Japanese Pokémon Starter Decks
A starter deck is a ready-to-play deck designed for learning the game. Japanese examples include the 2024 Generations Start Decks, the Start Deck 100 Battle Collection and the MEGA Starter Set Mega Diancie ex.
- Starter Decks
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FAQ
Ready-to-play decks with a fixed card list, sold under several names. The SVM: Generations Start Decks pair two Pokémon per deck, such as Pikachu ex & Snorlax ex or Lugia ex & Tyranitar ex.
Others are called Starter Sets, like the MEGA Starter Set Mega Diancie ex or the Mewtwo ex Terastal Starter Set, and the Start Deck 100 Battle Collection from 2025 continues the SI: Start Deck 100 line.
The oldest is the Starter Deck 1996. Then come the E-Card 1st Edition Starter Deck (2001) and the Constructed Starter Decks (2003 to 2006): Flygon, Salamence or Mirage's Mew.
Recent years bring the SV: ex Start Decks (2023), the ex Starter Sets with Steven's Beldum & Metagross ex or Marnie's Morpeko & Grimmsnarl ex, and in 2025 the MEGA Starter Sets.
The decks are in Japanese, and many share a family name, so the Pokémon in the title is what tells them apart. The SV: ex Start Decks include Grass Junaiper, Metal Melmetal and Lightning Miraidon, each a different list.
Watch the format too: the Future Miraidon ex Starter Deck & Build Set pairs the deck with a Build Set, as its name says, and the Start Deck Generations Special Battle Set is not a single Generations deck.
Starter decks are made for learning. The Japanese precon decks page holds decks with another purpose, such as the Terastal Charizard ex Battle Master Deck or the Special Deck Set ex with Venusaur, Charizard & Blastoise.
A Japanese deck display is a store box of identical decks: the Start Deck 100 Display holds copies of the SI: Start Deck 100 deck.