Lucario’s Reign: Dominating the Pokemon TCG Pocket Meta

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In the world of Pokemon TCG Pocket, Lucario is quickly becoming a shining beacon, thanks to its impressive partnerships with other Fighting-type cards. If you’re curious about the top Lucario decks that are currently dominating the game, then look no further – this guide will introduce you to the most reliable and successful Lucario decks in the current metagame. You’ll also find helpful advice on how to unlock Lucario’s full potential, as well as a summary of its performance in tournaments. Here’s all you need to know about this agile Fighting-type Pokemon!

Lucario Card Overview

  • HP: 100
  • ATK: 40
  • Ability: [Fighting Coach] Attacks used by your Fighting Pokemon do +20 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon.
  • ATK Cost: Two (Fighting-type)
  • Retreat Cost: Two
  • Weakness: Psychic
  • Set & Pack: Space-Time Smackdown; Dialga Pack

In the lineup of Pokemon Pocket, Lucario stands out as a highly versatile card. This Fighting-type Pokemon possesses an ability known as Fighting Coach, which instantly increases the attacking power of all other Fighting-type Pokemon by 20 when it is introduced into play, regardless if it goes to the Bench or Active Spot.

In simpler terms, Lucario’s special ability boosts a Fighting-type Pokemon’s offensive power when facing Psychic Pokemon, particularly those who use Gardevoir’s skill to quickly attack in rapid-fire Psychic decks. This helps offset the usual vulnerability of Fighting-types against Psychic opponents.

The Best Deck for Lucario

A solid strategy for Lucario involves constructing a deck using the dual cards Primeape (from Genetic Apex) and Mankey (from Mythical Island). These cards can deal 40 and 70 damage respectively, only requiring one Energy when Lucario is present in play. To bolster the deck’s durability, consider adding Marshadow as a backup, should one of your initial attackers get defeated early in the game.

If you play two Lucario cards on the field, the attack power of your Fighting-type Pokemon, as well as the combined damage from both Lucario cards, will be increased by 40, rather than the usual 20. This is because Lucario’s unique ability multiplies with its duplicate versions.

Here’s the complete decklist:

Riolu 2
Lucario 2
Mankey (Genetic Apex) 2
Primeape (Mythical Island) 2
Marshadow 1
Professor’s Research 2
Poke Ball 2
Cyrus 1
Giovanni 2
Pokemon Communication 2
X Speed 2

Lucario Deck’s Synergies

  • You evolve one or two Lucario cards on the Bench.
  • You start attacking early with Mankey and Primeape.
  • If either Mankey or Primeape gets knocked out, switch to Marshadow for revenge—or start dealing damage with Lucario itself.
  • Giovanni boosts Lucario’s buff, giving your active Pokemon a competitive edge.

Alternative Deck for Lucario

In the current game meta, one of the top-performing Lucario decks utilizes Rampardos. This Stage 2 Pokemon transforms from Cranidos, which itself is obtained from a Skull Fossil. The tactic involves using Lucario to strengthen Rampardos’ attack, allowing it to deal 150 damage with just a single Energy attached. To ensure greater reliability, consider incorporating Marshadow and Hitmonchan as backup Pokemon in your deck.

One of the best decks for Lucario right now includes Rampardos. Rampardos is a Stage 2 Pokemon that evolves from Cranidos, which can be found in a Skull Fossil. The goal is to boost Rampardos’ attack using Lucario so it can deal 150 damage with only one Energy card. For more consistency, you could also add Marshadow and Hitmonchan to your deck as additional helpers.

Here’s the complete decklist:

Cranidos 2
Rampardos 2
Riolu 2
Lucario 2
Hitmonchan 1
Marshadow 1
Professor’s Research 2
Poke Ball 2
Cyrus 1
Giovanni 1
Skull Fossil 2
Pokemon Communication 2

1. There are two issues with the deck: First, Rampardos, being a self-damaging Pokemon, can easily be defeated with only a few attacks.

2. Secondly, evolving Rampardos is challenging because it requires an Item Card (Skull Fossil) to start its evolution process.

How to Counter Lucario

Lucario’s decks generally struggle against setups involving Psychic-type Pokémon. A combination of Mewtwo EX and Gardevoir creates a strong counter for Lucario. With the aid of Giant Cape, Mewtwo EX increases its HP to 170, making it ideal for defending attacks while Gardevoir speeds up the setup process. After a few rounds, you can inflict 70 damage with just two Psychic Energy cards, which typically disrupts most attackers in Lucario decks.

Lucario’s Performance in the Metagame

A review of the last ten major Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket tournaments, each featuring more than a hundred participants, has uncovered the following statistics regarding Lucario decks:

Here’s another way:

Examining the results from the past ten significant Pokemon TCG Pocket tournaments with over 100 players, we found some interesting facts about Lucario decks:

Lastly, for a more conversational tone:

Let’s take a peek at what we discovered after examining the last ten major Pokémon TCG Pocket tournaments with over 100 players each. It turns out there are some intriguing stats about Lucario decks!

  • On average, Lucario decks rank 33.5 in tournaments that have over 100 players.
  • The most popular combo for Lucario is Rampardos.
  • The most common supporting Pokemon in Lucario decks are Hitmonchan and Marshadow.

Although a ranking of 33.5 may not initially appear remarkable, particularly when set against Space-Time Smackdown’s standout star, Darkrai ex decks, Lucario decks are steadily gaining ground in the meta. The universal compatibility of Lucario with all Fighting-type Pokemon makes it a card relevant to the meta, and its popularity is expected to increase significantly whenever a Fighting-type card takes over PvP play.

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2025-02-09 00:04