Summary
- Pokemon Tools in Space-Time Smackdown enhance defense and can be played in any number.
- New Items like fossils help search for Stage 2 Pokemon easier, challenging Supporter cards.
- Cards like Lum Berry, Rocky Helmet, and Giant Cape offer unique strategies and buffs in battles.
Pokemon Pocket‘s Space-Time Smackdown expansion has introduced a new type of Trainer card, Pokemon Tools. Unlike Supporters, you can play as many Pokemon Tools as you want, making them similar to Pokemon Items. Pokemon Tools act as buffs to your Pokemon, enhancing their overall defensive capabilities.
Related
Most of the new Pokemon Items are fossils, which function more like Basic Pokemon. However, there are also cards that make searching for Stage 2 Pokemon easier, which is exciting for players who enjoy using hard-hitting cards like Charizard ex and Infernape ex. Supporter cards finally have some competition, as Space-Time Smackdown’s Pokemon Tools and Pokemon Items belong in every deck.
6
Skull Fossil
|
Trainer Type |
Item |
|---|---|
|
Booster Pack |
Dialga |
|
Complimentary Cards |
Lucario, Giant Cape, Cranidos, Rampardos |
Like all Item cards, the biggest issue with fossils is searching for them at the start, as Poke Balls do not work on them. Cranidos is a strong Stage 1 Pokemon that evolves from Skull Fossil. Cranidos deals 50 damage for one Energy, so it can become a considerable threat to many Pokemon if you manage to get it out within the first two or three turns.
The final stage of Skull Fossil is Rampardos, who hits for 130 damage, but if the attack goes through, it must take 50 damage. Rampardos is a glass cannon and is highly prone to getting revenge-killed. Rampardos and Cranidos’ typing can be advantageous, as it synergizes well with Lucario’s ability that adds 20 damage to their already high attack.
5
Armor Fossil
|
Trainer Type |
Item |
|---|---|
|
Booster Pack |
Palkia |
|
Complimentary Cards |
Dialga ex, Rockey Helmet, Shieldon, Bastiodon |
The evolutionary line for Armor Fossil leads to Shieldon and Bastiodon. Shieldon is a 100 HP Pokemon with 50 Attack, which is very competitive for a Stage 1 evolution. Bastiodon can reduce 100 damage if it is attacked due to its incredible ability, meaning on average, it reduces 50 damage. Given Bastiodon already has 160 HP, this makes it arguably the best defensive Pokemon in Pokemon Pocket.
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Bastiodon only hits for 80 damage, and at three Energy, it’s relatively weak. Armor Fossil can’t be searched by Poke Balls or Pokemon Communication, so starting the Bastiodon line is harder than finishing it.
4
Lum Berry
|
Trainer Type |
Pokemon Tool |
|---|---|
|
Booster Pack |
Palkia |
|
Complimentary Cards |
Charizard ex, Mythical Island Golem, Gyarados ex |
It took a while, but Pokemon Pocket now has options to combat Special Conditions such as Poisoned, Asleep, and Paralyzed. Since Lum Berry is a Pokemon Tool, it is proactive, allowing you to set it and forget it on a Pokemon that you feel will encounter Special Condition shenanigans.
Although Lum Berry is an impactful card that can greatly reduce the effectiveness of Pokemon like Wigglytuff ex and Mismagius ex, it is entirely useless in many matchups. Until Special Conditions become a near certainty in every deck, Lum Berry is too niche of a card choice to justify a space in most decks.
3
Rocky Helmet
|
Trainer Type |
Pokemon Tool |
|---|---|
|
Booster Pack |
Palkia |
|
Complimentary Cards |
Darkrai ex, Greninja, Marshadow |
The popularity of Druddigon during Mythical Island already displayed how impactful dealing 20 damage when getting attacked can be. Rocky Helmet has essentially replaced Druddigon by being able to attach this Pokemon Tool to any Pokemon.
Chipping away 20 health puts Pokemon within one-hit KO range. Also, if you have a Pokemon that can tank more than one hit, your opponent may opt not to attack at all. Rocky Helmet is a fantastic tool for cards with high burst attack, like Marshadow, or those that chip away with their effects from the bench, like Darkrai and Greninja.
2
Pokemon Communication
|
Trainer Type |
Item |
|---|---|
|
Booster Pack |
Dialga |
|
Complimentary Cards |
Infernape ex, Charizard ex, Blastoise ex |
Any card that greatly reduces the chances of you bricking a hand is incredibly valuable in Pokemon Pocket. Pokemon Communication gives you the chance to rid yourself of a useless card in hopes of drawing a card that can be played that turn.
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Decks that use Stage 2 evolutionary lines, such as Charizard ex, have struggled with consistency since there is little way to search for most evolutions. Pokemon Communication gives you another shot at possibly drawing a pivotal evolutionary card or getting rid of an evolution you can’t use that turn in exchange for a Basic Pokemon.
1
Giant Cape
|
Trainer Type |
Pokemon Tool |
|---|---|
|
Booster Pack |
Dialga |
|
Complimentary Cards |
Primeape, Palkia ex, Arcanine ex |
The best Pokemon Item or Pokemon Tool in Space-Time Smackdown has to be Giant Cape. Even if it only provided an increase of ten HP, it would still be a good card, but 20 makes it a near staple. Giant Cape essentially makes cards like Potion and Blue obsolete. It will also reduce the effectiveness of aggressive Supporter cards like Giovanni.
An extra 20 HP means that many of your Pokemon are safely out of dangerous situations that would normally be death sentences for them. Giant Cape is even more essential now, considering there is Rocky Helmet, which reduces your HP by 20 every time you attack into it. The existence of Giant Cape will likely make formerly dominant cards like Mewtwo ex less played, since it can no longer one-hit relevant monsters like Palkia ex and Dialga ex.
- Released
-
October 30, 2024
- Publisher(s)
-
The Pokemon Company
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer