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The three top decks in Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket (PTCG Pocket) are Pikachu ex, Articuno ex and Starmie ex, and Mewtwo ex and Gardevoir. Read on to see our findings as we pit these three top decks against each other and how they compare!
List of Contents
Deck | Commentary |
---|---|
Pikachu ex Deck |
Strengths: • Easy to set up and attack with. • Efficient attack and retreat costs. • Positive matchup against Starmie ex and Articuno ex decks. Weaknesses: • Weak to Fighting-type decks. • May lack the necessary damage output against high-HP Pokemon. |
Card List | |
Pikachu ex Deck Strategy Guide and Card List
Deck | Commentary |
---|---|
Articuno ex Deck |
Strengths: • Can sweep through teams after a successful Misty. • Has access to all the best Trainer cards. Weaknesses: • Weak to Lightning-type decks. • Difficult to recover if Misty usage is unsuccessful. |
Card List | |
Articuno ex Deck Strategy Guide and Card List
Deck | Commentary |
---|---|
Mewtwo and Gardevoir Deck |
Strengths: • Consistent and powerful. • Simple strategy to implement. Weaknesses: • Weak to Dark-type Pokemon. • Hard to set up Gardevoir |
Card List | |
Mewtwo and Gardevoir Deck Strategy Guide and Card List
Pikachu ex | Articuno ex and Starmie ex | Mewtwo ex and Gardevoir | Wins | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pikachu ex | - | 10-9 | 10-6 | 2 |
Articuno ex and Starmie ex | 9-10 | - | 9-10 | 0 |
Mewtwo ex and Gardevoir | 6-10 | 10-9 | - | 1 |
To summarize the results of our 10-game round robin between the three top decks, Pikachu ex won twice, Articuno ex and Starmie ex won 0 times, while Mewtwo ex and Gardevoir won once. With Pikachu ex leading the three decks in wins, it is a fair point to say that Pikachu ex is at the very top of the Genetic Apex format.
This does not mean that Articuno ex and Starmie ex is weak, however. It is still an effective and explosive deck. Based on our testing, if the Starmie deck's Misty had flipped heads more times, or if it went second more times, it is highly possible that it could beat Pikachu ex.
Mewtwo ex and Gardevoir appear to be at a disadvantage against Pikachu ex's tempo, but it is about 50/50 against Articuno ex and Starmie ex.
VS |
Pikachu ex | Articuno ex and Starmie ex | |
---|---|---|
Number of Wins | 10 | 9 |
Games Going First | 6 | 13 |
Wins When Going First | 3 | 5 |
Win Rate When Going First | 50% | 38% |
Win Rate When Going Second | 53% | 66% |
This matchup ended with a 10-9 victory in Pikachu ex's favor. This is a very close set, considering Articuno ex and Starmie ex's type disadvantage.
Most of the games where the Starmie ex deck won were games where it scored lucky Misty flips, but there were also games when Zapdos ex worked as a wall that could also severely damage Articuno ex.
While the Pikachu ex deck's type advantage was also a deciding factor, the presence of Pincurchin allowed the Articuno ex and Starmie ex deck to OHKO it with a well-placed Sabrina. This allowed it to win the points race in some games.
VS |
Articuno ex and Starmie ex | Mewtwo ex and Gardevoir | |
---|---|---|
Number of Wins | 9 | 10 |
Games Going First | 9 | 10 |
Wins When Going First | 3 | 4 |
Win Rate When Going First | 33% | 40% |
Win Rate When Going Second | 60% | 66% |
Mewtwo ex takes a 9-10 victory over Starmie ex and Articuno ex, with Gardevoir being set up on three games allowing Mewtwo ex to attack freely.
The approach that Mewtwo ex has to take in this matchup is to first use one of its Mewtwo exs as a wall while a second one sets up on the Bench. It then uses Gardevoir to accelerate Energy onto Mewtwo ex letting it attack for multiple turns in succession.
Articuno ex must rely on lucky Misty flips to put the matchup in its favor, however it isn't always lucky and must pivot to Starmie ex's two-Energy Hydro Splash to reliably deal damage to Mewtwo ex.
VS |
Mewtwo ex and Gardevoir | Pikachu ex | |
---|---|---|
Number of Wins | 6 | 10 |
Games Going First | 10 | 6 |
Wins When Going First | 3 | 3 |
Win Rate When Going First | 30% | 50% |
Win Rate When Going Second | 50% | 70% |
This matchup ended with Mewtwo ex losing 6-10 to Pikachu ex. Mewtwo ex had more first turns, but the results still showed the overwhelming strength of Pikachu ex.
Both decks excel when going second but it can be said that Pikachu ex, a deck that doesn't rely on evolutions, is more consistent than Mewtwo ex and Gardevoir.
Mewtwo ex also has lots of requirements in order to gain maximum value out of the deck, such as completing the Gardevoir evolution line and getting multiple Energy on Mewtwo ex. Pikachu ex, on the other hand, requires significantly less. It requires only 3 Pokemon on your Bench and two Energy attachments. The lesser amount of conditions for an optimal board state swings the matchup in Pikachu ex's favor.
All Tier Lists | |
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Best Cards Tier List | Best Meta Deck Tier List |
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Deck Articles | |
---|---|
How Rental Decks Work | Staple Cards for Decks |
Aggro Decks Explained | Deck Matchup Statistics |
All Starter Decks | ||
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Pinsir Starter Deck | Rapidash Starter Deck | Sandslash Starter Deck |
Deck Matchup Statistics
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