New Mega Evolutions — The ‘Pokémon Trading Card Game’ Keeps Evolving

Welcome to the table,

I’ve really been enjoying the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket game. The ability to earn daily card packs to open and get that rush of “What will I get?” that comes with the unknown blind pack experience is still deeply rooted in my soul. Each time I drag my finger across my phone screen to open a pack, I get a little flash of joy before I find out if I have pulled a Pokémon ex card, or an alternative art card or one of the really cool animated cards that each set generally contains one or two of.

The experience has been so delightful that I find myself more and more considering braving the chaotic landscape of real-world collecting to pick up a pack or two and have tangible cards to show for it. I have not broken down and done so yet, but the newest news from the Pokémon team is nudging me more and more towards picking up the physical cards again.

Check this out…

So earlier this year, the upcoming Pokémon Trading Card Game: Mega Evolution Series was announced, with the Mega Gardevoir ex and Mega Lucario ex being revealed. With this new trailer, we get a look at even more of the cards that are coming in this set’s first expansion, including Mega Venusaur ex. and the Pokémon TCG debut of Mega Latias ex.

We are getting a return of Mega Venusaur as a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex. This card is packing some heavy hit points with a total of 380 HP, the largest HP number ever revealed in the Pokémon card game. I’m also a fan of the Solar Transfer ability that lets you swap basic energy between multiple Pokémon, giving you a lot of table options in the midgame.

The other really cool reveal is that the Mega Evolution Pokémon ex is the Mega Latias ex, who is making its appearance in the Pokémon TCG for the first time. This Legendary Pokémon is all about speed, darting from the Active Spot to the Bench with its Strafe attack. This is one heck of a way to swing 40 points of damage and swap out with a heavier HP Pokémon early game to really shut down your opponent, sending them on the defensive.

Dropping a Mega Latias ex or two in a deck with a few Switch Carts and Switch cards starts to get the wheels turning for an early game pull and back and forth rotation with something that can do poison damage needing to have the dark type energy cards already in your deck for the wild 300 damage Illusory Impulse attack.

I could see this fit nicely in a Dark / Fire type deck with other Pokémon like Weezing or the Infernape with the Flaming Fighter ability that make use of burn and poison damage with activation abilities. I would throw in a Nihilego with Empty Light to bulk that poison damage and a pair of Poison Barb item cards to just be unhinged. All in all, I could really see Mega Latias doing some real work at the table, depending on how your first draw goes and what support cards you can get out to set up your bench.

Mega Evolution has some cool trainer cards as well. These come in the form of the above Lillie and Wally. Lillie allows you to shuffle your hand into your deck and draw 6 cards. If you have exactly 6 Prize cards remaining, you draw 8 cards instead. This is a solid move in the early game and can really set you up for success

Wally’s is great for mid to late game, allowing you to heal all damage from 1 of your Mega Evolution Pokémon ex and putting all Energy attached to that Pokémon into your hand. Clearly, they want you to use this with the Mega Venusaur ex’s Solar Transfer ability, because why would you not move all your energy off Mega Venusaur ex, heal it with Wally, and then move the energy back with no penalty. A practically-free full heal of all your damage is going to turn an already heavy HP Pokémon into an absolutely unhinged combatant at the table.

It makes sense to show these two together because you are going to want something to really burn down Mega Venusaur ex’s health with damage over time, and that Mega Latias ex seems to be a solid counterweight to those abilities.

Until next time, we will learn more about this set on July 10th, so come back then and check out what new updates and deck ideas you can find here on Comicon, your daily comics convention, and the place Anton gets excited and talks about stuff. See you in the tall grass!