WhilePokemon TCG Pocketbegan with very few Steel-types to speak of, the category of card options quickly grew during the Space-Time Smackdown set. This allowed the type to climb up the rankings with powerful Pokemon ex and Energy acceleration options. In Triumphant Light, even more Steel-types are added to shake things up a bit.
This includes the first stage two line for the type as well as some heavy-duty Pokemon that can take a beating and others that can come in once Dialga ex has gone down. Steel-types receive plenty of love now, and each card does something different for the type. So which ones are the ones you want to pull from packs?
8Magnemite
The First Three Stage Steel-Type Pokemon
It’stime to corral all the baby Pokemon. First off is Magnemite, which does exactly what you would expect from a Basic Pokemon with two more Evolutions to get through. 60 Hp? Yes. A 20 damage Move that costs one Energy? Also yes. However, this card sets some precedent as the first Steel-type option with three different stages.
On the bright side, Magnemite has an art rare that you’re able to find in Triumphant Light. So, while it may not be particularly powerful, you can still flex with it by adding in a higher rarity card to the mix.
7Bronzor
A Quick Steel-type
While Bronzor might not be a hard-hitting Pokemon off the bat, it can start attacking right away with Ram. This Move costs one Energy to do ten damage. While that might not seem like much, the Energy requirement is Colorless, which will carry on once it evolves.
Another good thing about Bronzor is that there are multiple versions to choose from once you take into account the Steel-type in Space-Time Smackdown. So you may go with this faster version that does less damage or go with another variant that can hit a bit harder for more Energy. This can help youbuild your perfect Evolution line.
6Magneton
Evolving Magnemite
If you choose to add the Magnemite line to your deck, Magneton is a good choice if you want to keep dishing out Steel damage. For two Energy, you can do 30 damage using Rolling Attack. However, if you want to get a little risky, you can ignore the Steel-type Magneton and slip in the Genetic Apex one instead.This little trick will let you get extra Energyyou can use on Magnezone, but only one.
Magneton has no other redeeming qualities other than being that middle-of-the-road Evolution. So it’s really a choice of whether you want to be able to attack with Magneton or speed up your next Evolution’s Move setup by one turn.
5Mawile
Strike Back Against Steel-types
Mawile feels like a counter card forwhen the meta favors Steel-type Pokemon. This is because Mawile’s Iron Beam Breaker can do 20 base damage and punch for 50 if it hits another Steel-type. It can also do this using only one Energy of any type.
This Colorless Energy requirement allows it to fit into any deck as a counter to specific decks you might expect to see in the meta. Sometimes, you want that extra kick against your opponent’s Pokemon. However, this also makes it less consistent since it relies on your opponent to have a specific deck. Anything else, and this Pokemon does a flat 20 with no Evolutions to power up with.
4Magnezone
A Secret Energy Acceleration Technique
Magnezone is an Arceus Link Pokemon that feels just a bit slow to have a lasting impact. If Magnezone were a Basic Pokemon, then the protection it gains from Resilience Link would be able to help it immediately. Unfortunately, this protection only starts taking effect on stage two. Luckily, there is a secret method of getting set up faster.
Magnezone is not an Electric-type in Triumphant Light, so it can’t get a full Energy fill-up using Magneton from Genetic Apex. However, because one of its Energy requirements is Colorless, you can use Genetic Apex’s Magneton to generate a single Electric Energy while on the Bench. This cuts down on the time needed to get Magnezone ready to attack.
3Bronzong
Steel-Type Damage For Everyone
Bronzong doesn’t seem to do much at first glance, but it is a surprisingly versatile Pokemon if you want to add a little bit of Steel-type damage to a deck. Despite Evolving, Bronzong maintains a Colorless Energy requirement. Because of this, Psychic can be used in any deck, regardless of type.
Psychic does 50 damage plus 20 more for each Energy your opponent has on their Active Pokemon. This can rack up against some of the stronger Pokemon in the game. It can also take advantage of any Energy acceleration technique that doesn’t specify a type of Pokemon in the text box. This is perfect fordual-type decks.
2Probopass Ex
Moving In After Dialga Ex Gets Knocked Out
Probopass ex is better than Magnezone in a couple of ways. It has more HP, a smaller package in the deck, and does ten more damage. It also requires significantly less setup since you don’t need to Evolve twice, and it doesn’t require Arceus on the field.
The downside is that this Pokemon grants your opponent two points if they knock it out. With a hefty Retreat Cost of three during this stage and its prior Evolution, it can be clunky if Nosepass is the only Pokemon you draw into at the start of the game. This works best as backup for Dialga ex after some Energy acceleration.
1Origin Forme Dialga
A Not So Limiting Coin Flip Move
Instead of a non-ex Dialga, Triumphant Light introduces Origin Forme Dialga into the mix. You can do 100 damage for three Energy by using Time Smash. This is one Energy cheaper than Dialga ex’s Heavy Impact. However, if you want to keep using this Move repeatedly, you need to see if you can land the coin flip, or you won’t be able to attack with this card.
This coin flip isn’t all that bad since it doesn’t stop the attack from going through. You will still be able to deal that 100 damage. If you land on tails, you may still attack with any other Pokemon. There is also plenty of time to swap Pokemon around during your turn to ensure that you can keep the damage going.
