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

When Pokémon TCG Pocket first hit the scene, the meta swiftly became dominated by a select few decks, with Misty and her water-type Pokémon taking center stage. Players quickly grew frustrated with Misty decks due to their potential to overpower opponents early on, hinging largely on the luck of coin flips.

Now, three expansions later, you might expect new cards to have emerged to counter or replace Misty decks. Instead, the latest expansion has only bolstered them, leaving many players feeling disillusioned.

Some variety would be appreciated
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For context, it's not that Misty decks are necessarily the most powerful in the game. It's the luck-based nature of Misty that makes losing to them feel 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 for each heads flipped. This can range from zero energy, making the card a wasted slot, to multiple energies, potentially enabling a first-turn win or bringing powerful cards into play before opponents can respond.

Why would they ever make a card like this?
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Subsequent expansions have only amplified Misty's impact. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, enabling players to move bonus energy freely among water-types. Space-Time Smackdown added Manaphy, further boosting water energy on the board. Both expansions also brought in formidable water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, cementing water decks at the top of the meta.

DeNa, What the Heck are You Doing?
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The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduced Irida, another Supporter card that heals 40 damage from each Pokémon with water-type energy attached. This card shifts the healing advantage from grass-type decks to water-type decks, allowing for significant comebacks if enough energy is accumulated and distributed.

Some experts suggest that Irida's introduction might be an attempt by DeNA to force players to make strategic choices about which Supporters to include, given the game's 20-card deck limit. However, many adept deckbuilders have found ways to incorporate both Misty and Irida.

Three days away… what will you all be playing?
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With a competitive event approaching, where rewards like a gold profile badge are up for grabs for winning five matches in a row, expect to see an abundance of water decks. Given their dominance and resilience, it may be wise for players to consider running one themselves to compete effectively.