Hey, what's going on everyone! I hope you are all having a fantastic day, and I am excited to get into my next article for you guys! Brilliant Stars have arrived! And I have been having a blast exploring all of the brand new options that the new cards have given us! Arceus VSTAR (Brilliant Stars), Choice Belt (Brilliant Stars), Manaphy (Brilliant Stars), and so much more have given the Pokemon Trading Card Game new life! Today, I am going to be going over my current Power Rankings for what I believe the top 3 decks going into Brillant Stars are! This list is completely subjective, and is bound to change over the next several months, but this is currently what I have right now. If you are looking for any cards in this article, make sure to check out PTCGO Store. They offer the best deals on the market for Pokemon Trading Card Game Online Codes! If you want to get an even better deal on them, use code SMARTTCG for %5 off all purchases! Now, let's get into the best deck in Brilliant Stars!

1. Mew VMAX


Mew VMAX

Yep you heard it, Mew VMAX is still the best deck in the format. Although it is not as far and away the best deck with the release of Brilliant Stars, it still reigns supreme. Mew’s “Cross Fusion Strike” attack, allows us to copy any attack in the game, and Max Miracle, provides a great counter to abilities like “Skyscraper” and “Dark Forest Camo”. Although the core strategy remains ditto to the past, this deck has some new tools that take it to the next level! 

Pokémon - 13 

4 Genesect V FST 255
2 Meloetta FST 124
4 Mew V FST 251
3 Mew VMAX FST 269

Trainer Cards - 40 

2 Fog Crystal CRE 227 
2 Rose Tower DAA 169
1 Collapsed Stadium BST
2 Switch SUM 160
2 Escape Rope BUS 163
4 Ultra Ball BST
3 Boss's Orders RCL 189 
2 Choice Belt BST
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Power Tablet FST 281
4 Quick Ball SSH 216 
4 Cram-o-matic FST 229
1 Training Court FST 282
4 Elesa's Sparkle FST 260
1 Roseanne's Backup

Energy - 7 

1 Double Turbo Energy
4 Fusion Strike Energy FST 244
2 Psychic Energy CRE 232

New Additions! 


Ultra Ball


Ultra Ball

Ultra Ball far and away is the most powerful card to come out of Brilliant Stars. Ultra Ball has been a consistent 4 of staple during its tenure in the Standard format, and has always been a core card in the expanded format! Mew is the one deck that gains the most out of this card. As Ultra Ball discards cards from your hand. This allows us to thin the hand down to low counts, to  use Fusion Strike System to its full effect! This card also replaces cards like Great Ball (Sword and Shield), and Evolution Incense (Sword and Shield). 

Collapsed Stadium


Collapsed Stadium

Now you might be wondering, why do we play a card that actually hurts our draw support in some way, well I am going to explain to you why. Have you ever had a time where your Pokemon have a gigantic amount of damage on them, well now you can remove them off the field with Collapsed Stadium! This card can backfire though, and you need to be haphazard when you utilize it. But if used correctly, it can be game-changing! 

Roseanne's Backup


Roseanne's Backup

Another fantastic card has graced us here in Roseanne’s Backup (Brilliant Stars). Resources are critical in the Pokemon Trading Card Game. Games are decided by whether or not you have the tools to close out games. There are many times when players will get incredibly close to closing out a game, but will run out of a certain resource. Roseanne fixes these issues! Being able to recover a Stadium, Pokemon, Energy, and a Tool is so valuable, especially with Collapsed Stadium (Brilliant Stars)

Choice Belt 


Choice Belt

In the past, we have had cards like Muscle Band (Flash Fire), Choice Band (Guardian Rising), Fighting Fury Belt (Break Point), and more, be some of the influential tool cards in formats of the past. Choice Belt is no exception. Being able to increase damage by 30 damage, is incredibly useful, and truly takes this deck to the next level! 

Conclusion

Overall, Mew VMAX is still the deck to beat in the standard format! Its incredible speed, aggression, and consistency, truly make it one of the most powerful decks in the format! This list is awesome, and I think it is a fantastic starting point for the deck. Now, let's get into my current #2 deck in the current Standard format.


2. Dark Box


Sableye V

Sableye Inteleon was a deck that really burst onto the scene with the release of Fusion Strike. With Weezing becoming such a prevalent force in the Standard format, this deck was really able to begin to take over the format! Its amazing typing, synergy, and the fact it was based around one prize Pokemon, really allowed for this deck to thrive even in a three prize-based format. Currently, I have it slotted into the second-best deck in the current standard format! Let's take a look at my list!

Pokémon - 22 

2 Galarian Moltres PR-SW 125
1 Hoopa DAA 111
3 Koffing SHF 149
1 Sableye V SSH 120
2 Galarian Weezing SHF 150
1 Castform Snowy Form CRE 34
1 Manaphy BRS 41
4 Sobble CRE 41
4 Drizzile SHF 99
1 Inteleon SHF 100
2 Inteleon EVS 227

Trainer Cards - 31 

3 Marnie PR-SW 121
4 Level Ball BST 181 
2 Evolution Incense SSH 163 
3 Professor's Research CEL 24
2 Energy Search SSH 161
1 Ultra Ball SUM 161 
2 Boss's Orders RCL 189 
4 Scoop Up Net RCL 207 
3 Klara CRE 194
4 Quick Ball SSH 216 
1 Raihan EVS 202
1 Air Balloon SSH 213 
1 Training Court FST 282

Energy - 7 

7 Darkness Energy EVS 236

New additions 


Manaphy


Manaphy

Manaphy has been called the savior of the standard format! With decks like Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX (Battle Styles), and Jolteon VMAX running around the standard format, this card really puts those pokemon online decks into check! GMAX Rapid Flow, and Max Thunder Rumble, were attacks that could end the game, even before the opponent had a chance to play their second turn, and that created a relatively toxic format. Manaphy is here to save the day! With its ability, Water Veil, all of our bench Pokemon cannot be damaged by our opponent's active Pokemons attacks! This is going to make one prize decks like Dark Box so much more viable. Dark Box’s major struggle came at the hands of decks like Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX (Battle Styles), and Jolteon VMAX (Evolving Skies), and now, we finally have a counter to those decks! 

Ultra Ball


Ultra Ball

As written above, Ultra Ball is the best overall card to be released in the Brilliant Stars set! However, this is a deck that does not play many of them. Currently, I have the count at one and this is why. This is really a deck that doesn't like discarding too many cards, as this deck plays very low counts of specific cards. Through testing, it has felt like Level Ball (Battle Styles), and Evolution Incense (Sword and Shield) felt like much better cards to run heavier counts of, in this deck. Typically in Inteleon decks, there are multiple 1-2 of cards that are very critical in how games will play out, so Ultra Ball can create issues, where you need a Pokemon, but cant afford to discard those one of cards like Raihan (Evolving Skies), Sableye V (Sword and Shield)

Conclusion 

Overall, Dark Box feels like the second-best deck in the format. Its matchup spread is incredible, and its toughest matchups were largely fixed due to the release of Manaphy (Brilliant Stars). I think this deck makes a fantastic choice for big events coming up like Salt Lake CIty!


3. Gengar Arceus VSTAR


Gengar VMAX 

With the release of Fusion Strike, Gengar was a deck that was largely disrespected by many. People thought it was just a worse Single Strike Urshifu VMAX (Battle Styles), with Umbreon VMAX (Evolving Skies). Over time, people realized that Gengar, although more linear, was more consistent, and was able to handle its matchups just as well as Single Strike Urshifu! The less moving pieces in the deck, allowed it to achieve its strategy more often than not. Although more consistent, it still struggled at times due to its linearity, and could occasionally brick. With the additions of Arceus VSTAR, its consistency issues have disappeared 

Pokémon - 16 

2 Arceus V BSR
2 Arceus VSTAR BSR
2 Crobat V PR-SW 110
3 Gengar V FST 156
3 Houndour BST 95
3 Houndoom BST 179
2 Gengar VMAX FST 271

Trainer Cards - 32 

3 Marnie PR-SW 121
2 Air Balloon SSH 213 
1 Switch SUM 160
4 Professor's Research CEL 24
3 Boss's Orders RCL 189 
1 Karen's Conviction CRE
2 Choice Belt BSR
4 Ultra Ball SUM 161 
4 Quick Ball SSH 216 
3 Urn of Vitality CRE 229
2 Path to the Peak CRE 148
2 Tower of Darkness BST 137

Energy - 12 

2 Hiding {D} Energy DAA 175
4 Single Strike Energy BST 183
4 Darkness Energy EVS 236
2 Double Turbo Energy BSR

New Additions


Arceus VSTAR


Arceus VSTAR

Arceus VSTAR, without a doubt, is one of the most powerful Pokemon to ever be released in the Pokemon Trading Card Game! With a bulky 280 HP,  a fantastic attack, and an ability that completely alters the game, it truly is a game changing card! Trinity Nova attaches 3 dark energy to our Gengar VMAX’s, and deals massive damage, while Starbirth VSTAR once per game allows us to get any two cards and put them into our hand! Arceus to be quite honest, can be fit into almost any deck, as that ability can be utilized in any deck! Without a doubt,  Arceus is the most powerful Pokemon to come out of Brilliant Stars!

Double Turbo Energy


Double Turbo Energy

Ever heard of Double Colorless energy? Double Colorless Energy, also known as “DCE” was one of the most powerful energy cards in the Pokemon Trading Card Game! It was released around 2 decades ago, way back when Pokemon was just beginning to hit stores, and it grew to one of the most iconic cards in the Trading Card Game! Now, we have a slightly similar version of that card in Double Turbo Energy! Both energy cards provide two colorless energy at once, but the one crux of this card is that it reduces our Pokemon's attacks by 20 damage. However, this is not too big of an issue, as Arceus VSTAR (Brilliant Stars) is not meant to one shot regardless, and Choice Belt (Brilliant Stars) makes up for reduced damage!

Karen's Conviction


Karen's Conviction

Karen's Conviction (Chilling Reign) powers up your Single Strike Pokemon's attacks more and more depending on how many prize cards your opponent has taken! Although this card may seem strong on paper, it is incredibly hard to use, due to it being a supporter card that does not either draw cards, or help set up the board. This makes it an incredibly hard supporter to play in the abundance of. With that being said, this is where Starbirth comes into play! Arceus’s ability, allows us to search for Karens when we need it, and turns this card from mediocre, into a secret weapon! I am so happy that we are seeing cards like Karens, which is an intriguing card design, get the love that it deserves. It makes a perfect 1 on this deck, and will change the tides of games if used properly!

Conclusion

Well, there you have it! These are my current Top three pokemon online decks going into the Brillant Stars metagame! I can confidently say that it is very likely that I will play one of these three decks that I have posted in this article, at the Salt Lake City Regional Championships! If you are looking for any codes, make sure to check out PTCGO Store! They provide some great prices for codes to help build your collection! Use Code SMARTTCG at checkout to save 5%! Anyways, that's it for me today, I hope to speak with you again soon! 

About the Author

Gabriel Smart is a contributing article writer for PTCGO Store. Gabriel currently resides in the Sacramento, California area and has been playing the game casually since 2010 and competitively since 2018. He streams on Twitch under the name GabrielSmartTCG, creates competitive Pokemon content on Youtube under the name SmartTCG, and posts about his tournaments results and life on Twitter @SmartTCG. Outside the game, he is a huge baseball and basketball fan and loves everything to do with athletics.