The Pokémon Trading Card Game Astral Radiance set was packed with powerful cards and has resulted in the creation of the TCG's best standard deck of 2022. In August, Game Freak held the Pokémon World Championships in London, England. The Origin Palkia VSTAR card from May's Pokémon Sword and Shield Astral Radiance expansion dominated the tournament and has become one of the most powerful decks in the Nintendo Tabletop game.

Since its worldwide launch in 2020, Nintendo has released a total of ten mainline Pokémon Sword and Shield TCG expansions. In September, the Gen 8 series will get its eleventh set Lost Origin. The upcoming release will feature the debut of Sinnoh Legendary Giratina as a VSTAR card and will bring back the "Lost Zone" mechanic from 2009's Pokémon Platinum. Following the announcement that Generation 9's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will debut in Fall 2022, The Pokémon Company has revealed that the Galar region era is officially coming to an end with the Silver Tempest TCG expansion in November.

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Out of all the Sword and Shield releases though, it was the Astral Radiance expansion that had a major shakeup on the Pokémon card meta. The May set was based on 2022's Pokémon Legends: Arceus game and featured a massive setlist of 246 cards. The tenth expansion introduced Hisuian Pokémon to the TCG for the very first time, including the new Origin Formes of Diamon and Pearl's Legendary Pokémon. Below is a breakdown of the Origin Palkia VSTAR and Inteleon set which has become one of the best decks the Pokémon TCG has seen in years.

Origin Palkia VSTAR & Inteleon Is The Best Standard Pokémon TCG Deck

Best Pokemon TCG Deck 2022 Origin Palkia Inteleon

In Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Hisui region, players were able to unlock Origin Forme Palkia in a post-game mission. The powerful ancient version of the Sinnoh Legendary made its debut as a VSTAR card in the Astral Radiance set and has quickly become a powerhouse in the Pokémon TCG with its whopping 280 HP. The card's powerful "Subspace Swell" also does an incredible amount of damage, as it multiplies twenty additional damage for every Pokémon benched on both the player's and their opponent's deck. When paired with Sword and Shield's Water-type Starter evolution Inteleon, players are able to create a quick and hard-hitting offensive strategy that dishes out damage at a relentless rate.

What really makes Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Origin Forme Palkia stand out though, is its amazing "Star Portal" ability. The VSTAR move enables players to match up to three water energy cards from their discard pile to their Palkia. Because of this, players are able to free up their deck to have more Trainer and Item cards, as they do not need a lot of water energy to power their Pokémon. Essentially, the Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR card is one of the game's best late-game weapons, that can generate massive amounts of damage, while not needing very much energy to power it.

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While the Origin Palkia VSTAR and Inteleon deck only managed to top out at the 4th place spot in 2022's Pokémon World TCG Championship tournament, it was the most consistent deck to fill up all the top placements. In terms of overall play, the Astral Radiance deck has one of the highest win rates and is also the most used in the competitive scene. Below is a list of one of the most popular versions of the Origin Palkia VSTAR & Inteleon TCG deck that has been dominating the standard format in 2022:

  • Origin Forme Palkia V x 3 (Astral Radiance)
  • Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR x 3 (Astral Radiance)
  • Sobble x 4 (Chilling Reign)
  • Drizzile x 3 (Sword and Shield Base Set or Shining Fates)
  • Inteleon x 1 (Sword and Shield Baset Set or Shining Fates)
  • Inteleon x 1 (Chilling Reign or Evolving Skies)
  • Radiant Greninja x 1 (Astral Radiance)
  • Crabominable V x 1 (Fusion Strike)
  • Manaphy x 1 (Brilliant Stars)
  • Galarian Zigzagoon x 1 (Sword and Shield Base Set or Shining Fates)
  • Irida Trainer x 4 (Astral Radiance)
  • Melony Trainer x 2 (Chilling Reign or Astral Radiance)
  • Boss's Orders Trainer x 1 (Rebel Clash, Shining Fates, or Brilliant Stars)
  • Roxanne Trainer x 1 (Astral Radiance)
  • Cross Switcher Item x 4 (Fusion Strike)
  • Battle Pass VIP Item x 4 (Fusion Strike)
  • Capacious Bucket Item x 3 (Rebel Clash)
  • Scoop Up Net Item x 3 (Rebel Clash)
  • Evolution Incense Item x 3 (Sword and Shield Base Set)
  • Quick Ball Item x 2 (Sword and Shield Base Set or Fusion Strike)
  • Level Ball Item x 2 (Next Destinies, Ancient Origins, or Battle Styles)
  • Hisuian Heavy Ball Item x 1 (Astral Radiance)
  • Echoing Horn Item x 1 (Chilling Reign)
  • Choice Belt Item x 1 (Brilliant Stars or Astral Radiance)
  • Tool Jammer Item x 1 (Battle Styles)
  • Training Court Stadium x 1 (Rebel Clash or Fusion Strike)
  • Water Energy x 7

The deck's configuration can vary when it comes to item and support cards. However, the main Pokémon roster is consistent across the board. Thankfully, players have a variety of Pokémon Sword and Shield TCG sets to obtain most of these cards. Since most of the Pokémon have common versions, the entire deck can be obtained for fairly cheap. The most expensive card will be the Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR from Astral Radiance, which sells for around $20 ungraded.

Since Gen 9 is launching in November 2022, the TCG's meta could see another major shakeup fairly soon. Just like Sword and Shield's Dynamax feature, the new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Terastal mechanic will likely be integrated into the Pokémon card game. Only time will tell whether the new gameplay gimmick will be as groundbreaking as the Brilliant Star's VSTAR cards have been. With the Silver Tempest expansion releasing in November, Nintendo has confirmed that the Gen 9 Pokémon Scarlet and Violet TCG series will debut in 2023 which will bring the Pokémon Trading Card Game into a brand new era based on the Paldea region.