Best decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket, ranked

Building a deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket is completely different from the standard TCG, as the strategy, card quantity, and playstyle are unique to the mobile app.

Here’s a complete tier list for the best decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket post Space-Time Smackdown. We’ve also included the best solo decks in Pocket to help you speed through the game’s solo battle feature and claim plenty of prizes in Drop Events.

Pokémon TCG Pocket best decks tier list

Building the best Pocket deck requires an understanding of how to manage Energy Tokens, set up the board in your favor, and disrupt your opponent.

Unlike the standard Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pocket decks only have 20 cards, so they’re a little less demanding to build. If you’re missing a key card and you’re out of Pack Points, take a look at Wonder Pick and see if you can spin the wheel to get what you need from a friend.

It’s not guaranteed that you’ll get the card you need, of course, but strong cards can appear in Wonder Pick, so it’s worth checking. Drop Events can also be a source of handy cards, so even if you don’t lean towards solo play, they’re important to keep tabs on.

Below, you’ll find the top 10 decks currently eating the competition alive in Pocket. Some of them are quick, Energy-efficient decks, while others are slower to set up but lethal in the late-game.

10) Mewtwo ex

With a similar ability to its standard Pokémon TCG counterpart, Gardevoir is one of the most interesting Stage Two Pokémon you can add to a Psychic-type deck. It does take a minute to set up thanks to it being a Stage Two, but once it’s in motion, it’s a fantastic tool.

It fits into the Mewtwo ex deck list perfectly, offering unparalleled control and easy set-up. You’ll also find it in a Mew ex list, but currently, Mewtwo ex feels slightly more powerful than Mew ex because of the Psydrive attack.

Gardevoir isn’t the most lethal in terms of damage, but being able to move Energy around so freely every turn makes setting up attacks like Psydrive a breeze.

If you plan to play this deck, we’d suggest keeping it as simple as possible, utilizing the Gardevoir line to get Mewtwo ex in position to dish out heavy attacks. Mew ex can be a worthy addition to this deck as mentioned, but if you don’t have it, a solo Mewtwo ex deck still works wonders.

9) Scolipede Weezing

Not every deck in Pocket requires a handful of ex cards to succeed. Scolipede Weezing is one of the most unique decks to pop up in the meta since the game’s release, catching the community’s attention thanks to its use of Special Conditions.

The general premise for a Scolipede Weezing deck is to Poison the enemy’s Active as quickly as possible using Weezing’s Gas Leak Ability to allow Scolipede to swoop in with a damage-boosted Venoshock for an easy Knock Out.

Most decks usually include a Colorless critter like Tauros to help mitigate any ex cards they’re facing, with some variants including Mew ex for its Genome Hacking attack.

What this deck lacks in bulk it makes up for in flexibility and movement. The addition of Koga helps to get Weezing into play as quickly as possible, while cards like Cyrus, Mars, and Sabrina can throw plenty of chaos into the mix and disrupt an opponent.

Pokémon Tools can be extremely beneficial in a Scolipede Weezing deck. If you’re looking to play this deck, consider adding a card like Giant Cape to give your critters an extra sliver of HP.

8) Gyarados ex

A typical Gyarados ex deck can be slow to set up, especially with unlucky coin flips, but once it’s in motion, it becomes almost unstoppable with Rampaging Whirlpool. Whereas some meta decks might prefer to steam ahead and set up fast, Gyarados ex rewards patience and planning.

To help get Gyarados ex into play and avoid losing via squishy Magikarp, Druddigon is an essential piece of the puzzle. The Rough Skin Ability means that any attacking critter will take 20 damage each time they hit Druddigon, making setting up in the early stages of a match easier.

For additional damage and Bench sniping, Greninja is essential. The Water Shuriken Ability allows it to hit one of your opponent’s Pokemon for 20 damage, which can prevent them from achieving any meaningful evolutions.

Some decks use Vaporeon for additional Energy Token management or Tentacruel for a source of Poison. Having extra evolutions to manage can make this deck clunkier, but it’s worth looking at if you struggle with the standard list.

Supporters are essential to keep tabs on in a Gyarados ex deck, with Misty being one of the stars of the show. With enough luck in the coin flips, this card can get Gyarados ex into play even quicker, easily managing most opponents with Rampaging Whirlpool’s devastating 140 damage.

7) Starmie ex

While it may not be as popular as it once was, Starmie ex is still one of the best Water-type decks in the game. With no Retreat Cost and a remarkably cheap 90-damage attack, this strange aquatic critter is a lethal weapon on the battlefield.

Pairing it with Articuno ex—and sometimes the Greninja line for Bench sniping—makes this deck incredibly aggressive. Articuno ex can whittle away at Benched Pokémon while dealing 80 damage to the Active, and it’s sturdy enough to survive a few hits.

Misty is an invaluable addition to this deck, being one of the most impressive Supporters in the game alongside Sabrina and Cyrus. Despite being RNG-dependent with the coin flipping, this Trainer can theoretically set up either Starmie ex or Articuno ex in an instant.

Alongside Misty and Cyrus, this deck usually features the combination of Rocky Helmet and Mars to disrupt the opponent.

6) Infernape ex

Infernape ex only requires two Energy Tokens to deal 140 damage, with the only downside being a total Energy discard. With two copies of Moltres ex and Dawn on hand, this becomes a non-issue, providing plenty of ways to get Energy onto the board.

Compared to other Fire-type decks in Pocket, like Arcanine ex and Charizard ex, Infernape ex is beautifully simple. All you need to do is Energize Infernape ex, hit Flare Blitz, rely on its lack of a Retreat Cost, then set back up again to rinse and repeat.

With the addition of a Pokémon Tool like Rocky Helmet, Moltres ex is the ideal set-up tool. Placing Moltres ex with either a Rocky Helmet to deal damage or Giant Cape to gain extra health can give you enough time to evolve your Chimchars and Monfernos comfortably.

Grass-type decks are storming ahead in the competitive meta right now with Celebi ex and Serperior, so you’ll be in a good spot with this list in terms of type pairings.

5) Dialga ex and Lickilicky ex

It seems like an incredibly strange pairing on paper, but somehow, the Licking Pokémon and the personification of time itself have become one of the biggest duos in the Pocket meta.

Dialga ex is a relatively slow deck that requires setting up, but once everything is in position, it’s tough to get rid of. Metallic Turbo is the most important attack here, allowing the user to move two Metal-type Energy Tokens to a Benched ‘mon while dealing 30 damage.

This may seem underwhelming at first, considering it only deals 30 damage, but the wording means that the target critter does not have to be a Metal-type.

This makes it the perfect tool for Energizing heavy-hitting Colorless Pokemon, which is where Lickilicky ex comes in. Licking Fury deals 100 damage, allowing the user to flip a coin until they get tails. 40 damage is stacked on top of this for every heads, offering easy Knock Outs.

Metallic Turbo can gear up another Dialga ex for its Heavy Impact attack if needed, too, dealing 100 damage a pop, but if you’re trying to get rid of a high-HP enemy, Licking Fury is your best bet. Dialga ex acts as the perfect source of Energy, as it’s tanky enough to take a few hits.

4) Pikachu ex

Pikachu ex has managed to remain one of the biggest decks in Pocket since the game came out. It’s quick, it hits hard, and it’s enjoyable to play as well. Zapdos ex, Magneton, and Pikachu ex may seem like a strange combination, but they have exceptional synergy,

This trio of zappy critters has the potential to one-shot a large portion of opponents thanks to the Circle Circuit and Thundering Hurricane attacks. Magneton is an easy set-up choice, too, thanks to its Volt Charge ability, and Supporters like Lt. Surge help to make Energy movement painless.

The addition of Supporters like Leaf and Dawn help to make movement and Energy management even more effective. We’d recommend bringing a copy or two of Giant Cape to help avoid getting Knocked Out easily, as this isn’t the tankiest deck in the game.

It’s a lot of fun to bring to a battle, though, and it’s not overly complex or heavy on set-up requirements. If you’re just getting started with Pocket, this is arguably the best deck you can start off building.

3) Palkia ex

Both Dialga and Palkia made their debuts with Space-Time Smackdown, but the Spatial Pokemon came out on top thanks to its killer Dimensional Storm attack.

Paired with Vaporeon and Manaphy for easy Energy management, this attack can Knock Out most opponents in one go. Dimensional Storm is expensive, hence why two support ‘mons are needed, but it deals 150 damage up top and 20 damage to each Benched opponent.

Palkia ex also has the Slash attack, dealing 30 damage for one Energy Token. This is meaningful in the early stages of a match, potentially disrupting an opponent from setting up.

Solid Supporters are needed to make Palkia ex effective. Misty can help with Energy requirements, while Leaf can get Palkia ex out of harm’s way if needed. You can disrupt your opponent easily with other cards like Cyrus and Mars, giving you time to gear up for Dimensional Storm.

2) Celebi ex

Celebi ex is the best Grass-type deck in Pocket. It focuses on the stacking attack Powerful Bloom, which lets the user flip a coin for every Energy Token attached to Celebi ex. It deals 50 damage for every heads, with the potential to deal lethal damage.

The other Pokémon in this deck usually include Dhelmise and the Serperior line. Dhelmise can deal a potential 90 damage for just one Energy Token, which can be a Knock Out in the early game.

Serperior has Energy efficiency for days with Jungle Totem, claiming double Energy Tokens to help it set up for Solar Beam easier. In our best Celebi ex deck list, we opted to scrap Dhelmise and focus exclusively on the Serperior line, as it’s performing beautifully in competitive matches right now.

To complement the heavy-hitters in this list, there are plenty of useful supporting cards to help get Celebi ex set up and into position. Erika helps with healing Grass-type ‘mons and Sabrina offers control over the opponent’s Pokémon.

Despite having a reliance on coin flips to enter Knock Out territory, Celebi ex is still a surprisingly consistent deck. Other variants of it exist that feature everything from Mew ex to Exeggutor, showcasing how versatile this card can be.

1) Darkrai ex and Weavile ex

Appearing in a variety of different formats and variants, the core duo of Weavile ex and Darkrai ex is almost unstoppable in the current Pocket meta. Whether it’s paired with just Spiritomb, Mew ex, or the Magnezone line, this pairing has unmatched synergy.

Darkrai ex has the Nightmare Aura Ability, meaning that whenever it gets a Dark-type Energy Token, 20 damage is dealt to the Active opponent.

Weavile ex has the attack Scratching Nails, which plays with Nightmare Aura. It deals 30 base damage, but if the opponent’s Active already has damage on it, the damage jumps up to 70. In the earlier stages of a match, this can be an easy Knock Out.

The addition of Spiritomb helps to bring out chip damage, whittling away at opponents with 10 damage to every enemy via Swirling Disaster. Combining this with Rocky Helmet can be an exceptional starting play, leading straight into Weavile ex with Scratching Nails.

Best solo decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket

It’s not just PvP matches in Pocket that require you to have a good deck list at your disposal. The solo mode features various matches of Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert difficulty, and having the right card list is crucial.

The deck that you face off against in these matches will vary each time—for example, the first two decks you battle in the Beginner mode for Genetic Apex are starter decks featuring Ivysaur, Charmeleon, and Wartortle—so the best deck for each match will vary based on type.

Additionally, each battle’s Battle Tasks (small missions or quests) will vary. If you’re hoping to get as many Shop Tickets and other rewards out of the solo mode as possible, pay attention to these—they’re visible in the top section of the solo battle screen, next to the deck preview image.

Some may task you with achieving a Knock Out with a Fire-type Pokémon specifically, for example, or winning the battle by a particular turn.

It is possible to stick to just one deck when doing solo matches, though, provided you’re happy to skip a few rewards or change your card list after each match. The best decks that we’d suggest for Pocket‘s solo mode or Drop Events are:

• Gyarados ex, with Greninja or Tentacruel
• Mewtwo ex, with Gardevoir
• Starmie ex, either solo or with Articuno ex
• Marowak ex, with Machamp ex

These decks are fun to play and consistent for the most part, with Marowak’s coin flips being the only true luck-based element on the list. We’d suggest using different decks throughout your solo adventure, though, to maximize rewards and complete the Battle Tasks as quickly as possible.

It’s a great way to test your skills and learn how to play new decks that you might not have picked up in the first place. As an added bonus, trying out new card lists in Pocket can help you understand your opponents more effectively in PvP matches.