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The Pokemon TCG remains as popular as ever, and many trainers take the plunge into the competitive space. Doing so requires a top-end deck capable of addressing multiple facets of the game at once and typically having more than a few ways to reach victory. Fortunately, there is no shortage of decks that span different price ranges and approaches to help players in their grind to improve and succeed as competitive TCG players.
Each new expansion set has the potential to shift the competitive Pokemon TCG meta, and some decks lose favor while others see a rise in use and viability. Nonetheless, few decks have persisted for years as consistent tournament point winners, while new cards have allowed certain deck archetypes to flourish.
Since this is the case, it doesn’t hurt to take a look at a tentative tier list of recommended decks for the current competitive meta.
Pokemon TCG tier list ranking best decks for May 2024
S-Tier
When it comes to the Pokemon TCG's best decks over the past few months in tournament point totals, these examples are the top options. They have multiple paths to victory and are flexible enough to deal with any counterplay or disadvantageous situations that may arise.
Granted, many of these decks operate quite differently from each other, and some also require a higher learning curve. Regardless, if Pokemon TCG players are looking for a new competitive deck to use, they can scarcely go wrong with these S-Tier options.
S-Tier decks: Roaring Moon ex, Gardevoir ex, Chien-Pao Baxcalibur, Future Hands (Iron Crown ex + Iron Hands ex), Great Tusk Mill, Charizard ex, Charizard/Pidgeot, Pidgeot ex Control, Snorlax Stall, Arceus/Giratina VSTAR, Lost Zone Giratina, Lugia VSTAR.
A-Tier
Although these decks aren't surefire winners in every Pokemon TCG battle, they do have great chances of victory, albeit not as much as some of their S-Tier counterparts. Regardless, they remain incredibly solid decks that can both deal with counters and rebound from a Prize Card deficit to secure a win.
If fans don't want to reach for an S-Tier deck for a myriad of different reasons, these A-Tier decks can still get the job done quickly and effectively in most circumstances.
A-Tier decks: Ancient Box, Lost Zone Box, Mew Genesect Fusion Strike, Miraidon ex with Flaaffy, Lost Zone Box Paradox, Gouging Fire ex.
B-Tier
Overall, these Pokemon TCG decks haven't quite racked up the tournament points their higher-tier counterparts have. However, they're still seen at official events and can be incredibly fun to play for beginners and veterans alike. They aren't always the best when it comes to beating counterplay or taking over a match, but they can still win when used by an effective player.
These decks may not be at the apex of the meta, but they still have plenty of applications in them and can be great for both competitive and casual play. Furthermore, while they haven't racked up a ton of tournament wins, they do have some competitive points to sport to verify their efficacy.
B-Tier decks: Entei V with Iron Valiant ex, Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR, Gholdengo ex, Arceus VSTAR, Mew Genesect Fusion Strike.
C-Tier
For one reason or another, while these Pokemon TCG decks have accrued a few tournament points, they aren't exactly going to be seen as consistent winners in the Standard format meta. They don't quite hold up to counterplay all that well, and may have fewer methods to achieve a victory among other shortcomings.
Be that as it may, these decks can still be very fun to play and are still capable of winning matches. Who knows? Maybe future sets and expansions can even release cards that can bring these deck types back to prominence with a few adjustments.
C-Tier decks: Arceus/Regigigas VSTAR, Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX, Klawf and Hisuian Electrode, Inteleon VMAX, Lugia Archeops, Hisuian Zoroark VSTAR.
Keep in mind that this tier list for the Pokemon TCG is subjective and is heavily based on recent sanctioned tournament performance. There are still a ton of great decks that are capable of rising up the ranks, but they have yet to accrue many tournament ranking points. If they do, it won't be long before they're considered meta-staples in their own right.
