Building an arsenal of cards for an tournament requires knowledge about the best Pokemon TCG decks of today’s Standard meta.
But for new Pokemon TCG players, having the top-tier decks from the recent Standard rotation is a good way to understand the game’s overall mechanics and how the effects of various cards synergize in a duel.
Whether you’re playing Pokemon TCG competitively or just for the fun of it, being updated about the most powerful card combinations is a mark of a true TCG enthusiast.
Prepare your strategies against this year’s best Pokemon TCG decks!
Editor’s Note (February 2025): Scarlet and Violet sets currently dominates the meta, so we replaced all entries in this article with those that made the Pokemon TCG World Championships last year.
Table of Contents
5 Best Pokemon TCG Decks in 2025
Apart from the Expanded format, most games follow the Standard format as it brings a new level of excitement and unpredictability.
The following are considered as the crème de la crème of the decks that performed well in the Standard meta:
Update: All cards in red text won’t be legal for the 2025 Standard Rotation, effective on April 2025.
1. Regidrago VSTAR
This deck features Regidrago VSTAR as its main offensive tool with the draw engine from Teal Mask Ogerpon ex.
This deck is capable of delivering devastating blows to the opposing Pokemon team as Regidrago VSTAR can perform a wide range of offensive moves, given the condition that the discard pile will contain lots of Dragon-type Pokemon.
Regidrago VSTAR Deck Build:
Pokemon Cards
- 3 Regidrago VSTAR SIT 136
- 3 Regidrago V SIT 135
- 4 Teal Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 25
- 2 Dragapult ex TWM 130
- 1 Mew ex MEW 151
- 1 Squawkabilly ex PAF 75
- 1 Giratina VSTAR LOR 131
- 1 Hisuian Goodra VSTAR LOR 136
- 1 Cleffa OBF 80
- 1 Kyurem SFA 47
Trainer Cards
- x4 Professor’s Research (Professor Sada) SVI 189
- x3 Iono PAL 185
- x2 Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis) PAL 172
- x1 Temple of Sinnoh ASR 155
- x4 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
- x4 Energy Switch SVI 173
- x4 Nest Ball SVI 181
- x4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
- x2 Superior Energy Retrieval PAL 189
- x1 Canceling Cologne ASR 136
- x1 Night Stretcher SFA 61
- x1 Prime Catcher TEF 157
- x1 Switch SVI 194
Energy
- x8 Grass Energy NRG 26
- x2 Fire Energy NRG 27
2. Roaring Moon ex
With its move that can instantly score one to two Prize cards, Roaring Moon ex is a high risk, high reward deck that can easily end games with right timing and use of Trainer cards.
Pokemon Catcher works well with Roaring Moon ex’s Frenzied Gouging by forcing an opponent to lose any main Pokemon that hides in the Benched Spot.
Roaring Moon ex Deck Build:
Pokemon
- x4 Roaring Moon ex PAR 124
- x1 Roaring Moon TEF 109
- x2 Pecharunt ex SFA 39
- x2 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
- x1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
- x1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
Trainer
- x4 Professor Sada’s Vitality PAR 170
- x2 Judge SVI 176
- x1 Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis) PAL 172
- x4 PokéStop PGO 68
- x4 Dark Patch ASR 139
- x4 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
- x4 Nest Ball SVI 181
- x4 Pokémon Catcher SVI 187
- x4 Trekking Shoes ASR 156
- x4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
- x2 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
- x1 Night Stretcher SFA 61
- x1 Pal Pad SVI 182
- x1 Prime Catcher TEF 157
Energy
- x9 Darkness Energy NRG 32
3. Raging Bolt ex
Raging Bolt ex deck draws power from all the Basic Energy cards that you can discard. Thanks to its move Bellowing Thunder, Raging Bolt ex can also score one-hit KOs in the expense of two or three Basic Energy cards.
All discarded energy cards can still be reused for Raging Bolt ex by using Trainer cards like Super Rod and Professor Sada’s Vitality.
Raging Bolt Deck Build:
Pokemon
- x4 Raging Bolt ex TEF 123
- x4 Teal Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 25
- x1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
- x1 Squawkabilly ex PAF 75
- x1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
- x1 Sandy Shocks TEF 98
Trainer
- x4 Professor Sada’s Vitality PAR 170
- x1 Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis) PAL 172
- x1 Iono PAL 185
- x2 PokéStop PGO 68
- x4 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
- x4 Nest Ball SVI 181
- x4 Trekking Shoes ASR 156
- x3 Energy Retrieval SVI 171
- x3 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
- x3 Pokémon Catcher SVI 187
- x2 Bravery Charm PAL 173
- x2 Switch Cart ASR 154
- x1 Pal Pad SVI 182
- x1 Prime Catcher TEF 157
- x1 Super Rod PAL 188
Energy
- x6 Grass Energy NRG 26
- x3 Fighting Energy NRG 31
- x3 Lightning Energy NRG 29
4. Iron Thorns ex
This seemingly harmless deck broke the meta last Pokemon TCG World Championships as it became the winning build of the tournament’s victor, Fernando Cifuentes.
Iron Thorns ex works well in the competitive scene even without the help of other Pokemon cards. Instead, this deck relies on nullifying others meta decks, including those that highlight broken abilities and abuse the discard pile mechanic.
Iron Thorns ex Deck Build:
Pokemon
- 4x Iron Thorns ex TWM 77
Trainer
- x4 Arven OBF 186
- x3 Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis) PAL 172
- x3 Judge SVI 176
- x3 Professor’s Research (Professor Sada) SVI 189
- x2 Colress’s Tenacity SFA 57
- x1 Giovanni’s Charisma MEW 161
- x1 Iono PAL 185
- x1 Penny SVI 183
- x3 Lost City LOR 161
- x4 Crushing Hammer SVI 168
- x4 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
- x4 Pokémon Catcher SVI 187
- x3 Future Booster Energy Capsule TEF 149
- x2 Canceling Cologne ASR 136
- x2 Techno Radar PAR 180
- x1 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
- x1 Energy Loto ASR 140
- x1 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
- x1 Prime Catcher TEF 157
- x1 Technical Machine: Turbo Energize PAR 179
Energy
- x7 Lightning Energy NRG 29
- x4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
5. Miraidon ex + Iron Hands ex
Electric-based decks are typically focused on hard-hitting attacks and quick offensive strategies. If you want to win games in as few turns as possible, check out this Miraidon ex deck build.
Miraidon ex’s ability, Tandem Unit can fill your bench with basic Electric-type Pokemon in no time. Imagine Miraidon ex calling forth Iron Hands ex, Raikou V and Zapdos to score you some knockouts and Prize Cards.
Miraidon ex Deck Build:
Pokemon
- x2 Miraidon ex SVI 81
- x2 Iron Hands ex PAR 70
- x2 Squawkabilly ex PAF 75
- x1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141
- x1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
- x1 Mew ex MEW 151
- x1 Iron Bundle PAR 56
- x1 Lumineon V BRS 40
- x1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
- x1 Raikou V BRS 48
- x1 Zapdos PGO 29
Trainer
- x4 Arven OBF 186
- x3 Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis) PAL 172
- x1 Professor’s Research (Professor Sada) SVI 189
- x1 Town Store OBF 196
- x4 Electric Generator SVI 170
- x4 Nest Ball SVI 181
- x4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
- x2 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
- x2 Switch Cart ASR 154
- x1 Bravery Charm PAL 173
- x1 Prime Catcher TEF 157
- x1 Rescue Board TEF 159
Energy
- x16 Lightning Energy NRG 29
- x2 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
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Conclusion
The decks featured above are some of the most effective and best Pokemon TCG decks that you can prepare to play against or use to grasp victory in every duel.
If you already noticed, most decks have a common theme of using the amazing capabilities of a certain Pokemon card.
You can learn about such a concept as a newbie, but you can also think of new strategies by checking several of the promising Pokemon cards in the latest sets.
Was this list helpful to you? For more Pokemon TCG-related content, check out more of Pokemoncoders’ articles:
- 5 Pokemon Sets With Best Pull Rates
- Pokemon 151 Set: What We Know So Far
- Is Crown Zenith Worth It? – A Definitive Review
