Three new pre-constructed decks are heading to Japan at the end of July, and they’re packed with brand-new cards that newcomers and collectors alike will want to keep an eye on.
What’s in the Box?
The three decks release on 31 July 2026 in Japan, priced at 1,800 yen each (roughly £10). AccorPokeBeachokeBeach, every Pokémon card in these decks should be entirely new - not reprints from existing sets. Each deck is expected to contain around seven to nine new cards, putting the rough total across all three somewhere between 20 and 30 unique cards. That’s a meaningful influx of fresh designs, and it follows the same template as last year’s Japanese Starter Decks.
Here’s what each deck is built around:
- Eevee Deck - Features Eevee and Eevee ex (Colourless), plus the Pawmi -> Pawmo -> Pawmot evolution line and Delibird.
- Meowscarada Deck - Features Sprigatito, Floragato, and Meowscarada ex (Grass), alongside the Smoliv -> Dolliv -> Arboliva line.
- Zoroark Deck - Features Zorua and Zoroark ex (Darkness), with the Purrloin -> Liepard line providing support.
The Headline Cards
Let’s talk about the three ex Pokémon, because each brings something a little different to the table. Eevee ex is a 200 HP Basic Colourless Pokémon with a straightforward but potent kit: Collect draws three cards for a single Colourless Energy, and Brave Dash swings for a massive 200 damage at the cost of three Colourless - though you’ll need to flip heads to avoid 30 self-damage. Being a Basic ex with no specific Energy requirements makes it extremely splashable, which is exactly what you want from a starter product.
Meowscarada ex sits at the other end of the complexity spectrum. It’s a Stage 2 Grass-type with a hefty 320 HP, and its Magical Bullet attack is the real draw: 120 damage to the Active, plus 120 to any Benched Pokémon that already has damage counters on it, all for just two Colourless Energy. Spreading damage and then sniping wounded targets is a classic strategy, and Meowscarada ex executes it efficiently. The Arboliva in the same deck complements this nicely - its Oil Slip Ability forces a switch of your opponent’s Active Pokémon (though they choose who comes up), which can help drag damaged targets back into the firing line.
Then there’s Zoroark ex, a 270 HP Stage 1 Darkness-type whose Riotous Beating attack does 20 damage multiplied by the number of Pokémon you have in play - for a single Darkness Energy. With a full bench of six Pokémon, that’s 120 damage for one Energy, which is outstanding value on a Stage 1. Its secondary attack, Slash Down, hits for 210 but can’t be used on consecutive turns. Liepard provides an interesting pairing here: its Pursuit Claw does 20 damage for each damage counter on the opponent’s Active, rewarding chip damage from Zoroark’s earlier swings.
Why These Matter Beyond Japan
Japanese Starter Deck cards have a strong track record of making their way into English-language sets, often bundled into upcoming expansions or special products. If any of these ex cards prove competitively relevant - and Meowscarada ex’s snipe-from-bench mechanic certainly has potential - expect to see them surface in the Western card pool within a few months. Zoroark ex’s bench-counting damage is also worth watching; similar mechanics have been staples in past formats.
For collectors, the Illustration Rares teased for these decks add extra appeal. PokeBeach’s reveals show alternate artwork versions included in the Meowscarada and Zoroark decks, which tend to hold value nicely given their limited initial print runs in pre-constructed products.
With a release date just over a month away, these MEGA Starter Decks look like a solid entry point for new players and a worthwhile pickup for anyone tracking the Japanese meta. We’ll be keeping an eye out for the full card lists as they drop.
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