Ultimate Guide to Building the Best Golem Deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket

The latest expansion of the Pokémon TCG Pocket, titled **Mythical Island**, has given rise to Golem, a card that stands out for its impressive balance of offensive and defensive capabilities. With Golem now taking the spotlight, it has established itself as one of the top performers in this expansion.

Initially, the chart-topping Fighting Pokémon of the Mythical Island set was Aerodactyl ex, primarily due to its Primeval Law Ability, which prevented opposing Pokémon from evolving. However, the competitive environment populated by potent Basic Pokémon limited Aerodactyl ex’s effectiveness.

Now, Golem has claimed the throne, demonstrated by its significant success in tournament play. This powerful card excels when used with a well-structured deck, making it a serious contender in the current meta.

Pokemon black and white anime Golem — The Pokémon Company

Top Golem Deck Configuration

To unleash Golem’s potential, players should construct a deck featuring a blend of Fighting Pokémon and a couple of strategic Dragon cards. Here is a recommended list of essential cards for a Golem deck:

Pokémon	Number Of Cards	Type
Golem	2	Fighting
Graveler	2	Fighting
Geodude	2	Fighting
Druddigon	2	Dragon
Marshadow	2	Fighting
Hitmonlee	2	Fighting
Potion	2	Item
Poke Ball	2	Item
Brock	2	Supporter
Leaf	2	Supporter
Professor’s Research	2	Supporter

Effective Strategies for Golem Decks

The primary objective of a Golem deck is to position Golem in the Active slot, fully charged with four Energy, to unleash its powerful **Guard Press** attack. This attack inflicts an impressive 120 damage while reducing the damage from the opponent’s next move by 30, enhancing your defensive strategy.

One of the challenges in executing this strategy is that Golem is a Stage 2 Pokémon, requiring a bit of time and protection to power up. Here, Druddigon plays a crucial role by serving as an exceptional staller. Its **Rough Skin Ability** deals 20 damage back to opponents who attack, making it risky for weaker Basic Pokémon to engage, while larger threats also face the potential for a significant counterattack.

Druddigon’s strength lies in its lack of weaknesses, making it a formidable opponent regardless of the matchup. However, it does require three mixed Energy to attack, which diverts focus from powering up Golem and other key cards like Geodude and Graveler. This is where **Brock** comes in, providing a free Fighting Energy to a Golem or Onix in play, thereby accelerating Golem’s deployment.

Another essential card in this deck is **Leaf**, which lessens a Pokémon’s Retreat Cost by two. This feature allows Druddigon to retreat freely, along with Hitmonlee and Marshadow, while Graveler and Golem need only a single Energy to retreat.

In terms of offensive follow-up, **Hitmonlee** is an excellent choice, capable of attacking opponents on the Bench for 30 damage with its **Stretch Kick**, utilizing only one Fighting Energy. If the opponent tries to swap a Pokémon to the Bench after taking a blow from Guard Press, you can use Leaf to bring out Hitmonlee for the finishing hit.

If Golem is knocked out, **Marshadow** can step in with its **Revenge** attack, dealing 100 damage if one of your Pokémon was defeated in the turn prior, maintaining pressure on the opponent.

The deck also includes staple cards for consistency and recovery, including **Poke Ball** and **Professor’s Research** for drawing and finding cards, along with **Potions** for healing.

Druddigon Iris Pokemon anime — The Pokémon Company

Addressing Weaknesses

One of the primary counters to the Golem deck is a **Celebi ex deck**, which exploits Golem’s vulnerability to Grass-type attacks. Celebi ex, especially alongside Serperior, has the potential to bypass Golem’s defenses with its **Powerful Bloom** attack.

Additionally, both **Mew ex** and **Mewtwo ex decks** can pose challenges. Not only do they capitalize on the Psychic weakness of Hitmonlee and Marshadow, but Mew ex can also utilize its **Genome Hacking** ability to mimic Golem’s Guard Press and even Druddigon’s **Dragon Claw** without meeting the Energy requirements.

The Golem deck may also struggle against other Fighting-type decks in the Mythical Island expansion. For instance, **Aerodactyl ex** can utilize its Primeval Law Ability to disrupt the evolution of Pokémon, potentially hindering Golem’s development if it is forced into an unfavorable position.

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