Pokemon TCG Pocket's Triumphant Light Expansion Just Gave Water Decks Another Powerful Card, and Everyone's a Little Over It

When Pokemon TCG Pocket first launched, the meta quickly became dominated by a small number of powerful decks. One of the most notorious was centered around Misty and water-type Pokemon, which gained a reputation for its potential to overpower opponents early on, largely dependent on the outcome of coin flips. This luck-based strategy led to frustration among players who felt cheated when losing to such unpredictable tactics.

Misty, as a Supporter card, allows players to select a water-type Pokemon and flip coins until they land on tails. For each heads flipped, a water-type energy is attached to the chosen Pokemon. This mechanic can result in anywhere from zero to numerous energy attachments, making the outcome highly variable. A successful flip sequence could enable a player to win on the first turn, or at least bring powerful cards into play much earlier than their opponent can counter.

Despite the release of three expansions since the game's launch, the dominance of Misty decks has not waned. Instead, each expansion has introduced cards that further bolster the strength of these water-type strategies. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, which can redistribute the bonus energy among water-type Pokemon. Space-Time Smackdown added Manaphy, which increases the amount of water energy on the board. Both expansions also brought in formidable water-type Pokemon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, ensuring water decks remained at the top of the meta.

The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, has introduced yet another card that enhances Misty decks: Irida. As a Supporter card, Irida can heal 40 damage from each Pokemon with water-type energy attached, allowing water decks to stage significant comebacks. This addition has shifted the balance, traditionally favoring grass-type decks for healing, and has further solidified the dominance of water-type strategies.

Some Pokemon TCG experts suggest that the introduction of Irida might be an attempt by developer DeNA to force players to make strategic choices about which Supporter cards to include in their limited 20-card decks. However, many players have found ways to incorporate both Misty and Irida, maintaining the strength of their water decks.

With a major event on the horizon, where players can earn rewards for winning consecutive matches, the prevalence of water decks is expected to be even more pronounced. Achieving a five-match win streak to earn the coveted gold profile badge is challenging, especially against decks that can leverage early game advantages and recover from setbacks with cards like Irida. As a result, many players are considering adopting water decks themselves to stay competitive in the current meta.