After an explosive start to the Mega Evolutions era in Pokémon TCG Pocket with the Mega Rising (B1) set, we move on to the new B1a expansion, Crimson Blaze! True to its name, this set features the fiery Mega Charizard Y and other hot commodities pertaining to Megas.
Mega Evolutions in TCG Pocket take a cue from the Mega Evolution sets released in the physical TCG (Mega Symphonia and Mega Brave), and introduces a couple of new rules that are a little different from what we have been aware of in Pocket battles till now. Here are the battle rules for the Mega EX cards:
- Knocking out a Mega Evolution card rewards you with 3 points, granting you an instant win in TCG Pocket.
- Megas are Basic, Stage 1, and Stage 2 cards, and the latter two can be evolved directly from their respective Basic card or Stage 1 card.
To elaborate further on this:
- Mega Charizard Y can be directly evolved from Charmander.
- Mega Gyarados can be directly evolved from Magikarp.
- Mega Absol and Mega Pinsir are Basic cards, hence not requiring evolution at all.
With that said, let’s find out what this small but impactful mini expansion brings to the EX realm!
Oops, Charizard did it again, this time in Mega proportions!
Mega Charizard Y can OHKO any Pokémon in TCG Pocket. Period.
With an astronomical damage figure of 250, this Mega Evolution EX is a red alert. The ‘catch’ being 4 Energy requirement and 50 recoil damage hardly matters.
- Be it the classic Moltres EX energy engine, Baby Pokémon Magby’s free
Energy grants, or the Flame Patch Item in Mega Rising, farming Energy for Mega Charizard Y EX is no pain. If these weren’t enough already, the new Charmeleon card from Crimson Blaze has an ability that gives the Active Pokémon a free Energy when evolving from Charmander.
Do not keep Charmeleon in the Active Spot, as it would take a beating. Place it on the Bench and let it ramp the Active Pokémon (Entei EX or Moltres EX). Ideally, have two Charmander on the Bench, devote Magby/Moltres EX Energy grants to one, swap that one to the Active Spot to Mega Evolve via Rare Candy. With the next two turns’ Energy and another Charmeleon evolution, Mega Charizard Y is ready, and you watch the TCG Pocket world burn!
This also syncs very well with Entei EX in the Active Spot, giving it more Energy and helping it do 120 DMG.
- Healing support from Lillie and Potions makes the 50 recoil damage hardly a concern. Since nothing is surviving this monster and it’s not losing any Energy after attacking, it’s going to remain healthy enough to end games.
Once Mega Charizard EX is set up, there’s nothing that can stop the carnage. One shot everything
The bulkiest card yet in Pokémon TCG Pocket is here, and unsurprisingly, it is Mega Venusaur EX! Side note: Mega Charizard Y still OHKOs a Leaf Cape Mega Venusaur EX of 270 HP!
Mega Venusaur EX drops the healing shenanigans of regular Vensaur EX to adopt a deadlier stance. Whilst dealing only 120 DMG (way lower than the aforementioned Mega Charizard Y EX), it also Poisons the target! Wait, that’s not all, as it also puts the target to sleep!!
Essentially, Mega Vensaur EX deals an effective damage of 130, and if you’re quirky enough to add two Nihilego on the Bench, it also adds an additional 20 damage to the opponent’s HP, the net damage is 120 + 10 + 20 + 150 DMG!
And if the opponent doesn’t wake up from getting heads from a coin flip, it is a sitting duck exposed to constant loss of 30 HP.
On the opposite end, your Mega Venusaur EX of 270 HP (Giant Cape) also has good ol’ Erika and Potions to remain beefy.
Oh, but the 4 Energy requirement is heavy. Well… about that…
- There’s old ally Leafeon EX to supply a Benched Bulbasaur free
Energy. - And for once, Mega Charizard Y is not the only Kanto Starter Mega to benefit from an Energy ramping Stage 1, as the Crimson Blaze Ivysaur is more cracked than Charmeleon!
Get Ivysaur to the Active Spot, attach the turn’s Energy, and use Synthesis. It gets 2 more Energy, making it 3. Next turn, attach the turn’s Energy (you now have 4) and voila… Mega Evolve it to Mega Venusaur EX.
- Not to mention, the new Quick-Grow Extract Item card paves the way to an instant Mega Venusaur EX evolution from Ivysaur! This Item is literally tuned for Mega Venusaur EX.
While Mega Charziard Y EX is raking in all the hype, Mega Vensaur EX is a sleeper hit (pun intended)… a side character that may end up outshining the lead. This is one of the strongest additions to Pokémon TCG Pocket!
Mega Blastoise EX got the shorter end of the Kanto Starter Mega stick. It’s good, no doubt, but it isn’t as oppressive as Mega Charizard Y EX, Mega Venusaur EX, or even fellow Water type, Mega Gyarados EX.
For 3 
Energy, Mega Blastoise EX deals 130 DMG, and if it has 3 more Energy attached, ot also does 50 DMG to two of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon.
If it wasn’t obvious already, this card salvages the gains of Misty, and if she goes crazy with the coin flips, this Pokémon is dangerous. However, it’s all a matter of RNG, and if Misty fails, this is just another powerful Mega Evolution, with nothing special to boot
Overall, even with lower HP and higher Energy requirement, Mega Gyarados EX is a better Water-type Mega with its insane 3-card discarding tech.
Metal types have consistently been among the better types in Pokémon TCG Pocket, and with each new set since Space-Time Smackdown (debuting Dialga EX), there has almost always been a new Metal-type card that does very well.
Joining the steely bandwagon is Mega Steelix EX, a behemoth that can ramp up its 4 Energy requirement easily via Dialga Origin it can even take Mantyke’s help some out of the 4 Energy, it’s 2x and 2x
.
With 4 Energy, this 220 HP Pokémon inflicts 120 DMG, and in the next turn, it takes 20 less damage and has no weakness. Funnily enough, with the Heavy Helmet Pokémon Tool, a card with 4 retreat cost takes 20 les damage. If Mega Steelix EX attacks Mega Charizard Y EX first, it takes 250 – 20 – 20 = 210 DMG, surviving the monstrous onslaught. Then with 120 more damage, Mega Steelix EX can beat Mega Charizard Y EX as well.
However, note that Mega Charizard Y EX can still eliminate Mega Steelix EX if it uses the Red Supporter card to hit +20 DMG.
Additionally, keep in mind that Mega Steelix EX’s pre-evolution, Onix, is a Fighting type. This makes it more effective against the dreaded Oricorio.
Mega Steelix EX may not be the strongest Metal type, but it does have sneaky potential!
Before anything else, what’s with Mega Loppuny’s eyes in this card above?! Seems legit, when you consider that Mega Loppuny EX is arguably the worst Mega Evolution EX card in Pokémon TCG Pocket till now!
If your voin flips don’t bring any heads, it’s a lost cause for you. Sure, you can use Will Supporter to get a guaranteed heads in the first turn, and you then have a 50% chance to get another heads, doing an insane 180 DMG. But, if you haven’t drawn Will yet and you don’t get heads, you do zero damage, and that’s dangerous for a card losing which hands your opponent an instant win.
This card is a glorified Marowak EX (Genetic Apex) and has the same uncertainty, making it an unreliable attacker.
Mega Latios EX joins the fray as a Promo and the headliner of a Drop event, and quite frankly, it doesn’t call for any excitement, going by how poor it is. Sure, you can use Mantyke (note that Mega Latios EX is a Basic) to give it a free Energy and run a Psychic-type deck, pairing it with the dreaded Giratina EX or Indeedee EX. However, with 2/3 of its Energy requirement being Water, and then also discarding all Energy on dealing only 160 DMG makes this one bad against the rising meta of Mega Evolutions in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
It could have had some potential if it came with a helpful ability, but unfortunately, Mega Latios EX is a boring card that serves no real purpose.
Crimson Blaze is a decent set, with Mega Charizard Y EX and Mega Venusaur EX being the showstoppers, and the rest being pretty average to say the least. Mega Rising stalwarts like Mega Absol EX, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Indeedee will continue seeing usage, in their attempt to disrupt the two star Kanto Megas from this set.
Happy collecting and battling, Pokémon TCG Pocket-ers!
