★ Mega Rising (B1) introduces the Mega Evolutions!
☆ New Decks: Mega Blaziken ex | Mega Gyarados ex
Mega Altaria ex | Mega Absol ex | Greninja ex
★ Events: Wonder Pick | Anniversary Celebration
☆ Trading Board: A4b and B1 Available for Trading!

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!
Notice! |
This page contains old information specific to the Genetic Apex expansion. It does not reflect on the current state of the game. |
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List of Contents
| 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.
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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% |
10 Match Tests vs Pikachu ex Deck - Matchup Statistics
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.

| Lists of Decks by Type | |
|---|---|
| Best F2P Beginner Decks | Best Non-ex Decks |
| Which ex Starter Deck Should You Get? | List of Rental Decks |
| Best 18 Trainers Decks | Best Trainerless Decks for Solo Battle Missions |
| List of Meme or Troll Decks | List of Ultra Beast Decks |
| Best Eeveelution Decks | Best Baby Pokemon Decks |
| Deck-Building Guides | |
| Deck Building Guide | How Rental Decks Work |
| Staple Cards for Decks | - |
| Deck Analyses | |
| Deck Matchup Statistics | 10 Match Tests vs Pikachu ex Deck - Statistics |
Deck Matchup Statistics



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Hi, you don't have the Alakazam & Mewtwo Deck listed?