With Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s new Triumphant Light set came several good cards that are seeing a lot of play in competitive decks, as well as decks used in the new Emblem Event which requires five consecutive wins for the highest tier. Considering that ranked matches in Pokemon TCG Pocket are just around the corner, players are experimenting with the best combinations to take the meta by storm or counter meta decks with surprise cards. Arceus Ex has proven to be one of the best cards in the expansion already, with a powerful attack that can deal up to 130 damage in one hit, but this card has a glaring weakness that one A2a uncommon can easily exploit.
Triumphant Light managed to add a significant number of good cards despite its size of 75 cards, with highlights being Leafeon Ex, Irida, Shaymin with Sky Support, and more. However, Arceus Ex has found its way in many decks thanks to its versatility, as it can attack with any Energy type, provided it has three attached. Decks like Dialga Ex found more success with Arceus Ex than ever before, so it’s natural that players are looking for ways to beat it. As strange as it may seem, one of them is the new uncommon Sudowoodo.
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Despite Sudowoodo’s notorious in-game trouble with water, its new version in Triumphant Light is making quite a splash in Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s meta. This is because the card has an attack called Fighting Headbutt that only costs 1 Energy and deals 20 damage plus an additional 30 if the opposing Pokemon is an Ex card. With Arceus Ex’s Fighting-type weakness, Sudowoodo can deal an astonishing 70 damage to it with a single attack for a single Energy, making it an amazing counter against this critter and many other Ex cards in the meta.
On top of that, a Lucario Fighting deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket can further take Sudowoodo to new heights, as the Gen 4 critter has an ability called Fighting Coach that makes all attacks used by Fighting-type Pokemon deal 20 more damage. With two Lucario on the bench, Sudowoodo in the active spot, and attacking any Ex Pokemon, this tree-like Pokemon can deal 90 damage before weaknesses and other potential buffs, like Giovanni. A fully buffed Sudowoodo will deal up to 120 damage to Arceus Ex, meaning that equipping it with a Rocky Helmet would guarantee the KO if Arceus Ex attacks back.
Why Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Sudowoodo is Great Beyond Countering Arceus Ex
This is an ideal scenario, of course, but even at base, dealing 70 damage for one Energy against one of the strongest meta Pokemon is nothing to scoff at. Sudowoodo’s Grass weakness does make it very susceptible to the new Leafeon Ex and Celebi Ex Pokemon TCG Pocket meta deck, as Leafeon Ex can one-shot it with Solar Beam, and Celebi Ex can potentially one-shot it with just two Energy, provided the coin-flips are successful. Still, Sudowoodo can wreak quite a lot of havoc in the current meta considering the dominance of Ex cards.
With just one Lucario on the bench, Sudowoodo can consistently knock out most Ex cards with two hits, and the fact that it can start doing 50 damage on turn one (if the opponent goes first) makes it an amazing card in any Fighting deck. It may be hard to splash in other decks due to the current restraints and limits of using decks with more than one Energy type, but Fighting is in a good spot at the moment. How the meta will change is to be seen, but ranked matches in Pokemon TCG Pocket will most likely move the needle, and Sudowoodo may be part of it.
