Pokemon TCG Pocket (PTCGP)

Best 18 Trainer Decks

Pokemon TCG Pocket - 18 Trainer Decks Top Image

2 Pokemon + 18 Trainer Decks is a deck archetype that maximize its consistency and flexibility with their Trainer cards, while sacrificing Pokemon options. Read on to learn how to build these decks and how to play them!

What are 18 Trainer Decks?

Decks That Have Only 2 Pokemon and 18 Trainer Cards

Pokemon TCG Pocket  Articuno ex Deck ImagePokemon TCG Pocket  Zapdos ex Deck ImagePokemon TCG Pocket  Lapras ex Deck Image

These are decks that fully utilize all the available Trainer cards in the format. They mostly operate under the same concept and strategy but with varying levels of power level.

18 Trainer decks also make use of powerful ex Pokemon, as well as Fossils to control the points that they want to give up and protect their Benched ex Pokemon.

Best 18 Trainer Decks

Articuno ex

Pokemon TGC Pocket - Articuno ex Deck Deck Build and How to Play

Articuno ex Deck List
Pokemon Cards
Articuno ex ×2
Trainer Cards
Old Amber ×2 Misty ×2 Giovanni ×2 Sabrina ×2
Potion ×2 X Speed ×2 Poke Ball ×2 Red Card ×2
Professor's Research ×2

Articuno ex is the best Pokemon for the 18 Trainer deck build mainly because of the inclusion of Misty which can quickly power up an Articuno ex on lucky coin flips.

In addition to this, it also has a usable first Attack in Ice Wing which it can use for only 2 Energy, giving it an edge over its other Water 18 Trainer counterpart, Lapras ex, which can only use Bubble Drain once it has all three Energy attached.

Articuno ex Deck Strategy Guide and Card List

Lapras ex

Pokemon TGC Pocket - Lapras ex Deck Deck Build and How to Play

Lapras ex Deck List
Pokemon Cards
Lapras ex ×2
Trainer Cards
Old Amber ×2 Misty ×2 Giovanni ×2 Sabrina ×2
Potion ×2 X Speed ×2 Poke Ball ×2 Red Card ×2
Professor's Research ×2

Lapras ex has the potential to be more tanky than Articuno ex because of Bubble Drain's HP recovery, but is limited by its lack of a cheaper first Attack, making it reliant on multiple Misty heads flips. This makes it so it can only use Bubble Drain, as it has no other option besides this.

Lapras ex Deck Strategy Guide and Card List

Zapdos ex

Pokemon TGC Pocket - Zapdos ex Deck Deck Build and How to Play

Zapdos ex Deck List
Pokemon Cards
Zapdos ex ×2
Trainer Cards
Old Amber ×2 Giovanni ×2 Sabrina ×2 Potion ×2
X Speed ×2 Hand Scope ×2 Poke Ball ×2 Red Card ×2
Professor's Research ×2

Zapdos ex is another powerful ex that can make use of the 18 Trainer deck setup, however it lacks access to ramp like Misty. This makes it reliant on manual Energy attachments.

What it has over Articuno ex and Lapras ex, however, is its option to deal a huge burst of damage with Thundering Hurricane. This attack can high roll for 200 damage, or do 50 to 100 damage on average. This Pokemon ex can also start attacking as early as T1 with access to a 1 Energy Attack in Peck, which can OHKO Staryu with the help of Giovanni.

It can also run Hand Scope, which would otherwise be a mediocre Trainer Card, because of the lack of other usable options. Hand Scope with Red Card make for a powerful one-two combo, as Hand Scope can help you decide whether it would be beneficial to play Red Card against your opponent.

Zapdos ex Deck Strategy Guide and Card List

Pokemon TCG Pocket Related Guides

Decks

Deck Building Guide

All Deck Tier Lists

All Tier Lists
Best Cards Tier List Best Meta Deck Tier List
Best Rental Deck Tier List Best F2P Beginner Decks

Deck Articles

Deck Articles
How Rental Decks Work Staple Cards for Decks
Aggro Decks Explained Deck Matchup Statistics
Best 18 Trainers Decks Best Misty Decks
Best Erika Decks 10 Match Tests vs Pikachu ex Deck - Statistics
List of Non-ex Decks -

Meta Decks

Best Meta Decks
Weavile ex and Darkrai exWeavile ex and Darkrai ex Darkrai ex and MagnezoneDarkrai ex and Magnezone Palkia exPalkia ex
Dialga ex and Lickilicky exDialga ex and Lickilicky ex Pachirisu exPachirisu ex Yanmega exYanmega ex
Infernape ex DeckInfernape ex Gallade exGallade ex Dialga ex and MelmetalDialga ex and Melmetal
Darkrai ex and WeezingDarkrai ex and Weezing LucarioLucario GarchompGarchomp
Porygon-ZPorygon-Z Togekiss NewTogekiss Dialga ex and BastiodonDialga ex and Bastiodon
RhyperiorRhyperior Mismagius exMismagius ex Mewtwo ex and GardevoirMewtwo ex and Gardevoir
Celebi ex and SerperiorCelebi ex and Serperior Pikachu ex and ZebstrikaPikachu ex and Zebstrika Gyarados ex and GreninjaGyarados ex and Greninja
Vaporeon and Articuno exVaporeon and Articuno ex Volcarona and Arcanine exVolcarona and Arcanine ex Scolipede and WeezingScolipede and Weezing
Starmie ex and Articuno exStarmie ex and Articuno ex Arcanine exArcanine ex BlaineBlaine
Pikachu ex and RaichuPikachu ex and Raichu Gyarados ex and VaporeonGyarados ex and Vaporeon Pidgeot exPidgeot ex
Charizard exCharizard ex Aerodactyl ex and PrimeapeAerodactyl ex and Primeape Exeggutor exExeggutor ex
GolemGolem Lt. SurgeLt. Surge -

Off Meta Decks

Torterra DeckTorterra Rampardos Deck ThumbnailRampardos Magnezone Deck ThumbnailMagnezone
Empoleon DeckEmpoleon Volkner Deck IconVolkner Alakazam and JynxAlakazam and Jynx
Mew ex and WeezingMew ex and Weezing DragoniteDragonite Articuno exArticuno ex
Venusaur exVenusaur ex Dragonite and WeezingDragonite and Weezing Lapras exLapras ex
Greninja Greninja Mewtwo ex and Weezing Mewtwo ex and Weezing Marowak exMarowak ex
PrimeapePrimeape Venusaur and WeezingVenusaur and Weezing ArbokArbok Lock
Zapdos exZapdos ex Blastoise exBlastoise ex Gengar exGengar ex
Machamp exMachamp ex Wigglytuff exWigglytuff ex MelmetalMelmetal
KogaKoga Omastar and Articuno exOmastar and Articuno ex Kingler and Articuno exKingler and Articuno ex
FrosmothFrosmoth Lapras ex and ButterfreeLapras ex and Butterfree PoliwrathPoliwrath
Tentacruel and GreninjaTentacruel and Greninja Victreebel and Exeggutor exVictreebel and Exeggutor ex Gengar ex and GolbatGengar ex and Golbat
Persian and MawilePersian and Mawile Lickitung and PrimeapeLickitung and Primeape Gengar ex and GolbatExeggutor ex and Alakazam
Frosmoth and Articuno exFrosmoth and Articuno ex GyaradosGyarados CentiskorchCentiskorch and Moltres ex
Grapploct DeckGrapploct Cincinno and Weezing Cinccino and Weezing BrockBrock
KabutopsKabutops Aerodactyl and DragoniteAerodactyl and Dragonite Eeveelutions and DittoEeveelutions and Ditto
LickitungLickitung ArticunoArticuno ZapdosZapdos
MoltresMoltres VenusaurVenusaur CharizardCharizard
BlastoiseBlastoise - -

Rental Decks

All Rental Decks
Venusaur Ex Rental Deck Venusaur ex Rental Deck Charizard ex Rental Deck Charizard ex Rental Deck Blastoise ex Rental DeckBlastoise ex Rental Deck
Pikachu ex Rental DeckPikachu ex Rental Deck Mewtwo ex Rental DeckMewtwo ex Rental Deck Machamp ex Rental DeckMachamp ex Rental Deck
NidoqueenNidoking and Nidoqueen Rental Deck OmastarKanto Fossils Rental Deck KogaKoga Rental Deck
Brock Rental DeckBrock Rental Deck Blaine Rental DeckBlaine Rental Deck Lt. Surge Rental DeckLt. Surge Rental Deck

Starter Decks

All Starter Decks
PinsirPinsir Starter Deck RapidashRapidash Starter Deck SandslashSandslash Starter Deck

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