Summary
- Gyarados ex has the highest win rate but has a major flaw – it evolves from a Magikarp with 30 HP.
- Players use various Pokemon like Hitmonlee, Zebstrika, and Lumineon to counter Magikarp.
- Greninja is less effective but has utility; next expansion may change the game dynamics.
The release of Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket’s Mythical Island expansion had a huge impact on the game’s meta. While a deck that included Celebi ex and Serperior drew the most attention (and got the most play), there was another deck that rose to the top.
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A deck revolving around Gyarados ex and Greninja was found to have an almost 60 percent win rate, quickly becoming the most difficult deck in the game to beat.
Following its new-found glory, players on the Pokemon TCG Pocket subreddit have found the best way to deal with the Gyarados ex deck quickly.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket’s Gyarados ex Decks Have One Flaw
Evidently, Gyarados ex decks are excellent—they now have the highest win rate of any deck in the game—but they’re not impervious, and they have one major flaw: Magikarp.
There are two Magikarp cards in Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, one from Genetic Apex and one from Mythical Island; both only have 30 HP. This makes them ripe for the picking.
If the opposition has no benched Pokemon and Magikarp in the active spot, basically every Pokemon is a counter to it. However, if Magikarp is on the bench, players are using a variety of different Pokemon to snipe them.
Across multiple different threads on the game’s subreddit, players have shared they are using Hitmonlee’s Stretch Kick, Zebstrika’s or Electabuzz’s Thunder Spear, Lumineon’s Aqua Liner, and Greninja’s Water Shuriken to quickly dispose of Magikarp before they can be evolved into Gyarados.
Of the above, Pokemon Hitmonlee is the most effective, being a basic Pokemon that only needs a single energy to attack, but all are very effective. Greninja is probably the least effective, needing two evolutions first and only dealing 20 damage, but probably has greater utility in more decks.
With Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket’s next expansion due for launch at the end of January, it will be interesting to see if Gyarados continues its dominance.
Experience the fun of collecting Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) cards with Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, an upcoming game for iOS and Android devices from Creatures Inc., the original developers of the Pokémon TCG, and DeNA Co., Ltd.
In this game, you will be able to open two booster packs every day at no cost. You can collect digital cards featuring nostalgic artwork from the past as well as brand-new cards that are exclusive to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.
Be on the lookout for new “immersive cards,” which will make you feel as though you’ve leapt into the world of the card’s illustration.