Notice

This page has yet to be updated for the rotation effective 11 April 2025. Deck lists below may contain cards that are no longer legal in the current Standard format. Planned update: In Progres.

What to Play - Budget Decks

BRS-SSP

These decks aren’t likely to win any big tournaments, but many of them offer a relatively cheap way to get into the Pokémon Trading Card Game and are steppingstones toward more competitive decks. Pricier cards like Prime Catcher from Temporal Forces and Fezandipiti ex from Shrouded Fable are used sparingly in these lists but are present in several of them. As you continue your journey as a player of the Pokémon Trading Card game, you’ll often find it’s worth it to pick up these less-than-budget-friendly staples as they’re common components for many decks.

Decks with a star (☆) are the most competitively viable options—or can be upgraded to be competitive with relative ease.

Important Note: Before committing to purchasing the cards required for any of the decks below, it’s crucial to examine the decks on the Meta Decks page to see if a suitable archetype also fits your budget. Often, meta decks can be budget decks themselves!

Deck Archetypes

$30

United Wings

Last updated 18 April 2025

Illus. Shibuzoh.

BASIC STRATEGY

Using every discarding resource in the deck, put all or most of your “United Wings” attackers in the discard pile. Then, attack with a remaining United Wings attacker to do 20 damage for each Pokémon in your discard pile with the United Wings attack.

KEY CARDS

EXAMPLE DECK LIST

Pokémon - 22

  • 4 Dartrix SFA 4
  • 4 Flamigo PAL 170
  • 4 Murkrow PAL 131
  • 4 Wattrel PAL 80
  • 2 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
  • 2 Tatsugiri TWM 131
  • 1 Kilowattrel PAF 22
  • 1 Rowlet SFA 3

Trainer Cards - 32

  • 4 Carmine PRE 103
  • 4 Professor's Research JTG 155
  • 2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
  • 1 Penny SVI 183
  • 4 Night Stretcher SFA 61
  • 4 Ultra Ball PAF 91
  • 2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
  • 2 Great Ball PAL 183
  • 2 Nest Ball PAF 84
  • 1 Brilliant Blender SSP 164
  • 1 Pal Pad SVI 182
  • 1 Super Rod PAL 188
  • 1 Defiance Band SVI 169
  • 1 Exp. Share SVI 174
  • 1 Rescue Board PRE 126
  • 1 Beach Court SVI 167

Energy - 6

  • 6 Basic Darkness Energy SVE 7

$30

Festival Grounds

Last updated 18 April 2025

Illus. MARINA Chikazawa

BASIC STRATEGY

Play down and evolve Grookey and Applin into Thwackey and Dipplin, respectively. With the Festival Grounds stadium card in play, attack with Dipplin’s Do the Wave attack, which does 20 damage for each of your Benched Pokémon. Then, because of the effect of Dipplin’s Festival Lead Ability, attack once again before your opponent starts their turn. With Dipplin in the Active Spot, make use of Thwackey’s Boom Boom Groove Ability, which lets you search your deck for any 1 card if your Active Pokémon has the Festival Lead Ability.

KEY CARDS

EXAMPLE DECK LIST

Pokémon - 21

  • 4 Applin TWM 17
  • 4 Dipplin TWM 18
  • 4 Grookey TWM 14
  • 4 Thwackey TWM 15
  • 2 Goldeen TWM 44
  • 1 Rabsca TEF 24
  • 1 Rellor TEF 23
  • 1 Seaking PRE 21

Trainer Cards - 33

  • 4 Arven OBF 186
  • 3 Iono PAF 80
  • 2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
  • 1 Kieran PRE 113
  • 1 Lana's Aid TWM 155
  • 4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin PRE 101
  • 4 Bug Catching Set PRE 102
  • 2 Ultra Ball PAF 91
  • 1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
  • 1 Super Rod PAL 188
  • 1 Switch SVI 194
  • 1 Defiance Band SVI 169
  • 1 Maximum Belt PRE 117
  • 1 Rescue Board PRE 126
  • 1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
  • 1 Vitality Band SVI 197
  • 4 Festival Grounds PRE 108

Energy - 6

  • 6 Basic Grass Energy SVE 1

$30

Gardevoir ex League Battle Deck

Sealed product, meta-upgradable

 
 

BASIC STRATEGY

Play down and evolve Ralts into Kirlia, or with Rare Candy, into Gardevoir ex. Use Gardevoir ex Psychic Embrace Ability to attach Psychic Energy from your discard pile to your Pokémon to prepare them to attack. Use Drifloon, Cresselia, Scream Tail, and even Gardevoir ex itself to take knockouts as needed.

KEY CARDS

Deck List

The list below reflects the cards contained in the sealed product.

Pokémon - 18

  • 4 Kirlia SIT 68
  • 4 Ralts SIT 67
  • 3 Drifloon SVI 89
  • 3 Gardevoir ex SVI 86
  • 1 Cresselia LOR 74
  • 1 Lumineon V BRS 40
  • 1 Mew ex MEW 151
  • 1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46

Trainer Cards - 29

  • 4 Iono PAL 185
  • 3 Professor's Research SVI 189
  • 2 Arven SVI 166
  • 2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
  • 1 Jacq SVI 175
  • 4 Nest Ball PAF 84
  • 4 Ultra Ball PAF 91
  • 3 Rare Candy PAF 89
  • 1 Super Rod PAL 188
  • 3 Bravery Charm PAL 173
  • 2 Artazon PAF 76

Energy - 13

  • 13 Basic Psychic Energy SVE 5

Upgrades

$30

Miraidon ex League Battle Deck

Sealed product, meta-upgradable

 
 

BASIC STRATEGY

With the help of Miraidon ex’s Tandem Unit Ability, get Regieleki V into play. Evolve Regieleki V into Regieleki VMAX so that Miraidon ex’s damage is boosted by Regieleki VMAX’s Transistor Ability, which adds 30 damage to the attacks of your Basic Lightning Pokémon.

KEY CARDS

Deck List

The list below reflects the cards contained in the sealed product.

Pokémon - 14
2 Bibarel BRS 121
2 Bidoof CRZ 111
2 Miraidon ex SVI 81
2 Regieleki ASR 51
2 Regieleki V SIT 57
2 Regieleki VMAX SIT 58
2 Zeraora SIT 56

Trainer Cards - 31
4 Arven OBF 186
4 Boss's Orders PAL 172
4 Professor's Research SVI 190
4 Electric Generator SVI 170
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
3 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Switch SVI 194
2 Vitality Band SVI 197
1 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
1 Leafy Camo Poncho SIT 160
2 Beach Court SVI 167

Energy - 15
15 Basic Lightning Energy SVE 4

Upgrades

$35

Lycanroc

Last updated 19 April 2025

Illus. Shiburingaru

BASIC STRATEGY

Evolve Doduo into Dodrio. Draw cards using Dodrio’s Zooming Draw Ability, which says, “Once during your turn, you may put 1 damage counter on this Pokémon. If you do, draw a card.” Work on discarding the deck’s copies of Spiky Energy using the deck’s discarding tools, like Brilliant Blender, Ultra Ball, and Earthen Vessel so that they are available to attach upon Rockruff evolving into Lycanroc via Lycanroc’s Spike-Clad Ability, which reads, “When you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokémon during your turn, you may attach up to 2 Spiky Energy cards from your discard pile to this Pokémon.” Meanwhile, play down Munkidori and attach a Basic Darkness Energy card to it so that you can move damage counters off of Dodrio and your other Pokémon using Munkidori’s Adrena-Brain Ability.

KEY CARDS

Deck List

Pokémon - 16

  • 4 Lycanroc JTG 85
  • 4 Rockruff JTG 84
  • 3 Dodrio MEW 85
  • 3 Doduo MEW 84
  • 2 Munkidori TWM 95

Trainer Cards - 33

  • 4 Iono PAF 80
  • 3 Arven OBF 186
  • 3 Professor's Research JTG 155
  • 2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
  • 4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin PRE 101
  • 3 Ultra Ball PAF 91
  • 2 Nest Ball PAF 84
  • 2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
  • 1 Brilliant Blender SSP 164
  • 1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
  • 1 Earthen Vessel PRE 106
  • 1 Super Rod PAL 188
  • 2 Rescue Board PRE 126
  • 1 Counter Gain SSP 169
  • 1 Technical Machine: Devolution PAR 177
  • 2 Artazon PAF 76

Energy - 11

  • 5 Basic Darkness Energy SVE 7
  • 4 Spiky Energy JTG 159
  • 2 Jet Energy PAL 190

$50

Blissey ex

Last updated 18 April 2025

Illus. Iwamoto05

BASIC STRATEGY

Evolve Chansey into Blissey and use Technical Machine: Turbo Energize to help power up Blissey ex’s Return attack, which does 180 damage and lets your draw until you have 6 cards in your hand. Use Munkidori’s Adrena-Brain Ability to move up to 3 damage counters off of Blissey ex and onto an opponent’s Pokémon to assist with knocking out your opponent’s Pokémon. Use Hero’s Cape to make Blissey ex a real menace to knock out.

KEY CARDS

EXAMPLE DECK LIST

Pokémon - 16

  • 3 Blissey ex TWM 134
  • 3 Chansey MEW 113
  • 3 Munkidori TWM 95
  • 2 Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex PRE 58
  • 2 Farigiraf ex TEF 108
  • 2 Girafarig TWM 83
  • 1 Fan Rotom SCR 118

Trainer Cards - 35

  • 4 Arven OBF 186
  • 3 Crispin PRE 105
  • 3 Iono PAF 80
  • 2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
  • 2 Professor's Research JTG 155
  • 4 Nest Ball PAF 84
  • 3 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
  • 2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
  • 2 Ultra Ball PAF 91
  • 1 Earthen Vessel PRE 106
  • 1 Pal Pad SVI 182
  • 1 Super Rod PAL 188
  • 2 Technical Machine: Turbo Energize PAR 179
  • 1 Heavy Baton TEF 151
  • 1 Hero's Cape TEF 152
  • 1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
  • 2 Artazon PAF 76

Energy - 9

  • 4 Basic Darkness Energy SVE 7
  • 2 Basic Fighting Energy SVE 6
  • 2 Basic Psychic Energy SVE 5
  • 1 Luminous Energy PAL 191