Pokemon TCG Pocket (PTCGP)

Best 18 Trainer Decks

Pokemon TCG Pocket - 18 Trainer Decks Top Image

2 Pokemon + 18 Trainer Decks are decks that maximize their 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

Meta Decks

Best Meta Decks
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Starmie exStarmie ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Mewtwo exMewtwo ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - DragoniteDragonite Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Articuno exArticuno ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - ArbokArbok Lock Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Venusaur exVenusaur ex Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - BlaineBlaine Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Pikachu exPikachu ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Marowak exMarowak ex Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Charizard exCharizard ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Machamp exMachamp ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Blastoise exBlastoise ex Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - FrosmothFrosmoth Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Exeggutor exExeggutor ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - CentiskorchCentiskorch and Moltres ex Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Arcanine exArcanine ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Gengar exGengar ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - GyaradosGyarados Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Wigglytuff exWigglytuff ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - MelmetalMelmetal Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Lt. SurgeLt. Surge Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - AlakazamAlakazam and Jynx Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Zapdos exZapdos ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Greninja Greninja Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Primeape DeckPrimeape Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Grapploct DeckGrapploct Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Cincinno and Weezing Cinccino and Weezing
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Raichu and Pikachu exRaichu and Pikachu ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - Mewtwo ex and WeezingMewtwo ex and Weezing Pokemon TCG Pocket - Greninja and WeezingGreninja and Weezing Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Venusaur ex and WeezingVenusaur ex and Weezing Pokemon TCG Pocket - Lapras exLapras ex Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - BrockBrock Deck
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Dragonite and WeezingDragonite and Weezing Pokemon TCG Pocket - KabutopsKabutops Pokemon TCG Pocket - KabutopsAerodactyl and Dragonite
Pokemon TCG Pocket - Omastar and Articuno exOmastar and Articuno ex Pokemon TCG Pocket - Eeveelutions and DittoEeveelutions and Ditto Pokemon TCG Pocket - Kingler and Articuno exKingler and Articuno ex
Pokemon TCG Pocket - LickitungLickitung Pokemon TCG Pocket - ArticunoArticuno Pokemon TCG Pocket - ZapdosZapdos
Pokemon TCG Pocket - MoltresMoltres Pokemon TCG Pocket - VenusaurVenusaur Pokemon TCG Pocket - CharizardCharizard
Pokemon TCG Pocket - BlastoiseBlastoise

Rental Decks

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

Starter Decks

All Starter Decks
Pokemon TCG Pocket - PinsirPinsir Starter Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - RapidashRapidash Starter Deck Pokemon TCG Pocket - SandslashSandslash Starter Deck

Author

    Walkthrough Menu

    Please participate in our
    site improvement survey 11/2024
    Would you assist in
    improving Game8's site?
    ×
    This survey will take about 1 minute.
    Your answers will help us to improve our website.
    We are listening to our users' valuable opinions and discussing how to act on them.
    The information collected through this survey will be used for the purpose of improving our services. In addition, the information will only be disclosed a part of a statistic in a format that will not allow identification of personal information.
    Begin Survey

    All rights reserved