{"id":375824,"date":"2024-12-06T17:52:07","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T09:52:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snkrdunk.com\/en\/magazine\/?p=375824"},"modified":"2024-12-07T01:43:14","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T17:43:14","slug":"take-the-first-step-on-the-road-to-pokemon-tcg-glory-with-these-tips-on-building-a-tournament-ready-deck-how-to-build-a-pokemon-deck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snkrdunk.com\/en\/magazine\/2024\/12\/06\/take-the-first-step-on-the-road-to-pokemon-tcg-glory-with-these-tips-on-building-a-tournament-ready-deck-how-to-build-a-pokemon-deck\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Pok\u00e9mon Deck for Tournament Play and Achieve Great Pok\u00e9mon Tournament Results"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Picture yourself showing up to take part in a Pok\u00e9mon TCG tournament with the deck you\u2019ve carefully put together in hand. You then take a seat at the table for your first game\u2014only to get absolutely blown out. This happens again and again and when it\u2019s all said and done, you see a \u201c0\u201d in your \u201cW\u201d column. Now, why might this happen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s because building a Pok\u00e9mon TCG deck fit for tournament play goes way beyond \u201cputting 60 cards that happen to fit together into the same deck\u201d. There\u2019s so much to take into account\u2014the deck\u2019s tactical setup, card synergy, metagame viability, and opposing matchups, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this in mind, here\u2019s everything to know about how to build a Pok\u00e9mon deck that\u2019ll actually be competitive at tournaments and hold its own against any opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rotation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before anything else, however, apart from the obvious \u201c60 cards with no more than four copies of any card of the same name\u201d, the most important thing to know about building a Pok\u00e9mon TCG deck is the rotation. In the Pok\u00e9mon TCG meta, \u201crotation\u201d refers to the cards that are legal for tournament play at any given time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To determine whether a card is part of the current rotation, look at the letter of the alphabet in its bottom-left corner. As of the current rotation, only cards marked with the letters F, G, or H are permitted in tournament play<\/a>. This means that, with a few exceptions, only cards released in Star Birth [S9] or a newer set can be part of the deck. Any older cards are barred from use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If a card does not have the letter F, G, or H in its bottom-left corner but a newer version of that card with one of those letters has since been released, that card is allowed to be used. An example of such a card is Rare Candy. Similarly, if a card has been reprinted in a set after Star Birth [S9] but doesn\u2019t have the F, G, or H on it, that card can\u2019t be put in the deck. An example of a card like that is Path to the Peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we\u2019ve explained what rotation is, let\u2019s get into the actual building of the deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Basic vs. Evolution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some decks are built around Basic Pok\u00e9mon while others use Pok\u00e9mon evolution. Since Basic Pok\u00e9mon can be put into play right off the bat, Basic-centric decks tend to play at a faster pace than evolution decks. They also tend to be easier to set up than their evolutionary counterparts; however, once fully set up, evolution decks typically tend to pack more raw power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the current metagame, among the leading Basic decks are the Regidrago VSTAR, Raging Bolt ex<\/a>, and Lost Zone Box decks while some of the most meta-relevant evolution decks right now are the Gardevoir ex, Charizard ex, and Dragapult ex decks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some decks are built around a Basic Pok\u00e9mon while also using an evolved Pok\u00e9mon as the main supporting piece. The most common evolved Pok\u00e9mon card used for this purpose is the Dusknoir card from Night Wanderer [SV6a] as shown by, for example, the Terapagos ex\/Dusknoir and Palkia VSTAR\/Dusknoir decks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, although the Lugia VSTAR deck does contain evolved Pok\u00e9mon, it plays exactly like a Basic deck because of Summoning Star, the Ability of the titular card from Paradigm Trigger [S12]. That\u2019s because the Ability is used to place the Archeops<\/a> card from the same set directly onto the player\u2019s Bench; thus, despite being an evolved Pok\u00e9mon, Archeops essentially functions as a Basic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Card Synergy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most important question to answer regarding card synergy is \u201cwhat do I want my deck to do?\u201d Each deck has its own strategy; as such, the supporting cards added to the deck can make or break the deck itself. It\u2019s important for all supporting cards to serve the deck\u2019s main purpose so that none of the 60 card slots are wasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As examples, decks which emphasize spread damage such as the Ancient Box and Gardevoir ex decks include Radiant Greninja from Battle Region [S9a] and\/or Flutter Mane from Wild Force [SV5K]. The Lost Zone Box deck, as its name implies, has cards which fill up the Lost Zone such as Colress\u2019s Experiment and Lost Vacuum<\/a> from Lost Abyss [S11]. Defensive decks such as the Snorlax deck, meanwhile, feature stalling cards like Mimikyu from Snow Hazard [SV2P] and Mist Energy from Cyber Judge [SV5M].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are also cards which are highly \u201csplashable\u201d\u2014the term used for extremely versatile cards that fit well in and enhance a wide range of decks. Some of the most splashable cards in the current meta are the Dusknoir card already mentioned, Iono from Clay Burst [SV2D], Fezandipiti ex from Night Wanderer [SV6a]<\/a>, and perennial staples Ultra Ball, Boss\u2019s Orders, and Nest Ball. Every deck should include a healthy number of splashable cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deck Matchups<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every deck has advantageous and disadvantageous matchups against certain decks. Therefore, it\u2019s crucial to understand what your deck struggles against and how to best counter it. It\u2019s often helpful to slightly deviate from the \u201cgeneric\u201d build of a certain deck by including one or more cards for counterplay against tough matchups. A card which is added to a deck specifically for matchup purposes is known as a \u201ctech\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some examples of techs in the current metagame include Jamming Tower<\/a> from Mask of Change [SV6] in the Raging Bolt ex deck as a counter to the Gardevoir ex deck, Haxorus from Night Wanderer [SV6a] in the Regidrago VSTAR deck for counterplay against the Lugia VSTAR deck, and Rigid Band from Pok\u00e9mon Card 151 [SV2a] as part of the Gholdengo ex deck to counter the Giratina VSTAR deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, when a specific deck is the clear Best Deck in Format (BDIF) by a massive margin, its sheer dominance causes the creation of new deck archetypes designed to counter it. For example, at the peak of the Charizard ex deck\u2019s dominance, the Espathra ex\/Xatu deck<\/a> emerged for no other reason than to counter the Charizard ex deck. Similarly, in a previous rotation, the Gengar VMAX\/Houndoom deck was created almost exclusively for its advantageous matchup against the rampant Mew VMAX deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Metagame Viability<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Of course, even if you\u2019ve adhered to all the points we\u2019ve mentioned, it\u2019ll all be for nothing if your deck is one which simply isn\u2019t good enough to hang in the current meta. At any given time, there\u2019ll usually be around 10 to 20 deck archetypes which are metagame-relevant and have realistic chances of achieving decent tournament results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, this is the only area for which all we can say is \u201cyou\u2019ll have to do your own research\u201d. The metagame is always in a state of flux; thus, you\u2019ll need to find out for yourself which decks can hack it in the meta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we’ve explained everything that goes into making a seriously solid Pok\u00e9mon TCG deck, why not put it all into practice yourself? The Pok\u00e9mon TCG tournament scene is quite the beast\u2014but with the right deck and strategy, it’s a beast that can absolutely be tamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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