When Pokémon TCG Pocket first launched, the meta quickly became dominated by a select few decks. One of the most notorious was the Misty deck, centered around water-type Pokémon, which gained infamy due to its early game dominance hinging on favorable coin flips. This deck's strategy revolves around Misty, a Supporter card that allows players to flip coins until they land on tails, attaching a water-type energy to a chosen water-type Pokémon for each heads flipped. This mechanic can lead to highly variable outcomes, from no energy attached to a game-changing amount, potentially enabling a first-turn win.
Despite the release of three expansions, the Misty deck has not only persisted but has been further empowered. The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduced Irida, another Supporter card that can heal 40 damage from each Pokémon with water-type energy attached. This addition has only exacerbated the frustration among players, as water decks continue to dominate the meta. Previous expansions like Mythical Island and Space-Time Smackdown introduced cards like Vaporeon and Manaphy, which synergize well with Misty's energy attachment ability, allowing for greater flexibility and power within water-type decks.
Players have voiced their concerns and frustrations on forums like PTCGP, questioning the design decisions behind these cards. Some speculate that the inclusion of Irida might be an attempt by the developers, DeNA, to force players to make strategic choices about which Supporter cards to include in their limited 20-card decks. However, savvy deck builders have found ways to incorporate both Misty and Irida, maintaining the deck's strength.
With an upcoming event in Pokémon TCG Pocket where players can earn rewards for consecutive wins, the prevalence of water decks is expected to be even more pronounced. Achieving a gold profile badge by winning five matches in a row is challenging, especially against well-tuned water decks that can leverage their early game advantage and recovery capabilities. As a result, many players are considering whether to join the water deck bandwagon or find innovative ways to counter this dominant archetype.
