As the Mythical Island format nears its end with A2 releasing on January 29, we asked top Pokémon TCG Pocket players and content creators for the final tier list review of this format.
Panelists
SantyMCGoob
World’s Most TCG Pocket Tournament Wins (11)! All runs streamed on Twitch, with public VODS!
Krohnos
I'm just a guy who sometimes streams and plays Pokémon
Nuggie D
Just a Regular Pokemon Gacha Guy
spragels
The Content Cowboy
Mythical Island format - January - Top players Tier list
Top tiers
We are at the endgame of the season now where the meta decks are truly well established. Mewtwo EX has proved to be dominant from start to finish. With cards introduced like Mythical Slab and Leaf, Mewtwo's overpowering presence has not waivered.
- Nuggie D
Mewtwo ex has a favorable matchup against anything meta, except Gyarados. With Slab, it is the most consistent deck containing stage 2 Pokemon. As long as Psydrive 1HKO’s most of the meta, Mewtwo will stay on top.
- SantyMCGoob
Gyarados ex came in and really changed the dynamic of the game with an insanely powerful Pokémon that didn’t need to dig through the deck to find its stage two. You pair that with the amazing Druddigon wall and now everything is looking to counter this new meta deck.
- spragels
Gyarados ex hits hard and is extremely tanky - 140 damage and 180 hp on a Stage 1. When I first read the card I was unimpressed but changed my mind in just a few hours. The addition of Druddigon, Leaf, and Vaporeon make it much more playable than it initially seems. This version of the deck plays Druddigon and Greninja to hide and stall while you build up your Gyarados, and unfortunately it's where Gyarados is the strongest. I loathe how Druddigon has made attacking feel so bad, especially when you hit for less than 100. Even if you KO Druddigon, your attacker will always have taken enough damage for Gyarados and Greninja to finish it off.
- Krohnos
Gyarados ex dominates every matchup without a bench sniper. It doesn’t even need Misty to find success, as Druddigon buys the time you need to set up. Plus, Greninja is good enough to handle certain matchups by itself. If you aren’t playing against a Pikachu, Gyarados is your best bet by far.
- SantyMCGoob
Sometimes Pikachu ex attacks for 90 on turns 2, 3, and 4, and you just lose the game. Pikachu is the most consistent deck and also has huge variation in how it can be built. The most popular version right now plays Zebstrika and Mythical Island's Electabuzz in order to snipe Magikarp and get around the Druddigon menace.
- Krohnos
Without many evolution cards, Pikachu ex has always had the most consistent draw of all meta decks. Outside of Gyarados though, Pikachu doesn’t dominate anything right now. Victory typically comes with slow starts from your opponent, or excellent energy placements throughout the match. This deck is hard to master, with many tough energy management decisions.
- SantyMCGoob
High tiers
Celebi EX has been such a difficult one to place as we are in the end game of the season. This is due to its unreliability to do consistent damage based on a coin flip. However, we've seen Celebi decks making top cut in tournaments now due to the fact that it's used more as a hail mary finisher rather than a dominant frontline. This role is reserved for such units that pairs well with Celebi like Exeggutor EX. With the introduction of Leaf and Serperior, Exeggutor's high HP and decent damage can stall long enough for Celebi to go online with of course Serperior as its bench support. Definitely one of the more fun decks to come out of the expansion.
- Nuggie D
Exeggutor stocks are rising and it's not because of Serperior. It is one of the few cards that make you feel rewarded for going first, hitting for a consistent 40 and sometimes landing a hit for 80 before your opponent can evolve. Celebi ex makes for an excellent partner to dump your extra energy into and Leaf makes retreating not an issue.
- Krohnos
Arcanine ex actually matches up great with anything but Gyarados. It can play fast, with early 120 damage attacks. It can also play slow, with Mew or Charizard securing points late game. However, success here comes down to the coin, and the draw, more than most other meta decks.
- SantyMCGoob
Charizard EX did suffer a wee bit due to Mew's presence in the meta but it has proven to still be the heaviest hitter in the game if well built. Moltres EX continues to be the catalyst to keep this deck in the high tier with a new addition of Volcarona. It can pick off any weaker benched pokemon with a nifty 80 damage while Charizard can essentially take care of the frontline.
- Nuggie D
Middle tiers
With a bench sniper and type advantage, Fighting based decks have two excellent matchups in this meta. Pikachu and Gyarados both have a terrible chance against this one. The deck is helpless against Mewtwo though, and you’ll have to face one of them eventually.
- SantyMCGoob
Aerodactyl EX is definitely a well deserved addition into the game pairing extremely well with Primeape, Marshadow and Hitmonlee. Probably one of the best early game decks out there to be aggressive at the start and shutdown late game characters like Gyarados and Pikachu decks. Aerodactyl EX doesnt neccessarily have to be in the active bench as it serves as a decent tank and evolution blocker to the opponent's active. The only downside to this deck is that it can run out of steam after the mid game phase where your opponent has a Gyarados half built, or Pikachu ready to go. Mewtwo also counters this deck heavily due to Primeape and Marshadow being at a type disadvantage. Apart from that, this deck is definitely consistent and deserves it's spot in the mid tier list for the end of the season.
- Nuggie D
Aerodactyl ex is one of the more aggressive cards to come out of Mythical Island. Combined with low-cost attackers like Primeape, Marshadow, and Hitmonlee, the deck puts the pressure on fast.
- Krohnos
Promising decks
There are so many ways to Greninja! With effective basic pokemon in this meta, it’s never been easier to put Greninja into your deck. We have a wall like Druddigon, and matchup specific damage dealers such as Mew, Marshadow, or Tauros. With the right combination of these around Greninja, you can find yourself favored against many meta decks.
- SantyMCGoob
Golem is great once set up, only risking one point per K.O. However, the deck doesn’t have many options outside of Golem. Without the right draw, the deck is hopeless against anything
- SantyMCGoob
Koga is one of the only decks that has the ability to shutdown Mewtwo decks hard but struggles to hold its own against other typings. HOWEVER, I'm leaving this in the promising deck because we have yet to see a dark type EX introduced into Pocket.
- Nuggie D
Blaine decks can play fast with the right draw, but it isn’t as consistent as the other fast decks in this meta. Pikachu, and quick fighting decks, are more consistent. They also provide the bench sniping required to handle Gyarados.
- SantyMCGoob
Venusaur ex is the biggest sleeper deck in my opinion. Venusaur is very capable of sweeping all the top decks in this meta. With enough healing trainers, you can force a Gyarados or Mewtwo to attack 3 times before getting that K.O. Pairing Venu with the right wall can lead to success against any meta deck.
- SantyMCGoob
Thanks to them for their rating!