Summary

As is so often the case when new cards launch in a competitive TCG, there is a huge shift in the meta. This is exactly what’s happening right now inPokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, with yesterday’sslightly buggy launchof the Space-Time Smackdown expansion.

While players are still getting to grips with the game’s new cards and which ones will be battle-ready, one deck featuring Weavile ex and Darkrai ex has already started to rise to prominence.

pokemon-tcg-cover.jpg

Darkrai Ex and Weavile Ex Stake A Claim As The New Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket Meta

There areplenty of cards that look like they’re going to be viablefrom Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Space-Time Smackdown. Honchkrow was initially scoped as a Mewtwo ex killer, Palkia ex is a card that looks set to strengthen Water-type decks,Lucario adds a lot of power to Fighting-type decks, and the newPokemon Tools make Druddigon even more of a pain.

One deck, however, featuring Darkrai ex and Weavile ex is less speculative and is already destroyingMewtwo ex decks. The two Pokemon complement each other perfectly, causing trouble for most decks, but especially those weak to Dark-type moves.

Darkrai ex, from the bench, can deal 20 damage to the opponent’s active Pokemon every time a Dark-type energy is attached to it; given that it’s a basic Pokemon, it’s a more versatile, slightly flawed version of Greninja. Weavile ex, at the cost of one Dark-type energy, deals 30 damage with its Scratching Nails attack. However, if the active Pokemon has any damage on it, it deals an extra 40 damage. Given that Darkrai ex can damage from the bench, you should be able to hit for 70 pretty quickly, or 90 if the opponent’s Pokemon is weak to Dark.

Given that Mewtwo ex has 150 HP, Scratching Nails should be a two-turn KO, all at the cost of one energy.

It’s an exciting new deck, set tocounter the game’s most prolific, and it will be interesting to see what effect it has on the wider meta.