Table of Contents
Introduction
Welcome to our comprehensive guide on how to easily defeat the solo battles for Pokemon TCG Pocket updated for the new Triumphant Light expansion!
This is a general guide focuses on strategies that can be applied to all difficulties and all expansions if you haven't finished them or just a new player on the block. If you're looking to beat the Expert Solo, check this Expert Solo Battle Guide - Triumphant Light.
First and foremost, since players have different card collections, it’s not always ideal to recommend a single deck. Instead, here are some useful tips to keep in mind. The decks I will also be featuring will not include any in the new expansion since I imagine most people won't have most of the new cards right away.
General Solo Battle Guides
- Consider using rental decks to beat the stage. This is a good strategy especially if you're a new player. This allows for 100% completion without spending any money.
- Complete tasks gradually. The Expert mode is quite hard and usually can not be beat by one playthrough so you might need to challenge solo battles multiple times with different decks until all objectives are achieved. You DO NOT need to complete all tasks in one game.
- If you're looking for all of the best non-ex decks for the "Win this battle using a deck where all the Pokémon cards are of ⟡, ⟡⟡, and/or ⟡⟡⟡ rarity" challenge. You can go to Meta No-Ex to check them all.
- Use other decks: Once you have completed the "Win this battle using a deck where all the Pokémon cards are of ⟡, ⟡⟡, and/or ⟡⟡⟡ rarity" challenge, transition to more powerful decks featuring EX Pokémon. MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER.
- Refer to our Guides Section and Tier List for deckbuilding inspiration and optimal strategies.
- If you're missing some of the cards, you can trade in our Trade section and there are also a lot of people to trade with in our Discord.
Tasks and Rewards
| Mission | Reward |
|---|---|
| Win this battle with a deck with a certain Type | Shop Ticket x5 |
| Win this battle using a deck where all the Pokémon cards are of ⟡, ⟡⟡, and/or ⟡⟡⟡ rarity | Shop Ticket x5 |
| Win this battle by turn 12 | Shop Ticket x5 |
| Win this battle without your opponent getting any points | Shop Ticket x5 |
| Deal 1,500 or more damage | Shop Ticket x5 |
| Get 12 or more points | Shop Ticket x5 |
| First-Time Clear Rewards | |
|---|---|
| EXP x100 | Pack Hourglass x7 |
| Shinedust x200 | Shop Ticket x1 |
The hardest missions are:
- Winning with a certain type - since this requires you having a decent deck to fight each of them. I will be showing you the best decks for each type.
- Win this battle using a deck where all the Pokémon cards are of ⟡, ⟡⟡, and/or ⟡⟡⟡ rarity - can also prove a challenge that's why I will be presenting which I think are the best non-EX decks.
- Win this battle without your opponent getting any points - This can also be troublesome and will require you to have high HP Pokemon and only run a certain number of decks.
Recommended ⟡, ⟡⟡, and/or ⟡⟡⟡ Deck List
These are my recommended non-EX decks specifically for solo battles due to their aggressiveness and high power output, allowing you to finish games quickly and complete the "Win this battle by turn 12" and "Win this battle without your opponent getting any points" tasks.
However, keep in mind that the "Win this battle without your opponent getting any points" task is quite difficult to achieve with a non-EX deck. I recommend switching to EX decks instead, as EX cards generally have higher HP and can withstand more hits.
Now, onto the decks.
This is probably one of the most reliable non-ex decks you can use for the solo battle due to the high HP of A1a-050 able to do the "your opponent not getting any points" mission. A1a-054 on the other hand lets you finish most big guys, especially the ex Pokémon.
The general strategy is to ideally start with A1-176 into A1a-050 while you evolve your A1a-054 line. Since the enemy will be poisoned from A1a-050's ability, A1a-054's Venoshock will almost always be active, which you can also get from A1a-054. If you're missing A2-146, you can add another A1a-068. PROMO-001, A2-147, and A2-150 are also good alternatives.
Alternatively, this is also a good Dark deck you can run if you want to be more aggressive, although A1-165 has lower HP, making you more susceptible to being knocked out. A2-147 helps mitigate this. If you're missing some of the other cards, adjusting the card ratios can be a viable solution.
The general strategy is the same as with A1a-054, but you have A1-165 instead. The advantage of this variant is that starting with A1-164 is decent since you can evolve into A1-165 right away, making you less reliant on starting with A1a-050. With two A1-225, you can reliably lock in any Pokémon you want to take down, especially if it's an EX with no energy attached.
Tied with A1a-050, A1-038 A1-221 is always considered one of the best non-EX decks to play in solo mode due to its aggressiveness. It plays fast, and you can easily retry if you lose.
The general strategy is that if you're going first, start with A1a-010 so you can evolve into A1a-011 next turn and start dealing damage. If you're going second and have A1-038 in hand, starting with A1-037 is also a great option since you have the potential to stop your opponent from attacking before evolving into A1-038 the next turn to deal 90 damage right away. Both A1a-011 and A1-038 benefit from A1-221, giving you a consistent +30 damage boost, which makes this deck highly aggressive.
The weakness of this deck is that, unlike A1a-050, your HP is limited to only 100, meaning you can be one-shot easily. Because of this, you have to hit hard and fast. We're including one of each A1a-011 and A1-043 so you will always have more options depending on your energy needs, juggling them with A2-146.
If you only need a Fire-only deck, you can always remove A1-198 and probably replace it with A1-048.
This is also one of the top three rotational non-EX decks for solo mode because of how fast it is. A1a-041 alone can clear most starter Pokémon when going second, while A1a-042 ensures your 50 damage is reliable. It is incredibly fast, especially when paired with A2-092. You can definitely run the deck without A2-092, although you might lack the firepower to finish games quickly.
The general strategy is to ideally start with A1a-041 and evolve into A1a-042 or A1-155. Starting with A2-091 isn’t bad either if you have A2-092 in hand, as you can deal 60 damage. Similar to A1-038 A1-221, the idea is to apply pressure early, preventing your opponent from setting up.
I included A1a-047 to increase your chances of winning, but it’s not ideal if you're aiming to prevent your opponent from scoring any points. The ratio of Supporters or Items is interchangeable depending on your needs, and adding another A2-146 might make the deck more consistent.
Yes, one of the strongest decks in the last expansion was this deck, and since it's non-EX, it's quite good. You can deal 50 damage right away with A2-111 and a Tool, similar to A1a-041 but slightly more reliable. Another positive aspect of the deck is its higher HP pool, thanks to A2-120 and A2-053, which can also be paired with A2-147 to help complete the "not letting your opponent get a point" task.
The general strategy is to ideally start with A2-111 and begin dealing 50 damage immediately to outpace the enemy. A2-053, on the other hand, benefits from A1-098, allowing it to charge energy to itself through its ability. This lets you funnel all your energy into A2-120, bringing them out as soon as A2-111 is close to being knocked out. It's a potent deck that you should consider for solo battles.
This might not be as fast as the other decks, and since we're running A1a-056, there is a high chance that it will almost always get knocked out, making it harder to complete the "opponent not getting a point" task. However, I wanted to feature it because of its power level. In my opinion, this is the best non-EX deck purely in terms of power output, making it an excellent choice for completing the "win with a non-EX deck" task. The two best Stage 2 Pokémon, A2-053 and A1-089, allow you to unleash massive firepower, letting you outmatch even EX Pokémon.
The strategy is to have A1a-056 as your frontliner while you evolve your Stage 2s. This deck also runs Fire Energy, so you'll frequently be attaching energy to A1a-056 since A1-089 and A2-053 don’t require much energy. This allows A1a-056 to pose a threat while also maintaining the ability to retreat if necessary, given that we aren't running retreat cost reducers like A1a-068.
Running two copies of A2-150 is also viable as a replacement for A2-146, as it allows you to hit the bench. However, I think having one more consistency option is preferable.
Naturally, the deck can be a bit inconsistent due to the reliance on two Stage 2 Pokémon, which is why it takes some time to get going but if you want to beat any deck, this is basically it.
As mentioned if you are missing some of the cards, consider using a rental deck or check out Meta non-ex for more decks to look from.
Recommended EX Deck List
I would like to recommend this decks in your arsenal since they can pretty much beat most of the opponents and also tank enough for the your opponent not getting a point task. I would be featuring the best ones for each type.
This is my go-to deck when I don't want my opponent to score any points whatsoever because A1-023, combined with a multitude of healing options, is incredibly difficult for the enemy to break through.
The strategy is simple: tank with A1-023 while keeping it alive using PROMO-001, A1-219, or A2-147. We are only running one other Basic Pokémon, A1a-003, to maximize our chances of drawing A1a-001. The damage output from A1-23-exeggutorex is sufficient to gradually wear down any opponent.
If a strong potential threat arises that you need to remove, this is where A1a-003 comes in—you can invest all your energy into it. I would also recommend adding another A2-146 to more easily search for A1-23-exeggutorex.
If you're looking to quickly complete the 1,500 damage task, adding the A1a-006 line is also a good option, as it allows you to deal significant damage with A1a-003.
This is my second go-to deck for any other mission and even works for the "can't let the opponent get any points" task since A1-047 and A1-036 are both tanky and difficult to take down early on. As long as you get A1-047 and A1-033 at the start, you are usually going to win.
The strategy is to start with A1-047 and use its attack to provide energy to A1-033. Then, evolve A1-033 into A1-036, which will be your main damage dealer. Since A1-036 discards two energy after using Crimson Storm, you really want to stack as much energy on it as possible to ensure you can keep attacking every turn. The deck primarily revolves around getting A1-036 online as quickly as possible. That’s why we also include several retreat cost reducers, allowing you to easily retreat A1-047.
A1-036’s high 200 damage output also allows you to complete the 1,500 damage task much faster than most other decks.
I highly recommend getting the two decks above since they will make solo battles much easier and faster so trade for Charizard right away!
Since we're going to use Colorless-type Pokémon in the new Triumphant Light solo battles, this is the best deck you can use—or you can also try A1-195.
The strategy is pretty simple: evolve into A1a-059 while A1-203 protects you. Then, unleash A1a-059 to defeat most enemies in your path.
And you're going to need a Water-type deck too. This is the best Water-type deck list, in my opinion, that you can run in solo battles, since A2-049 can take out anything and can easily be charged by A1-220.
A1-076, on the other hand, can defeat most opponents with its 2 Energy, 90-damage attack, making it difficult for the opponent to build up.
Ideally, start with A2-050 and charge two Water-type Pokémon, then use A2-049 or A1-076, whichever is available, to deal with most enemies.
You prefer having A2-049 stacked with Energy, since it discards them after Dimensional Storm, and we did cut A1a-019 from this list.
This is our go-to Psychic deck because it can easily tank most hits, while A1-129 deals with any threats along the way. It is also fast, as you will draw a lot with Mythical Slab, while A1-132 provides Energy to A1-129 with ease.
A1a-032 can be replaced by any other Pokémon or removed entirely.
The strategy is to charge A1-129 with Energy, as it will be your main damage dealer. Psydrive discards 2 Energy after attacking, so this is where A1-132 comes in—providing an additional Energy source, allowing you to attack with Psydrive every turn, making it difficult for the enemy to keep up.
And finally, an Electric-type deck. A1-096 is the best and fastest deck for clearing missions, and with its partner A1-104, you can take down most big threats—assuming you get lucky, of course.
The strategy revolves around getting to A1-096 as quickly as possible. This is where most of your two Energy attachments will go right from the start, allowing you to attack with it while having three Pokémon on the Bench.
The other win condition is A1-104, as it can deal huge damage with Thundering Hurricane.
If you're looking for more ex decks, check the Meta Decks section.
Expert Solo Guide for Triumphant Light
Check this Expert Solo Battle Guide - Triumphant Light for the updated Expert Solo Guide for Triumphant Light!
Conclusion
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