Once you’ve unlocked the ability to battle other players online in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, you’ll first need to create your own deck using all the cards you’ve acquired through Booster Packs. The only issue here is that most new players may find it difficult to know what makes a good deck and which cards you should pick or avoid.
Only 20 cards can fit into each deck, and players have the option to choose whichever cards they would like. Picking at random isn’t a good idea, as there is a strategy to creating a deck, just as there is a strategy to playing the card game, and even the Pokémon video games themselves. To help you create amazing decks to win your card battles, here are six tips on how to make a good Pokémon TCGP deck.
Balance fighting, item, and trainer cards
Having a Pokémon TCGP deck only full of fighting Pokémon won’t get you very far in battles. You want to make sure you have a balance between the Pokémon, item, and trainer cards. The majority of your deck should be Pokémon fighters, so that would be around 12 to14 Pokémon. After that, include around two healing item cards, as well as trainer cards.
Cards with people on them can perform actions like drawing cards from your deck or increasing your attack power. Anything left over can include other item cards like Pokéballs, which can pull a Pokémon from your deck into your hand. This way, you’ll have options to help yourself or hinder your opponents on top of having Pokémon that can fight.
Focus on only one or two Pokémon types
The easiest way to fumble in a Pokémon TCGP battle is to have a deck with more than two Pokémon types. Each Pokémon has a type or element, and nearly all Pokémon can only use actions when they have Energy of the same type. You only get one Energy of a certain type each turn, so if you have a deck with five different types, it’ll be hard to get the Energy type you want each turn since it’s randomized.
If you have a deck with only one Pokémon type, you’re guaranteed to get the Energy type you’re looking for each turn. Even having two Energy types is fine since there’s a 50/50 chance of getting the Energy to match your card. Although some Pokémon can use Energy of any type, most of your deck’s cards should have a maximum of two Pokémon types.
Include strong evolutions
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when creating a Pokémon TCGP deck from scratch is ignoring the evolutions. While having a deck full of Basic Pokémon isn’t the worst option at the beginning, you’ll want to start including stronger evolution cards that can upgrade your Basic Pokémon once you start receiving more cards from Booster Packs.
Another thing to remember about evolutions is that you won’t be able to use the evolutions without their Basic Pokémon versions. Also, don’t accidentally include a Basic and Stage 2 Pokémon of the same evolution while forgetting Stage 1. For example, Bulbasaur has to evolve into Ivysaur before turning into Venosaur. If you’re missing one of the Pokémon in an evolution line, try checking the Pack Point Exchange in the Booster Pack menu. This allows you to spend Pack Points earned from spending Booster Hourglasses on unlocking single cards.
Don’t be afraid of auto-build
If you’re a beginner Pokémon TCGP player, using the game’s auto-build function is incredibly helpful. Not only does it create a deck for you based on the Pokémon types of your choosing, but it can teach you what a proper deck should look like. The game won’t always create the perfect deck, but for your first couple of decks, it’s best to auto-build and edit from there.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of what a typical deck should look like, you can then start to create your own from scratch. Don’t be ashamed of auto-build as it’s there for a reason, and it’ll help you put together a decent deck that you can then transform into an amazing one.
Build around one powerful fighter
Let’s say you’ve just opened a Booster Pack containing a really powerful Pokémon, but you don’t know what to do with it. In this case, you can try to build a Pokémon TCGP deck around that Pokémon. In your deck builder, think about which cards you should add to it based on its evolution line. If it’s a high-level evolution, include one or a few of the cards in its line. If it’s Basic, add the higher evolutions for it.
It’s also good to synergize moves together based on other Pokémon abilities. If you have a card that can help boost your powerful fighter’s abilities, include that in your deck. Keep in mind the other supporter Pokémon that can deal damage or use their other abilities from the back row. And don’t forget that players with the Premium Pass can unlock exclusive cards to go in their decks.
Always test your deck
The last tip you should know about creating the best Pokémon TCGP deck is to test it. Not just once, but use your deck in battle multiple times and see what works and what doesn’t work. Sometimes, you’ll only realize something is wrong with it once you use it during a battle.
After testing it, you can then go into the editor and change things about it based on your findings. Even after that, you should test it again since it may require further alterations. Your decks will always be shifting since you’ll be consistently acquiring new Pokémon cards to add to your current decks.