Blockinlick's PTCGP Meta Deck-building Guide
I originally intended to write a guide like this during the Mystical Island release, but I felt like much of the advice I'd have given then would become outdated or obsolete with subsequent sets and I was right.
For instance, I had an entire section about how Poke Ball, Professor's Research, and Potion were staples (Meaning that you should run them in every single deck) and that Sabrina and X-Speed were pretty close to staples too. Since then, I've rotated Potion, Sabrina, and X-Speed out of many decks for various things like Rocky Helmet, Giant Cape, and Pokemon Communication, etc. This time, I'll just refrain from speaking on staples much, because those will continue to change with each new set that drops. However, as of right now, Poke Ball and Professor's Research are the only real staples anymore. Due to the nature of the game-mechanics, I don't see that ever changing either.
What I've decided is best to work with are what I call "Power Pairings". This is two pokemon that go together like Peanut Butter & Jelly in such a way that the result is an A-Tier, S-Tier, or S-Tier+ deck. (S-Tier+ means this decks' place in S-Tier is unanimously agreed on by 99% of players). Keep in mind that "Solo-builds" (Only one pokemon, typically a basic EX like Articuno EX) is an archetype in-of itself and these aren't covered by this portion of the guide.
Here are what I think are the current power pairings, starting with S-Tier+:
S-Tier+
Mewtwo EX + Gardevior
This deck has been S-Tier since the games' release, and with the help of new pieces like Mystical Slab and Pokemon Communication to help it stay there, it hasn't budged from its throne as THE deck to play. There isn't much variation to this deck. You need X-Speed and Leaf to ensure that Ralts doesn't get stuck in the active position or to swap out your damaged Mewtwo EX for the other one.
Celebi EX + Serperior
When Mystical Island was leaked, no one seemed to have Celebi and Serperior as the new strongest deck on their bingo card. It turns out that doubling your energies on a pokemon that does damage based on the number of energies it has is pretty strong. Erika & Pokemon Communication are must-haves, and like Mewtwo + Gardevior, you'll need X-Speed and Leaf to ensure your Snivy doesn't get stuck. That said, this deck has even less variation than Mewtwo + Gardevior. One variation that I have seen pop up a lot more lately is to use Exeggutor EX as stall to pile energies onto Celebi.
Darkrai EX + Weavile EX (+Cyrus)
Like Celebi & Serperior, Darkrai & Weavile were the breakout powerhouse of Space-Time Smackdown. I personally haven't gotten my second copy of Darkrai EX yet, so I am not yet experienced playing WITH it. However, as far as playing AGAINST it, I encounter two main variations of this deck. One is just this pair and the other also includes Magnezone (With the deck using ONLY dark energy, taking advantage of Magneton's [GA] Volt Charge ability). I personally tried out just Weavile EX + Magnezone and that was surprisingly good. So when I do build this deck, I'll probably go with the Magnezone variation. Running 12 pokemon means Pokemon Communication is needed and with Poke Ball, Professor's Research, and Cyrus, that's pretty much the deck. The basic variation has lots of flexibility for those six slots, but I'd personally go X-Speed, Leaf, and Rocky Helmet. Giant Cape is a good option too.
S-Tier
Pikachu EX + Zapdos EX (+3rd Pokemon)
Pikachu EX used to sit beside Mewtwo EX as the biggest powerhouses, but I believe Celebi & Darkrai have diminished its position in the meta just a little. It is still absolutely a powerhouse (To the extent that many may disagree with me here), as well as being the best deck in its typing. Your third pokemon should probably be Elecrode [GA] (For the free retreat), Pachirisu EX, or Magnezone. I have used Zebstrika as the third for a bit (To snipe the bench, of course) and I don't think it's quite as good as those. Which trainers are good to fill those remaining slots can vary quite a bit, but Pokemon Communication is obviously a good bet.
Charizard EX + Moltres EX
The Charizard deck is sitting in a weird position right now. In a vacuum, it's probably at the bottom of S-Tier. However, being a fire deck in a meta where Celebi is dominant has its advantage, as does Charizard having the only 200 damage attack to OHKO anything. Still, if the type advantage is what you are going for, I'd go with the faster more-aggressive Infernape + Rapidash deck, because sometimes the extra turns it takes for Moltres to generate energies plays into Celebi's hand as well.
Palkia + Manaphy (+Vaporeon [MI]) (+Misty)
I said it before, in this very forum soon-after the STS release, that this deck is a sleeper. I am absolutely confident that this deck will find itself in the S-Tier+ club in due time. In fact, I personally think this is the best deck in the game. There isn't really any room for variation here, since the deck leans heavily on Leaf, X-Speed, and Pokemon Communication to ensure that you can lead with Manaphy, get it out without wasting energy, and swap out Palkia when it is low on hitpoints. My original version of this deck didn't include Vaporeon (And that version is still really good). Once I tried it, I realized that the way Vaporeon leverages the extra energy that Manaphy generates, as well as being another vessel FOR that energy, makes it indispensable in the deck. Palkia's drawback of having to discard three energies lands a lot softer with Vaporeon utilizing ALL of the energies you generate.
My first thought about this deck idea was "Isn't this just Mewtwo + Gardevior with extra steps?", but there are four distinctions from that. First is that Manaphy isn't a Stage 2 like Gardevior. It generates energies immediately and more reliably. Second is that Manaphy often generates more energies throughout a game than Gardevior does, BECAUSE it does its thing immediately. Third is that Mewtwo doesn't have Misty. Fourth is that Palkia's one energy attack makes it slightly more aggressive to early threats, like Farfetch'd, that typically have 60 HP.
I won't go into detail on the A-Tier decks, because this guide is long enough. But here's the list:
A-Tier
Gyarados EX + Manaphy (+Articuno) (+Misty)
Scolipede + Weezing [GA] (+Koga)
Dialga EX + Yanmega EX (+Erika)
Garchomp + Regice (+Cynthia)
Infernape EX + Rapidash [GA] (+Blaine)
Primape [GA] + Marshadow
Druddigon Stall Variations
Dragonite + Druddigon (+Rocky Helmet)
Pidgeot EX + Druddigon (+Pokemon Flute) (+Rocky Helmet)
Gyarados EX + Druddigon (+Rocky Helmet) (+Misty)
Golem [MI] + Druddigon (+Rocky Helmet) (+Brock)
Honorable Mentions
Marowak EX + Aerodactyl EX
Mewtwo EX + Dusknoir
Articuno EX + Starmie EX
As far as Solo-Builds (Only one pokemon with all trainers) go, there are many pokemon you can do this with. The most popular choice has been Articuno EX, but with the release of new basic EX pokemon, it's becoming a crowded room of worthy alternatives. The problem I see is that since the release of STS, these decks have fallen a bit in overall power. Mystical Island gave it some better trainers to work with, but Articuno's 80 damage doesn't have quite the stopping-power it used to have when its biggest threats were Mewtwo EX, Pikachu EX, and Charizard EX. I imagine that as soon as a really strong basic EX comes along, this archetype will come back to the meta. As for right now, I don't recommend it.
One thing to keep mind about ALL of these decks is that luck is huge factor in PTCGP. Just because a deck on this list is A-Tier, doesn't mean it's going to get pummeled by the S-Tier+ decks by some large margine.
-When two S-Tier+ decks match up that aren't a bad typing match (Like Darkrai vs Mewtwo), the odds of each deck winning are about as 50/50 as it can get.
-An S-Tier vs an S-Tier+ is probably a 48/52
-An A-Tier vs an S-Tier is probably a 45/55
-An A-Tier vs and S-Tier+ is probably a 43/57
The point here is that the S-Tier decks aren't THAT much better than A-Tier decks. They are simply the best of the best… and of course, with each new subsequent set, things in this guide may become less and less true over time. I hope it remains helpful for a good while, though.
Comments
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A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
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A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
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A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
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A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
0 -
A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
0 -
A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
0 -
A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
0 -
A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
0 -
A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
0 -
A little amendment I'd like to make is that there is a Weezing [GA] variant of Darkrai + Weavile too.
There's a nifty little trick you can do where you put your energy on benched Darkrai, then move it to Weezing or Magnezone in the active spot to attack.
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