Pokemon TCG League Battle Deck Buyer's Guide! Charizard ex, Gardevoir ex, Miraidon ex, Palkia VSTAR

[@jersonpablo2386]

Finally, they figure out how to engage the players and beginners to play Pokémon in standard, it's been a long time, I'll buy the charizard hehe

[@aldwinn8824]

Imma buy it just to buy it and try it out!!! See what happens

[@thenewbb]

Not really, league battle decks came out over 4 years ago

[@blastchaos4286]

League Battle Decks have been a thing for years now

[@CaskoTamamo]

As someone who is just getting into TCG this video helps alot. They are basically like Structure Decks in YGO, and as a YGO player that would help me to get into the game. Thanks for the awesome video

[@Dragon_4046]

Hello fellow yugioh fan I’ve also just started with pokemon because I got tired of snake eyes

[@uwaa5768]

Guys, if you are new to the game: Do not let rotation limit your deck choice, first off, its in 7 months, may not sound like a lot but its actually quite a while and i know plenty of people who get bored of their deck even sooner than 2 months so its plenty of time to enjoy and master whatever you decide to play. Decks are insanely cheap too for a tcg, a full deck for $60 that you will use for 6 months its like $10 a month minus all the potential prizes you can get from competing with it, and you can still use most of the cards later on when rotation comes or trade them for another deck with other people. Another thing is that nobody knows what even the next set meta will look like at all, even if you pick a "rotation safe" deck it might not even be playable when the next expansion comes out introducing some insane cards that powercreep or counter the entire gamestate

[@ramenlapper4488]

This sounds like solid advise, thanks for the confidence boost. Ill save up and get something!

[@JcBravo8]

Tell that to my nephew. He's been rocking his Charizard deck since early 2023. Granted he ignores rotation and we play casually, but he's steadfastly refused to change decks and ruin his 95% win rate XD XD.

[@batzgameguru]

The problem I have with rotation is someone who doesn't know anything about it could buy a deck at the store that's out of rotation and not know anything about it and wasted money on buying a league deck

[@stubbornpotatogaming6220]

As a newcomer from Yugioh Community. I'm really worried with rotations because we don't have any, but I just realized that pokemon decks are way more worthy to play despite the limitation during rotations. A $60 pokemon deck for a year and a half is better than a $1000 yugioh deck that can be played forever but will still be powercrept in a short time.

[@Djaytokaiba]

​@stubbornpotatogaming6220 agreed (I play Yu-Gi-Oh too)

[@RufusKyura]

Video segments for anyone interested: 0:00 Intro and what decks to consider buying 0:35 Decks you shouldn't buy 1:43 Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR League Battle Deck 8:40 Miraidon ex League Battle Deck 16:51 Gardevoir ex League Battle Deck 23:45 Charizard ex League Battle Deck 31:28 Final Ranking 34:06 Outro

[@brendenlarson]

I really think the league battle decks are an incredible product from TPCi and I wish we got them more frequently. There are so many interesting decks right now and these are a great jumping off point, I just wish there were more to pick from.

[@Travis_Scott26]

Agreed, it gives people a chance to get into TCG battling without breaking the bank. $30 for these decks are a steal and you can get them on sale a couple months in too

[@InThirdPerson]

Sadly, they cut down the number of League Battle Decks we get starting in 2023. We used to get 3 per year and now we only get 2 :/

[@TrophyT08]

Awesome breakdown! I’m about to start playing at local league challenges so this is really encouraging me to make a few wise purchases and build a deck. Thank you for your hard work! Much appreciated!!!

[@bernardtiengo3307]

There's a Japanese list out that doesn't use Greninja anymore, so at least there's this bit covered for the time being. Kirilia is a more serious issue. But we wait and see. Great video, thanks for all the information :)

[@JollySmalley]

Thank you for giving such a detailed account of all recent league battle decks! I wasn't able to find anything comparable to this video.

[@drew8235]

Thanks for doing these, especially with the deck updates for the ones that are rotating out. I like to build decks that have rotated out of the format.

[@camdencantwell846]

I have been running a version of the Charizard Pigeot deck in TCG live for a few months now. I don’t actually own anything legal for standard right now so this deck coming out will be a great chance to start playing in person!

[@TheGollum9]

Great video. As someone with no cards I’ll be picking up the Charizard deck for sure. Probably need to pick up a counter deck to it if it’s everywhere too!

[@peterbassisteratostene3067]

This is perfect timing! Im buying my partner and myself our first decks.

[@brazionani5080]

Been out pokemon tcg from a decade and my friend convinced me to get back but i didnt want to spend a fortune for cards just to play in small store, this deck came out in clutch for my final decision and ill buy it for sure so i can play something relevant and not losing a month salary 😂

[@InThirdPerson]

Welcome back!

[@Daisakuueno]

Great video, I am a new player, currently only playing TCGLive and I was sold on Gardevoir until your video, I might switch over to Charizard.

[@Chuck_Tarnish]

I didn’t think the Charizard deck would be so complete, and here I am grinding ranked with it on Pokemon Live after buying it lmao

[@doobster3650]

Yo man this is great, you've made getting into this game that much easier.

[@Doddleran]

Thanks, was very informative.

[@BigNathaniel88]

Garde is probably my favorite deck to play currently, and I'm a pretty mid player

[@InThirdPerson]

I totally get that! I’m not the best Gardevoir player (or best player by any stretch), but I do think Gardevoir is a fun deck to play with a lot of cool tricks to approach any battle. I personally prefer playing it over Charizard. I’m not saying don’t play it if you’re a noob; just saying that it’s the steepest climb of the bunch in terms of learning curve.

[@bernardtiengo3307]

I'm back to Pokemon after a long break, was playing Gardevoir Gx in 2019/2020. It is trickier than others but the mental gymnastics this deck requires sometimes really excites me. Totally worth the fun of playing it!

[@neonblack3449]

IM SUBBED ON MY PHONE AND LAPTOP THANK U SO MUCH U A LEGEND

[@kakaba2056]

I recently got the gardevoir ex deck but for some reason it came with no copies of lumineon v and 4 copies of gardevoir ex, I have no idea how they managed to mess this up...

[@vengreatest1]

Why the mewtwo ex in the Japanese miraidon list if they don't play psychic energy?

[@hobbyistguild]

to play Area Zero Underdepths, you need to have a tera in play. Mewtwo is a tera and also electric type so you can use miraidon's ability to bench it easily.

[@vengreatest1]

Ahhh that makes sense. Thanks!

[@kazumaster293]

I realy like the miraidon deck and im hyped for my guardevoir deck to arrive. But i was wondering is there a koraidon battle league deck? I could have sworn i saw a few at a store in my city together with the koraidon deluxe deck. But now its nowhere to find. So maybe it realy never existed and it was my imagination

[@InThirdPerson]

Pokemon have not made a Koraidon League Battle Deck.

[@SmiileySmiiles]

I am excited for the Charizard deck

[@kazukilolll7737]

im a new player, need advice. Dragapult looks fun and i plan to build the deck. is it ok? is it "future proof" or is it easily susceptible to powercreep?

[@joeybidner]

Great vid, thanks!!

[@viktorstoimenov8132]

There's a summer deal on the Miraidon deck for 25$ should I get it?

[@dusitndrake67]

I bought it for my son and he did very well with it. with no upgrades to the deck and it is fun to play.

[@briandinh9169]

It's worth it but upgrades will cost a bit more

[@pikachuwu69TTV]

Yes! You’ll need an iron hands 16$ cad and a prime catcher 30$ cad but other than that the rest is pretty cheap and it’s a pretty good deck

[@vivi011108]

How are we meant to know what is standard, what is out or in of rotation? How are we meant to know what cards people are allowed to be using? I dont really understand the terminology for standard and rotation either.

[@InThirdPerson]

I’m hoping I can make an updated rotation FAQ video since this question keeps coming up. In short, Standard format is a game mode where only the last 2-3 years worth of cards are allowed. This format has a number of benefits, including better game balance, easier to introduce new ideas without having to balance with older cards, and Standard legal cards are much more readily available in stores for purchase. Pokemon’s primary mode of play has always been Standard, but there are other modes people play as well that allow for older cards, such as Expanded or Gym Leader Challenge. In the bottom-left hand corner of every card is a letter in a white rectangle. This is the card’s tournament marker which denotes which “year” it’s from (not exact but close enough). As of right now, cards with the letter “F”, “G”, and “H” are Standard legal. H cards: Temporal Forces, Twilight Masquerade, Shrouded Fable, Stellar Crown, Surging Sparks G cards: Scarlet Violet Base, Paldea Evolved, Obsidian Flames, 151, Paradox Rift, Paldean Fates F cards: Brilliant Stars, Astral Radiance, Pokemon Go, Lost Origin, Silver Tempest, Crown Zenith Rotation is a process that occurs once per year (March in Pokemon TCG Live and then for in-person play in April) where the oldest letter of legal cards are removed. When rotation happens in 2025, all cards with the letter “F” will no longer be Standard legal. In 2026, cards with the letter “G” will be removed. And so on. Hopefully I can make a more detailed video but that’s the gist of it. Hope that helps!

[@Liuck11]

The last years they sold the top 4 deck of the world tournament, do you think they will do the same this year ? (I'm waiting for preconstructed Jesse Parker's deck !!)

[@InThirdPerson]

The way that works is that The Pokemon Company release 4 decks to commemorate the World Championships. Unless there are duplicates, the decks they choose are: 1. Masters 1st place 2. Masters 2nd place 3. Seniors 1st place 4. Juniors 1st place Jesse Parker’s Miraidon list unfortunately just misses the cut. It’s also worth noting that the World Championship decks are NOT legal for organized play. They’re fine if you simply want to play with family and friends, but you can’t use them in any official tournament. More info on these decks here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/laDQaH2ifK-didUsi=vGn0A35tNiZsyp9h

[@Real_Bush]

Zacian and adp league battle deck 😈

[@carsthatdrive1891]

Gardevoir is gonna fall apart without Kirlia, it really does not have a good substitute for consistent energy discard outside of Cycling Road or Pokéstop and running 4 Vessel 4 Ultra Ball - and then you'll need a different draw engine, best being i think Pokéstop + Pidgeot? i will be pivoting off it unless its saved, likely to N's Zoroark ex, off of my current Gardevoir list which im both sad about and excited for

[@InThirdPerson]

PokeStop rotates at the same time as Kirlia.

[@carsthatdrive1891]

@@InThirdPerson lol right forgot abt than, then i dont think theres anything for Garde to consistently discard energy outside of Cycling Road and Moonlit Hill? unless you just use something like N's Zoroark ex but i imagine youd be better off just powering up and swinging with that. we'll just have to wait and see though!

[@dominikscheffel2928]

how to preorder charizard?

[@estekel2]

Hi, I'm new, sorry for the potentially stupid question. You talked about the future of Gardevoir, but if Ralts and Kirlia are going to be rotated out, doesn't it make Gardevoir impossible to use? Because it's losing their previous forms.

[@InThirdPerson]

There are still Ralts and Kirlia cards that will still legal in Standand format after rotation. Kirlia: www.serebii.net/card/scarletviolet/085.shtml Ralts: www.serebii.net/card/scarletviolet/084.shtml Oftentimes Pokemon will have multiple cards that are legal at the same time. Some Pokemon even get multiple ex cards that are legal at the same time, like Great Tusk ex. Switching the current best Ralts for Scarlet & Violet Ralts isn’t a big deal. However, losing Kirlia with the Refinement ability hurts Gardevoir as we know it dramatically. You CAN use the one legal Kirlia still available, but it’s much worse than the old one because it doesn’t have the Refinement ability. Maybe there will be other ways of replicating Kirlia’s discard and draw power. Maybe Gardevoir gets played in a completely different way post-rotation. But until we know what the future holds, it’s a point of concern.

[@KayneAung]

Sadly I don't have this product in my country,the only thing similar is the tactic decks like the ones in China. And I still can't choose which one is for me kekw. I tried to find guides but still couldn't decide if I should start with any of them.(But I belive people will say Charizard.)

[@InThirdPerson]

The Tactics decks in Asia are essentially the same tier as League Battle Decks in this territory. m.bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Tactics_Decks_(ATCG) Based on what I see here, the Charizard Tactics deck isn’t quite as strong as the League Battle Deck. But it’s still a strong core and at worst, is the 2nd best of the Tactics decks. The Gardevoir list looks a bit more complete than Charizard but I think Charizard might have a bit higher of a competitive ceiling when upgraded. I’d say of the Tactics decks, Charizard and Gardevoir are the clear frontrunners. Followed by Miraidon if you really like that play style. I wouldn’t bother with the other 3 (Scizor, Meowscarada, and Garchomp).

[@KayneAung]

@@InThirdPerson Thanks for the recommendation man,since I don't think I want to find any upgrade soon I will probably grab Garde if I can. She's still pretty great after all.

[@l1quor1ce96]

A question. What other supports can a Chien-Pao deck run in replacement of Irida upon rotation coming about? I feel it’s quite an essential supporter to the deck but maybe it’s because I haven’t found better alternatives yet. Feel free to share your knowledge too fellow commenters.

[@InThirdPerson]

There currently is no clear alternative to Irida at this point in time. We’ll have to wait and see what Chien-Pao will look like post-rotation.

[@simonb4689]

Hello, has things changed in the last month? Just starting now

[@InThirdPerson]

Everything is still the same!

[@simonb4689]

@@InThirdPerson what's your feeling about the cost of the other cards in the deck that are not in the charazard box? Will it go up when that box release? Any links to content that discusses where you can make it more budget, or does the deck fall apart without the more expensive cards (ie fez, radiant char, etc) ? Thanks

[@InThirdPerson]

The concern with the cards to complete a current meta Charizard build isn’t so much the cost, but the timing relative to rotation. Most of the missing cards like Lumineon, Rotom, and Rad Zard among others (all the cards with the letter F in the bottom left hand corner) are reasonably priced, but they won’t be tournament legal once rotation hits early next year. You as a player have to make the choice of whether you’re willing to buy those cards knowing that they won’t be legal for Standard format in a few months. If you’re not familiar with rotation, check out my FAQ: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWilkplvdr6qrNksi=Zjw99XlXA7iYSWSZ The only card on the upgrade list that is expensive and isn’t rotating next year is Fezandipiti. That’s a card you’ll want one of in pretty much any deck you build. The deck is the strongest pre-constructed deck Pokemon have ever released. While it’s not fully-tuned and won’t be as successful as a fill build, it can beat meta decks. You can watch me play the deck as is against random online opponents here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYjMoH-bfdKEa5osi=R94wr3oKOIXAXdUqp As for “budget builds”, that’s not really a thing in the Pokemon TCG. Unlike certain other card games where meta decks can cost hundreds - if not north of $1,000 - the barrier to meta cards either in paper or digital form is relatively low. Budget does matter for decks as a whole, where a deck like Ancient Box is much cheaper to build vs. an ultra rare heavy deck like Regidrago VSTAR (approximately $45 vs $120 according to Limitless/TCG Player). But when it comes to budget within a specific deck, people just get the cards for a meta build and most variations are done for strategic reasons.

[@BethanyHaile-ti5ih]

Sigh..... Time to start teching for charizard

[@MTC-G]

I have a question: New to pokemon tcg, isn‘t it kinda bad that whole sets get rotated, u loose all the cards and u can‘t sell them bcs everybody knows they‘ll rotate?

[@gman1515]

The value of Pokemon cards isn't quite like MtG cards. You won't really be needing a rare or expensive card to make your deck work. A good, championship worth deck can easily be less than $100. And the cards that are worth more money keep their value regardless of their usefulness in the tcg, because they have way more value to collectors anyway. If anything, cards that go out of print become more valuable because they are harder to get.

[@MTC-G]

@gman1515 ThX

[@thenextmj4523]

If I am strictly casual, are the legacy league battle decks good for using against eachother? Say I purchased all 9? Would the matchups offer engaging games with friends?

[@InThirdPerson]

Great question! There are some cool matchups between some of the decks, but there are a number of factors that make many of the matchups uneven. Generational power creep is a very real thing in the Pokemon TCG. The Sun & Moon era decks are fine against one another, but will likely struggle against the Sword & Shield decks. Both would struggle against the Scarlet & Violet decks due to general power creep. But the Scarlet/Violet decks also benefit from Pokemon making better overall decks. The Charizard ex League Battle Deck is shockingly close to a tournament-level build and would wipe the floor with pretty much everything that came before it. The Gardevoir deck would put up a good fight against Charizard, but would demolish all of the decks that came before it. Battling within generations is “mostly” fine. But one quirky in the Sword & Shield era is that the first 3 League Battle Decks (Inteleon and the two Urshifu decks) are classified as Level 2 decks, while Ice Rider, Shadow Rider, Mew, and Palkia are level 3 decks. The gap in power level is notable, as the level 2 decks don’t stand much of a chance against the level 3 decks because the level 3 decks are much closer to being competitive. Even within subsets, there are some quirks. Ice Rider comes with Path to the Peak as a stadium, which gives it a distinct advantage over Shadow Rider, Mew, and to a lesser extent, Palkia. Ice Rider isn’t necessarily a better deck than them overall, but because it comes with a specific stadium that cripples all of those other decks, that matchup without upgrades becomes dicey for the others. If I were to rank these strictly on casual play with no upgrades, it would go something like this: A-Tier 1. Charizard 2. Gardevoir B-Tier 3. Mew 4. Ice Rider 5. Palkia C-Tier 6. Shadow Rider 7. Miraidon D-Tier 8. Rapid Strike Urshifu 9. Inteleon 10. Single Strike Urshifu (Not rated): Sun & Moon decks due to lack of first-hand experience. I have the Zacian one but deconstructed it for another deck. I think strictly in terms of matchups with no upgrades, the best matchups among these decks are: 1. Charizard vs. Gardevoir 2. Gardevoir vs. Mew 3. Ice Rider vs. Palkia 4. Palkia vs. Miraidon (yes Miraidon hits for weakness but Palkia can win if it takes the first KO) Sorry for the messy answer, but it’s a messy question. Hoping this helps!

[@thenextmj4523]

@@InThirdPerson this helps a ton! Thank you so much!

[@Khaisake_]

Hi, i was wondering to start play TCG. I've found a list with some staples to have and cards that are good in sets. Is worth to buy this type of products in order to have more cards? Or is better to buy singles? Cause idk what to do

[@InThirdPerson]

Welcome to the Pokemon TCG! If you’re just getting into the game, I think the single best purchase you can make is a preconstructed deck. I just updated my guide on the League Battle Decks available, which have what you need to get started playing competitively. Video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKqvc59ulMZ_eZYsi=PsA3Ega6KQYbxJXp Building a collection of staple cards is cool for down the road, but it doesn’t really help you get closer to having an actual deck you can play right away. Building a staples stash is great after you have at least 1 deck to play and want to have a supply of staple cards for future decks.

[@ZaWarubro]

Research pre-constructed cards before a full purchase. The Charizard EX box has a $28 Ace Spec card. That’s $28 for a card alone. Compared to the full price of the box, $30 and you get a fully playable deck with many staple cards to boot.

[@imraanjappie2672]

is the prime catcher going to be non holo?

[@InThirdPerson]

Almost certainly holo, as it appears prominently on the front of the box.

[@SmiileySmiiles]

Great video!

[@aldwinn8824]

How often do they release league battle decks?

[@InThirdPerson]

Twice a year. Once around April and again in November. We used to get 3 League Battle Decks per year but for the past 2 years we’ve only gotten 2 and I think that’s the new normal.

[@imonurgoat]

Im sure if its just me and my Girlfriend playing against eachother. We would be fine using old battle decks cuz they are still more simplier and easier to get into the game.

[@demontferrat]

I want to do the same, will first get the regular battle decks(a couple at least) and check if she enjoys, and we won't care if it's out of rotation, there isn't any Locals in my country, so i can only play with her and a few friends i am trying to convince to play. So rotation should not be an issue.

[@davidsalaberry1128]

Question is accompanied flute still legal if so do you think it would be a good add on to palkia V star?

[@InThirdPerson]

Accompanying Flute is still legal and is certainly worth considering in a Palkia deck!

[@davidsalaberry1128]

@@InThirdPerson I was thinking since the benches can now go to 8 in stellar crown you can do more damage, at the same time it might help the opponent

[@NeonTownExchange_Jack]

They call this, "Burying The Lead."

[@SmiileySmiiles]

All Pokémon needs now is a Blastoise deck :p

[@pikachuwu69TTV]

It sucks that gardi is losing Kirlia but it hurts me more that united wings is losing kirlia lol

[@Olsonbrother]

Hey my brother plays this, we both just got into it a few weeks ago. How do you get around or what do you have to do to prevent or knock out that Charizard. It come out quick, 3-4 turns does heaps of damage. 180+ every time. You essentially lose at that point because he just knocks out your Pokemon. Every turn. 180 damage for two energy? Like how is this card not banned like they do on Yu-Gi-Oh.

[@DarkFang89]

I just recently started playing again and I got given the Char EX deck and mine doesn't have an Ace Spec...

[@musicbeast4642]

me buying a charizard deck for like 80 bucks4 weeks ago

[@armyrunt01]

I tried to buy the charizard ex on tcg and it came to 150 dollars!!!!!!

[@jakethornton232]

You may have been purchasing the more rare version of the card

[@malvo2099]

I am in such a bad spot rn... I dont like any of these decks. Especially i find zard extremly boring to play but... the latest deck is filled with a lot of powerful generic cards since it is probably cheaper than buying the whole thing.

[@jre6237]

i understand that, i was like that until i tried raging bolt to climb to arceus in tcg live so now its my go to deck, i find it more fun than the garde and dark types out right now

[@spitamazed96]

First baby!! Lfg!!🎉

[@miki.ma.]

10 minutes after the first comment though

[@derjeniche5409]

The game needs to go back to the roots and stop with the cheap looking ex, gx,... cards. Also the holo should be like the early ones again, the new holo looks very bad imo

[@Iautocorrect]

Boomer take