Pokemon TCG Pocket's DarkTina decks have achieved their second-highest win rate since debuting in Shining Revelry. The infamous duo has long been labeled one of the most "annoying" decks, and many were anticipating its downfall with the recent set's release. It turns out DarkTina has other plans for Pokemon TCG Pocket's metagame.
Developer DeNA has introduced counter cards like Oricorio in Pokemon TCG Pocket, but it has largely failed to nerf DarkTina's power. Many argue this is because the game's core mechanics are vulnerable to Energy generation and Bench damage. In other words, they believe DarkTina is hard to nerf because it can effectively exploit combat loopholes.
One Pokemon TCG Pocket Deck Remains Virtually Unbeatable
Pokemon TCG Pocket has many great decks in the meta, but one remains "the best" even if it's no longer S-tier.
DarkTina Has Become Pokemon TCG Pocket's 'Tier 0' Deck
After a brief drop from the top of the metagame, Pokemon TCG Pocket's Darkrai EX and Giratina EX combo is once again the dominant meta deck. Interestingly, the duo has reached new heights, with refined DarkTina decks now holding the second-highest win rate since the Shining Revelry era. At 52.92% as of this writing, DarkTina has surpassed its own record from the past three years, marking a new milestone (via LimitlessTCG). The highest win rate it ever achieved was at its debut, averaging roughly 54%.
While the future of meta seems vague at this point, what's certain for now is that the combination of Giratina EX and Darkrai EX has shown every sign of becoming a Tier 0 deck. For those unfamiliar with the term, a Tier 0 deck refers to a combination in card games that is so powerful it is virtually unbeatable by any other combo or deck.
The emergence of Tier 0 decks is not uncommon in competitive card games. However, most developers try to avoid them by constantly balancing the meta and introducing new variants, something Pokemon TCG Pocket has yet to accomplish. The next opportunity for developer DeNA to end DarkTina's reign is with the upcoming miniset, A4a, which might introduce Mega Evolutions.
The only decks that have managed to keep up with DarkTina seem to be Silvally and Oricorio counter decks, with variants holding a 60%+ win rate against the duo. However, it appears that Pokemon TCG Pocket's meta won't be balanced unless the developer introduces permanent solutions, such as a reliable way to defend Benched Pokemon from snipers like Darkrai EX and better debuff cards to disrupt Giratina EX's Energy generation effect. In the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see if Pokemon TCG Pocket finally addresses the ongoing Tier 0 issue in the meta or allows the Darkness-Psychic combo to keep their shared throne.
- Released
- October 30, 2024
- Developer(s)
- DeNA, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- The Pokemon Company
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game
