Pokémon TCG Pocket players are opening pack after pack from the latest Triumphant Light set and needless to say, EX cards are at the top of everyone’s mind in this mini-expansion.
The explosive EX cards from the Mythical Island mini created huge ripples in the meta so does Triumphant Island achieve the same? Or do these cards adopt roles built more on strategy? Let’s check out each EX card from the Triumphant Light set!
Arceus EX
We start with arguably the strongest EX card from Triumphant Light, the very headliner of this pack: Arceus EX.
Aside from the ‘Link’ archetypes wherein Arceus/Arceus EX influences certain Pokémon, the card itself is remarkable!
A beefy 140 HP (160 HP with Giant Cape, 100% would recommend), Ultimate Force deals a whopping 130 DMG as long as you have a full Bench behind it. Add the fact that its ability, Fabled Luster, prevents Arceus EX from being affected by Sleep, Paralysis, Poison, Burn, and Confusion, it has an auto Lum Berry of its own which even works always. All this is good enough to make Arceus EX an excellent card.
But its biggest selling point is its Colorless typing that helps it fit into any deck whatsoever. Players are having a gala time pairing it with Dialga EX (+Skarmory) and Palkia EX (+Manaphy) to create aggressive decks. Its relatively low Energy cost and high damage output profile make it the best Colorless type card in TCG Pocket and a flexible Swiss Army Knife for various decks now and even down the line.
Glaceon EX
Mayday! Mayday! They made Water decks stronger!
Each of the four sets released till date has had at least one card that contributed tremendously to the strength of the Water-type deck. Articuno EX, Starmie EX, Greninja, Misty, Gyarados EX, Vaporeon, Manaphy, and Palkia EX. Now, joining the bandwagon is Glaceon EX!
With 3 Energy, it does 90 DMG with Freezing Wind. This may seem meh but you have to glance at its ability, Snowy Terrain, which adds 10 DMG during each Pokémon Checkup. So, for an entire turn, this ability first does 10 passive damage on facing the opponent and then another 10 passive damage when it comes to your opponent’s turn (before they attack). So, it’s actually 110 DMG and works like Poison.
Blended with Manaphy and Palkia EX, this Water deck functions like a well-oiled machine. Additionally, the new (and broken) Irida Trainer card heals all Pokémon attached with at least 1 Water Energy by 40 HP.
That’s not all as you can use two Eevee, 1 Glaceon EX, and 1 Vaporeon (Mythical Island) to make your deck more versatile. Glaceon EX may not look too powerful but it’s extremely handy in battles. Watch out for this icy Eeveelution!
Leafeon EX
TCG Pocket signed the comeback of one of the most feared cards ever: Celebi EX, all thanks to Leafeon EX.
Unlike Glaceon EX, which adopts a hyper-aggressive role, Leafeon EX is more of an Energy accelerator and sort of brings the elements of Moltres EX and Gardevoir with its Forest Breath ability. When Leafeon EX is on the Active Spit, this ability fetches 1 Grass Energy and attaches it to any Grass Pokémon you want to.
With Leafeon EX armed with a Pokémon Tool like Rocky Helmet or Giant Cape, it can stall in the Active Spot while you supply a free Grass Energy (along with the turn’s Energy) to Celebi EX. This means that you can give 2 Energy to Celebi EX each turn and with Erika’s exceptional 50 DMG healing and Potions to back it up, imagine all the Energy you can send to Celebi EX while Leafeon EX continues to thrive in the Active Spot!
This deadly pair is bound to become a sensation in the meta, especially with all those Darkrai EX and Weavile EX cards around.
Additionally, you can also work the Leafeon EX + Erika + Potion magic by pairing them with Yanmega EX. Lots of possibilities to explore!
Garchomp EX
The Garchomp card from Space-Time Smackdown was Dragon type but Triumphant Light has made it a Fighting type card, with the EX version to boot. Is Garchomp EX good? Well, it’s a mixed bag.
Garchomp EX has the 3 Energy move, 100 DMG move Dragon Claw coupled with the 2 Energy, 50 DMG move Linear Attack. Linear Attack has the added advantage of inflicting 50 DMG to any of your opponent’s Pokémon. Not to mention, Garhcomp EX boasts a massive 170 HP which can shoot up to an insane 190 HP with Giant Cape.
All this is fine on paper but in reality, there are some problems. For starters, it’s a Stage 2 card, meaning setting it up is not always going to be easy. Say what? You can stall in the Active Spot with Druddigon? Well, by the time Garchomp EX is ready to go, opponents with damage output of 140 DMG or 150 DMG are all set. And Garchomp EX can do 100 DMG only.
But hey, it’s a Fighting-type card, so Lucario (Space-Time Smackdown) works! Having one Lucario on the Bench adds 20 DMG while two Lucario adds 40 DMG (it stacks). But, setting up Garchomp EX and Lucario is an ideal situation that would only occur rarely. Even then, 100 DMG for 3 Energy is awkward. While you hit any of the opponent’s Benched Pokémon with Linear Attack’s 50 DMG, the opponent’s EX delivers a hard-hitting 100+ DMG blow, making Garchomp EX vulnerable in the next turn. You just can’t afford to lose 2 points.
Historically, the Fighting type has worked better in non-EX decks. The problem is a lack of reliable Fighting Pokémon cards that can work as Plan B. You fail to set up Garchomp EX and/or Lucario, and it’s game over for you.
In the meantime, you can enjoy some degree of success by pairing Garcjomp EX with Marshadow and Hitmonlee but keep in mind that your power levels are outclassed in most cases.
NOTE: The Cynthia Supporter card from Space-Time Smackdown DOESN’T work with Garchomp EX. It only aligns with the Garchomp card from its own set. Regular and EX cards of the same species are regarded as different Pokémon cards in the TCG world.
Probopass EX
Be careful whom you call ugly in middle school because the nosy Probopass EX is better than you expect and you simply can’t give it a pass. So let’s probe into this card.
Puns aside, Probopass EX is one of the few good Metal Pokémon to pair with Dialga EX and it’s literally a Defensive Unit (oh, that’s the name for its move as well lol).
First and foremost, 160 HP makes it two leagues better than the usual 140 HP cards in TCG Pocket. Use Dialga EX’s Metallic Turbo to grant 2 free Metal Energy to Probopass, retreat to bring in Probopass, and attach the new turn’s Energy to attack with 90 DMG.
But guess what? Using Defensive Unit makes you take 20 less damage from your opponent’s attacks in the next turn. Use the new Adaman Trainer card to take an additional 20 less damage. So, Probopass’ attack and Adaman ensure that you take 40 less DMG the next turn! You can add Arceus EX to your Dialga EX | Probopass EX Metal deck for higher offense while Probopass EX can do the tanking. And 90 DMG is decent, so don’t underestimate this Pokémon at all!
The EX cards from the Triumphant Light mini expansion may seem less powerful than those from Mythical Island, but it should be remembered that earlier, there were fewer Trainer cards and no Pokémon Tools. Today, picking 20 cards for a deck is not as easy as before, so cards with lesser damage output but good resourcefulness are often matchwinners.
These EX cards give you room for creativity so surprise your opponents with decks they never imagined or prepared for!
Happy collecting and battling, TCG Pocket-ers!
