Summary
Pokemon TCG Pocket’sTriumphant Light set brought the Pokemon God itself, Arceus, to the battle. While not a full expansion like Space-Time Smackdown, Triumphant Light explores even more of the Sinnoh region by adding legendary Pokemon that rule the ancient past, the skies, and the worlds between.
With more than 70 cards to choose from, there are some that stand out more than others as they shape the battlefield and enhance your already existing strategies. From Energy acceleration tactics to aggressive strategies, here are the cards you want to see when you open a fresh pack of Triumphant Light.
10Celestic Town Elder
More Discard Pile Support
The Discard Pile is a pretty underutilized game mechanic that is more prevalent in the full Pokemon TCG. Celestic Town Elder gives cards a second chance to do what they need to do. This Supporter lets youtake a random Basic Pokemonfrom the Discard Pile and add it to your hand.
This can be useful for recycling resources. If your opponent knocked out a key component for your Evolution line, this is a way to get it back without having to draw into another copy. It can also fetch back Pokemon ex. Be careful though, as what you get back is random.
9Houndoom
The Power Of Sinnoh Fire-types
Sinnoh is known for not having many Fire-types. The same goes for the Triumphant Light set. However, it does have Houndoom which, if played early, can be deadly to Evolution decks. This stage one Pokemon does 60 damage for two Energy while locking down your opponent’s Active Pokemon.
Fire is deadly against Steel and Grass, so 60 damage can quickly go up to 80. Without being able to Retreat, some of your opponent’s most powerful Pokemon can be done in before they can reach their full potential.
8Arceus ex
Linking With Other Pokemon
Arceus ex is an interesting card. On its own, this Colorless Pokemon has the benefit of being immune to Special Conditions such as Poison, Confusion, Burn, Sleep, or Paralysis. Ultimate Force allows Arceus ex to deal up to 130 damage in one turn.
Arceus’s ex’s true potential is unlocked when it is combined with any other card that gains special Abilities due to its presence. These include Carnivine, Tyranitar, Heatran and more. This mimics Arceus’s in-game ability to change types. In this case, it can be used in any type of deck.
7Glaceon ex
Double Tap
Glaceon ex is capable of double-tapping your opponent’s Active Pokemon each turn. This means ten damage during the Pokemon Checkup that occurs at the start of your opponent’s turn, and the start of yours.
With 90 damage for three Energy, that’s 110 damage that can be done each turn on astage one Pokemon ex. This adds up fast if your opponent is unable to deal with Glaceon ex. This effect also stacks with other conditions, allowing for some wicked combos revolving around Sleep or Confusion to make life harder for your opponent.
6Leafeon ex
Lots Of Energy
Leafeon ex manages to climb up the ranks because of its Ability. This ismore native Energy being attachedto your other Grass-types each turn. So, unlike Serperior, if Leafeon ex gets knocked out, all that extra Energy continues to count towards your card costs.
Attack-wise, this is a much more stable choice than Exeggutor ex since landing a hit is not luck-based. So that 70 base damage looks more and more appealing as a replacement. Especially with its Ability doing so much more for Grass-type decks.
5Crobat
Darkness Decks Become Deadlier
Crobat is the most viable Arceus Link Pokemon to choose from due to its synergy with the Darkness-types released in Space-Time Smackdown. This is because Crobat’s Ability can be used both in the Active Spot and on the Bench.
Cunning Link lets you deal 30 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon as long as you have an Arceus in play. Combine this with Darkrai’s Ability to put damage counters whenever you attack a Darkness Energy to it, and you can deal deadly passive damage each turn before attacking.
4Tyranitar
Massive Stats All Around
Tyranitar may not be a Pokemon ex, but it sure can hit hard. Land Crush can do 130 damage on its own, but with an Arceus card in play, Land Crush’s base damage goes up to 160. This can topple some of the best ex Pokemon in the game.
The biggest downside is that this is a stage two Pokemon with a Move that costs four Energy. This can be pretty steep considering it is also reliant on Arceus to reach its full potential. However, it is tanky and, as a Fighting-type, can also be buffed by Lucario while hitting some of the most powerful types in the game.
3Irida
The Ultimate Healing Card
The Pokemon TCG Pocket app isdrowning in Water-type support. Irida is yet another amazing card for any Water deck since it can heal a whopping 40 damage from not one, but all of your Pokemon with any Water Energy attached to it.
Water Energy is abundant with cards like Misty being able to generate it and Vaporeon capable of moving it around. Irida just makes the type more durable. The only downside is that it is a Supporter card, so choose wisely when to use it.
2Shaymin
Decks With No Retreat Costs
Shaymin is an absolutely incredible addition to any deck that wants to reduce their Retreat Costs. This Colorless-type can be placed on your Bench and all your Retreat Costs will go down by one. This means X Speed becomes less necessary if you choose to run Shaymin instead.
With so many cards already having a Retreat Cost of one, Shaymin can be used to make your deck fast and evasive. Overall, Shaymin is the key to preventing your opponent from scoring enough points to win.
1Garchomp ex
Powerful And Strategic
Garchomp ex is such a versatile card. For one Energy, you can strike the Bench, allowing you to pull those Pokemon in using Cyrus. You can then hit them with Dragon Claw on the very next turn as a finishing move. Most importantly, this card is a Fighting-type, so Lucario’s buff works to make it stronger.
The only downside is that you cannot use Cynthia with this card. On the bright side, it has good stats all around, including a beefy 170 HP and a Retreat Cost of one. This is one of the best Fighting-type ex Pokemon in the entire game.
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the fun of collecting Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) cards with Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, an upcoming game for iOS and Android devices from Creatures Inc., the original developers of the Pokémon TCG, and DeNA Co., Ltd.
In this game, you will be able to open two booster packs every day at no cost. You can collect digital cards featuring nostalgic artwork from the past as well as brand-new cards that are exclusive to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.Be on the lookout for new “immersive cards,” which will make you feel as though you’ve leapt into the world of the card’s illustration.
