2022 was a wild ride for Pokemon TCG fans as it brought different expansions to the fray with Brilliant Stars, Astral Radiance, and Lost Origins. Spin-off sets like Pokemon GO and Trick or Trade BOOster bundles are also included in the standard format, of course. With these expansion sets, 2022 had a wicked good run whether you play printed or online so we've listed down the 2022 top 10 standard format decks in Pokemon TCG.
Listed below are the current best decks that you can find in the game or at least notable ones that really made an impact in the casual and competitive scene of Pokemon TCG. As the meta constantly changes, so do the cards included in the decks that people play in tournaments.
Top 10 Standard Format Decks of 2022
1. Giratina VStar
Giratina VStar is a card that has easily broken the standard deck format because of its Lost Impact move and not having any weakness. The Giratina VStar deck has toppled the Palkia VStar deck from its spot and putting it down somewhere else on this list. It is difficult to knockout as it has no weakness and a whopping HP of 280. This card is best paired with Comfey that has the Flower Selecting ability and Colress' Experiment that adds more cards into Lost Zone, preparing for the Giratina VStar to come out and unleash 280 damage in one go, knocking out most cards in the current meta. You may also add Leafeon VStar to help power up Giratina early on together with a combination of Heavy Ball and Peonia to get the cards you need since this deck runs on a lower count of cards.
2. Lugia VStar
The star of the latest expansion of Sword & Shield, Lugia VStar comes bursting out and goes right in to the top of the standard deck format meta. It has a lot of potential right from the beginning of the game. Paired with Archeops' Primal Turbo ability, Lugia VStar can easily unleash its Temple Dive attack dising out 220 damage output to your opponent and discarding a Stadium Card that is in play. This breaks the potential of opponents utilize cards like Gapejaw Bog, Training Court, Path to the Peak, PokeStop, and others that rely heavily on Stadium Cards. As powerful as the Lugia VStar deck is, it is beaten easily by the Giratina VStar deck as it lacks draw support. While a lot of players would find a way to fix this problem, it would not be as reliable or as consistent as the likes of Comfey and Colress' Experiment in the Giratina VStar deck.
3. Regigigas
In terms of single prize decks, Regigigas remains on top as there is none that comes as strong as this deck in the current standard deck format. Once this deck gets going, it is very difficult to defeat. The Regigigas deck requires a lot of different types, it has a lot of weaknesses but it can hit others' weaknesses as well. Keeping the bench full with all Regis can be quite a handful especially with cards that have a bench sniping ability but luckily, there are only a few in the current standard deck format that actually can knockout your backline. Those that utilize Radiant Greninja wouldn't be able to do a single KO since the Regis have more than 90HP so doing a two single prize move in a single turn can be tricky.
4. Palkia VStar
The hero of the Astral Radiance expansion set, Palkia VStar has an incredible attack that deals 60+ damage output depending on the number of your benched Pokemon, an ability that lets you accelerate energy on yourself to prepare for its attack. This card pairs well with the Inteleon engine that can accelerate cards for you and with the advantage of Irida and Melony, you can dish out incredible amounts of damage outputs for only two energy cards. Despite the Lost Zone engine taking the current top spot in the standard deck format, Palkia VStar remains to be a powerhouse in the scene.
5. Mew VMax: Fusion Strike
The best card in the Fusion Strike expansion set came in the form of a cute and lovable classic legendary that is Mew VMax. The power of this card paired with Genesect V's ability, Fusion Strike System, allows players to draw cards on command. This accelerates the deck easily and allows you to evolve to Mew VMax in no time. With Mew VMax's Cross Fusion Strike, you can easily dish out 210 damage output by copying your Genesect V's Techno Blast. With the use of Power Table, you can have enough damage to even do a one hit KO to VMax opponents with ease.
6. Kyruem VMax/Palkia VStar
Kyurem VMax remains as one of the few VMax decks in the standard deck format that still dominates easily as it deals 120+ damage output, potentially landing a one hit KO to opponents with chunky HPs. Paired with the Palkia VStar, it can easily get the energy cards that is necessary to deal more damage as it goes on a rampage. With the Glaciated World ability, you can get more energy cards to deal more damage effectively as well. Other cards like Capacious Bucket, Melony, and Irida make great supporters for this deck for it as well.
7. Hisuian Zoroark
Another deck that came out of the Lost Origins expansion is the Hisuian Zoroark deck that focuses on getting Pokemon that has damage counters from your bench Pokemon with the help of either Damage Pump or Gapejaw Bog to power up your attack. It can easily deal as much as 250 damage as long as all five of your benched Pokemon have damage counters on them. Hisuian Zoroark pairs well with Empoleon V (as it counters the Lost Zone engine) and can be played with Cheren's Care to increase the odds of not being knocked out by the opponent.
8. Lost Zone Box
While this deck is filled with single prize cards, there is a lot of advantage when it comes to playing the Lost Zone Box. Comfey, Sableye, Cramorant, and Radiant Charizard are more than enough to potentially turn the tide from your opponent snowballing to having a huge comeback later in the game. It makes use of the Lost Zone engine so cards like Colress' Experiment, Lost Vacuum, and Comfey will place cards on the Lost Zone while Sableye and Cramorant deal insane amounts of damage output without having to use any energy whatsoever.
9. Goodra VStar with Arceus VStar
The winner of the recent 2022 Salt Lake Regionals, Arceus VStar still has its strengths against other good decks when paired with the Goodra VStar. Goodra VStar is quite difficult to knock out as it receives 80 less damage output from opponents thanks to its Rolling Iron move that even deals 200 damage. What makes it a nightmare is when it's paired with a Radiant Gardevoir's Loving Veil that reduces damage received by 20 from opponent's Pokemon V and Big Parasol that prevents all effects of attacks from your opponent's Pokemon.
10. Ice Rider Calyrex/Palkia VStar
Going up against Ice Rider Calyrex paired with the Palkia VStar is a force to be reckoned with. With Ice Rider Calyrex's Max Lance, you can deal up to 240 damage when you discard two water energy cards. Of course, this can be supported by Palkia VStar's Star Portal VStar Power that lets you attach up to three water energy cards from your discard pile to any of your water Pokemon in play. With the likes of Capacious Bucket, Irida, and Melony as your supporters, you can accelerate the energy draw and just knock out opponents left and right.
In 2023, we are set to expect the release of the Scarlet and Violet expansion sets and we've already set our sights to how the standard deck format will be by then. Are you keen on having a META deck on your arsenal or will you go with unconventional decks for the year to come? Make sure to check back in and find out more about Pokemon TCG here on ClutchPoints gaming. Best of luck, Trainers!
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