The Wisdom of Sea and Sky set is a major expansion (A4), and naturally, there are plenty of new Trainer cards to grab. But the one that got the Pokémon TCG Pocket Tinseltown talking is Will.
Will has made its presence known in the dizzy heights of the meta and is the low-hanging fruit for the decks of even seasoned players in Ranked.
So what makes this mysterious Supporter so coveted? And which Pokémon does it impact the most? Let’s find out!
The Will card ensures that the next time (after using this Supporter) you flip coins for the effect of an attack, Ability, or Trainer card, your first outcome is guaranteed to be heads.
Keep in mind that Will has a lingering effect, so once you use it, the guaranteed heads from the first coin flip applies to any moment after you use it. Moves and Abilities can be used in the same turn or later (whenever you want), but Supporters like Misty can only be used in the next turn or afterwards.
The coin flip tech is hotly debated in TCG Pocket. While some love how the stars can align in their favour and win them matches (Misty and Celebi EX from the classics), others hate it, stating that they require no skill and just sheer luck.
Luck, or RNG to be precise, is an inherent quality of the Pokémon TCG in general, and we’ll just have to roll with it, whether it’s the physical TCG or Pocket.
While good ol’ cards like Misty, Celebi EX, and Moltres EX come to mind when one thinks of coin flips in Pokémon TCG Pocket, the benefits are more pronounced for Pokémon that gain a lot through heads achieved from just 1-2 coin flips.
To put it into perspective, imagine a card that does a lot of carnage from one heads but does nothing if it’s tails. That’s the consumer base of Will!
With that being said, let’s check out the Pokémon that benefit the most from using the Will Supporter card. While these elite cards will be discussed in detail, I’ll also highlight some of the other cards that enjoy ‘Will power.’
Xatu
Xatu has a 2 Energy move called Life Drain, which, like its namesake, drains the opponent’s HP to only 10 if you flip heads!
That’s OP! So, no matter the opponent, including a Giant Cape 200 HP Charizard EX, their health is guaranteed to be reduced to a mere 10 HP with Will in tow.
An amazing card to pair with Xatu is Typhlosion, a Pokémon that just needs to evolve on the Bench and not necessarily attack. This is because Typhlosion boasts a remarkable ability called Fire Breath, which burns the opponent’s Active Pokémon once per turn! So let Xatu attack while Typhlosion relaxes on the Bunch. Xatu brings the opponent to 10 HP, and the Burn status inherently takes out the remaining HP.
This is the best combo for Xatu’s tech, and you bet Xatu | Will | Typhlosion will see a lot of play. We begin with a phenomenal card available in the Wisdom of Sea and Sky set: Xatu.
Alolan Exeggutor
All Exeggutor cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket have always been stellar, be it Genetic Apex or Mythical Island.
But the Alolan Exeggutor card from Celestial Guardians always felt a bit lacklustre. It’s 3 Energy move Tropical Hammer inflicts 150 DMG if you get heads, but on tails, you do absolutely nothing.
Now, Will changes the game by assuring the 150 DMG output. But wait, it gets better!
You can also add Exeggutor EX to this deck since Will also favours it. For only 1 Energy, EXEgg does 80 DMG with the guaranteed heads.
Coming to Alolan Exeggutor, you don’t have to worry about energy generation since Leafeon EX’s Forest Breath ability grants free Grass Energy. With a retreat cost of only 1 Energy, you can use Will and then bring in Alolan Exeggutor in the next turn to wreak havoc with 150 DMG.
Remember that Exeggutor EX is just an option and not necessary, but Alolan Exeggutor and Leafeon EX are a must.
For HP, you have +30 with Leaf Cape and healing of 50 HP with Erika. Grass deck fans rejoice! Will is here!
Guzzlord EX
The famed Ultra Beast got buffed! Guzzlord EX’s infamous Grindcore moves may do only 30 DMG, but it also removes energy from the opponent as per the number of heads you get until tails.
Will ensures that your opponent loses at least 1 Energy. Ideally, most Pokémon are crippled when they lose 2 Energy since they can easily gain the lost 1 Energy in the next turn.
Here’s how Will makes a significant difference when it comes to taking out 2 Energy via two coin flips from the opponent:
- Without Will: The possible outcomes from Guzzlord EX’s Grindcore are HH, HT, and T. It doesn’t matter what follows T (tails) since the coin stops flipping once you get tails, and you get three possible outcomes (HH, HT, and T) but with different odds. Basically, you have a 50% chance for T, and therefore, it’s a 25% chance each for HH and HT. The chances of removing 2 Energy are 25%.
- With Will: Since heads is guaranteed on the first coin flip, the only possible outcomes are HH and HT (no tails on first flip). As such, the chances of removing 2 Energy are now 50%.
So you go with a 50% to take out 2 Energy from the opponent, rendering them useless at least for the next turn. And oh, adorn Guzzlord EX with the Dark Pendant Pokémon Tool, and your opponent would lose a card from their Hand each time Guzzlord EX is attacked!
Guzzlord EX has a hefty 4 Energy retreat cost, but that’s where Celesteela comes in with its free switch-outs. But guess what? Will also helps Celesteela tremendously since the UB does 100 DMG with heads but nothing with tails.
Guzzlord EX | Will | Celesteela. Watch out for this! Consider adding Naganadel if you want to add to the opponent’s pain, but the deck works without it as well.
Tinkaton EX
Tinkaton EX never really kicked off. For 3 Energy, it did 160 DMG if heads or only 80 DMG with tails. With Dialga EX, energy generation was never a problem, but the chance of getting an output of only 80 from a Stage 2 card felt underwhelming.
Now, thanks to Will, you can do the insane 160 DMG, making it a worthwhile investment. With the addition of Steel Apron and the classic Adaman Supporter card, Metal types are bulkier than ever. Expect Tinkaton EX | Will | Dialga EX to join the dance floor in this meta.
Origin Forme Palkia
The Origin Forme Palkia card from the Triumphant Light set gained prominence as a stall Pokémon in the Active Spot while Gyarados EX or Palkia EX gathered Energy on the Bench.
Now, this Pokémon can do quite a number courtesy of Will. With a guaranteed heads, Origin Forme Palkia dishes out 120 DMG, making it a scary Pokémon to face. Attach a Rocky Helmet, build your main attacker on the Bench, add a Misty or two, and Lyra to withdraw a damaged Origin Forme Palkia when needed.
You can pair Origin Forme Palkia with Kingdra EX and/or Greninja. As they are Stage 2, let Origin Forme Palkia do the talking on the Active Spot while you find Rare Candy and the Stage 2 card to evolve ASAP. You got yourself a neat Water-type deck!
Lickilicky EX
A Pokémon that has escaped the radar but certainly impresses in Lickilicky EX. For 4 Colorless Energy, this card does 100 DMG + 40 DMG more for each heads you get until tails.
With Will, you’re sure of at least one heads, giving an output of 140 DMG. It’s great when you see that the upper ceiling of damage here is outstanding. Just one more heads, and it’s 180 DMG!
Speaking of the 4 Energy requirement, Dialga EX solves that with Metal Energy supply. Metal is one of the best decks alongside Darkness, so adding strong Colorless cards only makes them more versatile.
Bewear
On the topic of Colorless-type cards, there’s another Pokémon you need to beware of, just on the basis of how stupidly powerful it can be.
Bewear from Extradimensional Crisis has a 4 Energy move called Superpowered Hug that, on getting two heads from two coin flips, simply OHKOs the opponent. That’s it. Finished!
With Will, you get HH and HT, giving you a 50% chance of eliminating the opponent just like that. Earlier, it was 25% (HH, HT, TT, TH), and now, the odds have doubled!
This card is a welcome addition to any deck, particularly Dialga EX variants, where energy generation and transfer are easy and efficient. Beware of the huge teddy bear!
A Supporter that truly salvages Will is the Team Rocket Grunt. With this, you are promised to remove at least 1 Energy from the opponent, slowing them down in the process. Also, you have a 50% chance to remove 2 Energy, halting some of the meta’s greats.
Do remember that you cannot use two Supporters in one turn, so the Team Rocket Grunt can be used in any turn after the turn in which you have used Will.
Happy collecting and battling, Pokémon TCG Pocket-ers!
