Best 5 Pokemon decks for online TGC meta and tournaments

The rotation rule for 2021 Pokemon Decks TGC series season.

A rotation in the Pokémon Trading Card Game is when several sets are removed from Pokemon TGC events (also online) sanctioned events, generally because they are too old and would not be compatible with newer sets or rules. In fact, at the beginning of every Championship Series season, Pokémon Organized Play removes older expansions from competition in the Standard format, with the goal of maintaining a healthy competitive environment. Rotations usually follows the World Championships and remove four or more sets. If a set is rotated, a player may no longer use any card from that set in their deck.

Events taking place after August 28, 2020 will use the 2021 season Standard Format. pokemon best decks online tgc pikachu

Which are the cards allowed for Stardard format Pokemon TGC tournaments?

The Standard format for the 2021 season will consist of the following expansions:

  • Sun & Moon—Team Up and any expansions released afterward
  • Black Star Promo cards numbered SM158 and up and SWSH001 and up
  • Are also legal:
    • Hidden Fates (excluding all cards from the Shiny Vault subset other than Lycanroc-GX SV67/SV94)
    • Pokémon TCG: Detective Pikachu
    • Cards from McDonald’s Collections will be legal in the Standard format only if they’re functionally identical to a card that is currently legal in the Standard format. New expansions become legal for tournament play on two weeks after they are released.

The regulation mark in Pokemon TGC Meta rules.

All cards from the Sword & Shield Series have a letter in the bottom-left corner called a regulation mark. In the future, this mark will determine which cards are allowed in tournament play. For the 2021 season, all cards with the “D” regulation mark are legal to use in tournaments. New cards with this regulation mark still must follow the appropriate waiting period to become legal in tournaments.

Which cards are allowed in the extended format in Pokemon TGC tournaments in 2021?

The Expanded format remains unchanged for the 2021 season.  The Expanded format for the 2021 season allows cards from the following expansions:

  • Black & White and any expansions released afterward
  • Black Star Promo cards numbered BW01 and up, XY01 and up, SM01 and up, and SWSH001 and up
  • Are also legal:
    • Generations
    • Double Crisis
    • Dragon Vault
    • Shining Legends
    • Dragon Majesty
    • Hidden Fates
    • Pokémon TCG: Detective Pikachu
    • Black & White Trainer Kit and any Trainer Kits released afterward
    • McDonald’s Collection 2011 and later

mew 3 top tgc pokemon deck

Do you know which are the rarest shiny Pokemon cards in TGC? Let’s find them in the article

 5 BEST POKEMON TGC META DECKS FOR 2021

1. Pikachu & Zekrom-GX (Straight Pikachu & Zekrom Tag Team). Price: $99.93

One of the most recent deck on this list, and certainly the most powerful in terms of solely damage output, the Pikachu and Zekrom deck is fast, powerful, and incredibly difficult to take down. Pikachu & Zekrom-GX deck is only evolving further. Pokemon TCG Online hasn’t made a lot of viable additions to the Electric metagame for quite some time now, instead adding incredible support Pokemon like Boltund V that only make PikaRom stronger.

How to use Pikachu & Zekrom-GX decks in Pokemon TGC online tournaments.

Use Boltund V’s Electrify attack, Tapu Koko {*}’s Dance of the Ancients ability, and Energy Switch to take advantage of Pikachu & Zekrom-GX’s Full Blitz, using its energy acceleration to power-up a benched attackers. As advantageous, attack using Pikachu & Zekrom-GX’s Tag Bolt GX, Boltund V’s Bolt Storm, or Raichu & Alolan Raichu-GX’s attacks, selecting knockouts using Boss’s Orders.

pokemon-online-tgc-pikachu-zekrom meta decks

2. Zacian ADP Deck. Price: $87.25

The main advantage of this deck is how well ADP’s Steel Energy requirement goes with Zacian V. ADP is weak against Fairy Types, a type that was discontinued earlier this year. The Altered Creation GX is an absolutely broken attack, since it gives all of your Pokemon +30 damage for the rest of the game. As if that wasn’t enough, you also take +1 Prize card every time you get a knockout. Let’s consider a variant of Zacian deck.

zacian-v-adp-pokemon-cards-deck-tgc-online

3. Lucario & Melmetal-GX / Zacian V. Price: $54.53

When possible and for key match-ups, setup Lucario & Melmetal-GX to use its Full Metal Wall attack. Use Full Metal Wall-GX in combination with Metal Goggles to sponge a lot of damage from opposing Pokémon’s attacks. As necessary, wall underprepared VMAX archetypes with Zamazenta V’s Dauntless Shield ability and heal off acquired damage using Mallow & Lana. Attack using Zacian V’s Brave Blade to take knockouts.

How to use Lucario & Melmetal-GX deck in Pokemon TGC tournaments.

We recommend using this combination of Energy cards just for Tournaments. Coating Energy negates your fire-Type weakness and will protect you from all the Centiskorch VMAX and Blacephalon decks going around in Tournaments. On the Versus ladder, you can go for 13 basic Metal Energy cards for better efficiency with Metal Saucer. The only downside is that you’ll pretty much have to forfeit against Fire decks.

zacian-v-lucario-best-pokemon-online-tgc-card

How to use Lucario & Melmetal-GX deck in Pokemon TGC online.

The deck is pretty straightforward, and you’re either attacking with Zacian V, or stacking Energy onto your LucMetal. The 150-damage attack isn’t much, but the card is great for its GX attack and for dealing damage when your Zacian V is on a cooldown. Zamazenta V is the least-used card in most Pokemon TCG matches, but when it shines, it’s the only card you wish you had. Zamazenta is completely immune to attacks from VMAX Pokemon, which negates some big competitive decks such as Centiskorch VMAX, Eternatus VMAX, and Coalossal VMAX.

4. Mewtwo & Mew-GX (Straight Mewtwo & Mew Tag Team). Price: $191.89

One of the most versatile deck in the game. You can pair any Type with this Pokemon, but “Welder Mewtwo” (Fire), “Blastoise Mewtwo” (Water), and Psychic Mewtwo are the most consistent variations. Lots of attacks to pick from, and super-fun to use.

How to use Mewtwo & Mew-GX in Pokemon TGC online.

Every Mewtwo & Mew-GX deck in Pokemon TCG Online works the same. You have a bunch of other Pokemon in the deck that you discard as soon as you can, and then you use the ability to use any of their attacks whenever you want. In particular, the ability is “Perfection”: ‘This Pokémon can use the attacks of any Pokémon-GX or Pokémon-EX on your Bench or in your discard pile’.

mew-mewtwo pokemon online deck 2021

5. Blacephalon. Price: $76.78

Setup Blacephalon by getting loading it up with Fire Energy. Use Blazer when necessary to help setup knockouts and, when possible, take a few lucky early knockouts against opposing Jirachi. Use Fireball Circus to take bigger knockouts, flooding your hand with Fire Energy cards via Giant Hearth and Fire Crystal. Get energy onto your Blacephalon using Welder and attack your opponent’s Active Pokémon. Blacephalon is hands down the best 1-Prizer in Standard, and with all the support Fire types have right now in Pokemon TCG Online, its damage potential is on-par with any VMAX deck.

Why Blacephalon is a good deck for Pokemon online meta?

Blacephalon has consistently done well in both online and offline Tournaments. It’s especially strong with Zacian V being everywhere, but it does well against other V and VMAX cards too. It’s also not on the cheaper side if you’re building it in the online game.

The damage potential is huge with this deck. The only thing you need to be careful with is doing the math properly. Blacephalon does 50 damage for each Fire Energy you discard from your hand, and you have to count extra HP for all the decks using Buff Padding, Heat Energy, or Metal Goggles.

straight-blacephalon-pokemon-deck-online-tgc

Other references fo Pokemon online TGC info and news:

  • https://www.justinbasil.com
  • https://limitlesstcg.com
  • https://squadstate.com