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Pokemon TCG Pocket Tier List – Best Decks & Cards (February 2025)

Pokemon TCG Pocket is aiming to be a more casual and beginner-friendly version of the regular Trading Card Game, but you can bet there’s going to be a meta and cards that are just better than others. Here’s our Pokemon TCG Pocket tier list to help you determine the best cards to get.

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Best Decks Tier List in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Knowing which cards are good is one thing, but deck-building is another matter entirely. For now, these are the best decks to build in Pokemon TCG Pocket.

S-Tier

Darkrai Ex/Magnezone

  • Magnemite x2
  • Magneton (Genetic Apex) x2
  • Magnezone x2
  • Darkrai Ex x2
  • Druddigon x2
  • Cyrus
  • Leaf x2
  • Sabrina
  • Professor’s Research x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Giant Cape
  • Pokemon Communication

Darkrai Ex and Magnezone are the breakout cards of the Space-Time Smackdown expansion. And when you put them together, you get a seriously terrifying deck.

The powerful thing about this archetype is that Magnezon and Darkrai Ex don’t need each other to work. Evolve your Magnemite into Magneton, then use Volt Charge a couple times before evolving it up to Magnezone. In the meantime, have Darkrai Ex or Druddigon up to do chip damage, and once Magnezone is online, use it to attack for 110 damage.

Darkrai Ex/Weavile Ex

  • Sneasel x2
  • Weavile Ex x2
  • Darkrai Ex x2
  • Cyrus x2
  • Dawn x2
  • Leaf
  • Sabrina
  • Professor’s Research x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Giant Cape
  • Pokemon Communication
  • X Speed x2

For a more active take on Darkrai Ex, pair it up with Weavile Ex. This decklist used to run Murkrow and Honchkrow as well, and you could fit them in if you don’t want the Giant Cape or you’re willing to drop other utility cards.

The play line is the same, though. Power up Weavile Ex as quickly as you can, do chip damage with Darkrai Ex, then an extra 70 damage with Weavile Ex. Dawn is also a great utility card as it allows you to put Energy on Darkrai Ex for chip damage, before moving it up to your Active Pokemon to use their main attack.

A-Tier

Marshadow/Magnezone

  • Magnemite x2
  • Magneton (Genetic Apex) x2
  • Magnezone
  • Marshadow x2
  • Hitmonchan
  • Hitmonlee x2
  • Cyrus x2
  • Professor’s Research x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Pokemon Communication
  • X Speed x2

Fighting decks saw a bit of a resurgence with the release of the Mythical Island set, and they’ve only gotten better as we’re starting to see more pairing options for the archetype. Hitmonlee is a shoo-in for the decklist, especially in a meta where Cyrus is so prevalent. Being able to deal 30 damage to a Benched Pokemon and then pulling it out with Cyrus can be extremely deadly, often allowing you to completely destroy an opponent’s strategy before it even begins.

Marshadow serves as a very powerful counter-play here, while Magnezone can just do Magnezone things while you mess up the opponent’s backline.

Darkrai Ex/Greninja

  • Froakie x2
  • Frogadier x2
  • Greninja x2
  • Darkrai Ex x2
  • Druddigon x2
  • Cyrus x2
  • Leaf
  • Professor’s Research x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Pokemon Communication x2
  • Potion

Greninja is the original chip damage master, and it pairs extremely well with Darkrai Ex and Druddigon. The goal here is to put Druddigon in the active spot while you deal chip damage with Darkrai Ex and build up Greninja. It’s not even all that necessary to run Water energy in this list, as Darkrai will likely be your main attacker while Greninja just continues chipping away with Mist Slash.

Celebi Ex/Exeggutor Ex

  • Exeggute (Genetic Apex) x2
  • Exeggutor Ex x2
  • Celebi Ex
  • Cyrus x2
  • Sabrina x2
  • Erika x2
  • Professor’s Research x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Giant Cape
  • Pokemon Communication x2
  • Potion x2

Celebi Ex was the breakout card of Mythical Island, and it’s still got a place in the current meta-game, but really, Exeggutor Ex is the real star of the show here. You won’t run the Serperior line here, as Celebi Ex is really more of a backup plan than anything else. Exeggutor Ex is your main attacker here that can deal lots of early pressure on your opponent, while you power up Celebi Ex on the bench.

Erika, Potion, and Giant Cape all help to make your Pokemon even tankier than they already are, and that should help you survive most of the Darkrai Ex onslaught.

B-Tier

Yanmega/Dialga Ex

  • Yanma x2
  • Yanmega Ex x2
  • Dialga Ex x2
  • Mew Ex x2
  • Cyrus
  • Leaf
  • Sabrina
  • Professor’s Research x2
  • Poke Ball x2
  • Giant Cape x2
  • Rocky Helmet
  • Pokemon Communication
  • X Speed
  • Potion

Dialga Ex has been a fairly solid performer so far, but it’s still not quite enough to push Metal up to the top of the meta-game. That being said, it pairs very well with Yanmega Ex, which packs a punch, and only requires Colorless Energy to attack. Dialga Ex is able to add two Metal Energy to your benched Pokemon, which lets you power up Yanmega Ex very quickly.

Giant Cape and Rocky Helmet are also crucial here, as they buy you a lot of time while you wait for your draws.

C-Tier

Palkia Ex/Vaporeon

  • Eevee (Mythical Island) x2
  • Vaporeon x2
  • Palkia Ex x2
  • Articuno
  • Manaphy x2
  • Cyrus
  • Misty x2
  • Leaf x2
  • Professor’s Research x2
  • Giant Cape x2
  • Poke Ball x2

And that does it for our Pokemon TCG Pocket tier list for now.

Related: The Best Pokémon Gifts To Check Out This Year on Dot Esports


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Author
Image of Zhiqing Wan
Zhiqing Wan
Associate Editor
Zhiqing is a History undergrad from the National University of Singapore. She started playing video games in 1996 when her dad introduced her to Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil -- and the rest, as they say, is history. When she's not obsessing over Elden Ring and Dark Souls lore theories, you can find her singing along loudly and badly to Taylor Swift's latest bops. Formerly the Reviews Editor at Twinfinite, she joined the Escapist team in 2024. You can reach her at zhiqing@escapistmagazine.com.