Hello everyone! We'll be taking a look at the recent top decks from the recent Ursiiday's Pocket Weekly Tournament #25 while also taking a look at the best decks you can use for Ranked from Ultraball range to Masterball.

Since it's been already three weeks since the start of Shining Revelry and the introduction of Ranked as well. The top decks are well defined by now, the room for experimentation has subsided although there are still innovations going on so check that out in this report!

In this article, I'll break down the largest tournament held yesterday analyzing the meta distribution, and then show you decks that are top performing as well as decks you can use in Ranked mode and get that Master Ball.

Deck Distribution

Ursiiday's Pocket Weekly #25 (681 Players)

A2-110 A2b-035 is now clearly the best deck of Shining Revelry, just based on how many players are bringing it. We’ll see later how many of them made it to the Top 64 as well.

A1a-018, on the other hand, is the second-best choice for players — which is expected given its huge damage output. Its 180 HP lets it survive most 130–150 damage attacks from top threats, making it a solid contender against A2-110 A2b-035 too.

Most of the remaining top decks are ones built specifically to counter A2-110 A2b-035, with A2b-007 paired with A2-053 leading the charge. It’s one of the newer decks built with that exact matchup in mind.

A1-036 A1-047 has really stood the test of time — it's still being played in the current meta, unlike its older Genetic Apex counterparts. The reason is simple: 200 damage deals with almost anything, and its 180 HP keeps it safe from most threats, like A1a-018.

A2-095 still holds a decent share, mainly because it was designed to counter A1a-018. But with recent innovations like A1a-018 running A2-147, you can’t just one-shot Magikarp with A1-154 anymore. The matchup is getting harder day by day. On top of that, A2-110 A2b-035 players are now dropping A1a-056, so A1-154 is seeing less value. A2-095 can’t one-shot A2-110 or A2b-035, especially when they’re wearing A2-147 — and A2b-035 can easily one-shot A2-095 with the help of A2-110 and A2b-071.

A2-111 A2-053 is also dropping in share after spiking last week. The reason? A terrible matchup against A2-110 A2b-035. It’s incredibly good against the rest of the field, but with more players picking up A2-110 A2b-035, you just hope to dodge the matchup — and that’s becoming less and less likely every day.

A2b-007 A2b-003 is slowly making a comeback after a huge drop last week. That’s mostly because A2-110 A2b-035’s popularity is skyrocketing, and aside from the A2-053 variant, A2b-007 A2b-003 is one of the best decks to counter it.

Lastly, we’ve got A2b-035 A1-185. It’s decent against A2-110 A2b-035 since they need time to set up their threats, and A1-185 can’t be one-shot unless they have A1-223. Outside of that, most other decks are staying the same with not much new innovation.

Top 64

• A2b-035 A2-110 completely overtook the format, taking over half of the Top 64. On top of that, it also had the highest conversion rate at 17.83% — making it, without a doubt, the best-performing deck in Shining Revelry. Nothing else even comes close... or does it?
• The biggest surprise of the tournament was A1-056 A2-050. Only two players brought it, and one of them made Top 8 — that’s insane. The deck did well because A2-050 can repeatedly attack while A2-110 A2b-035 is still powering up. Then, once A1-056 hits the field, its 160 damage and bulky HP can one-shot almost anything.
• A2b-035 A2-053 has been really impressive, finishing Top 16 — and only two players brought it to the event. That’s a terrific performance. Both A2-053 and A2b-035 are strong cards individually, and combining them proved to be a smart twist. It definitely caught players off guard, especially those unfamiliar with the deck’s intricacies.
• A2b-007 A2b-003 also made an impression, with 2 out of 12 players reaching Top 64 — a 16.67% conversion rate. That’s not too surprising though, since the deck is specifically built to counter A2-110 A2b-035, which showed up in huge numbers.
• Next is A2-053 A2-111 — 17 players brought it, and 2 still reached Top 64 despite the deck having a rough matchup against A2b-035 A2-110. It continues to prove its strength into the rest of the field, even if you're not expecting to hit reach the top with A2-110 A2b-035 dominating the top tables.
• We also saw a few unique decks like A2-110 A1-089 offering fresh takes compared to it's more popular counterparts. It didn't find the same success as A1-056 A2-050, but it’s still interesting to see players experimenting with these variations.

Top 4 Decks

Tournament	First Place	Second Place	Third Place	Fourth Place
Ursiiday's Pocket Weekly #18	Darkrai ex Giratina	Gyarados ex Manaphy	Darkrai ex Giratina ex	Darkrai ex Giratina ex

• A2b-035 A2-110 claimed first place in this week's tournament — no surprise there. What’s even more telling is that 3 out of the Top 4 were A2b-035 A2-110 decks, which only reinforces the fact that it’s not just the most played deck — it’s also the strongest. This result really solidifies its place at the top of the meta.
• That said, A1a-018 making it into the Top 4 is incredibly impressive, especially considering that only 6 players using it made it to Top 64. If we had to crown a second-best deck right now, there’s no doubt A1a-018 is a strong contender — if not the one.
• What’s interesting is that all three A2-110 A2b-035 decks in the Top 4 were built differently — each one with a unique tech card that gave it a distinct focus. I broke this down in detail in my guide, so definitely check that out if you haven’t yet!
  • 1st place ran double A2-148, mainly as a counter to A2-155, since it's easy to play around and helps keep pressure.
  • 3rd place opted for A2b-072 instead — a cool innovation, especially strong on ladder where disruption matters more.
  • 4th place went with double A2-155, which is insanely good in both the mirror match and against A2b-007.
• These subtle differences show how flexible the core is, and how the best builds are still adapting depending on matchups and expected field.

Darkrai ex Giratina ex First Place

The first place A2-110 A2b-035 EX list opted to run two A2-148s. I broke down the reasoning behind this in my guide, so check that out if you want a deeper dive into how the deck works.

The A2-148 tech is mainly there to counter aggressive decks like A2b-007 or A2-111 A2-053, helping you reach damage thresholds that A2b-071 alone can’t. It’s also very effective against A2-155 — since it’s easy to play having 1 less card for A2-155 to shuffle. Overall, this is a strong list that performs really well on ladder too.

Gyarados ex Second Place

This is now mostly the standard A1a-018 EX list, running A2-147 — mainly to counter A1-154, but it also pushes A1a-018 up to 200 HP, making it nearly impossible for A2-110 A2b-035 players to KO, even with a A2-110 ping and A2b-071. A2a-023 at 140 HP isn’t bad either and adds solid value.

The most interesting inclusion here is A2-155. I believe this tech is more suited for tournament play, especially with how common A2-110 A2b-035 and A2b-007 are right now. A2-155 is incredibly effective against both. It also strengthens the sacrificing A2-050 or A2a-023 play — since giving up 2 points lets A2-155 reduce their hand by 1 card, which can be devastating right before A1a-018 hits the board.

Blastoise Manaphy Top 8

This was easily the biggest surprise of the tournament — A1-056 reaching Top 8, especially since it’s rarely seen at the top in past events. But looking at it now, the deck actually makes a lot of sense. A1-056 is well-positioned in a meta filled with A2-110 A2b-035. Those decks often give A2-050 all the time it needs to charge up, and once A1-056 hits the board, its 160 damage can one-shot almost everything — especially when paired with A2b-071.

Its 180 HP is also tough for A2-110 A2b-035 to deal with cleanly, making it a solid pick overall. It’s not just a one-time fluke either — considering how many A2-110 A2b-035 decks it had to face, this performance feels earned, and we’ll likely see A1-056 spike in popularity over the coming week.

Giratina Magnezone Top 16

This A2b-035 A2-110 A2-053 A1a-056 list felt a bit unusual at first — but considering all these cards are strong individually, the combination actually makes a lot of sense, especially when drawn well. It’s a surprisingly well-crafted list in my opinion.

A2b-035 charges Energy on its own and can act as a pseudo-tank if A1a-056 isn’t set up. A1a-056 serves as your main wall, while A2-110 contributes consistent damage. What’s interesting is that the only card you're really attaching Energy to is A2-110, since both A2-053 and A2b-035 can self-charge — thanks to A1-098 enabling A2-053’s ability. The different-colored A2-051 also seems matchup-dependent, likely teching for specific threats.

The inclusion of A2-154 works really well with two self-charging attackers like A2-053 and A2b-035, and A2-146 helps you grab the pieces you need consistently. It’s a creative and refreshing take that brings together some of the strongest cards in the game — and I’m glad it made it to Top 16.

Best Decks for Ranked

After seeing the successful decks from the recent tournament, we now have a much clearer grasp of what the strongest decks look like. Based on the latest data — and my own experience grinding through Ranked — let’s break down the best decks you can use right now to climb the ladder and secure that Master Ball emblem!

Giratina ex Darkrai ex

Since it’s clearly the strongest deck by a huge margin, there’s really no better choice for Ranked than A2-110 A2b-035 — especially in the Ultraball range, where there’s generally less focus on its counters. That said, it’s a bit harder to play than most decks, so make sure to check out the guide for more optimal lines and decision-making.

There’s also been a recent innovation that I’ve come to prefer the more I play the deck: running double A2b-072 instead of A2b-070. While A2b-070 can be useful, it really only shines in the mirror or against hyper-aggressive decks. A2b-072, on the other hand, gives you a stronger edge in your worst matchups — like A1-036, A1a-018, and even some A2-053 or A2b-007 variants.

Of course, if you're consistently running into mirrors, A2b-070 or double A2-155 still remains a solid and defensible tech choice.

Gyarados ex

Another clear and reliable pick is A1a-018 EX. This is the list I personally prefer, a bit different from the tournament second place — running double A1-220, since I still believe A1-220 is a powerful card that can win games outright when played at the right time.

I’ve cut down to just one A2a-072 in favor of an extra A2-147. Double A2-147 helps your A2-050 survive early pressure from threats like A2-111 or A2a-009. That said, if you find A2-147 isn’t doing enough, adding back a second A2a-072 is totally fine. Personally, I still like having another Tool card, especially with how many A2-155 plays are floating around.

A2-050 is your early ramp Pokémon — letting you attach a Water Energy to two Benched Pokémon, usually A1a-018 and A2a-023, to get them into attacking range faster.

Skarmory Magnezone

And of course I have to feature this deck since it's the one that took me to Masterball quite early. You can check a guide on this deck here. Recent versions don't run A2-120 anymore and opted for A2b-071, but me personally — I would still run A2-120 since it still provides a lot of power, especially in idle situations. As always, this deck operates like a vulture — it's weak to A2-110 A2b-035 but strong against everything else. So this deck is really good in the Ultraball range but gets weaker on Masterball since there are a lot of A2-110 A2b-035. Try this deck if it works for you — if not, try the other decks instead.

Meowscarada Magnezone

A2b-007 A2-053 can be a bit of a mixed bag depending on where you are on the ladder. If you are seeing a lot of A2b-035 A2-110, you should definitely run this deck — especially on something like Masterball. But mind you, A2b-035 A2-110 players are also getting better against this matchup, since starting with A2-051 can be a bit atrocious, or starting with A2b-005 when you're going first can be awkward as well. So try this deck out and see if it works for you.

This is the standard list, but in my guide I prefer running A2-148 instead of A2b-071. I also prefer using A2b-069 instead of A1-225, so you call the shots on this one — what you think will work for you.

Rampardos Lucario

A2-089 A2-092 is actually looking strong again — arguably even better than A2-095 right now. It hits A2b-007 A2-053 hard, with A1a-047 able to one-shot A2-053 and A2-092 cleaning up easily. It’s also decent into A2-110 A2b-035, assuming you can draw into A2-089 and A2-092 early enough.

The toughest debate is whether or not to run A2b-071. Personally, I like adding another Basic Pokémon instead — it helps reduce the chances of drawing into A1a-047 or A2-091 too frequently, especially since A1a-047 tends to slow down your momentum a lot. But if you’re consistently facing A2-110 A2b-035, A2b-071 becomes an incredible inclusion — it allows you to rely less on A2-092 and push knockouts more directly.

Choosing between A2b-069 and A2-146 is also something worth considering. Lately, I’ve been preferring A2b-069 — it helps fix bad early hands and gives you a chance to draw into key evolutions like A2-089 or A2-092 when you need them most.

A2-089 is the late-game win condition, dealing 130 damage with Head Smash, which we'll rely on to knock out high-health Pokémon. With Life Coach boosting our damage, Head Smash can one-shot 150 HP Pokémon, which is most of the Pokémon in the current meta. However, Head Smash comes with a drawback, as A2-089 will self-damage for 50, making it more vulnerable to the opponent's upcoming attack.

Charizard ex

And finally, one of the stronger decks I believe you can confidently run on ladder is A1-036 — especially since it’s well-positioned to counter A2-110 A2b-035. The matchup gives you enough time to fully build up A1-036, and once it’s ready, it can one-shot nearly anything in front of it.

That said, the deck’s biggest challenge is consistency — not the opponent. Being a Stage 2 deck, it’s naturally less consistent. You’ll often rely on opening A1-047 for a strong start, plus you’re at the mercy of coin flips for early momentum. The addition of A2b-069 has made the deck more stable overall, giving you better recovery and hand-fixing.

There’s also a A2-022 variant, which focuses more on helping A1-047 survive longer rather than rushing straight into A1-036. It’s a viable option if you want a slower, more controlled tempo.

A1-047 fuels your setup with Inferno Dance — flipping 3 coins and attaching a Fire Energy to your Benched Pokémon for each heads. Ideally, while you’re evolving A2b-008 and A2b-009 into A1-036, you’re also loading up Energy for an immediate power play.

Once it’s on the field, A1-036 becomes your win condition. Crimson Storm deals 200 damage, enough to one-shot most threats in the format. The tradeoff is that it discards 2 Fire Energy, so you’ll need at least 5 Energy attached if you want to attack twice in a row.

Final Thoughts

At this point, the meta is pretty much solved — A2-110 A2b-035 is the clear best deck, and it’s not particularly close. It’s consistent, flexible, and dominates the top tables.

That said, decks like A1a-018, A1-056, and A2-089 A2-092 still have a place, especially in Ultraball where the field is more open. If you’re playing for Masterball, bring something refined — or bring the best deck and learn it inside out.