Pokemon TCG Pocket got its first major expansion this week, Mythical Island, and while it promised to shake up gameplay with brand new cards, it’s fair to say players didn’t expect just how much two particular cards would change the game.
The first absolute menace introduced to Pokemon TCG Pocket is Celebi ex, a fairly rare card with an absolute whopper of a core ability. For two energy, Celebi ex can cast Powerful Bloom. This ability allows you to flip a coin for each energy attached to Celebi ex, with the attack doing 50 damage for each head.
Now, normally you’d think Celebi ex would be powerful, but limited by the amount of energy you can attach before it gets nuked by a powerful fire attack. But wielding the abilities of cards like Moltres ex (Celebi ex requires one grass, one colourless energy), you can start gathering energy while this card is on your backbench. And of course, online players are getting pretty good at maximising Celebi ex’s power, with decks that help to absolutely stack on this ability.
Get unlucky, and you too can sit and watch as Celebi ex’s owner flips 8+ coins with five heads present, to smash you with an instant 250 damage hit. Read between the lines, and you can probably tell I’ve come across a number of Celebi ex players over the last week, and I begrudge them all. This ability is frankly wild, and I can certainly see why my fellow players enjoy/hate it so much.
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If you don’t manage to flame Celebi ex out of the game ASAP, you can wind up with multiple Powerful Bloom attacks taking out your entire squad. That’s without needing to evolve Celebi ex, as well. You can start your turn with this card in play, and by the second turn you could potentially already have a 100 damage attack lined up (if the coin flips are kind).
Of course, Celebi ex isn’t the only card that’s shaken up Pokemon TCG Pocket since the launch of Mythical Island. Aerodactyl ex has proven particularly wild in action, thanks to a passive ability that might be the meanest of the entire game.
Now, there is one caveat with playing Aerodactyl ex. You will need to play an Old Amber to “evolve” it and play the card to the battlefield. But once it’s on the field, you’re absolutely laughing – because it can prevent an opponent from evolving all of their active Pokemon, with the Primeval Law passive ability. If you’ve got a deck that revolves around evolution in any way – let’s say you really want your Blastoise, Charizard, or Venusaur out – forget it. Evolution stops here.
Pair that passive ability with Aerodactyl ex’s two-energy, 80 damage Land Crush ability, and you’ve got a very mean, very powerful card on your hands. Personally, I’ve run into Aerodactyl in a bunch of matches so far, and it always seems to appear right when you get excited about a possible victory. It really is a hope-dasher, and I both love and hate that.
Celebi ex and Aerodactyl ex are wonderful and horrible cards, but it does depend on which side of the fence you’re sitting. If they’re in your deck, they’re marvellous and powerful, and should allow you a distinct tactical advantage in battles. If you’re facing them, prepare to moan and groan your way through unfair matches where your best tactics will be nuked before you’re able to complete them. These cards are absolute bullies – but frankly Pokemon TCG Pocket is all the better for their presence.
We love you Celebi ex and Aerodactyl ex. We hate you Celebi ex and Aerodactyl ex. Long may these cards reign – until they’re supplanted by new cards, equally mean and powerful, or perhaps more so.
Pokemon TCG Pocket: Mythical Island is now available.
