Every time Pokemon TCG goes through a rotation phase, some decks are lost as they lose important cards needed to stay competitive. Other cards barely scrape by as their most effective means of support vanish into the void. Every deck eventually meets an end, though it also makes way for fresh decks to take center stage.
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PostsSo, what are some of the best decks that are struck down due to the 2025 rotation? Some feature fan-favorite Pokemon while others give attention to Pokemon you wouldn’t even think could become your favorite. Here are the decks that can no longer sustain themselves.
10 Chien-Pao Baxcalibur
Water Support Is Dead
CloseDumping Energy and recycling it again using Chien-Pao and Baxcalibur makes for a killer combo. You can potentially deal some good damage for some one-hit knockouts as long as you’re able to consistently tap into the Energy and Evolutions needed.
The 2025 rotation puts a stop to all that with some critical hits all across the board. Radiant Greninja is gone, so are Irida and other dump methods such as PokeStop. While Chien-Pao is not the strongest deck to get hit, it suffers enough to be taken out of commission.
9 Regis Ancient Wisdom
A Time For Regis To Lay Dormant
CloseThe Regis Ancient Wisdom deck is in reference to Regigigas’s Ability of the same name. While this deck is not the most powerful, it’s one of the few where the Regis can make a name for themselves. This is also a deck where the entire core is gutted.
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PostsAll the Regis from Regirock to Regidrago all fall under Regulation F. With Regigigas also gone, the entire core is wiped out, making the deck completely unusable after rotation. All that survive are some utility cards like Squawkabilly and Iron Bundle.
8 Miraidon Ex
All Of Miraidon’s Friends Are Dead
CloseMiraidon ex always felt like the merging of two different formats. You’ve got the Miraidon ex and Iron Hand ex doing some decent damage while also being able to bring out other powerful Basic Pokemon. This would usually be the Raichu V and Raikou V.
Unfortunately, all the Pokemon V leave with rotation, leaving Miraidon ex feeling like an empty nest. Sure, you can still use Miraidon and Iron Hands in other decks, but the deck itself is no longer sustainable in the way you might be familiar with.
7 Klawf
This Crab Is Upside Down
CloseKlawf may seem like an underdog, but it is surprisingly powerful. However, it also relies on other Pokemon to reach its full damage output. This deck loses cards such as Electrode V, Hisuian Sneasler, Oranguru V, Switch Card, Hisuan Heavy Ball, and Double Turbo Energy.
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PostsKlawf is still a usable Pokemon after rotation, but the hits will surely slow it down unless some of its cards get a reprint or different ways to build the deck emerge. It’s a powerful deck that dangles at the edge of the rotation cliff.
6 Arceus Vstar
Pokemon God Leaves The Game
CloseArceus Vstar can be a very powerful deck with ways to get the cards you need straight to your hand. It’s also a pretty quick deck with cards like Double Turbo Energy. Like anything else with V or Vstar in its name, this deck is decapitated with its main frontliners out for the count.
Arceus V and Arceus Vstar are the two most important Pokemon, but without them, the deck loses its main reason for being. At least some of its other support cards remain to be spread out among surviving decks, but it’s official. The Pokemon God is dead.
5 Regidrago
Saying Goodbye To A Powerful Pokemon V
CloseRegidrago Vstar is incredible since it can mimic the Moves of other Dragons in the discard pile. The most obvious choice for this is Kyurem, which can hit three Pokemon at once for 110 damage. This is a terrifying Move that takes some setup but is made easier with Regidrago Vstar.
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PostsWithout the Vs or the Vstar cards needed to make this strategy work, it’s back to the drawing board for those who want to use Kyurem’s powerful Move. Another card that also perishes from this deck is Giratina Vstar.
4 Lugia Archeops
Lugia Goes Back To The Sea
CloseThe Lugia V card has such a fantastic illustration. It’s a shame that it gets taken away with the rotation. Luckily, it can still find a place in your collection as a nice little token of the format.
Another card to kick the bucket and solidify the death of this deck is Archeops. This is one hit that doesn’t just affect the Lugia deck but will also send shockwaves to any other strategy that relies on getting access to those Special Energy cards it can fetch.
3 Snorlax Stall
The Blockade Is Gone
CloseOne deck that could pose a massive blockade is Snorlax Stall. This deck’s strategy is right in the name. Just dump Snorlax onto the Active Spot and stall the game until you can win it. This way, your opponent can’t Retreat their Active Pokemon.
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PostsSnorlax is the main Pokemon with a few Pokemon V such as Rotom V and Pidgeot V thrown in the mix which are also leaving. Every other Pokemon is meant to cut off your opponent from some sort of action. However, it is now time for this Snorlax to take a nap.
2 Palkia Vstar
Legends Remain In The Past
CloseThe Pokemon Legends: Arceus era of the TCG makes up a good majority of the cards leaving rotation. This includes the origin forms of Palia and Dialga. One deck to get hit is Palkia Vstar, which again, relies entirely on the Vstar format.
Pokemon rotation just keeps beheading these powerful legendary Pokemon. Palkia V can no longer call upon powerful Stadium cards like Jamming Tower or PokeStop. However, a lot of the deck’s supplementary cards still live, such as Dusknoir, Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex, and Budew.
1 Lost Zone Box
Lost Box Is Lost Forever
CloseLost Zone Box tries to be as fast as possible in setting up the Lost Zone. The whole idea is to run through your deck and have ten cards in the Lost Zone so you can bring out Sableye. With Lost Mine active as early as turn two, you’re pretty much set up for victory.
With rotation, Comfey can no longer be used. Neither can Sableye. If at least those two cards could survive, then the deck would have a pulse. Without them, the heart of the deck is gone. Even Colress’s Experiment is down for the count.
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9.0/10 Franchise Pokemon Original Release Date October 20, 1996 Player Count 2 Age Recommendation 6+ Length per Game Variable Franchise Name PokemonCollected by children and adults alike for more than two decades, the Pokemon TCG contains thousands of cards of your favorite Pokemon, trainers, and more.
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