Is Altaria Deck good in Pokemon TCG Pocket?

Altaria Deck is a Tier 3 deck with a 46% win rate and 0.1% meta share. It's a viable deck that can perform well in the right hands.

What cards do I need for Altaria Deck?

The core cards for Altaria Deck are: Altaria, Altaria. Top tournament builds also commonly include Mantyke, Mega Altaria ex, Oricorio, Pichu.

How do you play Altaria Deck?

Build your strategy around Altaria. It's the deck's main damage dealer. This deck uses dragon and colorless energy. Manage your energy carefully — attach to the right attacker based on your board state.

What is the best Altaria Deck deck list?

The top-performing Altaria Deck list runs: 2x Altaria, 1x Mantyke, 1x Mega Altaria ex, 1x Oricorio, 2x Pichu, 2x Swablu, 1x Copycat, 1x Cyrus, 2x Lisia, 2x May, 2x Professor’s Research, 1x Rocky Helmet, 1x Sabrina, 1x Training Area. This build achieved 9W-1L at Lagoon Chaos and Mayhem (FA Sabrina & Lusamine).

What beats Altaria Deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket?

Altaria Deck's core Pokemon are weak to lightning types. Strong counters include Mega Manectric ex Deck, Bellibolt ex Deck, Magnezone ex Deck.

How many packs do I need to build Altaria Deck?

Based on pull rates, you'll need approximately 520 packs to collect all core cards for Altaria Deck. Most cards are reasonably accessible through regular pack opening.

Altaria Deck

0.1% of the meta · Updated June 10, 2026

Tier 3

Win Rate

45.8%

Meta Share

0.1%

Core Cards

Estimated Pack Cost

520

estimated packs to collect all core cards

2x Rare~260/ea

AltariaRare

Mega Altaria300 pks

AltariaRare

Secluded220 pks

Estimates based on pull rates. Actual results may vary.

Core Cards

Altaria

Secluded Springs #055

Altaria

Mega Rising #197

Key Moves & Abilities

Strategy Guide

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Altaria runs two distinct win conditions: the colorless variant uses Do the Wave to scale damage with bench size up to 80 damage, while the dragon variant uses Dragon Arcana for a flat 100 when two different energy types are attached. The win condition is filling the bench quickly and swinging for large damage with non-ex attackers worth only 1 point each.

Open by placing both Swablu on the field and getting Shroodle and Pichu onto the bench, since Do the Wave rewards every benched Pokemon with 20 additional damage. Lisia is the critical evolution enabler for the Swablu-into-Altaria line; find it early alongside Professor's Research and Copycat for draw. Mid-game, a full three-Pokemon bench makes Do the Wave hit for 80 damage on the colorless Altaria, reaching knockout range on many non-ex Pokemon. In the finishing turns, Training Area can boost damage further or Cyrus disrupts the opponent's side to force a knockout on a retreated target.

Damage Math

Any opponent's Active Pokemon

Do the Wave 20 base + 20 per benched Pokemon × 3 = 80 max

Requires all three bench slots filled; each missing benched Pokemon costs 20 damage.

Any opponent's Active Pokemon (dragon Altaria)

Dragon Arcana 40 base + 60 with two different energy types = 100 total

Requires two different energy types attached; only two colorless energy are needed to meet the condition if mixed.

Strengths

Do the Wave scales to 80 damage with a full bench of 3, threatening knockouts on weaker ex Pokemon.
Stage 1 non-ex attackers worth only 1 point force three knockouts to win, making attrition favorable.
Grafaiai and Shroodle provide bench presence that simultaneously powers up Do the Wave.

Weaknesses

Do the Wave requires all three bench slots filled; losing any benched Pokemon directly cuts 20 damage per missing slot.Consistency
Mega Lopunny ex (25%) and Gardevoir (25%) matchups show the deck struggles against high-HP or status-based opposition.Matchup
Two copies of each evolution mean losing both Altaria early collapses the primary offense.Consistency

How to Play

Fill the Bench to Maximize Do the Wave

Every benched Pokemon adds 20 damage to Do the Wave. Pichu and Magby are cheap basics to fill slots quickly. Shroodle evolves into Grafaiai for added board presence. Fill all three bench slots before attacking to hit the 80-damage ceiling. Copycat and Professor's Research cycle into Swablu and Lisia fast.

Key cardsAltariaPichuMagbyShroodleGrafaiaiLisia

Use Dragon Arcana as a Consistent High-Damage Backup

The dragon Altaria variant hits 100 damage with two different energy types attached — no bench requirement. Attach a mix of energy types early on the dragon Altaria to keep Dragon Arcana available. Training Area can boost damage, and Cyrus can drag a retreated high-value target back into the Active Spot for a lethal swing.

Key cardsAltariaTraining AreaCyrus

How to Beat This Deck

Shrink the Bench to Cut Do the Wave Damage

Do the Wave's entire damage curve depends on bench count. Any card that forces Pokemon off the bench — or prevents new basics from being played — directly reduces damage. Keeping Altaria below the knockout threshold by maintaining fewer than three benched Pokemon caps Do the Wave at 60 or less.

Target Swablu Before Lisia Fires

Lisia is the only named evolution support in this deck. If Swablu is knocked out before Lisia resolves, the Altaria line stalls. Aggressive early pressure on Swablu forces the opponent to burn Lisia copies defensively rather than setting up both Altaria attackers.

CountersSabrina

Deploy Rocky Helmet Retaliation

Rocky Helmet deals passive damage back to Altaria each time it attacks. Altaria's HP is 100 or 120 depending on the variant. Two or three Rocky Helmet hits plus opponent's active attack damage can knock out Altaria without dedicating full attack turns, disrupting the point-efficient non-ex exchange.

CountersRocky Helmet

Common Substitutions

Bench filler

Pichu:Zero-energy benched basic that adds 20 to Do the Wave at no attack cost.
Magby:Alternative cheap bench filler to maintain the three-Pokemon bench requirement.