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

When Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket first launched, the metagame was swiftly dominated by a select few decks. Among these, one centered around Misty and water-type Pokémon became particularly reviled early on due to its reliance on coin flips to overwhelm opponents almost instantly. While some might argue that Misty decks aren’t inherently the strongest in the game, their luck-based mechanics often leave defeated players feeling frustrated and powerless.

Fast forward three expansions, and one would expect other strategies to have risen to challenge or counteract Misty’s dominance. Instead, the newest expansion has introduced a card that makes water decks even more oppressive than before, leaving many players feeling exasperated.

Variety would be nice
byu/Mizter_Man inPTCGP

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }To provide context, it’s not that Misty decks lack power—they’re certainly formidable. However, the randomness inherent in Misty’s design—where flipping heads determines how much water energy gets attached—can lead to wildly inconsistent outcomes. A single flip could render the card useless, tying up valuable deck slots and actions. Alternatively, it could empower a player to dominate the board within the first turn, rendering the opponent’s strategy irrelevant before they even draw their second card. More commonly, it grants enough energy to unleash high-powered attacks prematurely, giving water decks an unfair advantage.

Seriously, why did they introduce this?
byu/EfficientTrainer3206 inPTCGP

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }What compounds the issue is how subsequent expansions have bolstered Misty’s capabilities. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, whose ability allows players to redistribute water energy across their team. Then came Space-Time Smackdown, adding Manaphy, which generates additional water energy. These expansions also brought forth potent water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, which thrive under the abundance of energy. Consequently, water decks have maintained their stronghold at the top of the metagame for multiple expansions running.

DeNa, What Are You Thinking?
byu/HolographicHeart inPTCGP

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }Adding insult to injury, the latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduces yet another card that amplifies water decks’ prowess: Irida. As a Supporter card, Irida allows players to heal 40 damage from each Pokémon carrying water energy. Traditionally, healing has been the domain of grass-type decks, but Irida shifts this dynamic, enabling water decks to stage dramatic comebacks as long as they accumulate sufficient energy—a feat made easier thanks to Misty, Manaphy, and Vaporeon.

Experts suggest a plausible rationale behind Irida: with a 20-card limit per deck, adding a card like Irida necessitates removing another. Given the wealth of strong options available to water decks, players must carefully evaluate whether replacing Misty with Irida is worthwhile. Some speculate that DeNA intended to force players into making tough choices about their deck composition. Nevertheless, skilled deckbuilders have successfully integrated both cards into their builds.

Three days until the event… what will you play?
byu/INDlGO inPTCGP

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }With the upcoming event on the horizon—offering rewards for consecutive wins in the game’s competitive online mode—the stakes are higher than ever. Winning five matches in a row to earn the coveted gold profile badge is notoriously challenging, especially against water decks that can decimate opponents within the first few turns if their coin flips align favorably. Even if the flips go awry, Irida provides a safety net, ensuring resilience.

Expect water decks to dominate throughout the event and beyond. At this point, it might be prudent to consider playing one yourself if you haven’t already.