Pokémon TCG Pocket’s launch comes with several powerful cards that players can build decks around. This week, The Pokémon Company will launch its brand new mobile game, which uses a variant version of the popularPokémon Trading Card Game. While the game rules should feel familiar, it’s streamlined to allow for quick and simple play.All of the cards inPokémon TCG Pocketare “brand new"with moves and abilities specifically crafted for the new gamestyle.Pokémon TCG Pocketwill launch with one set - Genetic Apex - with different cards appearing ineach of the set’s three pack types.
Generally speaking, the cards inPokémon TCG Pockethave lower HP and attack strength than their counterparts in the mainPokémon Trading Card Game. Still,there are a few standout decks that have already stood outto early access players. The best decks either utilize cards that can get set up in a hurry or can one-hit just about any opposing Pokémon. Keep in mind that these are just some of the top cards to chase at the launch of the game, and more top decks will almost assuredlyemerge in the coming weeks and months.
10Marowak ex
Genetic Apex (Mewtwo Packs)
Marowak ex is a Fighting-type Stage 1 Pokémon card with 140 HP. The card’s only attack is Boomerang, which has the player flip two coins and deal 80 damage for every head.Marowak ex benefits from having advantage against the strongest deck in the early game.If a player wins both Boomerang coin flips, they’ll be able to knock out almost everytop-tier Pokémon in the game.
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Unfortunately, Boomerang will only show heads twice 25% of the time, so relying on Marowak ex as a truly excellent competitive choice requires a lot of faith in luck. The average damage output of Boomerang is 80 simply isn’t strong enough to knock out most top-tier cards, but it can still be an interesting card to build a deck around for those who nab one.
9Moltres ex
Genetic Apex (Charizard Packs)
Moltres ex is a Fire-type Basic Pokémon card with 140 HP. The card comes with two moves. The first is a Heat Wave attack that deals 70 damage and costs three energy (one Fire Energy and two Colorless energy). The other move is Inferno Dance, a move that allows a player to flip three coins and pull a Fire Energy out of the Energy Zone and attach it to any of their Benched Fire-type Pokémon.
Moltres ex works best as an energy generator for aFire-typePokémondeck.The key is to aim for an Inferno Dance that pulls multiple Fire Energy onto your Pokémonand then somehow swap it out for a stronger Pokémon before it gets targeted. It can be risky to work with, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun and effective in the right scenario.
8Exeggutor ex
Exeggutor ex is a Grass-type Stage 1 Pokémon card with 160 HP. The card’s Tropical Swing move deals 40 damage with a chance of 80 damage with a successful coin toss. While 40 damage is underwhelming, the extra damage potential helps keep this Pokémon somewhat viable, giving it a similar sort of appeal to Marowak ex.
The thing to lean on when building a deck around Exeggutor ex is itsability to tank damage, especially when considering that160 HP puts it among the bulkiest Pokémon in the game. Utilizing Erica to heal damage from Exeggutor ex can make this Pokémon even bulkier and able to potentially withstand multiple attacks from top Pokémon, providing more opportunities for the luck of Tropical Swing to work out in the player’s favor.
7Zapdos ex
Genetic Apex (Pikachu Packs)
Zapdos ex is an Electric-type Basic Pokémonwith 130 HP. The card comes with two moves. Peck is a basic attack that deals only 20 damage, but it can still get the job done without any element of risk. Thundering Hurricane is a much more powerful attack that has the player flip four coins and deals 50 damage for every head.
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A move that deals up to 200 damage is extremely powerful, even if the chances of scoring that damage is only 1 in 16. If the odds on Marowak ex and Exeggutor ex just aren’t exciting enough, there’s little that’s quite like taking a true gamble with Zapdos ex. This is an incredibly swingy Pokémon card, which limits its effectiveness, but it’s still a good secondary card for an Electric-type deck.
6Ninetales
Ninetales is a Fire-type Stage 1 Pokémon with 90 XP. Ninetales has only one attack - Flamethrower, which deals 90 damage and forces a player todiscard a Fire Energyfrom Ninetales. The energy discard is largely inconsequential, as players can cycle Fire Energy onto Ninetales every round, especially if the deck is built around consistently supporting the option.
Although the Flamethrower attack wouldn’t be enough to sell Ninetales on its own, the reason why Ninetales is a solid card is thanks to the Blaine trainer card,which boosts Ninetales' damage output by 30 damage for a single round. Considering that Ninetales is a one-point card, dealing 120 damage in a round is very solid and can knock out a lot of weaker Pokémon ex cards out in a single turn.
5Articuno ex
Articuno ex is a Water-type Basic Pokémon with 140 HP. The card’s first move is Ice Wing which deals 40 damage and needs one Water Energy andone Colorless Energy to use. Articuno ex’s more powerful attack is Blizzard, which deals 80 damage and also deals 10 damage to each of an opponent’s Benched Pokémon.
There are only a few Pokémon that deal damage to Benched Pokémon inPokémon TCG Pocket,and Articuno ex is probably the best one. It’s a Basic Pokémon that doesn’t require evolution to set up, and it fits into one of the two strongest decks in the game. Articuno ex is a great secondary card for any Water-type deck.
4Charizard ex
Charizard ex is a Fire-type Stage 2 Pokémon with 180 HP. Charizard ex has one of the strongest attacks in the game, with Crimson Storm able to deal 200 damage at the cost of discarding two Fire Energy.Charizard cards have traditionally been a powerhousein the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and this card has one of the strongest, most consistent attacks in the game.
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The main drawback is that it takes a lot of time and cards to set up. Players have to evolve twice to get to Charizard ex, and they also need to dedicate four energy to get off a Crimson Storm. The long setup time keeps Charizard ex from being a top Pokémon, although that won’t stop it from being used a ton in battles, and the payoff for getting there can make the risk of the journey worth it.
3Mewtwo ex
Mewtwo ex is a Psychic-type Basic Pokémon with 150 HP. With that chunk of health and a Psystrike move that can deal 150 damage, Mewtwo ex is one of the strongest Basic Pokémon in the game, befitting the Pokémon’s iconic status within the franchise andstarring role in the original films.
While easier to set up than Charizard ex, Psystrike requires a two Psychic energy discard to use, which prevents players from using it every turn. Setting up the card ultimately takes a few turns, which means that a couple of decks can potentially outpace it in terms of damage, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the best options to consider.
2Starmie ex
Starmie ex is a Water-type Stage 1 Pokémon with 130 HP. The card has only one attack - Hydro Splash, which deals a straight 90 damage. Simplicity can be a virtue, however, and Starmie ex has emerged as asurprise powerhouse in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
It’s a Stage 1 Pokémon that requires only two energy and has no drawbacks to using its attack, requiring none of the risks or sacrifices that many other effective cards do. While Starmie ex can’t one hit KO most strong opponents,it should be able to get off multiple attacksbefore cards like Mewtwo ex or Charizard ex can get set up.
1Pikachu ex
Pikachu ex is an Electric-type Basic Pokémon with 120 HP. Pikachu ex hasemerged as the strongest deckin Pokémon TCG Pocket’s early days, as players can potentially set up a 90 damage attack in just two turns. Circle Circuit deals 30 damage for every benched Electric-type Pokémon a player has. Like Starmie ex, players can set up Pikachu ex in just two turns,although players will need to load up their bench to maximize its potential.
One advantage that Pikachu ex has over Starmie ex is that it doesn’t need to evolve to use. It also has an advantage over many other Pokémon ex cards like the Legendary Birds, which is why it’s emerged as the must-have card forPokémon TCG Pocket.
