Summary
- Team Galactic Grunt is too niche, relying on meta-irrelevant Pokemon.
- Mars emphasizes disruption but may not be worth a deck slot.
- Cynthia excels in Garchomp and Togekiss decks, but her future is uncertain due to niche effect.
Pokemon Pocket’s latest expansion, Space-Time Smackdown, introduces six new Supporter cards: Cyrus, Dawn, Cynthia, Volkner, Mars, and Team Galactic Grunt. And with every new release, a common question is which of these cards are worth prioritizing. This Pokemon TCG Pocket tier list ranks all the new Supporters from Space-Time Smackdown based on gameplay-focused criteria.
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Ranking Criteria Explained
This tier list of Supporter cards from Pokemon TCG Pocket’s latest expansion, Space-Time Smackdown, is based on the following criteria:
- Meta performance: The primary factor for ranking these cards is their recent performance in global Pocket tournaments.
- Synergies: Cards with stronger synergies are ranked higher, while those with overly niche or meta-irrelevant synergies are ranked lower.
- Longevity: Supporter cards that are likely to fade from the metagame over time are ranked lower.
6
Team Galactic Grunt
Too Niche to Be Good
- Text: Put one random Glameow, Stunky, or Croagunk from your deck into your hand.
- Space-Time Smackdown Pack: Dialga
Team Galactic Grunt is too limited to make a significant impact on the meta. This Supporter card can be used in decks with Glameow, Stunky, or Croagunk, but none of these Pokemon are performing well in the current metagame. Essentially, Team Galactic Grunt is a specialized Supporter that relies on meta-irrelevant Pokemon, which is its biggest drawback.
A more general effect, like drawing a random Darkness-type Pokemon from the deck, might have helped this card. However, considering the current state of the metagame in Pokemon TCG Pocket, Team Galactic Grunt ranks as the least favorable Supporter among the six new Trainer cards.
5
Mars
Disruption May Not Be Worth It
- Text: Your opponent shuffles their hand into their deck and draws a card for each of the remaining points needed to win.
- Space-Time Smackdown Pack: Palkia
Mars is essentially a new version of Red Card, with the added twist of adjusting the number of cards the opponent draws based on their score. After Mars’s effect, the opponent draws cards equal to the number of points they need to win the match. For example, if they’ve already scored two points, Mars forces them to shuffle their cards back into the deck and draw just one.
While Mars’s disruption ability can be useful in PvP and tournament matches, it’s not enough to earn her a higher spot on the list. In Pokemon TCG Pocket, where decks are limited to just 20 cards, dedicating a slot or two to Mars isn’t ideal.
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That said, players building meme decks or those who enjoy disruption strategies can still benefit from Mars’s effect. Some decklists featuring Mars and Purugly are circulating, with the idea being that Mars reduces the opponent’s hand size, allowing Purugly to send those cards back into the deck—leaving the opponent with an empty hand.
4
Cynthia
The Goddess of the Deadly Kiss
- Text: During this turn, attacks used by your Garchomp or Togekiss do +50 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon.
- Space-Time Smackdown Pack: Palkia
Cynthia’s future in the meta is uncertain, but she’s currently performing well in Garchomp and Togekiss decks, both of which are on the rise. Garchomp, in particular, has gained popularity recently, boosting Cynthia’s usage as well. With Cynthia, Garchomp can deal 150 damage, enough to take down many meta Pokemon. (On Togekiss, after its first attack, Cynthia boosts the next move to a powerful 170 damage!)
The issue with Cynthia is the same as with Team Galactic Grunt: a niche effect. It’s unlikely that both Garchomp and Togekiss will maintain a strong presence in Pokemon TCG Pocket’s metagame, meaning Cynthia could fade away as new expansions are released.
3
Dawn
A Pocket-Size Vaporeon
- Text: Move an Energy from one of your Benched Pokemon to your Active Pokemon.
- Space-Time Smackdown Pack: Dialga
Mythical Island’s Vaporeon had a significant impact on the metagame with its Washed Out move, allowing players to transfer Water-type Energy from one of their Benched Pokemon to the Active one. However, the downside was that Vaporeon was exclusive to Water-types, leaving players wanting a similar card for other Energy types. With the release of the Space-Time Smackdown expansion, that desire is now satisfied, as Dawn lets players transfer Energy.
The only drawback is that Dawn’s ability is limited to just one transfer, meaning players can use it a maximum of two times per match. While that may not be as powerful as Vaporeon’s effect, Dawn’s ability to work with all Energy types makes her a meta-relevant Supporter who’s likely to remain popular for a long time.
2
Volkner
A Meta-Shaking Supporter
- Text: Choose one of your Electivire or Luxray. Attach two Lightning Energy from your discard pile to that Pokemon.
- Space-Time Smackdown Pack: Dialga
Volkner is perhaps the most complex Supporter of the Space-Time Smackdown expansion. His ability allows players to revive discarded Energies, something that wasn’t possible before his release. Despite this, Volkner is currently one of the most popular cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket’s meta, thanks to his powerful synergy with Lightning-type decks.
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Players are pairing Volkner with Electivire and Luxray alongside self-energizing Pokemon like the new Electabuzz from the Space-Time Smackdown set or Genetic Apex’s Magneton. This combination results in multiple strong attacks with Electivire and Luxray, as Volkner can bring back up to four discarded Energies for them.
For those curious about what counts as a discarded Energy, here’s a quick breakdown. In Pokemon TCG Pocket, the following actions can discard Energy:
- Knockouts: When a Pokemon is knocked out, its Energy goes into the discard pile.
- Attacks: Attacks that consume Energy discard those points (e.g., Luxray’s attack, which discards all its Energy).
- Retreats: Undiscounted retreats will discard Energy.
- Enemy Attacks: Cards like Gyarados (Basic) that remove Energy from the opponent add those discarded Energies to the discard pile.
Players can check how many discarded Energies they have by tapping their discard pile.
1
Cyrus
The Unfading New Supporter
- Text: Switch in one of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon that has damage on it to the Active Spot.
- Space-Time Smackdown Pack: Palkia
Cyrus is essentially a stronger version of Sabrina. When Sabrina is played, the opponent has to replace their Active Pokemon with one from their Bench. Cyrus introduces a similar effect but with a twist: when he’s played, the opponent must replace their Active Pokemon with one of their damaged Pokemon, and if they have more than one, Cyrus’s owner chooses which one they must bring out.
Cyrus introduces the concept of “chasing.” Players can now target the opponent’s weakest Pokemon hiding on the Bench and take it out—an important shift from the Sabrina-dominated meta. Given that Cyrus has single-handedly caused this change, he deserves the title of the best Supporter card in Pokemon Pocket’s Space-Time Smackdown expansion and possibly one of the best across all expansions so far.
