The initial release of Pokémon TCG Pocket saw a few dominant decks quickly emerge, with Misty’s water-type strategy becoming a particularly frustrating opponent. Its success heavily relied on coin flips, leading to wildly inconsistent results – sometimes overwhelming opponents early, other times fizzling out completely.

Three expansions later, rather than seeing Misty decks countered or replaced, the latest expansion, Triumphant Light, has actually strengthened them. This has left many players feeling disheartened.

Some variety would be appreciated
byu/Mizter_Man in PTCGP

The issue isn't necessarily Misty decks' raw power; it's the intensely frustrating experience of losing to them due to sheer luck. Misty, a Supporter card, lets players flip coins to attach Water-type Energy to a Water-type Pokémon. This could result in nothing, or a massive energy boost, potentially leading to turn-one victories or overwhelming early-game advantages.

Why would they ever make a card like this?
byu/EfficientTrainer3206 in PTCGP

Subsequent expansions exacerbated the problem. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, enabling easy energy movement between Water-type Pokémon, while Space-Time Smackdown added Manaphy, further boosting energy. Powerful new Water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex capitalized on this energy surplus, solidifying Water decks' meta dominance.

DeNa, What the Heck are You Doing?
byu/HolographicHeart in PTCGP

Triumphant Light introduced Irida, another Supporter card that heals 40 damage from each Pokémon with attached Water-type Energy. This gives Water decks significant recovery capabilities, previously a Grass-type strength. Combined with Misty, Manaphy, and Vaporeon, Water decks now possess potent offensive and defensive strategies.

Some TCG experts suggest DeNA added Irida to force deckbuilding choices, as the 20-card deck limit necessitates removing other cards. The abundance of strong Water-type cards means players must decide between Misty and Irida. While intended to diversify the meta, many players have found ways to effectively use both.

Three days away… what will you all be playing?
byu/INDlGO in PTCGP

An upcoming Pokémon TCG Pocket event rewards win streaks, with a gold profile badge awarded for five consecutive wins. This is challenging, especially against dominant, luck-based decks like the enhanced Misty strategies. Expect to see a surge in Water decks during this event, and likely for some time to come. In fact, using a Water deck might be the most effective strategy for many players.