Summary
- Drednaw failed to make a splash due to its awkward evolution, high energy cost, and lackluster damage output.
- Galvantula struggles to find a place in Lightning-Type decks, offering either disruptive play or little utility.
- Primeape’s new variant falls short compared to its older version, lacking in damage and synergy with popular decks.
Excluding Special Illustration and other rare variants, Pokemon Pocket’s Mythical Island introduced 68 new and reworked cards, with Mew ex as the featured one. The mini-set was generally well-received, and players seem pleased with its impact on the metagame, encouraging more creative deck-building. However, not every card in the Mythical Island expansion was a hit. In fact, some were outright disappointing Pokemon that will likely be forgotten in a few months. Here’s a list of those “not-so-great” cards from Pokemon Pocket’s Mythical Island mini-set.
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The List’s Criteria
- Abilities and effects: One of the main criteria for this ranking is the card’s text, effect, and damage. Cards with mediocre abilities or Energy-heavy attacks are considered less favorable.
- Synergies with current META decks: Cards with little to no synergy with top-performing decks or those without new synergies are ranked lower.
- Fanbase reception: The overall reactions to the cards in the Mythical Island expansion have also influenced these rankings.
A case could be made for defending all these Pokemon when used in the right deck and played at the right moment. However, the following list focuses on their overall performance, ignoring each card’s “conditional success.”
6
Drednaw
Drawback: Below-Average Attack ROI
The introduction of cards like Vaporeon in Mythical Island and the rise of Gyarados ex might create the illusion that there’s more room for cards like Drednaw. However, that’s just excessive optimism. Drednaw has failed to find a place in the current metagame for several reasons—all listed below:
- Drednaw is a Stage One Pokemon. The player must spend time and effort evolving it, which isn’t worth it in most META Water-Type decks.
- Drednaw requires three Water Energies. In exchange, it only deals 70 damage and has a “chance” to discard one Energy from the opponent’s Active Pokemon. That’s not a tempting trade-off.
- Drednaw isn’t Retreat-friendly. Even if the player uses their Leaf on Drednaw, it still requires one additional Energy to retreat, thanks to its hefty three-Energy Retreat cost.
5
Galvantula
Drawback: Incongruity with the Archetype
Galvantula is facing an existential crisis in Pokemon Pocket’s current META. It’s probably wondering why it was created in the first place, as the Lightning-Type archetype has no room for this Pokemon. That said, fans have managed to build quirky decks with Galvantula, decks that can frustrate the opponent to the point of an early concession. But is that enough to save Galvantula’s status? Not really.
The issue is that Galvantula is either a game-changing play or just an annoying card to disrupt the opponent. There’s no real middle ground, which is disappointing. While the Pokemon offers consistent damage and effects, it’s not always the best choice in Lightning-Type decks, which is why it ended up on this list.
4
Primeape
Drawback: Debuffed Attack
The new Primeape is one of the weirdest cards in the Mythical Island expansion. It’s a debuffed variant that raises the question: why would players choose this one over the Genetic Apex version? This new variant deals a solid 50 damage for two Fighting-Type Energies, offering more consistency. But the thing is, the Genetic Apex Primeape deals a net 40 damage for the same Energy cost, has 10 more HP, and, more importantly, can buff its attack by 60 (dealing 100 damage in total).
What makes it worse for the new Primeape is that the older variant is highly sought after in the current META as a reliable counter to Druddigon. And since Druddigon has been rising in popularity, there’s little reason for players to choose the Mythical Island Primeape over the Genetic Apex one.
3
Ponyta
Drawback: Added RNG
On the surface, Mythical Island’s Ponyta seems like an improvement or a buff. However, the actual drawback of playing this variant emerges when the player does the math. If an attack deals 40 damage but only has a 50% chance of occurring, its average damage output is equivalent to a guaranteed 20-damage attack. This is because the expected damage is calculated as 40 × 0.5 = 20.
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Some might argue that Mythical Island’s Ponyta synergizes with the new Rapidash, as they both introduce RNG risk for a potential reward. However, what’s clear in Pokemon Pocket’s META so far is that decks centered around coin tosses often struggle to perform well in high-level competitive matches, where consistency is key. So, even if there is synergy between the two new cards, it’s ultimately redundant.
2
Florges
Drawback: Awkward Synergies
Florges is an interesting case. On paper, the premise seems promising: a Pokemon that can occupy the Active Spot for a while and heal teammates on the Bench. With Florges being a Psychic-Type and the recent addition of Mew ex and Budding Expeditioner, it appears to be set for success. Theoretically, Florges can heal Retreated Pokemon while Mew ex returns to hand and heals itself using Budding Expeditioner—a win-win situation. However, that’s not what usually happens.
The main issue is that Florges is a Stage Two Pokemon, which significantly hampers its effectiveness. Mewtwo ex decks are already slow due to Gardevoir’s Evolution line. Adding Florges to this already crowded lineup only makes things worse. By the time Florges is ready, the opponent has likely put their primary DPS on the Active Spot, and that Pokemon will likely one-shot Florges after a round.
1
Slurpuff
Drawback: Futile Existence
Slurpuff is the worst card in the Mythical Island expansion. It’s nearly impossible to find or assemble a META-friendly deck that can benefit from this Pokemon. Slurpuff is a Stage One Psychic-Type that deals 60 damage with one Psychic and one Colorless Energy. And that’s about it.
The only positive for Slurpuff is its weakness to Steel. Currently, the metagame has very few strong Steel-Type lineups that could exploit this. However, that alone isn’t enough to boost its standing. It’s hard to imagine a future where Slurpuff will play a significant role in the META. But only time will tell.
- Released
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October 30, 2024
- Developer(s)
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DeNA
, Creatures Inc. - Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer