Summary
Pokemon TCG Pocket’s sixth expansion, Celestial Guardians, quickly shook up the metagame. Soon after its release, the once-dominant DarkTina duo from the previous set saw a sharp decline in usage, while new contenders like the Solgaleo ex & Skarmory combo surged to the top of the PvP charts. Unexpected picks like Oricorio, a tiny, yellow, bird-like Pokemon, also emerged, proving to be one of the most reliable stall options against the game’s strongest ex cards. In short, Celestial Guardians deserves to be recognized as one of the most impactful expansionsPokemon TCG Pockethas seen so far.
Among all the new and emerging decks in the Celestial Guardians era, the following stand out as the most promising. These lineups boast high win rates and notable meta shares and are being used by pro players in competitive tournaments.
The estimated meta share and win rate for each deck are based onrecentPokemon TCG Pockettournaments tracked by LimitlessTCG. These numbers may vary by the time you read this, as the meta is constantly evolving.
While decks like Giratina ex and Snorlax are popular in the current meta, they’ve been excluded from this list as they primarily consist of cards from older expansions.
One of the unexpectedrising stars inPokemon TCG Pocket’s Celestial Guardians erais the oddball fury crab, Crabominable. On its own, this crustacean might struggle against the meta’s top-tier lineups—but when paired with its Water-type ally, Greninja, it becomes a serious threat to nearly any deck.
The combo works in a simple but effective way: the player aims to evolve Crabominable in the Active Spot as early as possible. Meanwhile, on the Bench, they usePokemon TCG Pocket’s new Item Card, Rare Candy, to quickly evolve Greninja and set up sniping plays early. With two Greninjas and one Crabominable working together, the trio can dish out 120 to 140 damage, which is enough to bring down most of the game’s notorious Pokemon.
Crabominable ex and Greninja also benefit from strong synergy with Irida, which has played a key role in their success. Since both Pokemon rely on Water-type Energy, Irida can grant a board-wide HP boost by healing up to 40 damage from each, making the duo noticeably more durable.
Pokemon TCG Pocket’s latest Grass-type stars, Decidueye ex and Meowscarada, have formed a highly tactical duo. Meowscarada targets opposing ex Pokemon with a solid 130 damage to disrupt power plays, while Decidueye ex acts as the deck’s main sniper, picking off weaker Pokemon hiding on the Bench.
The Decidueye ex & Meowscarada combo gives players two high-damage attackers across separate evolution lines. The advantage is that Meowscarada, the deck’s main frontline Pokemon, is a non-ex card, making it a safer option to lead with. The risk is further reduced thanks to the Leaf Cape, a new Grass-exclusivePokemon Toolthat boosts the HP of the lineup’s attackers by 30.
Recent data fromPokemon TCG Pocket’s tournaments shows that the Grass-type deck has surpassed the previous expansion’s top performer, Darkrai ex & Giratina ex (DarkTina). However, the duo has faced challenges against the rising Fire-type variants, particularly the new Charizard ex & Incineroar ex setups.
Theaddition of Rare Candy toPokemon TCG Pockethas boosted the performance of Stage Two-focused decks, particularly those with one-Energy attacks. Charizard ex & Incineroar ex is a prime example. The deck features two Stage Two Pokemon, each with a primary attack that requires only a single Fire-type Energy.
When Rare Candy is used to accelerate Charizard ex or Incineroar ex’s evolutions, they become formidable early-game threats. Charizard ex can quickly charge itself to deliver a massive 150 damage, while Incineroar ex applies the disruptive Burned Special Condition, easily taking out the enemy’s early-stage Pokemon.
The duo of Charizard ex and Incineroar ex is a high-risk, high-reward setup. By playing two ex Pokemon, the player takes on a significant risk. However, both attackers are durable enough to give the player a chance to finish the game early, which can lead to a sweet reward. Additionally, the new Supporter card, Lillie, offers a substantial HP boost for the team, helping mitigate the risk of having both Charizard ex and Incineroar ex in play at the same time.
Currently holding one of the largest shares of the metagame, the Solgaleo ex & Skarmory combo is the most popular deck in the Celestial Guardians era. Its success is largely due to versatility, a result of Solgaleo ex’s ability. With the Rising Road move, this Legendary Pokemon can swap into the Active Spot regardless of the retreat cost of the current active card.
TheSolgaleo ex & Skarmory metais straightforward: ideally, the player starts with Skarmory and boosts its attack using a Pokemon Tool—typically a Rocky Helmet. This setup lets them counter the opponent’s early damage dealers, especially any potential Oricorio plays. Meanwhile, they use Rare Candy to evolve Solgaleo ex on the Bench, which requires just two Energies. Once ready, they utilize Solgaleo ex’s ability to bring it into the Active Spot and begin dealing 120 to 140 damage.
Thanks to Skarmory, the deck is also regarded as one ofthe best counters to Oricorio inPokemon TCG Pocket. However, it has struggled against the previous expansion’s champion, DarkTina. And this could become problematic if the Darkness-Psychic duo doesn’t eventually fade from the meta.
Some call it a toxic deck, while others consider it one of thebest anti-meta decks inPokemon TCG Pocket. Regardless of the label, the Magnezone and Oricorio duo has one of the highest win rates in the current metagame against dominant lineups, making it a top-tier option for PvP.
Magnezone enjoyed its time at the top of the meta with the support of Darkrai ex, but it faded when the Psychic-type powerhouse, Giratina ex, took its place in the Shining Revelry era. Now, with Oricorio’s new Lightning-type addition to the game, Magnezone is getting a second chance to become a top-tier Pokemon.
Oricorio has proven to be one of the best stallers, and its synergy with Magnezone has been especially rewarding. Given that much of the meta revolves around ex Pokemon and that Rare Candy encourages early ex card plays, Oricorio can effectively become an indestructible wall. Magnezone benefits from this setup, as it can quickly charge itself in its Magneton form and begin dealing 110 to 130.
Of course, the duo isn’t without its weaknesses and currently fearsRampardos and Lucario decks. It’s also relatively fragile against the Giratina ex & Snorlax combo, though this combination hasn’t yet become common in the meta. Regardless, the Magnezone & Oricorio duo remains one of the most promising decks of the new expansion due to its effectiveness against most other lineups.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the fun of collecting Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) cards with Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, an upcoming game for iOS and Android devices from Creatures Inc., the original developers of the Pokémon TCG, and DeNA Co., Ltd. In this game, you will be able to open two booster packs every day at no cost. You can collect digital cards featuring nostalgic artwork from the past as well as brand-new cards that are exclusive to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.Be on the lookout for new “immersive cards,” which will make you feel as though you’ve leapt into the world of the card’s illustration.
