Articuno EX and Starmie EX: Best Water Deck Builds in Pokémon TCG Pocket

Water-type decks have been dominant in Pokémon TCG Pocket since launch, and for good reason — cards like Articuno EX and Starmie EX offer fast, high-damage attacks that can overwhelm opponents before they set up. With the Misty Supporter card providing the potential for explosive Energy acceleration, Water decks remain a top-tier choice in competitive play. This guide covers the best Water deck builds, card choices, and strategies for 2026.

Why Water Decks Are Meta-Relevant

Water-type decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket excel at speed. With Misty providing a chance to attach multiple Water Energy in a single turn, you can power up heavy hitters like Articuno EX in record time. Combined with Starmie EX’s zero Retreat Cost and efficient attack, Water decks offer both aggression and flexibility. In the current meta, Water builds often go head-to-head with top Lightning decks like the Pikachu EX deck and other meta staples.

Articuno EX Build: The Fast Aggressor

The Articuno EX deck is built around speed and pressure. Here is the standard list:

• 2x Articuno EX
• 2x Misty
• 2x Professor’s Research
• 2x Sabrina
• 2x Poké Ball
• 2x Potion
• 2x X Speed
• 2x Giovanni
• 2x Red Card

The strategy is simple: get Articuno EX active as your starter, attach Energy, and use Misty to accelerate. Blizzard deals 80 damage to the active Pokémon and 10 damage to each benched Pokémon, making it excellent for spreading damage across the opponent’s field. With 140 HP, Articuno EX can survive most attacks and keep pressuring the opponent.

Starmie EX Build: Speed and Evasion

Starmie EX is arguably the best Basic Pokémon EX in the game for its cost-to-damage ratio. For just two Water Energy, it deals 90 damage with zero Retreat Cost, allowing you to pivot out of dangerous situations for free. Here is the recommended build:

• 2x Staryu
• 2x Starmie EX
• 2x Professor’s Research
• 2x Sabrina
• 2x Poké Ball
• 2x Misty
• 2x Potion
• 2x Giovanni
• 2x X Speed

This build focuses on evolving Staryu into Starmie EX as quickly as possible. Once active, you can attack for 90 damage every turn. The zero Retreat Cost means you can freely switch between attackers without wasting Energy attachments, making this one of the most flexible decks in the game.

Mixed Water Build: Best of Both Worlds

Many competitive players combine both Articuno EX and Starmie EX in a single deck for maximum flexibility:

• 2x Articuno EX
• 2x Staryu
• 2x Starmie EX
• 2x Misty
• 2x Professor’s Research
• 2x Sabrina
• 2x Poké Ball
• 2x Potion
• 2x Giovanni

This mixed build gives you two powerful attackers with different strengths. Articuno EX provides spread damage and bulk, while Starmie EX offers fast, consistent damage and free retreats. Use Articuno EX to soften the opponent’s board, then clean up with Starmie EX.

Key Card: Misty

Misty is the key to making Water decks work. For each heads you flip, you can attach a Water Energy from your hand to a Pokémon. While the coin flip variance can be frustrating, getting two or three heads on turn one can win the game on the spot. Always run two copies of Misty in your Water deck.

Matchups and Strategy

Water decks perform well against Fire types like the Charizard EX deck due to type advantage. However, they struggle against Lightning decks like Pikachu EX and Electabuzz variants. The key to winning difficult matchups is energy acceleration — if you can get a heads on Misty early, you can outpace any deck. Use Sabrina to force out vulnerable Pokémon and Giovanni to push damage past key thresholds like 130 HP (the magic number for knocking out Pikachu EX in one hit).

Final Thoughts

Water decks remain a pillar of the Pokémon TCG Pocket meta in 2026. Whether you prefer the spread damage of Articuno EX or the speed of Starmie EX, Water-type decks offer powerful and flexible options for competitive play. Check out our other guides on building the best TCG Pocket decks for more strategies.