One of the best things about Pokémon TCG Pocket is the variety of Rental Decks on offer. These pre-made decks act as the perfect way to hit the ground running and get straight into the action without having to rip too many packs.
While they all have their uses, some are undoubtedly better than others. Here’s a full tier list of every Rental Deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket, ranking them from S to C tier based on how powerful they are and how much effort they take to set up.
Rental Deck list tier list for Pokémon TCG Pocket
Rental Decks either revolve around a specific Pokémon, like Charizard or Pikachu, or they follow the theme of a specific Trainer, like Koga.
If you’re new to the game, it’s worth experimenting with the single-player mode and battling against some of the pre-built decks to get a feel for how they work. There are several missions to complete in this mode which can reward extra Shop Tickets, so it’s worth the time and effort.
We’ve not included the Starter Decks in this tier list (Pinsir, Ponyta, and Sandslash) as they don’t technically fall into the category of Rental Decks.
S tier
The two Rental Decks in this tier are currently stomping the competition in live matches. It’s possible to counter them with some solid strategies, but their card lists are immaculate and they’re relatively easy to set up in battle.
Pikachu ex
Stacking damage, Special Conditions, and cheap attacks. What’s not to love? The Pikachu ex Rental Deck is one of the most impressive pre-mades in the game, offering multiple paths to victory with a wide variety of ‘mons.
Pikachu ex has the attack Circle Circuit, which deals a base 30 damage but deals 30 for each of your Benched Pokémon. It only costs 2 Energy to use, making 90 damage very plausible in the early game. This rivals popular decks like Starmie ex in terms of efficiency.
Additionally, Eelektross has the chance to paralyze an opponent while dealing 80 damage and Zebstrika can help with Bench sniping, too.
This deck does require an aggressive playstyle to succeed, but it’s simple and enjoyable. If you’re keen on the Pikachu ex card, make sure to check out our guide to the best Pikachu ex deck in the game.
Venusaur ex
All the starter-themed Rental Decks have their strengths, but Venusaur ex is the best out of the trio currently, thanks to its damage output and survivability.
It’s durable and can tank a fair few hits once Venusaur ex is in position, and the supporting Pokémon are solid, too—specifically Exeggutor, dealing a potential 60 damage for one Energy.
On top of this, the healing potential from Venusaur ex and Erika mean that it’s hard to get rid of the deck’s main card once it’s set up and in position. It does struggle against Fire-types, but on the whole, it’s a solid deck that’s fun to play.
A tier
The Rental Decks in this tier are powerful and fun to play, but they do have a few small quirks that stops them from being S tier.
Blastoise ex
The combination of Hydro Bazooka and the Misty Supporter card makes this deck lethal. It can be somewhat tricky to get it in position, but once Blastoise ex has been set up with plenty of Energy, it’s deadly.
The other Pokémon in this deck offer plenty of utility, too, like Psyduck with its Supporter block and Lapras with its stacking damage.
The Blastoise ex Rental Deck does struggle with a lack of meaningful secondary attackers, placing a lot of pressure on Blastoise ex to get in position quickly. Despite this, it’s still a behemoth and worth trying once you’ve got it in your collection.
Charizard ex
Charizard ex is a powerhouse in the standard Pokémon TCG, and it’s already standing out as a fan-favorite Rental Deck in Pocket, with good reason. While it may struggle with a lack of Special Conditions or control abilities, this deck hits hard and can survive a fair amount of damage.
Having a 200 damage attack means Charizard ex can knock out almost any other card in the game once it’s Energized.
There aren’t too many other attackers in this deck, with the next strongest being Salazzle with its 2 Energy Fire Claws for 60 damage, so it does feel somewhat like a one-trick pony. Or lizard. Despite this, it’s hard to deny how powerful Charizard ex feels. It’s the perfect deck for beginners.
Lt. Surge
The Lt. Surge pre-made is second to none when it comes to Energy movement—and in Pocket, this is incredibly important. As the games are so short and the decks are so small, being able to Energize a ‘mon quickly is crucial.
Featuring heavy hitters like Raichu and Magneton, who boast powerful (if expensive) attacks, this deck aims for quick evolution and mighty attacks. The Basics do lack power, meaning you need to get them evolved as quickly as possible, but once the Stage Ones are in play, this deck plays incredibly.
Mewtwo ex
Mewtwo ex is one of the highlights of Genetic Apex thanks to its stunning immersive card and potentially lethal damage output.
It shines in this Rental Deck, with the potential to one-shot most opponents using Psydrive and prevent set-up with Psychic Sphere.
It does take a good while to set up, thanks to Psydrive requiring four Energy, but once it’s in motion, Mewtwo ex is hard to stop. The addition of Pokémon like Gengar and Slowbro provides secondary attackers, while cards like X Speed offer extra utility.
B tier
The Rental Decks in this tier aren’t bad by any means, but they don’t quite stack up to the options that we’ve listed in the A and S tiers. They’re worth experimenting with and making variations of if you have the cards, though.
Blaine
If you’re a fan of Fire-type Pokémon and want a fast-paced, relatively simple deck, Blaine is your best bet. This pre-made is simple, with heavy-hitting additions like Ninetales and Arcanine that become even stronger with the addition of the Blaine Trainer card.
The downside of this Rental Deck is that the cards on offer can only attack. Other than Growlithe, there are no Pokémon with secondary skills like trapping an opponent, healing an ally or applying a Special Condition. On top of this, this list struggles against decks like Blastoise ex.
Fossils
While they can take a significant chunk of time to set up, both Omastar and Kabutops are decently powerful. The Fossil Rental Deck is evolution-heavy and takes a bit of practice to perfect, but it has great card synergy and useful supporting Pokémon.
Having both Aerodactyl and Kabutops means that you can disrupt your opponent heavily here, and Omastar helps to offer a level of control. The risk with this deck is that Fossils themselves cannot attack, putting you in danger of an early loss, but once they’re fully evolved, they’re golden.
Koga
The Koga Rental Deck is one of the most interesting pre-mades on offer. It’s a little tricky to get the hang of, thanks to its heavy reliance on Special Conditions and lack of meaningful damage output, but it’s incredibly fun to play once you get the hang of it.
Focusing on Weezing and Muk as its primary attackers, with the Koga card offering an easy swap-in, this deck aims to Poison the opponent and take advantage of this ticking damage.
The heaviest attack in the deck is Muk’s Venoshock, which costs three Energy for 70 damage. If the opponent’s Pokémon is poisoned, however, it deals an extra 50 damage on top of this. Weezing can Poison easily with its ability, making for a smooth yet mildly time-consuming set-up.
Nidoqueen and Nidoking
The Nidoqueen and Nidoking pairing is surprisingly effective in Pokémon TCG Pocket, and this deck is a lot of fun to play. It’s evolution-heavy, meaning you’ll get stuck quickly if you don’t evolve your ‘mons early on, but it has incredible damage potential and a solid Supporter list.
Providing you have several Nidoking sat on your Bench and ready to go, Nidoqueen’s Lovestrike can easily one-shot most opponents, and it matches well into popular decks like Mewtwo ex.
C tier
While they might seem fun on paper, the Rental Decks in this tier aren’t great in practice. It’s possible to win with them, but they don’t match up against the other pre-mades in the game.
Brock
This deck looks fun on paper, but it’s not too enjoyable to play. There are some fun cards and the Brock Supporter is useful, but the cards are simply too Energy-reliant to hold their own in the majority of match-ups right now.
The Energy requirements for the starring Pokémon—which are Onix and Golem—are high, but the payoff isn’t fantastic. Golem can deal 150 damage, but it costs four Energy and also inflicts 50 damage to itself, and Onix has plenty of HP but can only deal 70 damage for three Energy.
It’s a fun theme for a deck and it’s worth playing at least once, but it struggles to get off the ground when facing opponents like Mewtwo ex or Blastoise ex.
Machamp ex
This deck does hold some potential, mainly thanks to the relatively cheap Mega Punch that deals 120 damage for three Energy, but it struggles against meta-friendly decks like Mewtwo ex and is overly reliant on Machamp for success.
If you can’t get Machamp ex out in time, your opponent will likely overwhelm you. As there aren’t many Supporter cards or helpful Pokémon in the card list, it’s simply the luck of the draw, which isn’t ideal in such a fast-paced game format.
Wigglytuff ex
Wigglytuff ex feels like the least consistent Rental Deck out of the bunch. It features some potentially aggressive Pokémon like Raichu and Jolteon, alongside tanky critters like Chansey, but it doesn’t have many niche Supporters to help get them in position.
Despite the card list feeling a little piecemeal, the Sleepy Song attack is valuable—if a little expensive—as putting an opponent to sleep in a match can help you sweep. It’s not a cohesive card list, but it does feature plenty of ‘mons that are worth looking at as individuals if you’re deck-building.
If there’s a Rental Deck you like the look of in this list, why not try making your own variant? Swapping a few different Pokémon or Supporters into an existing card list is a fun way to get a deck that works for your own personal playstyle. Take a look at our best card list for some inspiration.
