Water Decks Gain Powerful Card in Pokemon TCG Pocket's Triumphant Light Expansion

When Pokémon TCG Pocket first launched, the meta quickly became dominated by a select few decks, with one centered around Misty and water-type Pokémon gaining notoriety early on. This deck's ability to overpower opponents early in the game, largely dependent on the outcome of coin flips, led to widespread frustration among players.

Despite the release of three expansions since its debut, the dominance of Misty decks has not waned. Instead, the latest expansion has introduced a new card that further bolsters the strength of these decks, leaving many players feeling disillusioned with the lack of variety in the meta.

Some variety would be appreciated
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It's not that Misty decks are the most powerful in the game; rather, the luck-based nature of Misty's mechanics makes losing to them particularly frustrating. Misty, a Supporter card, allows players to select a water-type Pokémon and flip coins until they land on tails, attaching a water-type energy to the chosen Pokémon for each heads flipped. This can result in anywhere from zero to numerous energy attachments, potentially enabling a first-turn win or powering up strong cards before opponents can mount a defense.

Why would they ever make a card like this?
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Subsequent expansions have only exacerbated the issue, introducing cards that enhance Misty's effectiveness. Mythical Island brought Vaporeon, which can freely redistribute the bonus energy among water-types. Space-Time Smackdown introduced Manaphy, adding even more water energy to the board. Both expansions also introduced powerful water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, ensuring water decks remain at the top of the meta.

DeNa, What the Heck are You Doing?
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The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduces 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, further solidifying their dominance. While grass-type decks were previously known for healing, Irida shifts this advantage to water decks.

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 20-card decks. However, many players have found ways to incorporate both Misty and Irida, maintaining the deck's strength.

Three days away… what will you all be playing?
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With a competitive event on the horizon, where rewards like a gold profile badge are up for grabs for winning five matches in a row, the prevalence of water decks is expected to be even more pronounced. Given the difficulty of achieving such a win streak, especially against decks that can dominate early and recover with cards like Irida, many players are considering joining the water deck bandwagon to compete effectively.