Garchomp is back for revenge after my last Winners and Losers post, but does its new ex qualify as a winner?
Pokemon TCG Pocket’s newest set has been out for a little over a week now and already we have seen a drastic shift in the meta, with old favourites like Charizard ex and Celebi ex being left behind in favour of the new kids on the block. Today we take a look over the new ex cards introduced in Triumphant Light and give them the title of Winner or Loser based on their performance in the meta.
Loser – Probopass ex
Kicking things off we have the newest Metal energy ex, Probopass ex. This card shows some promise, being a strong contender for being your deck’s Rocky Helmet user thanks to its ability to soak up hits, taking 20 less damage from incoming attacks after using its Defensive Unit attack, however, 3 energy for 90 damage, and a HP total that makes it an easy target for staples like Charizard ex, Celebi ex, and the newly emerging tournament winner, Rampardos – this card sadly won’t see itself at the top of the tier lists any time soon.
Winner – Leafeon ex
In a meta dominated by Water decks and Metal decks accelerating energy to their heavy hitters, it’s become harder and harder for other typings to keep up. Leafeon ex offers a great option to Grass type decks, allowing quicker energy generation to the undisputed King of the Grass types, Celebi ex. With plenty of options available to keep Leafeon alive in the active spot, such as Erika and Potion, you can very quickly stack energy onto a waiting Celebi on the bench and snowball the game.
This Leafeon/Celebi combo has already reached the Top 16 of tournaments, cementing its status as a winner from the newest set.
Loser – Glaceon ex
Sporting the same stat line as its Grass type counterpart, Leafeon, Glaceon is sadly let down by its ability. Snowy Terrain deals 10 damage to your opponent’s active pokemon during the checkup phase and while this damage can definitely stack up quickly, along with decent support to get the energy onto Glaceon to allow it to attack with Freezing Wind such as Misty, Manaphy or Vaporeon, this card just feels like it falls short.
Water is a type that has consistently been given great card after great card, with the exceptional support cards mentioned above, and the newest healing Supporter card in the game, Irida, and huge damage dealers like Gyarados and Palkia, this card just fails to fit in to any deck in a meaningful way. Sorry, Glaceon, but for now, you’re put into the Loser category.
Winner – Arceus ex
Who would’ve thought that the Pokemon God itself would’ve been so strong? The answer to that is everybody! Arceus ex has burst onto the scene with staggering success being found immediately. Arceus is immune to all status effects, countering old staples like Weezing and Wigglytuff, all while being able to hit for up to 130 damage in a single turn with Ultimate Force.
A vast majority of players are combining Arceus ex with his time-controlling peer, Dialga ex, to accelerate energy onto Arceus and overwhelm opponents with early damage. There are also a number of cards that Arceus directly buffs, giving them access to abilities they can only use while Arceus is in play. While not as popular as the Dialga combo, Crobat has also achieved Top 64 tournament finishes alongside Arceus. Crobat is given the ability to snipe the opposing active Pokemon for 30 damage while Arceus is in play, this damage is often enough to bring your opponent’s Pokemon into HP range to be KO’d by Arceus’ Ultimate Force.
Arceus is a strong card that I think we’ll be seeing at the top of tournament rankings and tier lists for the foreseeable future, and with the potential to release more cards that gain abilities from Arceus, this card can continue to stay relevant, even with the release of new sets.
Loser – Garchomp ex
I couldn’t end this list with anything except the most disappointing card of the set, Garchomp ex. Cynthia’s signature Pokemon, the pseudo-legendary of the Sinnoh region and a fan favourite around the world, yet here’s Garchomp, entering the Loser category once again.
Where did it all go wrong? When we got our first taste of Garchomp in Spacetime Smackdown, the community thought that it had potential when combined with the Cynthia Supporter card, but everybody was excited to see the shark dragon get a shiny new ex card in Triumphant Light. The card we were given was not what anybody wanted.
Linear Attack is a solid snipe attack, 1 energy for 50 damage that can hit the bench is definitely welcome, but the fact we have other snipers who can use their ability and attack in the same turn, albeit for less damage, is already a hit to Garchomp ex’s appeal. Dragon Claw is Garchomp’s 3 energy attack, dealing a measly 100 damage to the opponent’s active Pokemon, and this time, Cynthia can’t save you, the Supporter card introduced in Spacetime Smackdown, allowing Garchomp to deal 50 extra damage does not work with Garchomp ex, leaving this card feeling hugely underpowered.
The combination of Garchomp’s weak attacks, the fact that it’s a Stage 2 Pokemon and its weakness to Grass really makes this card the biggest letdown of all the ex cards from Triumphant Light.
But hey, at least it isn’t Giratina!
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