You've probably seen the Charizard ex decks flooding the ladder. Or maybe you're tired of getting sniped by Mewtwo ex and its psychic-energy-shredding dominance. It's the same story every time you log into Pokemon TCG Pocket: people gravitate toward the flashiest, highest-damage cards they can find. But there’s a massive oversight happening right now. While everyone else is fighting over who can attach more Fire Energy, a small group of players is cleaning up with the Pokemon TCG Pocket colorless deck archetype. It’s consistent. It’s frustratingly tanky. Honestly? It’s just cheaper to build.
Colorless decks in Pocket don't rely on a specific Energy type. That sounds like a small detail. It isn't. It means you can literally run whatever Energy you want or, more importantly, splash these cards into almost any other deck as a secondary engine. But when you go "Mono-Colorless," you're playing a game of efficiency. You aren't praying for a specific draw to hit a Type-specific Trainer card. You're just hitting. Hard. And usually with a lot of HP to back it up.
The Snorlax Problem and Why It Works
If you’ve played more than ten matches, you know Snorlax. He’s the big, sleepy wall that everyone hates to see in the active spot. In the current Pokemon TCG Pocket meta, Snorlax serves as the absolute backbone of the colorless strategy. With 150 HP, he is a nightmare to one-shot. Most evolved "ex" cards struggle to hit those numbers without a massive setup. Snorlax just sits there. He eats hits. He heals if you're lucky with the right Trainer cards.
The real magic of the Pokemon TCG Pocket colorless deck is that it punishes the "glass cannon" meta. Everyone is trying to build these intricate machines that do 150+ damage. Snorlax and his buddies—like Kangaskhan—just exist to waste your opponent's time while you chip away at their resources. Kangaskhan’s "Dizzy Punch" is a coin-flip fiesta, sure, but when it hits? It swings the game.
Think about the math. If an opponent spends three turns powering up a Mewtwo ex, and you spend three turns just slapping 30, 60, or 90 damage onto them with a Basic Pokemon that has high HP, who is actually winning the prize trade? Usually, it's the colorless player. You aren't losing your entire board state if one card goes down because your deck is full of beefy basics that don't need a three-stage evolution line to be useful.
Kangaskhan: The Unsung Hero of the Early Game
Most people look at Kangaskhan and think "too RNG." I get it. Flipping coins feels bad when you lose. But Kangaskhan is actually a statistical powerhouse in the Pokemon TCG Pocket colorless deck. With 100 HP, it survives most early-game pokes. Its ability to deal up to 80 damage for just a few energy attachments—of any type—makes it the ultimate flex pick.
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I’ve seen players splash Kangaskhan into Pikachu ex decks. I’ve seen them in Charizard decks. But they shine brightest when they are paired with Pidgeot. The Pidgeot line in Pocket is genuinely cracked. "Drive Off" is a terrifying ability. It forces your opponent to swap their Active Pokemon with one of their Benched Pokemon. In a game where the Bench is small and resources are tight, forcing a support Pokemon like a Ralts or a Charmander into the Active spot can end a game on the spot.
Why the "Drive Off" Mechanic Ruins Lives
- It breaks the opponent's rhythm.
- It traps high-retreat cost Pokemon in the Active spot.
- It lets you pick off weakened targets you've already hit.
Imagine this: your opponent has a fully loaded Venusaur ex. They're ready to heal and tank everything. You evolve into Pidgeot. You use the ability. Suddenly, that Venusaur is stuck on the bench, and some poor, defenseless Cottonee is staring down your Snorlax. It’s brutal. It’s the kind of play that makes people close the app.
The Economy of a Colorless Deck
Let's talk about the "Free to Play" aspect because, let's be real, that's why we're all here. Building a top-tier elemental deck is expensive. You need multiple copies of specific ex cards, and the drop rates aren't exactly generous. The Pokemon TCG Pocket colorless deck is significantly easier on your pack-opening luck.
Many of the core components are Rares or even Uncommons. You don't need three copies of a specific Gold Border card to make this work. You need a solid understanding of the "Neutral" game. Because Colorless Pokemon don't have a Type advantage (they don't hit anything for Weakness), you might think they're weak. They aren't. In exchange for not hitting for Weakness, they also typically have fewer Type-based vulnerabilities in the current card pool. They are the "Switzerland" of the Pokemon world. They just stay out of the drama and win by being consistent.
Effective Support Cards for Colorless Strategies
You can’t just throw 20 colorless monsters into a pile and call it a day. You need the glue. Giovanni is a must-have. That extra 10 damage might seem small. It isn’t. In a game where so many Pokemon have 70, 90, or 130 HP, that +10 often turns a three-hit knockout into a two-hit knockout. It changes the "math of the game."
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Then there's Sabrina. Honestly, Sabrina is probably the best Supporter card in the game right now, and she fits perfectly into the Pokemon TCG Pocket colorless deck. Since your goal is to manipulate the board and control the pace, forcing a switch is huge. Pair that with Pidgeot’s ability, and you have total control over what your opponent is allowed to keep in the Active spot. You are essentially playing a game of "Keep Away" while Snorlax takes a nap in their face.
- Giovanni: Pushes your "chip damage" into "kill range."
- Sabrina: Disrupts the opponent's Bench-to-Active pipeline.
- X Speed: Essential for Snorlax because his retreat cost is, frankly, embarrassing.
- Potion: Because your Pokemon have high HP, Potion actually value-adds more here than in a low-HP deck.
Addressing the Weaknesses
It's not all sunshine and rainbows. The biggest threat to the Pokemon TCG Pocket colorless deck is pure, unadulterated speed. If a Pikachu ex deck gets a perfect opening—Circle Circuit for 90 damage by turn two—you're going to have a bad time. Colorless decks take a minute to get their feet under them. You are playing the "Long Game."
If you can't survive the first three turns without losing two prizes, it's over. That's why your deck construction needs to focus on high-HP basics. Don't get greedy with too many evolution lines. If you run Pidgeot, keep it to a 2-1-2 or a 2-2-2 line. Don't try to fit in Rattata and Meowth and Pidgey all at once. Pick a lane. Stick to it.
The Secret Tech: Farfetch'd
I'm going to let you in on a secret. Farfetch'd is the "Lebron James" of the colorless archetype. For one single energy, "Leek Smacker" does 40 damage. No strings attached. No coin flips. Just 40 damage.
In the early game, 40 damage is massive. It one-shots some of the smaller basics. It puts immense pressure on the opponent immediately. While they are trying to find their evolution cards, Farfetch'd is out here doing honest work with a vegetable. If you aren't running at least two copies of Farfetch'd in your Pokemon TCG Pocket colorless deck, you're playing at a disadvantage. It's the ultimate opener.
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Is Colorless the Meta Killer?
Maybe. It's definitely the "consistency killer." Most meta decks are "high-roll" decks. They need the right Energy, the right Evolution, and the right Supporter at the right time. The colorless deck just needs an Energy. Any Energy.
This level of reliability means you'll win games simply because your deck didn't "brick." You'll watch your opponent struggle to find a Water Energy for their Starmie ex while you’re calmly attaching whatever you pulled to your Snorlax. There is a psychological component to this. When your opponent sees you aren't struggling for resources, they start making mistakes. They get aggressive. They overextend. And that's when you hit them with a Sabrina or a Pidgeot swap.
How to Pilot the Deck Like a Pro
- Don't be afraid to sacrifice. Sometimes, letting a Farfetch'd go down to setup a Pidgeot is the right play.
- Count the Energy. Since you can use anything, keep track of how many turns you have before Snorlax can use "Body Slam."
- Manage your Bench. Don't fill your bench with useless basics. Leave room for the evolutions you actually need.
- Watch the Retreat Costs. This is the "hidden" stat of the Pokemon TCG Pocket colorless deck. Most of your big hitters are heavy. If you don't have an X Speed or a way to move them, they are sitting ducks once they get low on HP.
The current state of the game favors the bold, but the wise play the colorless route. It’s a deck that rewards patience and board control over raw, flashy numbers. Plus, there is nothing more satisfying than beating a $200 deck with a bunch of common cards and a very tired Snorlax.
Actionable Next Steps for Players
If you want to try this out right now, stop spending your Shop Tickets on random packs. Look for the individual Farfetch'd and Snorlax cards in the exchange if you haven't pulled them. Start by building a "Core 8" of 2x Snorlax, 2x Farfetch'd, 2x Kangaskhan, and 2x Pidgey. Fill the rest with your strongest Supporters.
Test the deck in Solo battles first to get a feel for the "Drive Off" timing. Once you can consistently force the AI into bad swaps, take it to the Versus ladder. You'll quickly notice that while your wins might take a few more turns than a Pikachu deck, they feel a lot more stable. Focus on learning the HP thresholds of your opponents. If you know a Mewtwo ex needs two turns to kill your Snorlax, use those two turns to setup your back-row Pidgeot. That's how you win the long game.