The newPokémon Trading Card Gamesetex, Starter Deck Generations,has many great deck options for competitive players. Whereas someentirely rely on brute strengthto overwhelm opponents, there are others that rely more on careful planning and well-timed strategies to outsmart foes. As a long-time competitivePokémon TCGplayer, I have discovered which cards in this new set are the very best assets to have in battle.
Theex Starter Deck Generationssethas nine available decks, with each one being associated with a specificPokémongeneration. On top of containing many useful regular cards, there are alsomultiple powerful ex cardsthat can turn the tides of battle in just a few turns. When considering what to play in competitions, players should definitely consider utilizing these specific cards during battle.
10Toedscruel
Able To Help Pokémon Retreat Faster
Toedscruel is a regular Fighting-Type card that features in the deck centered around Generation Nine. Despite its decent 130 health points and its Mud Shot attack being able to deal a good chunk of damage,it is not meant to be played as an attackerduring a game. Rather, it is meant to help the player’s other cards constantly switch their positions on the board.
Over 90 New Cards Revealed For Pokémon TCG Ex Starter Deck Generations, And The Art Is Beautiful
The full lineup of cards for the upcoming Pokémon TCG Starter Deck Generations has been revealed, and it features over 90 new card designs.
What makes Toedscruel especially useful is its Forest Path ability, whichmakes the retreat cost of the player’s active Pokémon worth two less energy. This is incredibly useful for players who use the Generation Nine deck, as it means the primary attacker, Koraidon ex, can be constantly swapped out for free. As long as the player finds Toedscruel in their deck in time and can ensure it isn’t knocked out, then it will ensure that they remain a formidable foe during battle.
9Alcremie Ex
A Useful Healer on the Bench
Alcremie ex might seem underwhelming at first glance, but it can be useful in battle. This is primarily due to its Sweet Gift ability, which allows players toheal 30 damage from one of their Pokémon once during every turn. This means that players can choose to heal their primary attacker or have Alcremie recover its health to ensure longer survival.
If Alcremie’s ability isn’t enough to significantly heal an injured active Pokémon, use the Cook supporter card fromTCG’sTwilight Masqueradeto heal 70 more health points.
Even with its Whip Shot attack being able to deal a significant 160 points of damage, Alcremie ex is not meant to be an attacker in competitive decks. It is best toleave Alcremie on the bench so it can focus on healingand instead have Zacian’s ex be the main damage dealer. With so many powerful cards from other decks to worry about, having multiple healing methods besides item cards is a very useful strategy.
Pokémon TCG ETBs Drop To Just $25 Thanks To Early Black Friday Deals
The Violet And Scarlet Pokémon Trading Card Game Elite Trainer Boxes are now available at GameStop for half price as Black Friday sales kick off.
8Paldean Clodsire Ex
Strong Poisonous Attacks
As the second powerful ex card in the Generation Nine deck alongside Koraidon ex, Paldean Clodsire ex is a very useful asset to have in battle. Its first attack, Poison Ring, is a clear standout, as itpoisons the opponent’s active Pokémonand prevents them from retreating. This whittles down the opponent’s health every turn while simultaneously ensuring they can’t flee when Clodsire or Koraidon ex prepare to deal the finishing blow.
It is best to have Clodsire inflict poison status with Poison Ring as needed before bringing in Koraidon ex to deal massive damage, constantly alternating between them as necessary by utilizing both Toedscruel’s ability and Switch cards.
Paldean Clodsire’s second attack, Giga Impact, is certainly very useful, but it can also be a hindrance during battle. It can deal with impressive 220 damage, which can knock out or severely hurt many ex Pokémon, butit leaves Clodsire unable to attack during its next turn. My best suggestion is that players using Clodsire in their decks should take care to use Giga Impact as sparingly as possible to ensure their Pokémon remain useful during battle.
7Mimikyu Ex
A Way To Stall Opponents With Confusion
Mimikyu is known to be a Pokémon that initially appears unassuming but hides a terrifying power, and its ex card is a great reflection of that. Its first attack, Mischievous Hands, does an excellent job at slowly whittling down the health of benched Pokémon, making it a threat to any of an opponent’s Pokémon. Its second attack, Ghost Trip, helps it shine, as it deals 120 damage whileconfusing the opposing active Pokémon, thereby preventing them from attacking or retreating.
Given the fact that Mimikyu’s attack damage is lower than most ex Pokémon, players should mainlyfocus on utilizing Ghost Trip to stall the opponentwith confusion. At the same time, the Energy Sticker item card fromTCG Scarlet & Violet’s151setshould be attached to a powerful benched Pokémon like Tapu Koko ex, providing it with enough energy to eventually unleash devastating attacks once it’s brought to the active spot. Even if Mimikyu isn’t meant to primarily serve as a damage dealer, its ability to utilize status conditions makes it a very useful asset in any competitive deck.
6Noivern Ex
An Agile Flier Who Constantly Swaps Positions
Noivern is an incredibly fast and powerful Pokémon from the sixth generation. Noivern is known to relentlessly attack Pokémon with immensely powerful sound waves. Matching this sheer strength, Noivern ex’s second attack,Sonic Blast, deals an impressive 220 points of damageto opponents, which can knock out or severely damage most other ex Pokémon who attempt to go up against it. The only downside to this attack is that it makes Noivern deal 30 damage to itself, but its 270 total health means it can easily withstand multiple uses without worry.
Noivern ex’s first attack, Strafe, makes it far more useful in battle. Despite only dealing 50 damage to the opponent’s Pokémon, the player canswap out Noivern with any of their benched Pokémon. Players should verify to set up their benched Pokémon’s attacks before using Strafe in preparation for dealing massive damage during their next turn or to prevent Noivern from taking more damage.
5Sylveon
A Way To Combat Powerful Ex Cards
Another very useful asset in the Generation Six deck, Sylveon, is one non-ex card that is certain to shake up the competitive scene. Its ability, Safeguard, prevents Sylveon from taking any damage from an opponent’s ex Pokémon, which is very similar to Mimikyu fromTCG’sPaldea Evolved. This makes Sylveon the perfect card totrip up players whose decks heavily rely on ex Pokémonto deal damage.
To deal with players using regular cards to try and work around Sylveon’s Safeguard ability, attach the Rocky Helmet card fromScarlet & Violetto Sylveon. This will cause any active Pokémon that damages it to take damage as well.
I found that one great way to use Sylveon competitively is to use it alongside Noivern. After Noivern uses its Strafe attack, have it switch with Sylveon if the opponent has an ex card in play. This willforce the opponent to switch to using a weaker Pokémonor leave them unable to do anything at all during their turn, allowing players to buy themselves enough time to prepare their strongest attacks.
10 Pokémon We Want to See in Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Next Set
More Pokémon are coming to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket and there’s a few fan-favorite Pokémon that need to appear in the next expansion.
4Lucario Ex
Building Up Power Every Other Turn
As one of the ex cards that are part of the Generation Four deck, Lucario ex is a very useful asset due to its sheer strength alone. Its second attack, Tornado Rush, is the biggest standout, as it initially deals 100 damage butcan deal 100 more damage points during Lucario’s next turnbefore applying weaknesses or resistances.
The fact that Lucario ex can deal so much damage all at once means it is a massive threat to many ex Pokémon. It isespecially dangerous for powerhouses like Noivern and Snorlax ex, who take twice the damage from Fighting-type attacks. Combined with Lucario ex’s high HP and the Rigid Band card from151,which allows it to take less damage from attacks, it is certainly a powerful card that will be hard to take down.
3Xerneas Ex
Immensely Strong When Combined With Other Cards
When I first learned about theex Starter Deck Generationsset, Xerneas ex was an immediate standout due to the threat it poses to other ex Pokémon. Specifically, its second attack, Rising Horn, initially deals a decent 120 points of damage, which can knock out most regular cards in a single hit. However, if the opponent’s active Pokémon is an ex, thenRising Horn deals an extra 100 damage.
Combining Xerneas ex, Noivern ex, and Sylveon into one deckmakes a particularly threatening combination of cards. Not only will players be able to constantly switch between their various benched Pokémon, but they can also prevent themselves from taking damage before dealing devastating blows. It all combines to ultimately create what I feel isone of the best decksin the entire set.
2Amoongus Ex
Strong Attacks Combined With The Sleep Status Condition
As one of the ex cards in the Generation Five deck, both of Amoongus' attacks are notable primarily due to their secondary effects. Its first attack, Spore Ball, might only do 30 damage, but it has the added bonus ofputting the opponent to sleep, thereby preventing them from attacking. Furthermore, Mushroom Swing’s second attack initially deals 100 points of damage but can occasionally deal 180 damage after a successful coin flip.
I found that an effective way to increase Amoongus' damage capabilities is to have Lilligant remain on the bench. Its Sunny Day ability canincrease any Grass or Fire-type Pokémon’s attack damageby 20 points. Once Lilligant is in play and the opponent’s active Pokémon is asleep, players can either keep attacking with Amoongus or bring in another strong Pokémon like Reshiram ex to deal the finishing blow.
1Tyranitar Ex
Gets Stronger The More Energy It Acquires
Of all the cards in the entireex Starter Deck Generationsset, Tyranitar ex is an absolute powerhouse with many useful capabilities. On top of having a massive 340 total health points, its first attack, Crush, deals50 damage times the amount of energy attached to it, leading to some powerful blows that can overpower many Psychic-type cards like Mimikyu ex.
Tyranitar’s second attack, Tyrant Crash, allows the player to look at the opponent’s current hand and choose which card to discard, thereby potentially removing an essential card from play.
Tyranitar ex is made even more of a thread with the addition of regular cards like Houndoom. Since Houndoom allows players to search for two energy and attach them to their Pokémon however they like, this can easily allow Tyranitar to deal enough damage with Crush to overwhelm and knock out many ex Pokémon. All of this combines to make Tyranitar ex an essential card forPokémon Trading Card Gamedecks.
