which need both lightning-energy and water-energy to deal damage.
When building your own deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket, look to have at most two energy-types only, so that you can easily get the required energy. This will also improve the overall synergy of your deck.
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2) Make Sure To Include Pre-Evolutions With Basic Cards
Cards like Mewtwo ex or Zapdos ex are Basic cards, which means they can be put into the board directly. As much as you would like to put a Charizard ex card down immediately, you cannot. You will need to have Charmander on your board first, and then eventually evolve it to Charmeleon and Charizard. Moreover, each evolution stage needs to happen in different turns.
As such, make sure to put in the pre-evolution cards when building your deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket. If you want to make a Charizard ex deck, you must put down Charmander and Charmeleon. Similarly, for Blastoise ex or Venusaur ex, you will have to put in their respective pre-evolutions of Squirtle-Wartortle and Bulbasaur-Ivysaur as well. If you have a final-stage card without its pre-evolutions, you will not be able to play that card at all, rendering it useless.
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3) Have a Healthy Ratio of Trainer Cards To Support Your Main Players
Trainer Cards are often the unsung heroes in a Pokemon TCG Pocket deck. If you have too many Pokemon cards in your deck, it is a bad idea and will most definitely not perform well. Trainer Cards will ensure your deck survives with unique buffs and other abilities that can often turn the match with a singular smart play.
Having too many Trainer Cards is also not a great idea either, since you might not draw any Pokemon cards at all. This will keep your bench empty, which can be an instant win-condition for your opponent.
A Pokemon TCG Pocket deck contains 20 cards. It is best to have 8-16 Trainer Cards in your deck, including both Supporter Cards and Item Cards while building your deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket. The exact number will depend on your deck, strategies, and play style.
4) Do Not Put Too Many Pokemon With High-Cost Attacks
In Pokemon TCG Pocket, high-cost attacks will deal a massive amount of damage. However, their problem lies in the high cost instead. If your deck has too many cards that need 3 or 4 energy, it might take till round 3 or 4 to build that much up. This is considering you get these cards in your starting hand draw.
Cards that do chip damage for low cost are equally important while building your deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket. While these cards do not survive in most cases, they are great for early-game chip damage, and for stalling while you set up your board properly. These cards also have evolutions most of the time, which can further act as great supporting units in the middle-to-late stages of the game.
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5) Do Not Have Too Many “ex” Pokemon Cards
Another important thing to keep in mind while building a deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is to not include many Pokemon-ex cards. These cards mostly deal a massive amount of damage, often two-shotting other cards. At the same time, these cards also give your opponents 2 points when defeated.
If you have too many ex cards and your opponent has set up their board properly, it might lead to a fast win for them. You should ideally have no more than 4 ex cards in a deck. Even then, you must rotate the Pokemon-ex cards properly. This will ensure they are not defeated easily and save you from an early loss.
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