Rules are made to be exploited. This idiom describes best 18 Trainers decks. Hear the story: in the TCG, when you don’t open with a Basic Pokémon, you reveal your hand, shuffle it back to your deck and draw the same amount of cards. This is called a mulligan. A big downside is that for each mulligan you take, your opponent can draw an extra card.
But what happens in Pokémon TCG Pocket, where you’re guaranteed to open with at least one Basic Pokémon? You build a deck with only two copies of that Basic Pokémon and fill the rest with Trainers. By choosing the best standalone Basic Pokémon ex, such as Zapdos ex or Articuno ex, the 18 Trainers deck ensures a reliable start and quickly begins racking up damage with a consistent game plan. It also comes down to be a budget deck with just a need for 2 ◊◊◊◊ cards.
Articuno ex variant
Rarity requirements
◊◊◊◊ – Articuno ex
◊◊ – Sabrina, Giovanni, Misty
Booster pack requirements
Articuno ex
Giovanni
Sabrina
Misty
The main appeal of the Articuno ex 18 Trainers deck is the ability to run Misty, hoping for a turn 1 attack even when going first. Articuno ex’s Blizzard also puts pressure on the opponent’s Bench that only increases when combined with Sabrina.
A subvariant of this deck involves cutting to run 2 Helix Fossil, 2 Omanyte, and 2 Omastar. Since Fossil cards don’t count as Basic Pokémon, they don’t interfere with the deck’s strategy. Meanwhile, the evolution line benefits from Misty’s effect and offers solid attacks and HP.
Zapdos ex variant
Rarity requirements
◊◊◊◊ – Zapdos ex
◊◊ – Sabrina, Giovanni
Booster requirements
Zapdos ex
Sabrina
Giovanni
Zapdos ex generally has a better damage output than Articuno ex, averaging around 100 damage with Thundering Hurricane, though it can swing between high peaks and abysmal lows. Peck is a surprisingly serviceable attack in a metagame with many L weaknesses, against all legendary birds and Starmie ex. The main downside compared with the previous variant is the absence of Misty, and the other available options aren’t particularly strong… for now.
Weaknesses
The deck is as straightforward as it gets, making it difficult to adjust strategies mid-game. It also has to play a bunch of filler cards.
A strong early game is crucial, as the deck can hardly come back from an established board. Articuno ex can’t hit for more than 90 damage and Zapdos ex’s Thundering Hurricane is unreliable. Both can be easily one-shot by Mewtwo ex’s Psydrive or Charizard ex’s Crimson Storm, while Venusaur ex can efficiently stall them out. Some versions include Old Amber and Aerodactyl to break through established setups, but Aerodactyl’s Primal Wingbeat attack is inconsistent as well.
18 Trainers can get easily overwhelmed by Pikachu ex, especially on the play; with their weaknesses, Pikachu ex just needs 1 and 2 L Pokémon on the bench for two turns to knock them out, while none of them can guarantee a one hit on Pikachu ex.
