When Pokémon TCG Pocket first launched, the meta quickly became dominated by a select few decks. One of the most notorious was the Misty and water-type Pokémon deck, which gained infamy for its ability to overpower opponents early on, largely depending on favorable coin flips.
Despite three expansions later, players were hoping for new cards to counter or replace the dominance of Misty decks. However, the latest expansion, Triumphant Light, has instead introduced a new card that further strengthens Misty decks, leaving many players frustrated and seeking variety.
The issue isn't that Misty decks are the most powerful in the game; rather, it's the luck-based nature of Misty that makes losing to them particularly frustrating. Misty, a Supporter card, allows the player to choose a water-type Pokémon and flip coins until they land on tails. For each heads flipped, a water-type energy is attached to the chosen Pokémon. This can result in attaching zero energies, making the card a wasted slot, or multiple energies, potentially leading to a first-turn win or powering up strong cards before the opponent can respond.
Subsequent expansions have only exacerbated the issue. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, enabling players to freely move bonus energy among water-types. Space-Time Smackdown brought Manaphy, adding even more water energy to the board. Both expansions also introduced powerful water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, keeping water decks at the top of the meta.
The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduced Irida, another Supporter card that can heal 40 damage from each Pokémon with water-type energy attached. This card has shifted the healing advantage from grass-type decks to water-type decks, allowing significant comebacks if enough energy is spread out, which is likely with cards like Misty, Manaphy, and Vaporeon.
Some Pokémon TCG experts suggest that DeNA added Irida to force players to make tough choices about which Supporters to include in their limited 20-card decks. However, many deckbuilders have found ways to include both Misty and Irida, maintaining the strength of water decks.
As Pokémon TCG Pocket gears up for a regularly scheduled event offering rewards for win streaks, including a coveted gold profile badge for five consecutive wins, players can expect to see a high prevalence of water decks. The challenge of achieving such win streaks is intensified by decks that can potentially sweep opponents in the early turns with the right coin flips and have recovery options like Irida. Given the current meta, it might be strategic for players to consider running a water deck themselves.
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