Pokémon TCG Pocket boasts hundreds of cards, including several powerful legends, but Oricorio is causing a stir following the latest update, and we’ve got a deck to help you rake in victories.
The Celestial Guardians set in Pokémon TCG Pocket introduced the likes of Solgaleo and Lunala to the handheld hit, but it’s Oricorio taking the limelight, boasting an incredibly useful ability.
If you’ve heard that the bird is the word and want to capitalize by creating the best Oricorio deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
Best Oricorio Deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket
One key point to remember with the best Oricorio deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket is that you need a specific form—the Pom-Pom Oricorio, as the others don’t benefit from its ability.
Having tested a few decks oriented around Pom-Pom Oricorio, I’ve found this one to be the best.
| Card Name | Card Type | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Pom-Pom Oricorio | Pokémon | Celestial Guardians (Solgaleo) |
| Pom-Pom Oricorio | Pokémon | Celestial Guardians (Solgaleo) |
| Magnemite | Pokémon | Genetic Apex (Pikachu) |
| Magnemite | Pokémon | Genetic Apex (Pikachu) |
| Magneton | Pokémon | Genetic Apex (Pikachu) |
| Magneton | Pokémon | Genetic Apex (Pikachu) |
| Magnezone | Pokémon | Space-Time Smackdown |
| Magnezone | Pokémon | Space-Time Smackdown |
| Sabrina | Supporter | Genetic Apex (Charizard) |
| Cyrus | Supporter | Space-Time Smackdown (Palkia) |
| Iono | Supporter | Shining Revelry |
| Iono | Supporter | Shining Revelry |
| Guzma | Supporter | Celestial Guardians (Lunala) |
| Guzma | Supporter | Celestial Guardians (Lunala) |
| Professor’s Research | Supporter | Shop |
| Professor’s Research | Supporter | Shop |
| Pokémon Communication | Trainer | Space-Time Smackdown (Dialga) |
| Giant Cape | Trainer | Space-Time Smackdown (Dialga) |
| Poké Ball | Trainer | Shop |
| Poké Ball | Trainer | Shop |
The strategy with this deck is to get Pom-Pom Oricorio into the active position as quickly as possible, especially if your opponent has a Pokémon ex on the field. With it’s Safeguard ability, Pom-Pom Oricorio takes no damage from attacks by an opponent’s Pokémon ex.
Pom-Pom Oricorio requires two energy for its Zzzap attack, dishing out 50 damage, and, while that’s by no means groundbreaking, it’s good enough to chip away at your opponent. To increase Pom-Pom Oricorio’s survivability, equip it with the Giant Cape Trainer Card.
While Pom-Pom Oricorio is sponging up opponents’ attacks, focus on evolving your Magnemite on the bench to Magneton as quickly as possible to utilize its ability, allowing you to place energy from your energy zone onto Magneton once per turn. Use this to stack as much energy as possible before evolving to Magnezone, which should then become your active Pokémon.
The downside to this deck is the weakness to Fighting-type Pokémon, which can blitz through your entire set-up in seconds, and being largely redundant against any opponent who utilizes non-ex Pokémon.
Alternative Cards to Use in an Oricorio Deck
While the above table showcases the best cards to use in a Pom-Pom Oricorio deck, you can make changes to suit your playstyle—and one that is definitely worth considering is swapping out one of the Supporter or Trainer Cards for Potion, which boosts survivability.
If you don’t want to go down the Magnezone route, other Pokémon to consider are Tapu Koko and Vikavolt, the former being a particularly good choice as it’s a single-stage Pokémon and won’t require any evolution to get it up to speed.
Togedemaru is another decent option to fill out your deck if you opt for a single-stage Pokémon, though you will be relying on luck with the coin toss for it’s Electrosmash attack.
Why is Oricorio so Good in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
The answer to why Pom-Pom Oricorio is so good in Pokémon TCG Pocket is simple: it has a brilliant ability.
Pokémon ex are the driving force behind the majority of the best decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket, and it can be difficult to stop yourself from being steamrolled if an opponent gets into their rhythm with a Pokémon ex in play.
Pom-Pom Oricorio eliminates that entirely as it’s immune to attacks from any Pokémon ex, though it does need support from the rest of the deck as a few high-powered attacks from standard Pokémon can quickly eliminate it.
Want more Pokémon? Take a look at the leaks for the next Pokémon TCG Pocket set and check out the full set list for Celestial Guardians.
What’s your favorite deck to use in Pokémon TCG Pocket? Got any tips to help other players? Let us know in the Insider Gaming Forum.
