2 Pokemon Cards Dominate the Meta

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Summary

  • Red Card and Mars disrupt Rare Candy decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket, countering strong, fast Stage 2 evolutions.
  • These cards reduce card advantage for control decks, adapting to the meta shift towards Rare Candy.
  • Red Card and Mars are crucial in the current meta, used in many decks, including Darkrai Ex and Giratina Ex.

Upon the unveiling of the Celestial Guardians expansion for Pokemon TCG Pocket, numerous fresh cards and innovative strategies emerged, offering opportunities to construct decks around them. The competitive landscape continually evolves due to tournaments and newly discovered combos. Decks such as Darkrai Ex and Giratina Ex remain potent despite various potential counters introduced with Celestial Guardians. However, other strategies have risen in popularity within the meta, such as Greninja plus Oricorio. A particular type of Pokemon TCG Pocket card has gained an edge in the current meta, boosted by a Celestial Guardians card. Yet, this advantage also led players to develop a counter strategy for it.

In a similar vein to how Oricorio effortlessly outmatches 18-Trainer decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket, there are various methods to challenge even the current game’s dominant deck archetypes. Tapu Lele can pose significant problems for Darkrai Ex and Giratina Ex, while Rampardos continues to wipe out many popular strategies. However, it remains difficult to defeat turn-2 Rare Candy decks, which is why two cards have recently emerged as top contenders in the meta following the arrival of Celestial Guardians.

Pokemon TCG Pocket Players Shouldn’t Sleep on Red Card and Mars

In the Pokemon TCG Pocket game, issues can arise when using Rare Candy decks because drawing the necessary basic Pokemon for a combo and immediately evolving it with a Rare Candy card on the next turn can be tricky. This is why Solgaleo Ex decks gained popularity, as they require just two Energy to attack for 120 damage. Essentially, this strategy relies on luck. However, one potential way to counteract these decks is by incorporating Red Card and Mars in your own deck.

How Red Card and Mars Counter Rare Candy

Red Card and Mars in Pokemon TCG Pocket can be exceptionally strong cards when facing off against Rare Candy decks. This is because they allow a player to discard their hand and then draw new cards, which can effectively thwart the strategies of these decks. For instance, if you play first against a Rare Candy deck that puts out only one basic Pokemon, using Red Card on your opening turn essentially forces your opponent to lose a card at no cost.

On Mars’ turn, it operates similarly, but considering it’s a Supporter card, you might opt for another Supporter during your first turn if there’s one available instead.

Due to the widespread use of Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s Rare Candy decks, which allow players to quickly summon Stage 2 creatures by turn two, strategies like these are hard to counteract. However, cards such as Red Card and Mars offer some assistance in managing opponents who hoard cards in their hand. For instance, unless a player is prepared to evolve their basic Pokemon on turn two, they will typically have either the Stage 2 evolution of that creature or a Rare Candy in their hand. By forcing the player to shuffle their hand into their deck and redraw, there’s a good chance the opponent will still lack the necessary combination.

If the adversary has their combination prepared, it significantly increases the likelihood that they won’t be able to evolve their Pokémon using a Rare Candy on their next turn, given the Red Card and Mars are in play. Furthermore, even if one isn’t employing a popular Rare Candy deck in the current meta, Mars can serve as a mid- to late-game victory condition due to its ability to make opponents draw cards based on the points required to win. Thus, should the opponent defeat an Ex Pokémon or one or two non-Ex creatures during matches of Pokemon TCG Pocket, they will only draw one or two cards with Mars in their deck.

How Red Card and Mars Fit Into Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Meta

In essence, both Red Card and Mars serve to limit card advantage in decks that prefer hoarding cards, especially control decks. However, as the game’s current trend leans towards Rare Candy decks, the usage of Red Card and Mars has surged. This is due to their effectiveness in controlling rapid Stage 2 evolutions by managing the number of cards an opponent holds. This situation underscores how swiftly the Pokemon TCG Pocket meta can evolve, but it also highlights that ingenious application of existing tools can tackle emerging issues.

Additionally, since Professor’s research on the Pokemon TCG Pocket simplifies card drawing and finding missing combo parts, it often results in opponents holding three or more cards. This enhances the value of Red Card and Mars even during regular games, and they can significantly influence the outcome, determining whether a match is won or lost in competitive settings.

It’s important to point out that Red Card and Mars are frequently found in decks with high winning rates in the Ranked Mode of the Pokémon TCG Pocket game. These powerful items can be advantageous as well as detrimental for decks like Darkrai Ex and Giratina Ex. Given that this type of deck aims to maintain a reasonable number of cards in hand to counter potential threats, a strategically placed Red Card or Mars can cause significant harm. Conversely, since this deck doesn’t require many slots for its Pokémon cards, incorporating Red Card and/or Mars into the deck isn’t too challenging.

Regardless of the strategy I choose, Red Card and Mars have become staples in numerous decks within the Pokémon TCG Pocket universe, serving as a double-edged asset. While they certainly bolster my chances in certain matches, their necessity adds another mandatory piece to an already crowded deckbuilding puzzle that’s filled with must-have cards like Poke Ball and Professor’s Research.

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2025-05-19 01:17