The Slowpoke Drop event brings a bunch of interesting Promos for Pokémon TCG Pocket, and with the Ranked mode of the Mega Shine meta in full swing, you must be wondering if these cards are of any use.
Let’s find out how to use the Promos up for grabs during this Drop event.
The Slowpoke Promo is a Full Art alternate version of the existing card in the Mega Shine set. Similarly, Haxorus and Chatot are also alternate art reprints from their Mega Shine counterparts, while Electrike and Varoom are altogether new cards. All of them have stamps to mark them as Promo cards.
Slowpoke
Slowpoke is the headliner of this event’s Promos, and needless to say, its main usage is to evolve it into Mega Slowbro EX, one of the stronger EX cards from the Mega Shine set.
For only 3 Energy, this 200 HP Pokémon deals 90 DMG to the opponent’s Active card. But what makes it dangerous is the damage it potentially does to the opponent’s Bench. You flip 3 coins, and for each heads you get, you do 20 DMG to each of their Benched Pokémon.
In other words, 3 heads lets you do 60 DMG each to all their Benched cards, leading to a net damage output of 270 DMG from Mega Slowbro EX, affecting their entire battle formation!
Misty’s possible Energy gains and healing from Irida make Water decks always threatening, and with a partner like Suicune EX or Baxcalibur, Mega Slowbro EX can give you instant wins.
Slowpoke itself is an alternate art, but let’s be honest, the adorable and derpy artwork with the two Shellder in the pond is amazing, adding a great aesthetic to Mega Slowbro EX’s onslaught! 
Haxorus
Dragon types are typically awkward in Pokémon TCG Pocket, using multiple Energy types to attack. Haxorus has 
and 
Energies, two types that don’t have any Energy in the game. Orthworm looks viable for free Energy, and you can simply run a Fighting + Metal Energy deck.
But once you set it up, you dish out a whopping 170 DMG. This cripples any Mega Evolution EX and OHKOs many regular EX Pokémon. The icing on the cake with Haxorus is that if you take out an EX, the Iris Supporter from Mega Shine ensures you directly win the game. How?
Well…
You read that right! If you earn an OHKO from Haxorus, Iris adds 1 more point to your score. So if you took out an EX (earning 2 points), Iris gifts you the win with her +1 making it 3 points (W).
Even if it’s a regular OHKO, you get 2 points with Iris in tow. This combo establishes Haxorus as one of the strongest Dragons in TCG Pocket, so give this champion duo a try!
Electrike
Mega Manectric EX is technically good as an EX as such, but it is one of the weaker Megas during early game. Lightning types are synonymous with relatively lower HP and smaller Energy requirements, so you can get Mega Manectric EX ready to go in the initial stages of the battle. The issue is that if you haven’t achieved any points yet, it does a meager 80 DMG. Even if you have gotten 1 point, it’s still just 110 DMG.
In the late game stage, when you have gotten 2 points, Mega Manectric EX deals 140 DMG, and the Electrike you use should ideally be the regular card from the Mega Shine set.
The version from the set also has 60 HP and does 10 DMG, with a chance at 40 DMG if you get heads from a coin flip. While the Promo gives you an assured 30 DMG, you also take a recoil damage of 10. Frankly, Mega Manectric EX is already low on HP when compared to most Megas in Pokémon TCG Pocket, so reducing that is risky business. Remember that losing a Mega Evolution is an instant loss for you.
Besides, you have a 50% chance to do 40 DMG, higher than the Promo and with no repercussions. Of course, you can still go with the Promo if you add healing support to your deck, but you’re just occupying more spots that can easily be filled by a more useful Trainer card.
Varoom
The Varoom Promo poisons the target for 1 Energy and bears 60 HP. It has a retreat cost of only 1 Energy.
In contrast, the variant from the Mega Shine set uses 2 Energy, but deals 40 DMG and has 70 HP. However, the retreat cost is 2 Energy.
Before we gauge the better of the two Varoom, let’s see how its evolution works in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
The Revavroom in this set fulfills a supportive role for Mega Scizor EX, helping it switch in from the Bench easily, without expending the Active Pokémon’s Energy to retreat.
Revavroom’s ability Metal Transport lets Dialga EX/Orthworm retreat for free, and bring in Mega Scizor EX to inflict 150 DMG. Once done, a Benched Revavroom withdraws Mega Scizor EX for free again, bringing it back again in the next turn for another 150 DMG! In other words, Revavroom is a Celesteela for Metal types.
With Revavroom essentially taking up a role meant for the Bench, you’d ideally want Varoom not to take the Active Spot. The set’s version has a painful 2 Energy cost, which is also its attacking cost. The Promo, on the other hand, requires only 1 Energy to poison the opponent, which slowly trickles down the opponent’s HP by 10 each turn, and can also be withdrawn for only 1 Energy.
As such, the Varoom Promo is a straight upgrade, and this is the one you should use by all means.
Chatot
Chatot is a reprint of its Mega Shine counterpart, and being a Colorless type, it can fit in any deck. For just 1 Energy, it not only does 10 DMG, but also draws a card for you. A decent 70 HP also prevents it from being 2KO’d, and you can improve your drawing by at least 2 cards before you decide to bring in an attacker.
Such cards always find play in the game, so yeah, this is a cool card to use in basically any deck.
Happy collecting and battling, Pokémon TCG Pocket-ers!
