Summary
Thanks to the huge pool of cards introduced withPokemon TCG Pocket’s Celestial Guardians expansion, the overall collection now amounts to over 1,000 entries.Pokemon TCG Pocket’s meta has changed considerably with the latest expansion, and while the infamous Darkrai Ex plus Giratina Ex deck remains one of the best around despite all the counters it has, there are new decks on the rise that can compete at the highest levels. Oricorio is currently one of the most used cards in the game due to how many decks and strategies it counters, but several Stage 2 cards also became easier to use with Rare Candy. One Stage 2 card from Genetic Apex was always good, but now it’s suddenly sitting at the top of the meta.
One might argue thatPokemon TCG Pocket’s Rare Candyis breaking the game by being too powerful and consistent, but at the same time, creating a strange luck-based meta where having Rare Candy on turn 3 or 4 versus not having it can determine the match’s result. Cards like Crobat from Triumphant Light or the new Solgaleo Ex and Lunala Ex can benefit immensely from Rare Candy, and the same can be said about Genetic Apex’s Greninja.
Why Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Greninja is a Top Pick in the Current Meta
Though a surprising addition to Genetic Apex, considering the big Gen 1 theme, Greninja is also one of the most popular critters in the series. Not only that, but its Genetic Apex version is a rather powerful card, thanks to its Water Shuriken ability. This allows Greninja to deal 20 damage to any opposing Pokemon on every turn, even targets on the bench, and then it can attack for 60 with Mist Splash. Before Celestial Guardians, it was hard to rely onPokemon TCG Pocket’s Greninjadue to how slow it was to build up in terms of evolution and Energy, but Rare Candy changed things.
One can now theoretically have Greninja ready as soon as their second turn, which can be incredibly powerful, especially if this happens on turn three overall, as the opponent will be guaranteed to have only basic Pokemon by then, and 20 damage for free is quite powerful. Also, some of the most successful decks in recent tournaments use Greninja alongside a mix of other powerful cards in the game, such asPokemon TCG Pocket’s Giratina Ex, Oricorio, and Snorlax, making for some deadly strategies that are further enhanced by the passive damage Greninja brings to the board.
Darkrai Exrose in popularity in the past precisely because of its passive damage from Nightmare Aura, and while it remains more consistent and immediate than Greninja’s Water Shuriken, it does depend on assigning a Dark Energy to Darkrai Ex. Furthermore, Greninja only needs one Water Energy and one colorless to attack with Mist Splash, which makes it easier to use in hybrid decks, such as with Electric Energy alongside Oricorio.
Normally,meta Pokemon TCG Pocket decksthat use Greninja run two copies of it and Froakie, and then one copy of Frogadier alongside two copies of Rare Candy. Some even forego Frogadier entirely.
Greninja’s Counters in Pokemon TCG Pocket Explained
It’s worth noting that Greninja decks, as consistent and powerful as they are, can still be countered or simply lose to some strategies. Even if it isn’t an Ex card, Oricorio decks can be quite problematic for Greninja due to its Electric weakness, which can be harder to manage if the opponent also uses Magnezone from Space-Time Smackdown, as it can one-shot Greninja. Due to its low HP pool of 120, several meta threats can still one-shot Greninja, such as Giratina Ex or Solgaleo Ex, so it’s not always roses. Yet, when Greninja is played early, especially alongside hard-to-remove Pokemon, it can easily dominate a game and help win it thanks to Water Shuriken andPokemon TCG Pocket’s Cyrus.
