Are Pokémon TCG 2023 World Championships Decks Worth It?

March is set to be an incredibly busy month for Pokémon fans. Alongside the Stacking Tins, Paldea Adventure Chest, and other major releases, fans can expect to see four incredible TCG decks that come from the 2023 Pokémon World Championships.

These decks seem immense at first glance, but are they worth picking up as a collector or competitive player? That’s exactly what we’ll be looking at here.

Here’s a breakdown of the Pokémon World Championships 2023 decks, including what they contain, when they’re coming out, and whether they’re a worthwhile purchase.

Each Deck Is Very Different

There are four decks in this release and they’ll all be coming out at the same time on March 1st this year. If you missed it, they’re all exact replicas of the TCG decks that won the World Championships last year in Yokohama. 

Each deck has a special name given to it by the associated player. The decks (and their respective themes and players) are:

• Psychic Elegance – Gardevoir ex Deck from Tord Reklev, the Masters Runner-Up from Norway
• Lost Box Kyogre – Lost Zone Toolbox Deck from Shao Tong Yen, the Junior Winner from Taiwan
• Colorless Lugia – Lugia VSTAR/Archeops Deck from Gabriel Fernandez, the Senior Winner from Brazil
• Mew’s Revenge  – Mew VMAX/Genesect V Deck from Vance Kelley, the Masters Winner from the United States

As you can see, there are some heavy-hitting Pokémon featured in this line-up. Each deck has a unique strategy associated with it, too. For example, Colorless Lugia relies on the amazing synergy between Lugia VSTAR and Archeops, while Lost Box Kyogre is a tricky deck that offers amazing rewards once the Lost Zone is set up properly. 

These Decks Are Not Ideal For Competitive Players

While these decks may sound like they’re incredibly fun to play with, it’s important to note that they are not eligible for tournament play and that each card in the deck will have a special World Championships back. This makes them instantly less valuable for purely competitive players to pick up.

That’s not to say that the decks aren’t worth picking up, though. In fact, they offer great value for money. The decks will be selling for £11.80 GBP/$14.99 USD/$20 CAD and could potentially hold some value for investors down the line. 

The World Championship Decks actually come with other items, too. When you purchase one of them, you also get:

• A code card for Pokémon TCG Live
• A deck box
• A playmat
• A themed Pokémon pin
• A Pokémon TCG coin

Considering how many cards you also get when purchasing a deck (60, including vital cards like Energy cards and Trainer cards) these are ideal picks for collectors who are just starting out. 

While these decks cannot be used in official tournament settings, there’s no reason why you can’t play with them on a casual basis. These decks performed well in the Worlds for a reason, and they should be a hell of a lot of fun to set up with, too.

All in all, we’d say that yes, they’re worth it- but only really if you’re a collector or someone who wants to play Pokémon on a casual basis. If you’re a tournament player looking for new cards to add into your line-up, these decks aren’t worth your time, all things considered.

Pre-orders aren’t available for these decks yet at the time of writing but it’s safe to say that they will become available on most sites within the next month. For now, check out our official Instagram for other product reviews and unboxings. As soon as we can get our hands on these decks, we’ll be sure to show you all there.