Pokemon TCG Pocketups the ante with the Space-Time Smackdown set. The Fighting-type selection of Pokemon are all known for their powerful attacks and often beefy HP. However, the type often lacks a few features that allow some of the other types to excel in the meta. This all changes with the additional cards included in this set.
Fighting-types finally have more than just punches. They have a setup plan and Abilities that make the player use both brain and brawn to get them to the three points needed for a victory. So which Fighting-types are the kings of the ring?
10Hitmontop
The Beyblade Of Pokemon
Hitmontop is a pretty solid card despite not having any special Abilities or even effect Moves. However, it manages to clear some of the other Fighting-types that just don’t make the cut. It has 80 HP, and its Spinning Attack does 50 damage for two Energy.
Since it doesn’t need to Evolve to reach its full potential, it can hit the field early for some quick damage while you prepare the rest of your Bench. It also has a Retreat Cost of one, making it fairly easy to recall once it has served its purpose.
9Rhydon
A Cheaper Rhydon
Rhydon is not a new Pokemon to the pocket-sized version of the card game. However, it has a few details that make it infinitely superior to its Genetic Apex variant, which earns it a place among the top in Space-Time Smackdown.
While having ten less HP, Space-Time Smackdown’s Rhydon has a Move and Retreat that both cost one less Energy. This makes it a less cumbersome middle-of-the-road Evolution for Rhyhorn that won’t leave youstruggling to find Energyas you make your way to Rhyperior.
8Wormadam
From Grass-type To Fighting-type
Space-Time Smackdown offers many ways in which Pokemon can Evolve and switch types. Wormadam is one of the more flexible ones since its Evolution has a lenient Energy requirement. It is one of the three Evolutions of Burmy, turning the gentle Grass-type into a Fighting-type.
Despite being a pretty straightforward card, this gameplay mechanic makes using the Pokemon more interesting than other effectless Evolution lines. It also just makes dual-typing a deck slightly more realistic since you don’t need to add another Energy type to make it work.
7Rhyperior
A Diamond In The Rough
On a surface level, Rhyperior feels like a negative on all fronts. It’sa Stage two Pokemon, so it’s slower to get out. Mountain Swing costs four Energy to use. It also mills three of your own cards from a 20-card deck.
However, by TCG standards, this is not that bad of an effect. Getting cards into the discard can be a major advantage for decks that utilize the discard pile, and 150 damage is a pretty good number. All Rhyperior needs is a form of Energy acceleration and other cards that utilize the discard pile to really start shining.
6Gliscor
Feel The Pinch Of Gliscor
Gliscor may not be the most powerful card in the Fighting-type roster, but it has some net positives to help it spring forwards. This card is incredibly cheap by being a Stage one Pokemon with a Move that only costs one Energy.
Acrobatics isyour typical coin flip Movewith the potential to do 60 damage in one go. Combine this with the Fighting-type’s damage buffing Pokemon and even Gliscor can deal some severe damage. It’s a budget card that’s not too hard to use or obtain.
5Nosepass
Type-changing Potential
Most Pokemon in the TCG stick to their own typing throughout their Evolutions. Nosepass, on the other hand, does things a little differently. While 70 HP and a 30-damage Move don’t seem too impressive, Evolving it turns it into the Steel-type Probopass.
This card allows Steel decks to tap into some Fighting-type damage, making Nosepass an interesting Basic Pokemon to play in your deck. You also don’t need to rely on Fighting Energy to attack since its requirements are all Colorless. This makes Nosepass pretty flexible for a Pokemon made of stone.
4Regirock
Rock Hard Protection
The problem with most Fighting-types is that their Moves can often be expensive with few methods of Energy acceleration. Regirock somewhat addresses this problem by allowing it to stay on the field long enough to act as a guardian for your other Pokemon.
Exoskeleton gives Regirock protection by reducing damage taken by 20. With 120 HP and 100 damage for each swing, this makes it the perfect wall for stalling strategies. As a Basic Pokemon, just have this in the Active Spot to buy you more time to get your other Evolutions in order.
3Rampardos
Knocking Down The Competition
Rampardos is a vicious Fossil Pokemon with a very effective Move. Head Smash does a whopping 130 damage for only one Energy, making it an Electric-type killer once it’s on the field. The only downside is that knocking out a Pokemon with this Move will deal 50 damage to itself as well.
This effect is still beneficial since it can heavily damage some of the strongest Pokemon faster than they can get set up. Even if it doesn’t knock out your opponent’s Pokemon in one hit, it can still take a chunk out of their HP.
2Gallade ex
Saying No To Energy Hoarding
Any Pokemon that has multiple Energy lives in fear of Gallade ex. Perhaps your opponent scored the big one with Misty or is using a Celebi deck to flip coins for massive damage. Gallade ex says no to all that by dishing out 70 base damage and 20 additional damage for each Energy your opponent has on their Active Pokemon.
This card gives Kirlia an alternate path to go on if you want to abandon the Psychic route. With more generic pre-evolutions available in Space-Time Smackdown, you can potentially stick with Gardevoir, or swap on over to Gallade ex to counter some Darkness-types that may pop up.
1Lucario
The Ultimate Fighting Buff
Lucario isthe Fighting-type’s greatest weaponand one of the best cards in the entire set. Forget about HP stats because this card’s Ability makes every Move used by Fighting-type Pokemon deal 20 extra damage. This includes turning Submarine Blow from a 40 damage Move to a 60 damage one.
It’s not even this Ability that makes Lucario so good. Read the Ability closer and you’ll realize that it stacks. With two Lucario on your Bench, that’s 40 extra damage for all Fighting-types that your opponent now has to deal with.
