When Pokémon TCG Pocket first launched, the meta quickly became dominated by a small number of decks. Among them, decks centered around Misty and water-type Pokémon were particularly loathed due to their potential to overpower opponents early on, hinging heavily on the luck of coin flips.
Three expansions later, one might expect other cards to have emerged to counter or replace Misty decks. However, the latest expansion has only bolstered Misty's dominance, much to the frustration of many players.
It's not necessarily that Misty decks are the most powerful in the game, but the luck-based nature of Misty can make losing to them feel particularly frustrating. Misty, a Supporter card, allows the user to select a water-type Pokémon and flip coins until they land on tails, attaching one water-type energy for each heads flipped. This could result in attaching 0 energy, effectively wasting a deck spot, or a high number of energy, enabling a potential turn-one win or bringing powerful cards into play before the opponent can defend.
Subsequent expansions have only amplified Misty's power. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, which can freely move bonus energy between water-type Pokémon. Space-Time Smackdown added Manaphy, further increasing water energy on the board. Both expansions also introduced strong water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, maintaining water decks at the top of the meta.
The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduces Irida, another Supporter card that heals 40 damage from each Pokémon with water-type energy attached. This addition allows water decks to stage significant comebacks, especially when paired with cards like Misty, Manaphy, and Vaporeon.
Some Pokémon TCG experts suggest that Irida's inclusion might be a strategic move by developer DeNA to force players to make tough choices about which Supporters to include in their limited 20-card decks. However, many deckbuilders have found ways to incorporate both Misty and Irida, further solidifying water decks' dominance.
As Pokémon TCG Pocket prepares for a scheduled event with rewards for win streaks, expect to see a prevalence of water decks. Achieving the top reward, a gold profile badge, for winning five matches in a row is challenging, especially against decks capable of swift victories and comebacks. At this point, it may be strategic to consider playing a water deck yourself to stay competitive.
