Pokemon TCG Pocket: Best F2P Player-Friendly Deck Builds

Much like the physical Pokemon TCG, Pokemon TCG Pocket gives players the joy of opening booster packs and collecting cards, just in digital format. However, as is the case with physical cards, many cards in the game are much more rare than others - ex cards in particular. This can be frustrating, as players will either need to rely on luck when opening booster packs to gain specific cards, save up enough Pack Points to craft the card they're looking for - which can be extremely time-consuming, or outright spend real money to open more packs and improve their chances.

Thankfully, while many of the meta decks revolve around these powerful ex-Pokemon and rare/expensive cards as their ace Pokemon or important additions for strategy and deck synergy, there are also a series of decks that can be created from more common and easy-to-obtain cards, or decks that may feature just one ex/ace Pokemon that you'll have to worry about obtaining, which can all be done without spending a single cent. If you're looking for the best free-to-play deck builds as of Pokemon TCG Pocket's Genetic Apex set, all relevant information has been included in the guide below.

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Best Free-To-Play Deck Builds in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Players who are looking to build a viable deck for battle may find themselves feeling limited by what cards they have in their collection, with popular meta decks such as the Charizard or Mewtwo builds revolving around multiple copies of ace 'ex' cards, which can be very time-consuming and expensive (both in terms of Pack Points or real money spent opening extra packs) to obtain. Luckily, there are some suitable alternatives that can be built without needing to spend endless hours hunting for specific cards or opening your wallet to try and better your changes in pulling them. Five of the best decks for this purpose have been identified below, including a brief summary of the strategy/ace cards involved, and a complete card list to help you build each deck.

18 Trainers Deck Build

While the 18 Trainers Deck build does revolve around two copies of a single ex card, the reason it has been included in this guide is due to the sheer flexibility of this deck build. There are a number of different variants, each containing for the most part, the same 18 Trainers (minus an occasional swap of one or two here and there). The 18 Trainers deck works by manipulating the basic Pokemon that you will receive on turn 1, by only including two copies of a single basic Pokemon in the deck. As ex cards are considered basic Pokemon single evolution monsters such as Legendaries, or Lapras, there are a few heavy-hitting cards that can work as the ace in this composition.

• The Articuno variant uses Misty to attach multiple energies on successful coin flips as early as turn 1, giving Articuno a devastating attack from the get-go
• The Zapdos variant doesn't have the same ability to utilize a quick energy setup, but has better damage output on average compared to articuno. Peck can work as a decent attack until you get enough energy for Thundering Hurricane, which can deal devastating damage with 4 successful coin flips.
• The Lapras ex variant has the least damage output on a per-turn basis, but like Articuno, can make use of Misty for a quick setup as early as turn 1. The Bubble Drain attack requires 3 Energy, deals 80 damage, but also heals Lapras for 20 hp with each use - helping sustain its place in the Active spot.

Articuno Ex 18 Trainers Deck Build

Zapdos Ex 18 Trainers Deck Build

Lapras Ex 18 Trainers Deck Build

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Arbok / Pidgeot Deck Build

The Arbok and Pidgeot deck is also a great option for those looking for a budget-friendly build, as this deck has no ex cards and only two different evolution lines to incorporate. Players should have no problems picking up these cards from general booster pack openings, or in worst case scenario buying a couple of missing cards with Pack Points, as they aren't all that expensive in comparison to some of the more rare cards available.

This deck revolves around the synergy of Pidgeot's signature ability, and Arbok's Corner move. Pidgeot can be put into play first, as Pidgey and Pigeotto only need one energy to attack. However, once Pidgeotto gets into play, its Drive Off ability is what makes this deck work - forcing the opponent to switch their active Pokemon with a benched Pokemon, and therefore disrupting their play. Arbok can then be rotated in with the assistance of X Speed to use Corner, which locks this new active Pokemon (often a much weaker variant than the active Pokemon in play by the time Pidgeotto gets into the fight) into place, removing the ability to retreat on their next turn. This can be used cleverly to secure easy points and work around pesky ace Pokemon that would be otherwise overpowering.

Best Arbok / Pidgeot Deck List In Pokemon TCG Pocket

Primeape Deck Build

A Primeape deck build is more of a niche build/pick to consider, but nonetheless very easy to build for all players, and also capable of securing victories with a bit of luck on your side and careful planning each turn. Primeape's greatest threats come from the ability to deal a whopping 100 damage per turn if it has taken any damage itself, which is very solid for a two-stage evolution. Primeape is also somewhat quick and easy to get set up into play for this same reason, as it will only need to be evolved once from Mankey and only needs two Energies to attack.

However, Primeape can struggle against some more aggressive decks/attackers due to its lower HP. For this reason, many Trainers aim to include Marowak ex in this build if possible, as while Marowak ex's attacks rely purely on the luck of coin flips, they can cause devastating damage when hit and knock out a variety of ex opponents in a single turn if luck is on your side. However, if you are unable to gain access to Marowak ex, a regular Marowak may also suffice until you can get your hands on the ex counterpart - though the regular variant is only capable of dealing a total of 40 damage per turn, making it a much less aggressive/threatening attacker.

Best Primeape Deck List In Pokemon TCG Pocket

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Geninja Deck Build

Greninja is a solid card to build around if you're looking to create a decent Water Type deck without spending too much time searching for rare cards or trying to gain Promos, such as Lapras ex. Greninja's greatest strength happens to be the ability to deal damage to benched Pokemon through the Water Shuriken ability, which can help to chip away damage on the enemy team and potentially even score multiple knockouts if you play smart. Because of this ability, a popular addition to this deck is Articuno ex, as this card also has a powerful attack that can damage the opponent's bench and Active Pokemon.

By sitting Greninja on the bench, you can use Water Shuriken, then use Articuno in the Active spot to deal the bulk of your damage on the Active Pokemon, as well as splash damage across the entire bench. This makes Articuno very worth the commitment of getting for this deck, but if you don't have this card yet, you can opt to replace Articuno with the likes of Lapras, as this is another very solid attacker who can deal 90 damage per turn.

Best Greninja Deck List In Pokemon TCG Pocket

Alakazam / Jynx Deck Build

If you're looking to build a Psychic Type deck and can't get your hands on the cards to build the notorious Mewtwo ex meta deck, then an Alakazam and Jynx deck build may suffice as a suitable starting point as you start collecting more powerful cards and work your way through the ranks of battles. Alakazam is capable of dealing some very heavy-hitting damage, whilst Jynx can deal extended damage to the opponent's Active Pokemon depending on how many Energies are attached to it.

Unlike Pidgeot and Arbok, these two cards do not revolve around working together to create strategy, but instead aim to give you different options to use in battle or pivot to, as both have their drawbacks - Alakazam can be tricky to get into play if you are unable to get Abra in your starting hand, whilst Jynx has a lower HP than other 'ace' Pokemon, meaning it may fall flat in the face of aggressive attackers. However, with careful planning and use of your Trainers, you can more than make this deck work to your advantage to secure victory.

Best Alakazam / Jynx Deck List In Pokemon TCG Pocket

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Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket

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Released

October 30, 2024

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Developer(s)

DeNA, Creatures Inc.

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Franchise

Pokemon

Platform(s)

Android, iOS

Genre(s)

Digital Card Game

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