Summary
- A creative Pokemon TCG Pocket player authored a bizarre Articuno EX deck with only two Pokemon.
- The troll deck reportedly works surprisingly well, not least because the new Space-Time Smackdown expansion made Articuno EX even stronger.
- Nevertheless, failing to draw the second Articuno EX usually results in an automatic loss.
One Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket player has recently shared a troll Articuno EX deck that, despite its bizarre card list, reportedly works surprisingly well. Their unusual creation suggests that Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s Space-Time Smackdown expansion has made Articuno EX even stronger than it already was.
Articuno EX has been available in DeNA’s hit mobile game from day one, having debuted as part of Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s Genetic Apex expansion. The EX variant of the Legendary bird Pokemon can be pulled from GA’s Mewtwo packs.
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Although Articuno EX has already established itself as a staple of many powerful decks, Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s Space-Time Smackdown expansion appears to have made it even more viable than before. Looking to illustrate this development, Reddit user NotMyPillows has recently shared a troll deck that consists of two copies of Articuno EX and 18 Trainer cards. Despite not even having enough Pokemon to fill the bench, the deck reportedly works better than expected.
Pokemon TCG Pocket Articuno EX Troll Deck by NotMyPillows
|
Card |
Quantity |
Set |
|---|---|---|
|
Articuno EX |
2 |
Genetic Apex (Mewtwo Packs) |
|
Poke Ball |
2 |
Promo-A (Shop) |
|
Potion |
2 |
Promo-A (Shop) |
|
Professor’s Research |
2 |
Promo-A (Shop) |
|
Giant Cape |
1 |
Space-Time Smackdown (Dialga Packs) |
|
Rocky Helmet |
2 |
Space-Time Smackdown (Palkia Packs) |
|
Cyrus |
2 |
Space-Time Smackdown (Palkia Packs) |
|
Dawn |
1 |
Space-Time Smackdown (Dialga Packs) |
|
Giovanni |
2 |
Genetic Apex (Mewtwo Packs) |
|
Mars |
1 |
Space-Time Smackdown (Palkia Packs) |
|
Misty |
2 |
Genetic Apex (Pikachu Packs) |
|
Sabrina |
1 |
Genetic Apex (Charizard Packs) |
Due to its low number of pocket monsters, the basic strategy for NotMyPillows’ troll deck is straightforward, and comes down to drawing both copies of Articuno EX and powering them up with Energy as quickly as possible. As is the case with any other remotely viable Water-type deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket, getting Misty and managing to get any extra Energy from her usually means it’s game over for the opponent, as the resulting tempo swing tends to be too much for any deck to handle.
Articuno EX Troll Deck Is Great at Finishing Off Damaged Pokemon
Since Articuno EX’s Blizzard does splash damage to each of the opponent’s benched Pokemon, this deck works decently well for finishing off heavily damaged mons. Doing so becomes even easier if the player draws Cyrus, a new Pokemon TCG Pocket Supporter card from the Space-Time Smackdown expansion that forces a damaged Pokemon back into play.
While NotMyPillows’ deck seems to have an answer for almost every threat in the current meta, its low number of Pokemon means it almost certainly beats itself if the player fails to draw a second Articuno EX, since losing the first one without a replacement results in an automatic defeat. To reduce the chances of this happening, the deck includes two Poké Balls, increasing the likelihood of securing a second Articuno EX at the start of a match to 3 in 15, or 20%. For clarity, the first Articuno EX will always be in the starting hand due to the way Pokemon TCG Pocket was designed.
