BuildingPokémon TCG Pocketdecks may be a bit intimidating for newer players, so it can be helpful to have some basic tips when creating the first one. Even some players who are used tothe physicalPokémon TCGor playing onPokémon TCG Livemay notice some major differences when it comes to constructing a deck forPocket. While some of these rules can be broken for certain builds, they area good jumping-off point when learning the ropes.
Somedeck-building strategies forPokémon TCG Pocketare pretty easy to catch onto. Playing a few rounds will quickly reveal cards like Pikachu ex and Mewtwo ex are some of the best in the game. However, understanding basic fundamentals of deck construction can help early players do their best to stand up to these competitive decks.
Decks Need A Mixture Of Pokémon And Trainer Cards
It might be tempting to fill a deck with as many powerful Pokémon as possible. This temptation can be even stronger for players who lucked into several of their favorite Pokémon and play them together in the same deck. However,players must exercise some restraint when picking which Pokémon should go into a deck. Too many Pokémon means that it will be difficult to draw the right card or establish a consistent strategy. It’s best to pick one or possibly two strong Pokémon that work well together and shape a deck around them.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Needs To Make One Easy Fix To Promo Cards
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket’s new promo cards have an ugly problem, but luckily it has a very easy fix within the new mobile game.
This strategy can be seen in the best decks currently being played. The Mewtwo ex deck is completely centered on Mewtwo ex andsupporting it with Gardevoir. Gardevoir might not be as powerful as some other Pokémon, but its ability is perfect for fueling Mewtwo ex’s attacks. Additionally,by not filling a deck with too many Pokémon, players can include helpful trainer cardsin their decks. The top-tier decks in the game right now use about 11 Trainer cards and only 9 Pokémon. Some Pokémon-heavy builds invert this number, but all good decks have a solid balance.
9Poké Balls And Professor Oak Will Help You Thin Your Deck
These Trainer Cards Go In Every Pokémon TCG Pocket Deck
While all decks inPokémon TCG Pocketcan benefit from the inclusion of Trainer cards, understanding which ones to use is also important. While a card like Misty is very good in the right build, it doesn’t go into every deck. TheProfessor’s Research Supporter Cardand Poké Ball, on the other hand, are cards thatpretty much every deck will want to run two copies of.
Both Professor’s Research and Poké Ball do what’s known as thinning out a deck. Because these cards will replace themselves with other cards from the deck, they essentially allow players extra chances to draw the cards they really need.Poké Ball can be especially useful in decks that run only a few basic Pokémonbecause players will be more likely to get the exact card they need when playing it. Cards like this that cut down on variance help makePokémon TCG Pocketmatches more about skill and deck construction than luck.
8Every Deck Could Use A Sabrina And Something To Counter It
Sabrina Allows Players To Manipulate The Opponent’s Pokémon
While Poké Ball and Professor’s Research might be obvious auto-includes — even the game’s pre-made decks run them —another Trainer card new players need to be aware of is Sabrina. Most players will want torun a Sabrina in their deckas a way to manipulate their opponent’s board. The card is good for swapping in weaker Pokémon to knock out before they evolve or after they’ve been damaged, or it can be used to stall by forcing an opponent to swap in a card with no energy and a high retreat cost.
Being aware of Sabrina during deck construction also meansincluding cards that work well against it. Since most players play at least one Sabrina, including cards like X Speed or Pokémon like Electrode that have a free retreat cost can help minimize the damage the card does. Potions can also help heal injured Pokémon on the bench in case they are forced back into the active spot.
7Avoid Cards That Are Too Slow To Be Helpful
Card Should Give Players Immediate Benefits Or They Aren’t Worth Playing
When evaluating cards inPokémon TCG Pocket,it’s important not to just look at them in isolation, but compare them. A card like Pokédex, for instance, may seem somewhat helpful, as it will give the player some information about their upcoming turns. However, this card doesn’t do much immediately when played and essentially slows down the player’s turn with a dead draw.
One Missing Pokémon TCG Pocket Feature Makes Using Pack Points Way Too Frustrating
There is a missing feature in Pokémon TCG Pocket that makes using Pack Points much more frustrating than it has to be, but one change would fix it.
In general,cards that don’t give some immediate tangible benefit to their player or create an obstacle for the opponent are too slow to be helpful. Another good example of this is Hand Scope. Hand Scope may seem to pair well with Red Card, but it doesn’t really do much. If a player sees that it’s a bad time to play Red Card with Hand Scope, then they have two bad draws in their hand instead of one.
6Stick To One Type Of Energy
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Energy Distribution Is Determined Randomly
Players familiar with thePokémon TCGmay be accustomed to building decks that use multiple types of energy. This is a viable strategy in the traditional TCG because players can choose how many of each Energy card to include in their deck. This means they can add the right proportion of colors to make it more likely they are getting the energy they need when they need it. There are also Trainer cards and special types of Energy cards players can use to help smooth things out further.
Pokémon TCG Pocket, in contrast, doesn’t use energy cards. Instead, a single energy is generated each turn. If players have two different types of energy in their deck, thenthe game randomly generates one of the two types each turn. This added level of variance is way too inconsistent and makes it hard for multi-type decks to keep up with tightly constructed single-type decks.
5Don’t Rely Too Heavily On Luck Or Coin Flips
Coin Flip Cards Can Be Good But Having Too Many Leaves Games Up To Chance
There are quite a fewPokémon TCG Pocketcards that incorporate coin flips in some way. Certain cards, like Persian get a bonus ability if they win a coin flip after attacking. Others like Zapdos ex determine their damage based on coin flips. While these cards aren’t bad — Zapdos ex is actually pretty great — using too many of them in the same deck can be very risky.
10 Best Pokémon TCG Pocket Cards That You Shouldn’t Spend Pack Points On
Earning Pack Points to buy cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket is a slow process, so players will want to be extra careful when they’re spending points.
While the prospect of getting off a powerful coin flip attack like Marowak ex’s is exciting,leaving an entire game up to chance is a good way to get burned. If players are going to have any part of their deck rely on chance, they should make sure they have a consistent strategy built around it backing it up. Decks that rely too heavily on coin flips aren’t just inconsistent, but they can be frustrating to play if the flips keep going the wrong way.
4Make Sure To Include Some Powerful Basic Pokémon
Basic Pokémon Can Be Deployed Quicker Than Evolutions
Just like in all iterations of the game, some of the most powerful Pokémon inPokémon TCG Pocketare the ones that have evolved once or twice. Cards like Charizard ex and Venusaur ex have entire decks built around them. Likewise, the Mewtwo ex deck wouldn’t work nearly as well if not backed up by a fully evolved Gardevoir. While evolved Pokémon are important parts of most decks, it’s equally important to include some powerful basic Pokémon.
The advantage of a basic Pokémon is that it hits the field already in its most powerful form. The ex versions of legendary birds like Moltres and Zapdos are two of the best Pokémon inPokémon TCG Pocketbecause they canquickly establish a large presence on the board and use impactful effects early in the game. One of the absolute best cards, Mewtwo ex, is also a basic Pokémon. Being able to quickly play Mewtwo ex immediately after drawing it is part of what makes it a huge threat.
3Make The Best Of Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Hand Smoothing
Pokémon TCG Pocket Guarantees Players Draw A Basic Pokémon
There is one major difference that players coming from thePokémon TCGwill want to keep in mind when checking outPocket. Unlike the normal TCG,Pokémon TCG Pocketensures players start the game with at least one basic Pokémon in their handwith no need for mulligans. This means, that even if there is only a single basic Pokémon in a player’s deck, they are guaranteed to draw it on their first turn.
Some top-tier decks inPokémon TCG Pockettake advantage of this hand-smoothing programby only including basic Pokémon that they want to start the game with. For instance, the Mewtwo ex deck knows that it’s starting either with a Mewtwo ex or a Ralts to start evolving into Gardevoir. Likewise, many Charizard ex builds know they’ll be starting with either one of their Moltres ex or a Charmanders, because those are the only four basic Pokémon in the deck. By making sure not to include unnecessary basic Pokémon, players can somewhat plan out their starting hands.
2Auto Build Isn’t The Best At Crafting Decks
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Auto Build Isn’t A Reliable Deck Builder
New players who aren’t sure how to build decks may be tempted to try outPokémon TCG Pocket’s auto-build feature. This allows players to pick one or two types of energy to craft a deck around, and it will spit out a playable deck. Whilethe auto-build function does a good jobwith the proportions of Pokémon to trainer cards, it isn’t great at much else. Yes, it makes sure that it pairs basic Pokémon with their subsequent stages, butit often ignores the best cards of a specific type, seemingly populating the deck at random.
New players would be much better off going online to see some of the ways other players have put their decks together. Even if they aren’t directly copying those builds, studying how they are put together will give players a better indication of how to put their own decks together than auto-build will.Playing against other players will also provide an idea of what makes a good deck, even if it results in a major loss.
1Try A Deck Against Multiple Opponents Before Making Changes
Players Should Give A Deck Multiple Chances To Account For Luck And Variance
One important thing to remember is, after getting a deck fully constructed, to give it a few chances to perform before making changes to it. Even top-tier decks can fall prey to bad draws or bad matchups.The worst thing a player can do is try to tinker with their deck after every single loss, because they may be messing with a build that is already good.
When evaluating a deck, it would be smart to give it at least 10 battles to show what it can do. This will (hopefully) result in a good variety of matchups and ensure that a deck isn’t being abandoned just because of bad luck. This will also provide a better feel for what a deck is good at and where it can improve. Once aPokémon TCG Pocketplayer has a realistic assessment of a deck’s strengths and weaknesses, with bad luck and matchups accounted for, they can make more informed changes.
