Pokemon TCG Pocket recently released its ninth set in the form of Wisdom of Sea and Sky, which is dedicated to the region of Johto from Gen 2 mainline video games and the Pokemon and characters that inhabit it. The set contains over 200 cards, and it’s only natural that it immediately had a huge impact on the meta and which cards are considered the best overall, to the point that there are several S-tier decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket now that use new cards, like Espeon Ex. Interestingly, though, one of the single best cards of the expansion is actually a baby, even if it’s not in all of the best decks in the format.
Wisdom of Sea and Sky introduced several tools that help with generating multiple types of Energy and/or swapping them around between the Pokemon on the bench and in the active spot, which is complementary to the addition of both Ho-Oh Ex and Lugia Ex. While these two cards and the ones that make their strategy work are the focus of the expansion, Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s A4 set also added a new type of card in the form of baby Pokemon. These are all potentially powerful, with a massive drawback of only having 30 HP, but one of them is among the very best cards in the game right now.
Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Baby Pokemon Explained
Because baby Pokemon only have 30 HP, they can be knocked out fairly fast and easily by most regular cards, but they have no retreat cost and no weakness, which does play a little in their favor. More importantly, their gimmick is that they have one attack each, but it costs no Energy and can be used immediately, even on the very first turn of a match. Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s baby Pokemon are:
- Magby
- Pichu
- Elekid
- Smoochum
- Cleffa
- Tyrogue
Why Tyrogue is One of the Best Cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Wisdom of Sea and Sky Set
Perhaps surprisingly, considering that Magby and Pichu are great for generating Energy and Cleffa can help draw Pokemon cards, the best baby Pokemon is actually Tyrogue. This is because it has an attack called Slappy Knuckle that deals 20 damage for no Energy, and since this is a Fighting-type Pokemon, it can deal some serious damage to meta decks. For example, Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s new Crobat Ex deck has both Zubat and Crobat Ex itself with a Fighting weakness, meaning that Tyrogue can deal 40 damage to them.
Likewise, the current meta is dominated by Eevee decks, be it Umbreon Ex or Espeon Ex with Sylveon Ex, and they tend to use two copies of the new A4 Eevee card as well as two copies of Eevee Ex. All Eevee cards are weak to Fighting, so starting the match by going first with a Tyrogue on the field means that the opposing Eevee in the active spot will most likely be knocked out before it can even evolve. Still, Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s Eevee Ex has a 1-Energy attack that deals 30 damage, meaning it can one-shot Tyrogue if it’s not equipped with Giant Cape.
Tyrogue Counters Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Strongest Meta Counter
As if that wasn’t enough, Oricorio counters Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s meta by being immune to damage from Ex cards, meaning that players often have to include some ways to remove it in a deck to avoid auto-losses. Tyrogue can KO Oricorio in two hits, as it too is weak to Fighting, and it has 70 HP.
With such a big impact on the current meta, it’s no wonder that Tyrogue is seeing play in multiple decks, like Darkrai Ex and Absol or Donphan Ex and Lucario. Its absence of Energy requirements is incredibly handy for these decks, as they require building Energy on the main attackers as fast as possible, and in the meantime, Tyrogue can deal some serious damage to the opponent’s cards and buy its user some time.
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