The expansion for the Pocket version of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, titled “Wisdom of Sea and Sky,” failed to dethrone DarkTina. Nevertheless, it introduced several enjoyable new deck structures, with one particular standout being centered around the A4-exclusive, snail-like Pokémon Magcargo. This Pokémon uses its area-of-effect damage to claim victories in the early stages of the game.
Using Magcargo in a battle could potentially grant you a swift victory during the early rounds if luck favors you and the situation aligns perfectly. However, employing this strategy carries significant risk, as you’ll frequently find yourself relying on a lone Magcargo to maximize its impact, making for an exposed and vulnerable starting position.
Constructing a dependable deck in the Pokemon TCG Pocket meta using an unpredictable card such as Magcargo can be challenging, but not impossible. You won’t be able to make it as reliable as decks built around Darkrai EX and Giratina EX, but you can fortify it with a well-balanced assortment of Trainer Cards to minimize its randomness and maximize its damage output. This guide offers one potential design for such a deck, along with valuable analysis on how Magcargo fits within the current meta.
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Magcargo (A4 031) Card Overview
- HP: 120
- ATK: Up to 150
- Text: One other Pokemon (either yours or your opponent’s) is chosen at random three times. For each time a Pokemon was chosen, do 50 damage to it.
- ATK Cost: Two (One Fire-type, one Colorless)
- Retreat Cost: Three
- Evolution Line: Slugma > Magcargo (Stage One)
- Type: Fire
- Expansion: Wisdom of Sea and Sky (A4)
The text for Magcargo’s abilities bears a resemblance to that of both Wugtrio EX from the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket and the well-known Dragonite. However, unlike them, Magcargo has an unusual characteristic: it can target your own cards on the bench. For instance, if you have two cards on the bench while your opponent only has one in the active spot, the likelihood of Magcargo causing damage to your side is greater than attacking your opponent’s. Conversely, if you keep your bench empty, Magcargo will exclusively target your opponent’s cards because it never attacks itself.
The Best Magcargo Deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket
During the Wisdom of Sea and Sky era in the Pokémon TCG Pocket, an optimal Magcargo deck structure tends to follow the 18-Trainer archetype. This setup primarily includes two main Pokémon: Slugma and Magcargo, while the remaining deck is comprised mostly of Trainer Cards. However, the real secret lies in choosing those Trainer Cards wisely.
Trainee Cards categorized as Magcargo-friendly can be divided into three main categories: Exploration & Acquisition, Hindrance, and Enhancement. The Exploration & Acquisition group contains cards like Iono, Pokemon Communication, Poke Ball, and Professor’s Research, allowing for deck searching or option selection. The Hindrance category includes cards such as Silver, Guzma, Cyrus, and Team Rocket Grunt, which disrupt your opponent’s strategies. Lastly, the Enhancement group consists of healing and utility cards including Pokemon Center Lady, Giant Cape, Potion, and Rescue Scarf.
To establish a trustworthy Magcargo deck, it’s essential to strike a balance among these three key components:
The table below showcases an exceptionally powerful setup for this fire-breathing, snail-like Pokémon:
[Insert Table Here]
Magcargo Deck Shell
| Pokemon | Trainer Cards |
|---|---|
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As a fellow Pokémon TCG enthusiast, I just learned that you can trade a Trainer Card to get yourself a spunky little guy called Magby, the newest baby Pokémon in the Pocket edition. This card comes packed with some extra energy, which is perfect for ramping up Magcargo’s attack power!
How to Play Magcargo Decks Effectively
Using Magcargo decks, your ability to control the game board is significantly limited. Typically, you’ll find only one card occupying the Active Spot, which also functions as your unique way to win. The strategic complexity unfolds in the art of utilizing your Trainer Cards-Supporters, Items, and Tools.
- Prioritize Disruption: Focus on slowing down your opponent as much as possible. An early Red Card followed by Silver can severely limit their hand. With this combo, you target one of the opponent’s key Supporters and send it back to the deck while also reducing the number of cards in their hand. Also, make full use of Guzma, and remove the opponent’s Pokemon Tools whenever you get the chance.
- Don’t Go All In: Rescue Scarf gives you another shot at staying in the game by reviving the discarded Pokemon it’s attached to. If you’re forced to play your other Slugma to the Bench, protect it with this Tool to avoid losing your backup.
- Use Your Search Cards Wisely: Drawing the Slugma-Magcargo combo early should be your top priority, but you’ll also need to slow your opponent’s progression with Trainer Cards. Be mindful when playing search and draw options like Iono, Pokemon Communication, Professor’s Research, and Poke Ball. Prioritize fetching Pokemon with Items, and save your Supporter plays mostly for disruption unless you have no other choice.
Magcargo’s Meta Performance Report
- Win Rate: ~42%
- Meta Share: ~1%
- Tournament Appearance: ~60
In the Pokemon TCG Pocket game, Magcargo decks tend to excel among No-EX decks. However, they haven’t yet achieved a significant position in high-level competitive play. To put it another way, Magcargo decks haven’t made it into the top 20 rankings of the current metagame.
One significant factor contributing to its lackluster showing is that Magcargo is typically played on its own. Furthermore, depending solely on its RNG-based attack can be perilous, as it leaves you relying on it consistently hitting the right target. When it misses, your opponent frequently seizes the chance to swiftly defeat this 120 HP Fire-type with a single powerful strike, effectively ending the game with minimal opposition.
Magcargo’s frequent losses suggest that numerous popular strategies can overpower it. Here are a few strategies you might consider using to counteract this Fire-type Pokémon.
How to Counter Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Magcargo Decks
Unfortunately for enthusiasts of Magcargo in the Pokemon TCG Pocket, the card tends to be quite straightforward to thwart within the game’s meta. High-performing configurations such as Buzzwole EX Pheromosa and Espeon EX Sylveon EX have frequently outshone it. It’s no wonder that Magcargo has also faced challenges against the well-known DarkTina (Darkrai EX and Giratina EX) decks.
To put it another way, Magcargo has demonstrated impressive victories against slower strategies. In confrontations with Charizard EX and Sylveon EX, it tends to emerge as the winner more frequently. This noteworthy success is quite remarkable given Magcario’s reputation for being unpredictable.
The Future of Magcargo in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Magcargo is often considered an unpredictable deck in the era of Wisdom of Sea and Sky. While it’s enjoyable to use due to some impressive victories when circumstances align, its precarious gameplay style makes it less suitable for competitive formats such as Ranked PvP or tournaments within the Pokemon TCG Pocket.
Magcargo won’t become an essential choice unless upcoming additions provide a dependable method to avoid its self-inflicted damage. For example, introducing a Supporter card that shields your Benched cards from Magcargo’s harm for one turn could immediately boost it to a top-tier deck status.
From my perspective as a passionate Pokémon Trainer, most Magcargo builds often fail to secure consistent victories. Yet, they manage to maintain their place in the metagame primarily due to the sheer joy they bring during gameplay. Occasionally, a run of fortunate draws propels Magcargo towards a quick win, leaving the opposition bewildered. On other occasions, opponents successfully endure the initial onslaught and counterattack for an effortless victory. This deck is all about taking risks with potential high rewards, making it ideal for Trainers who are ready to embrace such challenges.
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2025-08-17 19:53