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

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

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

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

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

Best Meta Decks Tier List

Meta Decks

S Tier Decks
Arceus ex
A+ Tier Decks
Carnivine	Rampardos	Crobat
Magnezone and Skarmory	Exeggutor ex	Heatran
Charizard ex	Palkia ex	Darkrai ex
Weavile ex	Yanmega ex	Origin Forme Palkia
A Tier Decks
Leafeon ex	Garchomp ex	Probopass ex
Infernape ex	Pachirisu ex	Gyarados ex and Greninja
Pikachu ex	Dialga ex	Articuno ex
Gallade ex	Abomasnow	Celebi ex
B Tier Decks
Glaceon ex	Bronzong	Tyranitar
Staraptor	Donphan	Starmie ex and Articuno ex
Mewtwo ex and Gardevoir	Golem	Pidgeot ex
Scolipede and Weezing	Garchomp	Porygon-Z
Arcanine ex	Dialga ex and Bastiodon	-
C Tier Decks
・Blaine Deck ・Houndoom Deck ・Snorlax Deck ・Lucario Deck ・Pikachu ex and Raichu Deck ・Venusaur ex Deck ・Volkner Deck ・Togekiss Deck ・Aerodactyl ex Deck ・Alakazam and Jynx Deck ・Dragonite Deck ・Machamp ex Deck ・Blastoise ex Deck ・Marowak ex Deck ・Torterra Deck ・Empoleon Deck ・Mismagius ex Deck ・Volcarona and Arcanine ex Deck ・Wigglytuff ex Deck ・Gengar ex Deck ・Magnezone and Marshadow Deck

Off Meta Decks

(A2)
・Dialga ex and Lickilicky ex Deck ・Lake Trio Deck ・Rhyperior Deck
(A1)	(A1a)
・Arbok Lock Deck ・Brock Deck ・Cinccino Deck ・Frosmoth Deck ・Kingler and Articuno ex Deck ・Lt. Surge Deck ・Melmetal Deck ・Mewtwo ex and Weezing Deck ・Primeape Deck ・Venusaur ex and Weezing Deck ・Victreebel and Exeggutor ex Deck	・Gyarados ex and Vaporeon Deck ・Mew ex and Weezing Deck ・Vaporeon and Articuno ex Deck

Deck-Building Guides and Articles