M Alzamora 
Pokemon TCG Pocket has debuted new set Mega Rising, and competitive players will need to find the best decks quickly if they want to jockey for position in ranked play.
With set B1 out now, Pokemon TCG Pocket has potentially changed the meta forever with mega ex cards. These cards have boosted HP and damage, but one knock-out means game over. Their introduction to the game means that players will have to change their strategy to account for the new card type. Fortunately, there are plenty of new options available.
Mega Rising comes complete with six mega ex cards and a slew of other Pokemon that hold promise competitively. Some decks will be harder than others to build, but there’s no better time to start pulling than today.
Best new decks from Mega Rising
Mega Rising has no shortage of cards to pull from for building the best decks in this latest expansion. The set has 226 unique cards and a number of new mega and ex Pokemon, so players have their pick of front-liners and support cards. With all those options being considered, here are some decks to get started with.
Mega Blaziken ex/Moltres ex
Since the initial trailer release, competitive players have been saying that Mega Blaziken ex would be one of the best cards from the whole set. Mega Blaziken ex deals 120 damage for only two energy and can burn the opposing Pokemon. This burn allows the card to get around the meta-altering Oricorio, who takes no damage from ex Pokemon. It also has 210 HP, allowing it to take a number of hits before fainting.
However, Mega Blaziken ex also has to discard one energy per attack. While not a major drawback, heater cards like Moltres can make this negligible while also having the potential to deal damage. Moltres ex’s one energy move gives up to three fire energy to targeted Pokemon. Players can fill up both of their Mega Blaziken ex cards for unlimited attacks if their coin flips go well.
Another possible heater could be Flareon from Eevee Grove, who deals damage alongside attaching an energy to a benched Pokemon. Yet Moltres ex can take more hits while also building up Mega Blaziken, and the difference in knockout credit between Moltres Ex and Flareon is negligible given that Mega Blaziken ex going down will end the game regardless.
- Torchic x2
- Combusken x2
- Mega Blaziken ex x2
- Moltres ex (Genetic Apex) x2
- Cyrus x2
- Giant Cape x2
- Flame Patch x2
- X Speed x2
- Pokeball x2
- Professor’s Research x2
Mega Altaria ex/Indeedee ex
Mega Altaria ex is another powerhouse from Mega Rising that has potential in the best decks from the Mega Rising set. The card deals a base 40 damage and an extra 30 for every benched Pokemon, totaling as much as 130, for just two energy. It’s also only a stage one card, making it relatively quick to get up and running.
Though not as strong as some other megas or even most of the best ex cards, Indeedee ex may end up becoming a meta-defining card. It deals a base 30 damage and 30 more for every energy attached to the opposing Pokemon. Where Indeedee ex shines, though, is that it can heal 20 damage to the active Pokemon once per turn. With two Indeedee exs on the bench, players could heal up to 40 damage per turn. This is major, especially for mega Pokemon who will immediately lose the game when knocked out.
Because a Mega Altaria ex strategy relies on filling the bench, it’s best to fill the rest of the deck with basic or stage-one Pokemon. Lisia lets the player draw two 50 HP or less Pokemon in a turn for this purpose. Another option is to add the three-card Aegislash line, as it lets psychic and steel Pokemon deal an extra 30 damage.
- Swablu x2
- Mega Altaria ex x2
- Indeedee ex x2
- Jirachi x2
- Carbink x2
- Furfrou x2
- Lisia x2
- Sitrus Berry x2
- Pokeball x2
- Professor’s Research x2
Mega Blaziken ex and Mega Altaria ex decks are far from the only viable options coming out of Mega Rising. If built up quickly with Misty, Mega Gyarados ex could sweep an opponent easily. The new Eevee allows a player to evolve into an evolution on the first turn, and the new Jolteon deals 20 damage to the opponent whenever they attach energy.
Players will want to choose which packs to pull from carefully. Not all cards are available in all three boosters, so the best pack to open may depend on the deck they want to build.
