Pokemon TCG Pockets’ Genetic Apex expansion has been out for several weeks, and for many, building a deck capable of crushing opponents still feels like an overwhelming task. However, with a few strategies, you can have a deck fit for competitive matches and any events currently active.
Building competitive decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket doesn’t have to cost money. In fact, if players are using their resources correctly, putting one together will only cost a bit of time. With multiple currencies, events, and battle challenges providing opportunities to open packs, getting a library of cards together can be done in just a few weeks.
Below is our guide for building powerful, meta decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket using the Genetic Apex expansion, and how to use your resources for the best possible pack pulls and card variety.
How to get more cards for free in Pokemon TCG Pocket
The first and most important thing for players to look at when jumping into competitive deck building in Pokemon TCG Pocket is card lists.
There are three card lists in the Genetic Apex expansion, each offering different options for fans. Strong decks often have evolutionary lines or Trainer cards from multiple sets. To ensure you have the best chance of getting the cards you need, try opening the same type of card pack many times in a row. For example, if you are trying to run a Charizard ex/Moltres ex deck, you’ll need to open Charizard card packs to obtain the needed basic, Stage 1, and ex cards.
It might be tempting to jump from set to set. Especially if you are following theories like the bent corners “hack”, or the idea that switching up what you pull from will lead to better pulls or god packs. None of these theorized exploits are real. The best way to get the cards you need to to optimize the number of times you are pulling from the same pool.
How to open more packs
The best way to open more packs in TCG Pocket is to take advantage of everything you can do daily. First, always make sure you are opening the two packs you get daily. If you subscribe to the Premium Pass, you’ll get an extra pack for a total of three.
Below are all the ways to open more packs every day:
- Complete daily log-in bonuses – By completing three of these, you will get four hourglasses for pack opening cooldowns.
- Do all the solo battle challenges – The rewards for these contain dozens of Hourglasses, and they don’t require you to have an overpowered deck. For most of these, even a rental deck will do.
- Battle others frequently, even if you lose – Don’t be afraid to jump into the ring with other players. Even if you lose, you will likely be sent a Shop Ticket for every battle. These can be used to buy Hourglasses from the shop.
- Participate in all events – Events have rewards that contain Hourglasses, and the requirements aren’t usually unreasonable.
- Level Up – By doing all the daily tasks and battles you can in Pokemon TCG Pocket, you will level up rapidly. Every level grants rewards, including 12 hourglasses, or a full pack cooldown.
How to get strong cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket
The best way to get the strongest cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket is by opening packs. While there is no way to guarantee a “good” pull while cracking boosters, there are some ways to put the odds in your favor.
- Open packs with the desired rare cards repeatedly. Don’t skip between packs
- Focus on cards that are strong, but aren’t as rare as alt arts or immersive rares
- Use the Wonder Pick whenever you see a card you need as an option
When building a deck, the first thing to do is erase the idea of pulling cards from your mind. If you are fixated on getting rare cards, you might miss out on opportunities to build a strong deck with more common cards.
For example, Genetic Apex’s Greninja is a very powerful option for a water deck, while Zebstika is great for an early eclectic deck. By putting these less-rare cards in your sight, you can build a solid B-tier deck and then add rares like ex cards when they do get pulled later down the road.
It’s easy to get hung up on wanting to crack open a pack full of holo cards, but the reality is that a lot of those “rare” cards aren’t particularly good for deck building, and those that are could take a while to get. If you start looking for strategies in what you do have on hand, you might be surprised by what you can put together.
How to buy cards you need in Pokemon TCG Pocket
There are two ways to buy cards while playing Pokemon TCG Pocket from the main shop and using Pack Points.
In the shop, tickets can be exchanged for Trainer and Supporter cards. When you are first starting out, we highly recommend you buy two of each of everything in the shop. Decks will reuse your cards, so you only need two of each, and then you will have them as core foundations for strong deck building.
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Pack Points are much trickier. For every pack you open, you will get 5 Pack Points. One diamond rares cost 35 Pack Points, two diamond rares cost 70 Pack Points, three diamond rares cost 150 Pack Points, and anything above that will cost 400 Pack Points or more. Illustration rares cost 1,250 while immersive cards cost 1,500. The most expensive are gold rares at 2,500 Pack Points.
Because of this, just getting a Venusuar ex at 500 Pack Points will require players to open 100 Genetic Apex card packs. If you are only opening two packs a day, that would be 50 days of grinding for a card that isn’t hard to pull while opening packs.
Because of this, we recommend using Pack Points to get the one through three diamond rares needed for deck building. This includes basics like Charmander or Bulbasaur, and key energy accelerators like Gardevoir.
This is because pulling multiples of these less-rare cards can still be difficult, but they are essential for deck running. For example, you might be like me and get lucky pulling the illustration rare Charizard ex early in the expansion, but then not be able to use it in decks due to having no Charmanders.
Or you may have Zapdos ex, and then only have Eevee to stick alongside it in a deck. This is when picking up a few Blitzle and Zebstrika can be a game-changer.
Build off what you already have
While we all have dream decks, the biggest tip we can give for building a strong, competitive deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is to work with cards you’ve already pulled.
If you have a Zapdos ex or two and no Charizard ex, don’t try and build a Charizard ex deck. If you have Gardevoir and Gengar ex, don’t hold out for Mewtwo ex.
For example, my first deck was a mixture of Zapdos ex and Zebstrika. It was a solid A-tier deck that won more than half of the matches. While I was using that, I acquired enough cards from packs opened via hourglasses to build my first Charizard ex deck. However, I didn’t have Moltres ex for the Energy acceleration, so I leaned hard on a standard Moltres card and Arcanine ex to carry through battles.
When I finally pulled my first Moltres ex card, I swapped it in and now I have a very powerful deck, but I didn’t wait until I had all the cards to build it. Improvise and use strategies in the cards you have. Waiting for the perfect deck will cause you to miss out on events, and potentially end up chasing “perfect” meta decks that are constantly changing.
Test your decks-in-progress against friends
If you are nervous about taking your new strategy up against someone online with a Mewtwo ex deck, test your new deck changes against players you know before jumping into event PvP matches.
This is a great way to get feedback on your deck, make changes quickly, and workshop what may or may not work. Additionally, you can test your deck in solo mode, though playing against a computer may not offer the same feedback as a battle against another trainer.
The most important takeaway when building a powerful deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is to stay flexible. What is popular now will change with the next expansion, and strategies at the top of the meta now will get flipped when trainers discover something new and implement it. Combine what works already with cards you enjoy, and what what cool combinations you can cook up.
