POKÉMON COLLECTION

 Zapdos ex: Zapdos is probably the most powerful of the three legendary bird "ex" cards, with a cheap 1 energy attack and a 3 energy option that does 50 damage per coin flip… and you flip four coins. That's potentially drawing with Charizard for the game's most powerful attack.

 Pincurchin: A cheap 2 energy attack that has a 50% chance to paralyse each time? That's a good card, especially if you're buying time to power up other cards on your bench.

 Electrode: No special abilities, but two energy for 70 damage is always respectable, plus it's a little tankier than most cards that do that damage. It's also got a free retreat option, so it's very versatile on the field.

 The Psychic-type cards are a mixed bunch with a certain amount of control abilities in there, as well as a general propensity towards defence and negation. However, it also holds one of the most powerful cards in the game - arguably the most iconic legendary of all time.

 Mewtwo ex: The card that shares the top meta spot with Pikachu, we've actually put together a guide on how to build the knockout Pokemon TCG Pocket Mewtwo ex deck.

 Hypno: Hypno's active power has a 50% chance to put the enemy card to sleep. Even on average, it means your opponent is going to lose about half their chances to attack.

 Fighting-type cards lean towards the chaotic, with a lot of random elements, but many are simply based around raw damage - no frills, and hard to overthink. Amidst that duality are some very good cards.

 Marowak ex: Marowak ex has one attack, a 2 energy strike that does 80 damage for each successful coin flip in a pair. So you might do 160 damage! Or maybe 0. Like we said, random, but very powerful if you're lucky.

 Machamp ex: A third-stage evolution, Machamp ex is rewarded with 180 health and a simple 120 damage attack. Straightforward enough, and its two pre-volutions aren't pushovers.

 Dugtrio: Dugtrio is an amazing mid-game option - with a 1 energy, 40 damage attack that has a 50% chance to leave you immune to all attacks and negative effects for the next turn. I've won whole matches by having Dugtrio evade enemy attacks while I charged benched Pokemon in the process.

 Grapploct: A little pricey in terms of energy (3) and its pre-volution isn't great, but its attack forces opponents to bench their opponent, which can easily throw off a strategy.

 Dark-type cards are also focused on control, but more status effects, negative qualities and negation of opponent's powers, effectively limiting your foe's options. This is also the deck choice for budget players, who haven't found many rare cards yet and haven't really milked the various Pokemon TCG Pocket currencies for hundreds of pack draws.

 Weezing: It's tanky, it's cheap with a 1 mana attack, it synergises with Koga, and its free ability lets you poison people. There's a strong case for Weezing being the best Dark card in the game.

 Arbok: Comes with a 2 energy attack that prevents your opponent from retreating. If you have the active Pokemon at a disadvantage when you send it out, Arbok all but guarantees it'll end with a defeat. Combine it with Sabrina and Pidgeot for unrivalled board control.

 It's the last of these that's the powerful one, with a 4 energy attack that randomly distributes 200 damage across the foe's board. It takes a while to set up, but once in play, Dragonite can ruin an opponent quickly. For ideas on deck synergy, we have a page on constructing the best Pokemon TCG Pocket Dragonite deck.

 Steel-type cards aren't really a favourite in the meta right now, with not enough of them and few standouts among the few. That'll no doubt change with time as new cards are added to the game, but right now these are the only ones that have potential.

 Mawile: Mawile is an early-game disruptor, as it can be deployed immediately, does 20 damage for 1 energy, and removes 1 energy from the target Pokemon on a successful coin flip.

 Filling the gaps of better decks, Normal-type Pokemon have a few worthy additions that can be included if you're looking to support another deck you're working on.

 Kangaskhan: A big tank with a 1 energy attack that does somewhere between 0 and 60 damage, Kangaskhan is a good first card to hold the active spot while you set up other Pokemon and fill your hand.

Pokemon

 Meowth/Persian: Meowth lets you draw a card every time it attacks, which can be great in the early game, while Persian has a 50% chance to force the opponent to discard a card every time it attacks. If you get them to discard something important, it can ruin their chances of winning.

 Poke Ball: I've never seen a deck that didn't have the maximum amount of Poke Ball cards, and I don't expect to. Drawing basic Pokemon is an essential quality in both the early and late game.

 Potion: When all else fails, recovery is no bad thing. A 20HP heal isn't much, but depending on the attack hitting you, it can be the difference between life and death.

 There are nearly a dozen Supporter cards in Pokemon right now, and unlike items, you can only use one per turn, and they're often a little more situational, playing off specific cards or gameplay elements. Still, these ones remain very potent:

 Professor's Research: Another card as essential as the Poke Ball, drawing two cards for free… that's a no brainer. Fill your deck with the maximum two the moment you start making one.

 Misty: Misty is a supremely chance-based card who can be devastating. You flip a coin and if it's heads, you give 1 energy to a water Pokemon you have out, and get to flip the coin again! That carries on until you get a tails, meaning Misty might do nothing, or you might give 15 energy to a card on turn one. Risky as it is, it's always worth it in Water decks.

 Sabrina: Sabrina forces the opponent to switch out their active Pokemon for one of their benched ones. A good control card that can buy you time to set up strategies, or bring back a damaged Pokemon into play so you can finish it off.

 Koga: Koga's specific to Dark type decks, but it allows you to bring back a Muk or Weezing to your hand, effectively resetting it as a card. A cheap retreat option that also restores it to full health, in essence.

 Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket is one of the best surprises of this year. It is an extraordinary free mobile experience that takes the TCG based on the Pokemon series and transforms it into a bite-sized, highly stylish version. While the mobile title is quite impressive already at launch, Pokemon TCG Pocket still needs trading to be perfect.

 It is a bit ironic that a card game that has the literal word “trading” in its title lacks that right now. In fact, it emphasizes the battling side of the card game more than the actual trading aspect. Fortunately, we already know that trading is coming to Pokemon TCG Pocket at some point. The questions now are when will that happen and what will it look like?

 Trading has always been a key aspect of the Pokemon series, both in the mainline games and the card version. It is one of the best ways to connect players together in a multiplayer format. After all, everyone benefits from being able to trade in a mobile game like this. You might have cards I need while I might have cards that you need.

 Card booster packs are completely randomized. You might get a gorgeous Articuno EX card but you run a Fire-based deck, so that is useless to you. Instead, you might want a card like Charizard or Moltres EX. Trading would allow you to instantly be able to offer your Articuno EX for a card that is more suitable to your particular deck.

 This feature should work in a safe manner, though. I see two ways it could work. The first would be to allow friends only to trade with one another while both are online at the same time. You could show off your cards to each other in real-time, and maybe even be able to message or react in the trade window.

 This method would require some failsafes, such as multiple checks to confirm you want to trade so you aren’t scammed. This is also why it should be restricted to only friends. On the other hand, the other method I would like to see is the Pokemon TCG Pocket equivalent of the GTS. A global trading network for the mobile title would be fantastic.

 People could put up cards they want to get rid of and note what card they are looking for. It would have to be rather specific, though, down to the rarities and the like. But perhaps there could also be a way to send a personalized offer to the person. Maybe you don’t have the card they want but you have a similarly valuable one. Perhaps then the person could consider the trade. However, if you have the exact card, you can initiate the trade automatically.

 This would be a neat way for everyone to get the cards they need. It would also the make the game less pay-to-win, so to speak. I don’t think Pokemon TCG Pocket is in any way a pay-to-win experience. However, there is no arguing that the more money you spend on packs, the more chances you have at finding the best cards.