Hello everyone! This is Elena from Gaia Storm TCG and welcome to another article here at CCG Castle. While Evolving Skies, the next Pokémon TCG set, is about to drop next month, there are still plenty of interesting things that are going on regarding the Chilling Reign Metagame. In this article, we are going to discuss the top 5 most competitive decks and see whether investing in them will be a good move considering the upcoming format rotation happening in September. Let’s dive into them!

1. Shadow Rider Calyrex Psychic type Calyrex had been one of the most anticipated cards of the format once it was first revealed and has been able to meet up everyone’s expectations. The deck has literally everything, from energy acceleration to additional draw power. No wonder why it has become to deck to beat in every official tournament. Once rotation hits, however, Calyrex will lose one of its best early game attackers which is none other than Gengar & Mimikyu Tag Team. I would argue that the deck will still remain very powerful, perhaps relying more on Alcremie VMAX to get big KOs but its popularity will depend on how many people decide to play darkness type strategies. And bear in mind that Umbreon VMAX and possibly Gengar VMAX will be legal pretty soon!
2. Rapid Strike Urshifu If it wasn’t for the fact that Shadow Rider Calyrex is so popular, Rapid Strike Urshifu will be, in my opinion, the tier S of the game right now. This deck has the versatility to effectively deal with many different decks, requires very little energies to work and can completely turn the tables upside down by taking multiple prizes in one single blow. Once rotation is here, Urshifu will be immediately benefited as Mew from Unbroken Bonds will no longer be legal and consider that Mew was the only card we had to stop Urshifu run rampant during the first turns of the game.
3. Arceus Palkia Dialga + Galarian Moltres and Zapdos I am including ADP Birds, as it is popularly known as, in the third place just because a lot of people have opted to play it due to its consistency. The idea is pretty simple: use your Arceus Palkia Dialga GX move in the second (or first) turn of the game and then follow the classical Boss + Boss pattern that ADP decks has always had. The addition of cards such as Galarian Moltres V or Galarian Zapdos V offers great coverage against decks like Eternatus VMAX and Shadow Rider Calyrex, hitting for weakness. Of course, this is not a deck that will survive September mainly because Arceus Palkia Dialga is finally rotating.
4. Ice Rider Calyrex Although not many people believed that Ice Rider Calyrex would be played, the deck is actually one of the most solid picks at the moment being able to put a lot of pressure on the filed with massive attacks at the same time that it stops your opponent from playing thanks to the inclusion of multiple copies of Path of the Peak. When the new format arrives, I think Ice Rider Calyrex will still be heavily played, mainly because it
5. Lucario Melmetal There are actually many other candidates that can be part of this 5th place like Weavile Dark Toolbox or Eternatus VMAX but I’ve decided to opt for Lucario just because the deck tends to get to the top positions of the majority of the tournaments. Lucario Melmetal will of course no longer a deck because Lucario rotates, leaving the format without its main control strategy. I think it is difficult to find a deck, apart from ADP, that has been so consistent during so many months.

The Chilling Reign metagame is for sure a very diverse and funny one. If you are planning to play any official or non-official tournament, any of the options mentioned above will for sure help you climbing to the top positions. However, if you are planning to invest in a deck that will also be played post rotation, Calyrex and Urshifu are probably the safest bets. And remember you can get all the cards you need to be prepared for this year here at CCG! Thanks for reading!