New Water-Type Pokemon Card Sparks TCG Controversy

Pokémon TCG Pocket's initial meta was quickly dominated by a few powerful decks, most notably those centered around Misty and water-type Pokémon. The inherent luck-based nature of Misty's ability, which allows for wildly variable energy attachment based on coin flips, made these decks frustrating to play against. A lucky Misty could lead to overwhelming early game dominance, while an unlucky one resulted in a wasted turn.

Despite the introduction of three new expansions, Misty decks haven't been dethroned. Instead, new cards have consistently amplified their power. Mythical Island's Vaporeon provided energy manipulation, while Space-Time Smackdown's Manaphy added even more energy to the equation. Powerful water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex further solidified the deck's dominance.

Triumphant Light's addition of Irida, a Supporter card that heals water-type Pokémon, has pushed Misty decks to new heights. Previously, grass-type decks were the healing specialists, but Irida allows water decks to recover from setbacks, especially with the energy abundance facilitated by Misty, Manaphy, and Vaporeon.

While some TCG experts suggest Irida was intended to diversify the meta by forcing players to choose between Misty and Irida in their limited 20-card decks, many players have successfully integrated both cards, resulting in even stronger water-type strategies.

Pokémon TCG Pocket's upcoming event, featuring rewards for win streaks in online competitive play, will likely see a surge in Misty decks. The difficulty of achieving a five-match win streak, especially against potentially overwhelmingly powerful early-game strategies, makes adopting a successful water-type deck a strategic choice for many players. The prevalence of these decks suggests that, for the foreseeable future, mastering or utilizing a water-type strategy might be the key to success in Pokémon TCG Pocket.