Battle decks grew in popularity in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Never before has there been such a high demand for this archetype. Experts attribute this rise to the new Golem and Marshadow from the Mythical Island expansion. If these changes in META prompted you to search a reliable, tournament-winning Fighting deckyou are in the right place. This guide offers three designs for top decks featuring the best fighting cards in the Pokemon Pocketalong with key archetype trends you should watch out for.

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Pokemon Pocket: How to get the Celebi Emblem
Pokemon Pocket's Mythical Island set hides a secret Celebi emblem that can only be unlocked after collecting these four specific cards.
The killer duo of Golem and Druddigon
Card |
Amount |
---|---|
Golem |
x2 |
Geodude |
x2 |
Graveler |
x2 |
Druddigon |
x2 |
Marshadow |
x2 |
Hitmonlee |
x2 |
Brock |
x2 |
Leaf |
x1 |
Giovanni |
x1 |
Teacher research |
x2 |
Pokeball |
x2 |
If you want to build a powerful fighting deck, Golem is the key. The current META centers around this Pokemon's synergy with Druddigon, Marshadow, and Hitmonlee, following a simple game plan: place Druddigon in the Active Slot as a tank, bench Marshadow for Revenge, and build Golem with Brock.
This Golem deck, along with its variants, has secured wins in several recently Pokemon Pocket tournaments. It's also one of the most reliable counters to the currently trending ex-Gyarados decks.
You can trade a trainer card from the Golem deck for a potion, but note that there are no flexible Pokemon options in this deck list.
The most promising fighting package
The unlikely partnership of Aerodactyl ex and Primeape
Card |
Amount |
---|---|
Aerodactyl ex |
x2 |
Old Amber |
x2 |
Monkey |
x2 |
First |
x2 |
Marshadow |
x2 |
Giovanni |
x2 |
Teacher research |
x2 |
Poke Ball |
x2 |
Potion |
x2 |
Sabrina |
x2 |
Aerodactyl ex remains a controversial card in Pokemon Pocket. While it can be impressive at its peak, its lack of consistency often leads to disappointment. However, the Aerodactyl ex & Primeape combo is worth experimenting with. While it lacks raw power, the deck offers a solid mix of interrupt and counter, making it a strong option for PvP.
The best fight pack for the budget
The underrated power of former Marowak and former Machamp
Card |
Amount |
---|---|
Machamp ex |
x2 |
Whoops |
x2 |
Machoke |
x2 |
Marshadow |
x2 |
Hitmonlee |
x2 |
Cubes |
x2 |
Marowak ex |
x2 |
Pokeball |
x2 |
Teacher research |
x2 |
Sabrina |
x1 |
Giovanni |
x1 |
Both ex-Marowak and ex-Machamp quickly dropped out of the META with the rise of ex-Pikachu and ex-Mewtwo. However, the addition of new Mythical Island stars—Marshadow and Hitmonlee—offers some hope. This pairing makes the Marowak and Machamp deck more aggressive, allowing for earlier damage and better attack responses, which helps compensate for the slow spawn of the group.
However, it's important to note that neither Marowak nor Machamp rank as top tier cores. While the Mythical Island boost improves their performance, the deck still struggles to compete with most metagame decklists.
Fighting Deck Trends to Watch
Before the release of Mythical Island, Fighting decks were not very popular in the metagame. But after the mini-set dropped, the archetype went from underwhelming to dominating in just a few days, thanks to three unexpected stars: the new Golem, Marshadow, and Genetic Apex's Hitmonlee. Here are the trends of this archetype that you should watch closely:
Golem's share of the tournament META is growing rapidly
Looking at the recent ones Pokemon Pocket tournaments, you'll notice that Golem decks consistently rank in the top five. Its synergy with Druddigon and Marshadow helped revolutionize the META, leading to the success of the new Golem decks.
Marshadow becomes the must-have combat tech card
Battle parties without Marshadow are becoming rare. The sheer value of this tech card made it an essential addition to any battleline. Marshadow introduces a perfect hit-and-run strategy, allowing him to function as a low-cost, high-damage assassin. If you want to stay competitive, you'll need Marshadow in your deck.
Hitmonlee is now a great counter for e.g. Gyarados
Former Gyarados became the only Pokemon to challenge former Pikachu and former Mewtwo. However, Hitmonlee proved to be a fantastic counter to this power. Hitmonlee's ability to target Bench Pokemon disrupts the slow evolution of the former Gyarados, making it an increasingly popular pick in the metagame. Expect to see more counter decks with Hitmonlee soon.