Every new pack that drops in Pokémon TCG Pocket is another opportunity to grow our card collection – and build an ever-stronger deck for the next battle.

Your go-to cards for a Solo fight might pale in the face of another player’s in Versus. And vying for cards and items in event battles requires even more specific decks still.

Here are a few of the App Store Editors’ best tips on building successful decks around your favourite Pokémon.

There are three things to keep in mind when creating a deck:

1. Each deck contains 20 cards and must include at least one Basic Pokémon.
2. You can include up to two cards with the same Pokémon name. But cards such as Eevee and Eevee ex are considered different, so you can include up to two of each.
3. The Energy required for each move can be attached one at a time from the Energy Zone during your turn, and there are no Energy cards like those used in the physical Pokémon Trading Card Game. You can include up to three Energy types in your deck, and if you have more than one type, the Energy you get each round will be assigned at random.

With all that in mind, here are five tips for building the ultimate deck.

No matter what kind of deck you build, there are two Trainer card staples you’ll want to include: Professor’s Research and Poké Ball.

A healing card turns into a dud if it’s not in your hand when your Pokémon runs dangerously low on HP. And even your heaviest hitter won’t make a difference if it doesn’t reach the Playmat. That’s why drawing and adding cards are so important.

With Professor’s Research, you can draw two cards from your deck. Poké Ball, on the other hand, adds a Basic Pokémon to your hand – a quick way to secure your footing early in the game. You won’t find these two cards in booster packs, but you can always purchase them with shop tickets. We recommend starting with two copies of each!

The next key is to decide which Pokémon will be the star of your battles.

Some decks are built to overpower opponents before they even get a chance to act, while others are built for laying meticulous traps that your challenger won’t notice until it’s far too late. If you’re still getting the hang of it all, limit your main Pokémon to one or two types to keep things manageable.

Matching type against your opponent – or more specifically, choosing a type that gives you an advantage over another Pokémon’s weakness – will give you a valuable edge when it comes time to battle.

If you’re focusing on Stage 2 Pokémon, it is also important to include the Rare Candy card. Use it to evolve your Basic Pokémon directly into a Stage 2 Pokémon and significantly speed up the pace of battle.

Powerful attacks often require high Energy. So Pokémon and Trainer cards that generate Energy are essential to help your main Pokémon reach its full potential.

Pichu, Magby and Mantyke can attach Energy to Pokémon on the Bench without needing any Energy themselves, so you can bide your time before tapping your main Pokémon in for that devastating strike.

Some Support cards are type-specific. In a Water-type deck, for example, Misty lets you flip a coin until you get tails, attaching Energy equal to the number of heads you get. With a stroke of luck, that could mean an instant victory.

If you’re using Eevee and its Evolutions, Eevee Bag is your friend. Choose to deal +10 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokémon or restore 20 HP to all Pokémon Evolutions from your Eevee, depending on the situation. Either way, it’s a win!

Look for Trainer cards that match your deck type.

No matter how strong a Pokémon is, there will always be opponents and situations it struggles against. Including one to two cards that cover the Weaknesses of your deck will give you more consistent wins.

If you’re using Stage 2 Pokémon, for instance, you might come across a few rough patches early in the game. But if you have a Pokémon that can attack with little Energy or one that’s high enough in HP to withstand the first volley of enemy fire, then it’s much likelier your main Pokémon will get a chance to fight back.

Identify your deck’s weaknesses to fill the gap.

If there’s still some room in your deck, add cards that expand the range of your strategies.

One way to catch someone off guard is to force a damaged Pokémon on your opponent’s Bench into the Active Spot with Cyrus. Or you can also switch their Active Pokémon with a Benched one using Sabrina. Silver and Mars can reduce or swap your opponent’s hand, derailing their plan. While the likes of Team Rocket Grunt can potentially send Energy from the opponent’s Active Pokémon to the discard pile.

Red gives +20 damage to Pokémon ex cards, which may be all you need to edge out a win. If you want to strengthen your defence, try adding 20 max HP to a Pokémon with Giant Cape. And if you need to recover from a heavy blow, Lillie can restore 60 HP to a Stage 2 Pokémon.

There are, of course, type-specific options too. If you have a Grass-type deck, look into Erika and Leaf Cape; one restores 50 HP while the other adds 30 to your Grass-type Pokémon’s max HP.

Building a deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket combines simple rules with strategic depth. And once you have your first deck, it’s time to test it in Solo and Versus battles to spot your vulnerabilities. Struggling to draw the cards you need? Not getting enough Energy to do any damage? All signs you need to add or remove a few cards!

Every new pack that’s released adds more possibilities to the Playmat. So time to put your thinking cap on, and happy deck building!