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With all the new meta-defining cards inPokemon TCG Pocket’s latest minister, there isn’t much room for budget options like Tyranitar to shine. However, the new “Link Ability” might give Tyranitar a chance to compete for a spot in the meta.
Since Fighting-type Pokemon have an advantage againstTCG Pocket’s top card, Arceus ex, Tyranitar could be worth considering. With that in mind, here’s a deck that leverages Tyranitar’s potential.
Link Abilities are unique powers that unlock when a condition is met. In the case of Tyranitar, it does +30 damage when Arceus or Arceus ex is in play.
The Best Deck for Tyranitar
As a Stage Two Pokemon, Tyranitar takes up deck space and limits flexibility. For this reason, the best deck for it is a standard stall setup, using Druddigon or another tank to buy time.you’re able to also deploy Sudowoodo as an alternative starterif you are looking for an aggressive build. However, the deck remains fully functional without Sudowoodo.
Tyranitar Deck Synergies
Tyranitar Meta Performance Report
The Triumphant Light miniset indeed promoted the Fighting-type Rampardos & Lucario deck to the top of the meta. However, Tyranitar wasn’t lucky enough to share the same success and currently sits in the lower tier of the metagame with an unimpressive win rate of about forty percent.
In terms of matchups, Tyranitar has underperformed against most meta decks, with the possible exception of some Palkia ex setups. As a Grass-weak Pokemon, Tyranitar has had the worst matchups against the two dominant Grass lineups: Exeggutor ex & Celebi ex andLeafeon ex & Celebi ex.
The stats are based onrecentPokemon TCG Pockettournamentstracked by Limitless TCG. They may be slightly different by the time you read this, as the metagame is constantly evolving.
One of the biggest pros of running a Tyranitar deck is that it can work without ex cards. This is not to say that it can build one of theideal no-ex decks inTCG Pocket. Still, losing only one point per knockout is a nice advantage. Tyranitar (especially when paired with Sudowoodo) can also be a viable counter to the Arceus ex meta since this formidable Pokemon is weak to the Fighting type.
Tyranitar suffers from the same drawback as mostother Stage Two Pokemon inTCG Pocket: Slow buildup. You will likely need Pokemon Communication to draw the needed cards, making you heavily reliant on a stall strategy. Even worse, you must commit most of your Energy to only one card, as Tyranitar requires four Energy to attack.
Why It’s the Perfect Time to Try Out a Tyranitar Deck
If Tyranitar had been released in the Space-Time Smackdown era, it would have had no competitive edge. Darkrai ex meta would easily demolish this poor Pokemon, as it is quite vulnerable to Bench-sniping. Fortunately, the current metagame is less reliant on long-range damage, andthe dreaded Magnezone & Darkrai ex decksare far less frequent, giving Tyranitar a chance to thrive.
Realistically, cards like Tyranitar are more of a meta-outlier option than an actual competitive card. But now that sniping decks are receding and PvP is getting repetitive, it’s the perfect time to give a less popular yet high-potential deck like Tyranitar a chance.