The Best Pokemon TCG Live Meta Decks
It’s 2025 and there are more ways to play and enjoy the Pokemon TCG than ever before. Whether you are playing at your local card shop, grinding the competitive circuit or making your way to Arceus league on Pokemon TCG Live, there’s a little something for everyone in Pokemon TCG Live.
But what are the meta decks everyone is playing right now on Pokemon TCG Live?
Despite something of a bumpy start, Pokemon TCG Live has gained massive popularity among players everywhere, and it’s a fantastic way to get used to new cards, test decks, and prep for upcoming tournaments.
To help you get a feel for the metagame, we’ll be taking a look at the best and most popular decks right now in the Pokemon TCG Live metagame based on real tournaments that have taken place in the current format.
#1 Dragapult/Dusknoir
Danilmendes Late Night 237 1st of 266
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Pokémon: 21
4 Dreepy TWM 128
4 Drakloak TWM 129
3 Dragapult ex TWM 130
2 Duskull PRE 35
1 Dusclops PRE 36
2 Dusknoir PRE 37
1 Rotom V LOR 58
1 Lumineon V BRS 40
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Budew PRE 4
1 Radiant Alakazam SIT 59
Trainer: 33
4 Arven OBF 186
3 Iono PAL 185
3 Lance SIT 159
1 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
1 Crispin SCR 133
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
2 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Rare Candy SVI 191
1 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
1 Rescue Board TEF 159
1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Sparkling Crystal SCR 142
1 Temple of Sinnoh ASR 155
1 Collapsed Stadium BRS 137
Energy: 6
3 Fire Energy SVE 10
3 Psychic Energy SVE 13
Budew has had a huge impact on the Pokemon TCG Live format and Dragapult/Dusknoir evidences that fact. This deck is the top deck on the Pokemon TCG Live ladder right now, although it’s not by a wide margin. It’s currently outpacing Gardevoir by under 3% in playshare.
Despite getting a lot of hype back when Twilight Masquerade came out, Dragapult ex never took off in quite the way fans hoped it might. Now, thanks to Budew, Dragapult ex could arguably be considered top deck.
Why?
Well, it’s largely thanks to the fact that you can search out your Dragapult card with Lance. Lance is a powerful Pokemon search supporter letting you find what you need when you need it regardless of whether or not your opponent is running Budew.
This deck astutely runs four copies of Drakloak as well, adding incremental draw support that doesn’t rely on items to make possible.
Decks that have backdoors to the Budew hack that’s affecting the meta right now have a leg up on the competition in this current meta, and it’s exciting to see Dragapult ex really come together as a top tier, competitive deck.
#2 Gardevoir
Kaname – 1st of 226 Tournament of Doom
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Pokémon: 19
4 Ralts ASR 60
4 Kirlia SIT 68
2 Gardevoir ex SVI 86
2 Munkidori TWM 95
1 Drifloon SVI 89
1 Cresselia LOR 74
1 Flutter Mane TEF 78
1 Manaphy BRS 41
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
1 Scream Tail PAR 86
1 Spiritomb PAL 89
Trainer: 31
4 Arven OBF 186
4 Iono PAL 185
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
1 Boss's Orders PAL 172
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
2 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
2 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
1 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Nest Ball SVI 181
1 Unfair Stamp TWM 165
2 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
2 Bravery Charm PAL 173
2 Artazon PAL 171
Energy: 10
7 Psychic Energy SVE 13
3 Darkness Energy SVE 15
Gardevoir is a deck that just doesn’t know when to quit. It’s a deck that’s been going strong for years now, going through so many changes and adapting as the meta itself has changed and grown. At its core, however, this deck still functions much the same as it always has – leveraging Kirlia’s powerful draw engine and Gardevoir ex’s Phsycic Embrace to get what you need and start accelerating energies as soon as possible, letting you take big KOs with small single prize Pokemon.
Many additions have helped this deck over the past several sets including Munkidori which lets you move damage around the board strategically, as well as the impactful Unfair Stamp which allows you to double down on hand disruption and gain a competitive edge over your opponent.
#3 Lugia VSTAR
Ivke_b Pumpka Weekly
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Pokémon: 20
4 Archeops SIT 147
3 Lugia V SIT 138
3 Lugia VSTAR SIT 139
2 Lumineon V BRS 40
1 Minccino TEF 136
1 Cinccino TEF 137
1 Wyrdeer V ASR 134
1 Iron Hands ex PAR 70
1 Regigigas PRE 86
1 Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 64
1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141
1 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
Trainer: 24
4 Professor's Research SVI 189
4 Boss's Orders PAL 172
2 Iono PAL 185
1 Jacq SVI 175
1 Thorton LOR 167
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Capturing Aroma SIT 153
2 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Mesagoza SVI 178
Energy: 16
4 Gift Energy LOR 171
4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
4 Jet Energy PAL 190
2 Mist Energy TEF 161
1 V Guard Energy SIT 169
1 Legacy Energy TWM 167
Lugia VSTAR is one and only deck right now besides Regidrago VSTAR from the Sword and Shield era of the Pokemon TCG still making waves competitively. Players still can’t get enough of Lugia VSTAR’s powerful Summoning Star ability, letting you quickly get Archeops onto your bench and start accelerating energy from your deck to any attacker you need.
This combo unlocks a lot greater variety in terms of what you can choose to attack with than what you are able to get in most decks.
And it’s not just Lugia VSTAR: indeed this deck has a variety of new attackers to work with, ranging from the bench sniping Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex to the small but mighty Regigigas.
This new Regi attacker just recently came out in Prismatic Evolutions but did so with a bang, dishing out an insane additional 230 more damage if your opponent’s Pokemon is a Tera type. Of course, not every deck runs Tera Pokemon but most do, meaning you won’t always use this powerful attacker.
While Lugia VSTAR isn’t destined to remain in the meta for long (it will be leaving post 2025 rotation), it’s one of the most powerful decks in recent memory and a fun mechanic that never gets old.
#4 Charizard ex
2nd of 174 by reshizard2020 – Pumpka Weekly
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Pokémon: 20
3 Charmander MEW 4
1 Charmeleon PAF 8
2 Charizard ex OBF 125
2 Pidgey OBF 162
1 Pidgeotto MEW 17
2 Pidgeot ex OBF 164
2 Duskull PRE 35
1 Dusclops PRE 36
1 Dusknoir PRE 37
1 Lumineon V BRS 40
1 Cleffa OBF 80
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Rotom V LOR 58
1 Radiant Charizard CRZ 20
Trainer: 35
4 Arven OBF 186
3 Iono PAL 185
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Thorton LOR 167
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
1 Briar SCR 132
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Rare Candy SVI 191
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
3 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
2 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Defiance Band SVI 169
1 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
1 Grand Tree SCR 136
Energy: 5
5 Fire Energy SVE 10
Number four is the mighty Charizard ex! This deck is a beast of a deck and it only gets stronger as the game goes on. The powerful comeback nature of this deck makes it a favorite among many players. Cards released last year have also vastly improved its strategic viability. This deck works hand-in-hand with the Dusknoir line to really dish out a ton of damage against your opponent. Meanwhile, Briar lets you sneak up from behind and take potentially four prize turns.
This deck list that had a top finish at a major online tournament interestingly includes Grand tree – a tech that I think was very wise. Grand Tree is a powerful Ace Spec and works very well with Charizard, letting you quickly evolve your Pokemon in a single turn without needing items to do so.
This deck runs Cleffa instead of Budew, prioritizing cards in hand over disrutping your opponent. And that makes sense as Charizard ex doesn’t necessarily need a strong start as long as you have the Pokemon on board to evolve down the line.
Charizard ex has been a staple of the Pokemon TCG Live meta for a while now, and it’s unlikely it will be going anywhere in the near future, making it an excellent pick for post rotation.
#5 Ceruledge ex
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Pokémon: 13
3 Charcadet SSP 32
3 Ceruledge ex SSP 36
1 Origin Forme Palkia V ASR 39
1 Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 40
1 Lumineon V BRS 40
1 Budew PRE 4
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
1 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
Trainer: 29
3 Carmine TWM 145
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Professor's Research SVI 189
1 Iono PAL 185
4 Night Stretcher SFA 61
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
3 Ultra Ball SVI 196
3 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Canceling Cologne ASR 136
1 Brilliant Blender SSP 164
1 Pal Pad SVI 182
1 Switch SVI 194
1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
2 Jamming Tower TWM 153
1 PokéStop PGO 68
Energy: 18
10 Fire Energy SVE 10
6 Water Energy SVE 11
2 Jet Energy PAL 190
Last but not least is Ceruldedge ex! I’m super stoked to see this deck doing so well competitively as it’s been my favorite since it released back in Surging Sparks. There are a ton of different ways to play this deck but the most popular right now is combining Ceruledge ex with Palkia VSTAR – another still meta-relevant VSTAR from the Sword and Shield Era.
Starting with the strengths of Ceruledge ex – this attacker is a total beast, letting you scale its attack to meet any situation. The only thing holding you back is how many energy you are able to get into your discard. In the current format, it’s relatively easy to get cards into your discard.
To help you, you have a combination of powerful search mechanics as well as discard effects including Carmine – a supporter you can play as early as the opening turn. Budew has been a powerful ally for this deck’s strategy, giving you a turn one attacker that can really help slow down your opponent, giving you more time to get the energies you need into your discard to ramp up your Abyssal Flames attack.
Palkia VSTAR, meanwhile, is here to help clean up the board. Use Palkia VSTAR as a backup attacker or to power up your Radiant Greninja to take KOs against smaller Pokemon. It just gives a bit more versatility than you would otherwise have with Ceruledge ex.
Ceruledge ex is my favorite deck right now and I love to see it performing this well on the competitive Pokemon TCG Live scene.
