When Pokémon TCG Pocket first launched, the meta quickly became dominated by a select few decks, with one centered around Misty and water-type Pokémon gaining notoriety early on. This deck's potential to overpower opponents early in the game, largely dependent on coin flips, led to widespread frustration among players.
Despite three expansions since its launch, the dominance of Misty decks has not waned. Instead, the latest expansion has introduced a new card that further strengthens these decks, leaving many players feeling disillusioned with the lack of variety in the meta.
The issue with Misty decks isn't necessarily their overwhelming power, but rather the luck-based nature of their strategy. Misty, a Supporter card, allows players to select a water-type Pokémon and flip coins until they land on tails, attaching a water-type energy for each heads flipped. This mechanic can result in anywhere from zero to numerous energy attachments, potentially enabling a first-turn win or powering up strong cards before opponents can respond effectively.
Subsequent expansions have only exacerbated the problem. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, enabling the redistribution of bonus energy among water-types. Space-Time Smackdown added Manaphy, which further increases water energy on the board. These expansions also brought powerful water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, cementing water decks' position at the top of the meta.
The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduces Irida, another Supporter card that can heal 40 damage from each Pokémon with water-type energy attached. This addition allows water decks to stage significant comebacks, leveraging the energy amassed through cards like Misty, Manaphy, and Vaporeon.
Some Pokémon TCG experts suggest that Irida's introduction might be an attempt by developer DeNA to force players to make strategic choices about which Supporters to include in their limited 20-card decks. However, many players have found ways to incorporate both Misty and Irida, maintaining the deck's formidable strength.
With a regularly-scheduled event approaching, where rewards like a gold profile badge are up for grabs for winning five matches in a row, the prevalence of water decks is expected to be even more pronounced. Given the difficulty of achieving such a win streak, especially against decks that can dominate early and recover with cards like Irida, many players are considering joining the water deck trend to compete effectively.
