Water Decks Get Another Strong Card in Pokemon TCG Pocket's Triumphant Light Expansion

When Pokémon TCG Pocket first launched, the meta was quickly dominated by a handful of decks, with one centered around Misty and water-type Pokémon becoming particularly notorious. This deck's early game dominance often hinged on the luck of coin flips, leading to frustration among players who felt overpowered by the randomness of Misty's ability.

Despite three expansions since its launch, the game has yet to see a significant shift away from Misty decks. Instead, the latest expansion, Triumphant Light, has introduced a new card that further bolsters Misty's strength, leaving many players feeling weary of the persistent meta.

Misty, as a Supporter card, allows players to flip coins until they land on tails, attaching a water-type energy to a chosen water-type Pokémon for each heads flipped. This mechanic can lead to outcomes ranging from zero to potentially game-winning energy attachments, making the experience of losing to Misty particularly disheartening due to its reliance on luck.

Subsequent expansions have only amplified Misty's impact. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, which enables the free movement of bonus energy between water-types. Space-Time Smackdown added Manaphy, further increasing the water energy on the board. These expansions also brought powerful water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, cementing water decks' dominance across multiple expansions.

The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduced Irida, another Supporter card that can heal 40 damage from each Pokémon with water-type energy attached. This addition allows water decks to stage significant comebacks, leveraging the energy amassed through cards like Misty, Manaphy, and Vaporeon.

Some Pokémon TCG experts suggest that Irida's introduction might be an attempt by developer DeNA to force players to make strategic choices about which Supporters to include in their limited 20-card decks. However, many skilled deckbuilders have found ways to incorporate both Misty and Irida, maintaining the water deck's formidable presence.

With a regularly scheduled event approaching, where players can earn rewards like a gold profile badge for winning five matches in a row, the prevalence of water decks is expected to be even more pronounced. The challenge of achieving such a win streak is heightened by the potential for water decks to dominate early games and recover from setbacks with cards like Irida.

Given the current meta, players may find it advantageous to adopt a water deck themselves to compete effectively in the upcoming event and beyond.