When Pokemon TCG Pocket first launched, the meta quickly became dominated by a handful of decks, with one centered around Misty and water-type Pokemon gaining particular notoriety. Players grew to hate this deck early on due to its ability to overpower opponents early in the game, largely depending on the outcome of coin flips.
Now, three expansions later, you might expect other cards to have emerged to counter or replace Misty decks. However, the latest expansion has only made Misty decks even more formidable, leading many players to feel frustrated with the lack of diversity in the meta.
Some variety would be appreciated
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It's not that Misty decks are the most powerful in the game; rather, the luck-based nature of Misty makes losing to them feel particularly frustrating. Misty is a Supporter card that allows the user to pick a water-type Pokemon and flip a coin until they land on tails. For every heads flipped, a water-type energy is attached to the chosen Pokemon. This can result in anywhere from zero to several energy attachments, potentially enabling a player to win on their first turn or to power up extremely strong cards before their opponent can react.
Why would they ever make a card like this?
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Subsequent expansions have introduced cards that amplify Misty's power. Mythical Island added Vaporeon, which can move bonus energy freely among water-type Pokemon. Space-Time Smackdown brought in Manaphy, adding even more water energy to the board. Both expansions also introduced powerful new water-type Pokemon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, keeping water decks at the top of the meta for multiple expansions.
DeNa, What the Heck are You Doing?
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The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduced Irida, another Supporter card that can heal 40 damage from each Pokemon with water-type energy attached. This card allows water decks to make significant comebacks, further enhancing their dominance. While grass-type decks were previously the healing experts, Irida shifts this advantage to water decks.
Some Pokemon TCG experts suggest that Irida was added to force players to make tough choices about which Supporters to include, given the 20-card limit in TCG Pocket. The idea is that players might need to consider removing Misty to make room for Irida. However, many experienced deckbuilders have managed to include both cards effectively.
Three days away… what will you all be playing?
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As Pokemon TCG Pocket approaches a regularly-scheduled event, where players can earn rewards for win streaks in the game's online competitive mode, water decks are expected to dominate. Winning five matches in a row to earn a gold profile badge is challenging, especially against decks that can quickly overpower opponents with favorable coin flips and recovery options like Irida.
Given the current meta, it may be strategic for players to consider using a water deck themselves during this event and beyond.
