The 12 Strongest Pokemon Cards Right Now
The Pokemon TCG standard format changes each time a new set comes out. New cards join the game, old cards rotate out. So it can be hard to stay on top of what the current strongest cards in the game are. To help you out, we’ve put together this list of the 12 strongest Pokemon cards in the game, including a few upcoming cards.
12. Gouging Fire ex
Gouging Fire ex is a powerful new card soon to be released in Temporal Forces. With an uncanny resemblance to Entei V, this fire type Pokemon is likely to bring fire energy based decks to the foreground thanks to an impressive Blaze Blitz ability that dishes out 260 energy. Thanks to a range of supporting cards you can play in the Gouging Fire ex deck, Gouging Fire ex can be powered up to attack in a single turn – not something that can be said about most powerful attackers out there.
11. Master Ball
Master Ball is a powerful card. Although it’s been part of the Pokemon TCG in past sets, we’re getting a new reprint of Mater Ball as an ACE SPEC Pokemon card as a part of Temporal Forces. The majority of Pokemon decks are going to benefit from getting access to this card’s nearly unparalleled card search capabilities. Of course, given it is an ACE SPEC card, you’ll only get to play one in your entire 60 card deck.
10. Genesect V – Fusion Strike
Market price: $0.86
Genesect V has been one of the strongest cards in the game for years. It’s going to rotate out in a few months, however. Still, the reason for why Mew VMAX is one of the strongest decks of all time is not just due to Mew VMAX – it’s really thanks to Genesect V. Genesect V’s power lies in its incredible draw engine, Fusion Strike System. It also is thanks to its powerful Techno Blast attack which Mew VMAX can borrow to take KOs against just about any Pokemon out there.
9. Arceus VSTAR – Brilliant Stars
Market price: $4.73
Arceus VSTAR pretty much broke the meta when it came out back in 2022. At that time, Mew VMAX had been dominating the meta, with the majority of players either playing it, or playing decks that countered it (of which there weren’t actually all that many). Then Arceus VSTAR showed up and suddenly everyone was running decks that were Arceus VSTAR and so-and-so.
This is still going on today, with recent high profile tournaments being won by players running Arceus VSTAR and so-and-so.
Arceus VSTAR is just a really useful and well rounded Pokemon card. It can accelerate energies via its attack, dish out serious damage as well, and can enable players to pull any two cards they want from their deck at whim.
Arceus VSTAR will be around for quite some time still, so you can bet it will continue to make headlines as it helps players win even more big events.
8. Lugia VSTAR – Silver Tempest
Market price: $3.00
When Lugia VSTAR came out, it was the perfect storm. Just the right kind of cards were still available because rotation had been delayed, and Lugia VSTAR was at the top of the heap. Today, however, cards have rotated out, and new cards have been revealed that have really put a dent in Lugia VSTAR’s total dominance. That being said, Lugia VSTAR will forever be remembered as one of the strongest cards of the 2023 Pokemon TCG season.
The main reason for Lugia VSTAR’s power rests in its Summoning Star VSTAR ability. Summoning Star enables Lugia VSTAR players to bring Archeops from their discard and onto their bench. Archeops then acts as a massively effective energy acceleration engine, enabling players to dish out damage with a wide range of attackers.
7. Roaring Moon ex – Paradox Rift
Market price: $4.06
Roaring Moon ex made its debut in the phenomenal Paradox Rift Pokemon expansion. It made a huge splash at first but innevitably fell out of popularity due to it not performing quite as well as expected. Still, Roaring Moon ex is poised to make a comeback in popularity as players learn the most optimal way to leverage this powerful attacker. Legendary Pokemon players like Tord Reklev, for example, have found ways to work Roaring Moon ex into other decks to leverage its powerful attack.
Its strongest attack – and the one that really puts it onto this list – is the Frenzied Gouging attack. This attack is an instant OHKO against any Pokemon. The main draw back is that the attack almost KOs Roaring Moon ex.
Still, in terms of raw firepower, no other Pokemon comes close to this Basic Pokemon’s deadliness.
6. Iono – Paldea Evolved
Market price: $2.47
People didn’t realize how powerful Iono was when she fist came out. By the end of the summer, however, she was in virtually every deck. She’s sort of like Marnie (if you remember that card from the Sword and Shield era) and Roxanne combined – only arguably more effective than either of them. Early in the game, Iono can help you redraw your hand without having to discard it, while also disrupting your opponent’s hand. Late game it can be a deadly move that stifles your opponent’s ability to win.
Don’t underestimate this powerful trainer card.
5. Radiant Greninja – Astral Radiance
Market price: $4.75
If you can tell from this list so far, the strongest Pokemon cards are not necessarily onlly the ones that attack the hardest. Many Pokemon cards are powerful because of their strategic ability. Some are so powerful that they end up in many, many different decks. Radiant Greninja is one of those cards. It’s got a crazy strong ability called Concealed Cards that lets you discard any energy from your hand to draw two cards. This has saved many Pokemon players from dead drawing or bricking on turn one or two. Meanwhile, its Moonlight Shuriken attack is incredibly versatile, enabling you to take two knockouts in a single turn.
Of the Radiant Pokemon, Radiant Greninja is also the strongest, and a strong member of the top ten most powerful Pokemon cards in 2023.
4. Charizard ex – Obsidian Flames
Market price: $14.72
Charizard ex gained instant popularity upon release and has remained a popular Pokemon TCG archetype ever since. With an attack that gets stronger as the game progresses and an ability that enables you to rapidly accelerate fire energies onto your Pokemon, Charizard ex is sort of a one stop shop for Pokemon decks. The only thing he lacks is draw support or card search – a weakness that is easily taken care of by adding a Pidgeot ex or Arceus VSTAR into your deck. On its own, Charizard ex is easily one of the strongest Pokemon cards of 2023 thanks to insane HP stats, crazy attack output, and a powerful ability.
3. Giratina VSTAR – Lost Origin
Market price: $4.65
Giratina VSTAR didn’t get a ton of love when it first came out in Lost Origin. Despite an insane VSTAR Power and a deadly attack, people had trouble figuring out how to pilot this deck to victory. Not to mention it had a dreadful time dealing with the formerly popular Regis deck.
Today, however, Giratina VSTAR is widely regarded as one of the best Pokemon cards of all, and thanks to its compatibility with the Lost Zone engine, decks that run Giratina VSTAR also benefit from a range of powerful and versatile secondary attackers.
2. Mirage Gate – Lost Origin
Mirage Gate should be considered one of the strongest Pokemon cards alongside Giratina VSTAR because it is essentially the single card that makes any Lost Zone deck work. Sure, Giratina VSTAR is powerful, but without Mirage Gate, it would be impossible to use its Lost Impact attack properly.
Giratina VSTAR isn’t the only attacker that Mirage Gate benefits, however. The incredibly popular and powerful Lost Zone Box Deck also relies on Mirage Gate to accelerate energies onto its attackers. The real beauty of Mirage Gate that makes it stand out from other energy accelerating cards is the fact that it can do any two energies from the deck so long as they are basic energies. Mirage Gate is not limited to any particular type of energy.
#1 Gardevoir ex
Market price: $2.05
Gardevoir ex deserves its spot on this list thanks largely to its powerhouse Pscychi Embrace ability. This ability is so powerful that it enables an almost unstoppable onslaught of attackers that can enable a good player the chance to handle virtually any situation.
Although Gardevoir ex doesn’t itself have draw support built in, in a way it does, as its Stage 1 Pokemon, Kirlia, has an excellent draw support ability, allowing you to discard one card and draw two. Also, Gardevoir from Chilling Reign has a similar ability. Combined, these cards build the foundation for one of the best Pokemon decks.
That’s our list of the most Powerful Pokemon cards 2023. Check back often as the meta changes we’ll be updating this list with the current strongest Pokemon cards!
