Summary
- Guzzlord Ex may dominate the upcoming meta due to countering Giratina Ex with its type and attacks.
- Lightning decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket have been lacking strong cards, with Tapu Koko Ex failing to boost them.
- Tapu Koko Ex is likely to underperform in the meta, lacking damage output and durability, making it a subpar Lightning card.
With the upcoming Extradimensional Crisis expansion for Pokemon TCG Pocket set to come out in just a few days, it's time to see where the meta will go when all the new cards are released - including those that have been revealed already. While Guzzlord Ex may be Pokemon TCG Pocket's next meta card, considering it counters Giratina Ex very hard, both thanks to its type and its Grindcore attack, the other Ex cards coming with Extradimensional Crisis may have to prove themselves first. Buzzwole Ex has a fantastic attack that hits for 120 damage for three Energy, but with a drawback. This is not the only Ex card in the new set to seem less than ideal for its respective type.
It's not a mystery that some types in Pokemon TCG Pocket are, or at least have been, in a better place than others, with the likes of Psychic, Grass, Water, and Fire all getting great cards to use across the board over time. This is not the case for other elements, though, and one of them arguably sits at the bottom of the list due to how few good cards are being released for it. This type is Lightning, and the upcoming Tapu Koko Ex may yet again fail to deliver what its respective deck type needs.
One Pokemon TCG Pocket Card Will Likely Remain The Rarest Ever
Pokemon TCG Pocket has some wildly rare cards, but one of them has them all beaten because of its accessibility.
Pokemon TCG Pocket's Tapu Koko Ex May Add Insult to Injury to Lightning Decks
Extradimensional Crisis will mostly focus on Ultra Beasts, though other types of critters are still very much meant to appear, as Tapu Koko Ex shows. Since Celestial Guardians added the four Tapus in their regular card form, albeit each of them also received an Illustration Rare version, it only makes sense for Extradimensional Crisis to add them as Ex cards - at least the most important of the bunch for lore reasons, with it being Tapu Koko. The problem is that Lightning decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket have been lacking for a while now, and while Tapu Koko Ex is a good addition, it's not what the type needed.
This is because the past few sets added Ex cards for Lightning that were not game-breaking as those of other types, gradually leading Lightning decks to rely on old glories or not work at all. For example, one could argue that the best Lightning card in Pokemon TCG Pocket is Magnezone from Space-Time Smackdown, which is almost four sets ago, and it's just a rare. Pikachu Ex from Genetic Apex and the more recent version in Shining Revelry both fail to hold up against the biggest meta threats because they are either too slow or too weak, and Tapu Koko Ex seems to share the same fate.
Why Tapu Koko Ex Won't Make Lightning Decks Meta in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Tapu Koko Ex from Extradimensional Crisis has 130 HP, no ability, and two different attacks. The first costs one Energy and deals 20 damage, but ramps up Tapu Koko Ex by giving it another Lightning Energy. The second costs three Energy and would theoretically be ready on turn two or three, depending on whether the user went second, but it only deals 90 damage.
These stats make Tapu Koko Ex a very subpar card in the current meta, as it can be KOed in one hit by Pokemon TCG Pocket's Giratina Ex, and it fails to deal enough damage to take out any major threats. It seems likely that the battlefield presence of Tapu Koko Ex will be short-lived, with it attacking at most two times before it's knocked out, and with low damage output, it is not moving the needle for Lightning decks - much like Pikachu Ex.
Tapu Koko Ex is Not in Good Company in Pokemon TCG Pocket's New Set
Extradimensional Crisis' trailer also revealed another Pokemon TCG Pocket Ultra Beast card in the form of Xurkitree, which is another Lightning card, but it too doesn't offer anything too groundbreaking with a 3-Energy attack for 60. As such, it seems that while Pokemon TCG Pocket's meta will change shortly, Extradimensional Crisis will be another mediocre set for Lightning fans, unless major breakout cards are in it.
- Released
- October 30, 2024
- Developer(s)
- DeNA, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- The Pokemon Company
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game
