The newest expansion of Pokémon TCG Pocket, Space-Time Smackdown is finally here, and this incredible Sinnoh-themed set promises to ruffle the feathers of the meta.
While new Abilities, Trainer cards, and even the debuting Pokémon Tool cards will affect the meta tremendously, the good old EX cards remain the most decisive cards in most bouts. With that said, let’s check out all the new EX cards up for grabs in the Space-Time Smackdown set!
Dialga EX
One of the headlining Pokémon of the expansion, Dialga EX is all set to polish the Metal-type deck’s surface and make it shine. Dialga EX’s main attack, Heavy Impact, is sort of underwhelming for 4 Energy as it deals only 100 DMG, especially when Melmetal has the same attack but the latter’s ability, Hard Coat, makes it take 20 less damage from attacks.
Instead, use Dialga as a wall in the Active Sport to absorb damage (150 HP is cool), and use the 2 Energy, 30 DMG Metallic Turbo to have your Benched Melmetal (or another Dialga EX) ready to hit in 2 turns only! Indeed, Metallic Turbo takes 2 Energy from your Energy Zone and gifts it to any one of your Benched cards (4 Energy in just 2 turns).
With several new useful Metal-type cards in Space-Time Smackdown like Bastiodon and Probopass, Dialga EX would be the backbone of Metal decks.
But wait! Dialga EX’s resourcefulness may be better enjoyed by Colorless-type Pokémon since Mettalic Turbo’s Metal Energy giveaways can help Colorless decks! 😮
Think classics like Wigglytuff EX, Pidgeot EX, or the new Lickilicky EX (4 Energy Licking Fury does 100 DMG + 40 DMG for each head you get on tossing a coin!). To be fair, pairing Dialga EX with Colorless cards could be the real earth-shattering application. Keep an eye out for Colorless decks comprising combinations of Dialga EX, Wigglytuff EX, Lickilicky EX, Regigigas, Rotom, and Purugly.
Metal and Colorless decks rise! 😈
Palkia EX
When Palkia EX was first revealed, fans were worried about how its card would garner enough Energy for the 150 DMG Dimensional Storm. This move not only requires a whopping 4 Energy but also discards 3 Energy on usage! We theorized in our first impressions for Space-Time Smackdown that Palkia EX would need a card that would serve as an engine to accelerate Water Energy gains.
- Now, with all the cards revealed, we have something that could stack up plenty of Energy from Palkia and it’s the new Manaphy card. Manaphy has 50 HP and a move called Oceanic Gift. With this, Manaphy chooses 2 of your Benched Pokémon and to each of them, it gives a Water Energy! So, have Palkia EX on your Bench and Manaphy on your Active Spot. Use Oceanic Gift once or twice (50 HP isn’t high enough to tank but you can use it as a sacrificial pawn to have Palkia ready), and add on with the turn’s Energy gains to have Palkia EX ready in no time!
- Guess what? Manaphy is not the only Space-Time Smackdown card to benefit Palkia EX as the Dawn Trainer card moves an Energy from 1 of your Benched cards to your Active Spot (kind of like Vaporeon from Mythical Island). Say you drew Articuno EX in the beginning and Palkia EX later. With Dawn, you can transfer Energy from the weakened Articuno EX on your Bench + the turn’s Energy for 2 Energy gains for Palkia EX! This pairs well with Vaporeon as well.
- Misty! Of course, Misty is going to remain a mainstay in Water-type decks, and getting lucky with heads is a blessing for Palkia.
The Water deck spearheaded by Articuno EX, Palkia EX, Manaphy, Misty, and Dawn is going to create waves (quite literally). There are new Water cards like Frost Rotom, Mamoswine, and Empoleon, and classics like Gyarados EX and Starmie EX to combine with these cards. The variety is insane!
Lickilicky EX
We saw how Lickilicky EX can be paired to much success with Dialga EX but even without the said Legendary, this card is a menace. Licking Fury does 100 + 40 DMG for each head obtained on tossing a coin. So 1 head with Giovanni OHKOs Mewtwo EX, Pikachu EX, Celebi EX, Dialga EX, and Palkia EX. The more heads you get, the more victims you claim. Best of all, it can fit in any deck since it’s a Colorless type card and 160 HP is neat! The only drawback is its exceptionally high retreat cost of 4 Energy and of course, if you get tails on the first coin flip.
Infernape EX
Well, Infernape got an EX but Torterra and Empoleon didn’t! 😡 And frankly, Infernape EX is rather underwhelming. Sure, Flare Blitz with 140 DMG for only 2 Energy is marvelous but discarding all Energy on usage with no lower-damage move to back it up is bad. This makes it an absolute necessity to devote as much Energy from Moltres EX’s Inferno Danc towards Infernape. More like Infernape Dance, eh? Not the greatest EX card when Arcanine EX and Charizard EX (who can at least do some damage with Slash) are more functional, while Infernape EX calls for too much attention from Moltres EX if it wants to sweep.
Darkrai EX
Darkrai EX is all set to give nightmares to your opponent, thanks to its scary Ability, Nightmare Aura. It does 20 DMG to your opponent’s Active Spot Pokémon every time you attach a Dark Energy to it. Much like Greninja, only that it damages the Actice Spor card. A core point to be noted is that it can do this from the Bench! 😯
So, if you have a Druddigon in your Active (who typically doesn’t need any Energy to fulfill its role), Rough Skin does 20 DMG and as you attach Energy to Darkrai in your Bench, there’s another 20 DGMF, totally the net damage you do to your opponent’s Active Spot Pokémon to a staggering 40 DMG! 😯
Darkrai EX’s damage output is only 80 with Dark Prism, so it will go on to remain a Benched sniper (again, like Greninja). For high HP EX cards who decide to KO Druddigon after taking 40 DMG per turn from the Druddigon | Darkrai duo, Darkrai EX can come in after the KO and you can bet that 80 DMG is KO-worthy. Aaaaannndddd, if they switch out the damaged card (usually an EX) back to their Bench to avoid the +2 point loss, you can use the Cyrus card to force your opponent to switch in the damaged Pokémon.
Wait, there’s more… the Rocky Helmet Pokémon Tool card attached to Druddigon in the Active adds 20 more damage! 💡 Along with Darkrai EX, you do an insane 60 DMG without any attack! Crazy!!
Weavile EX
If you thought Darkrai EX was the only new crazy card for the Darkness deck, think again! The sneaky Weavile got an EX variant and its Scratching Nails move is pretty good.
While it typically does only 30 DMG, if Weavile EX is facing an opponent that has already taken damage, it does 70 DMG! This pairs seamlessly with Druddigon and Darkrai as they deal damage to the opposing Active card. Also, Weavile EX pairs with Cyrus should your opponent wish to switch out the damaged Pokémon. 70 DMG is no slouch either, so this strategy is a matchwinner! 😉
The new Darkness deck comprising Druddigon | Darkrai EX | Weavile EX | Cyrus | Dawn may very well be the most outrageous set from Space-Time Smackdown. Watch out for it!
Yanmega EX
The Grass deck was the talk of the town when Mythical Island landed, with Celebi EX and Serperior becoming the talk of the town. This time, the grass isn’t too green, with Torterra missing the EX and the one that did get it, being underwhelming. It’s Yanmega.
140 HP and Air Slash with 120 DMG for 3 Energy while losing Energy each time it’s used is no recipe for hype. Funnily enough, Air Slash requires Colorless Energy, making Yanmega EX suitable for any deck. It’s not bad but there’s nothing really special about it.
Gallade EX
Gallade EX boasts an impressive 170 HP and for only 2 Energy, can make hard-hitting opponents pay if their moves require a high Energy count.
Say one of your cards is taken out by something like Celebi EX. You can then bring in Gallade EX and do an insane amount of damage with Energized Blade to revenge-kill them. This also applies to other cards whose 3-4 Energy gains spell disaster when Gallade EX comes into the playing field. While the net damage output may seem low since Mewtwo EX discards 2 Energy after Psydrive, having Lucario around to do 20 extra damage (stacks to 40 with Lucario cards on the Bench), helps Gallade eliminate cards even if they have fewer Energy attached. Not to mention, Marshadow is another revenge killer while Cyrus can help bring back the damaged card that your opponent chooses to retreat.
Be wary of the Gallade EX | Lucario | Marshadow | Cyrus set. It’s destined for greatness!
Mismagius EX
Mismagius’ shenanigans are less about damage and more about the Confusion status effect. On using Magical Delusion, you dish out a nice 70 DMG and Confuse them. When confused, your opponent flips a coin. If heads, they attack normally. But if tails, they can’t attack and their turn ends.
In this case, another 70 DMG from Mismagius can rob off quite a lot of HP. Or, the opponent may choose to retreat their Confused Pokémon and shake off the effect. Ooooooorrrrr, they may also use the Lum Berry Pokémon Tool card to recover from the state. At best, you can deal 140 DMG (a total of 150 DMG with Giovanni) or at the very least, you can throw your opponent’s strategy astray with Mismagius EX. Definitely a headache your opponent would want to avoid.
Pachirisu EX
Pachirisu is a Pikachu clone and unsurprisingly, this card is a lot like the Pikachu EX from Genetic Apex! 😆
120 HP, that stance, and the 2 Energy move. Even the damage output from Sparking Gadget, 80 DMG with any Pokémon Tool attached, is just 10 less than Circle Circuit’s 90 DMG. Pachirisu doesn’t need the Bench to be filled out nor are any evolutions involved. A Basic EX card that needs only 2 Energy and a Trainer card (Giant Cape maybe? Gives +20 HP) attached to start firing 80 DMG is pretty impressive and only makes the famed Lightning deck more threatening!
Cresselia EX
Cresselia EX can’t be pulled for the Space-Time Smackdown booster packs and would instead be featured in an EX drop event where you’ll have to participate in solo battles for a chance to draw this EX card.
Cresselia EX is a counterpart to Darkrai EX, wherein this card focuses on healing 20 damage whenever you attach Energy to it, thanks to its Lunar Plumage Ability. It also does 80 DMG with Psychic Flash. To put it into perspective, Cresselia EX is a Psychic-type version of Lapras EX from Genetic Apex! It even has the same stance in the artwork! 😀
Space-Time Smackdown is going to be super exciting, with stunning artwork, powerful cards, and rising decks complementing the expansion. Wish you the best with your packs. May you grab your favorite cards ASAP!
Happy collecting and battling, TCG Pocket-ers!
