Mythical Island: New Card Highlights

It's finally here! The first expansion to Pokemon TCG Pocket, Mythical Island, just dropped, and it's got a lot of really interesting and fun cards on offer. Archetype expansions abound, and a lot of new tactics are already showing up for anyone that's made a number of pulls, so we thought it might be a good time to look at some of the interesting cards that the new expansion has to offer.

Note that this isn't a tier list or a comprehensive review of all of the new cards, simply a look at some of the more interesting cards that are up for grabs now. As more strategies begin to evolve, it's entirely possible that we may see cards not show here become unexpectedly useful!

EX Cards

Mew EX

Mew EX is the headliner for this expansion, and with good reason. Genome Hacking is a mean attack that can outright counter some of the heaviest hitters in the game, like Charizard EX. Simply give it some energy and then throw it in against something with a hard-hitting attack or an attack with a useful effect and you instantly have an extremely disruptive card that can potentially slot into a lot of decks due to the fact that its signature move can utilize any energy type. it's a bit expensive at 3 energy, but the dividends that Mew EX can pay off can be huge.

Mew EX also gets access to support in the form of the very useful Budding Expeditioner - Mythical Island #066 [U] card, allowing it to potentially be removed from play before it can be KOed, but more on that card later!

Celebi EX

Celebi EX is a new power-house edition to the Grass archetype. Its Powerful Bloom attack is relatively low energy cost, and pays off huge dividends for additional energy investment, potentially even clearing any card from play with a bit of investment and luck. In fact, at around 8 energy, Celebi EX can potentially one-hit-KO even defensive behemoths like Venusaur EX about 50% of the time. The investment is high, but the pay-off is tremendous.

It's also worth mentioning that Celebi EX benefits quite a bit from the new Serperior - Mythical Island #006 [R], but more on that later!

Aerodactyl EX

Aerodactyl EX was one of the big cards showcased in the trailer, and it's had players theory-crafting its utility ever since. Sadly, this card is a bit on the awkward side. Fighting is a type that has its issues, and the requirements/stats for Aerodactyl EX are a bit... underwhelming. That said, its Primeval Law ability is its big saving grace, especially if you can pair it with a trapping card like Arbok - Genetic Apex #165 [U] and phasing like the ever-popular Sabrina - Genetic Apex #225 [U]. If you can successfully trap a non-evolved Pokemon on the opponent's front-line, then it's practically already dead thanks to the pressure that Aerodactyl EX exerts, even from the bench. It's a bit niche, but doubtfully effective given the right scenario!

Pidgeot EX

Pidgeot EX is basically the reverse of Pikachu EX, and very much a threat. It takes time to set up due to its 3-stage evolution and 3 energy cost, but the fact that it's colorless means that it can work alongside powerful cards of any type, and its potential 140 damage output makes it a very potent mid-late-game sweeper.

Pidgeot EX also loves the new Pokémon Flute - Mythical Island #064 [U] card, which can bring weaker Pokemon back to the bench for even more damage, but more on that later!

Gyarados EX

Gyarados has risen to the power that it always deserved. A huge upgrade from its basic form, Gyarados EX's Rampaging Whirlpool outright maims the opposing Pokemon while also potentially crippling their energy stockpile... alongside the player's energy stockpile. When attacking, Gyarados EX will discard 1 energy entirely at random from your or your opponent's side of the field, so it can either be a huge help, or a bit of a hinderance. Regardless, an early/lucky Misty - Genetic Apex #220 [U] can turn a mere Magikarp into a cataclysmic force of nature that is very hard to stop pretty quickly.

Non-EX Cards

Volcarona

Volcarona is a tremendous threat for the Fire archetype! With a relatively low energy cost, it can potentially snipe down Pokemon on the opponent's bench with ease, scoring wins that no other Pokemon is currently capable of achieving. The cost here is pretty heavy due to the need to discard 2 Fire Energy when attacking, but some luck with Moltres ex - Genetic Apex #047 [RR] can make this monster very threatening! Volcarona is also a fairly reliable way around the brand new and very dangerous Serperior, which we'll cover below!

Tauros

Tauros has a bit of a high cost to utilize, but it also has a relatively low retreat cost, a colorless energy cost to fit on a plethora of different decks, and the ability to outright maim EX cards with a reliable 120 damage from its Fighting Tackle attack, making it a very useful card to keep on your bench to threaten a quick KO when its moment to shine comes!

Marshadow

Marshadow's presence in the meta gives Fighting a very nice new option. Low retreat cost and low energy cost makes it easy to use, and its ability to revenge-kill for 100 damage means that its mere presence on the bench makes it pretty scary. If you've got a Marshadow lurking in the shadows, then your opponent is going to have to think very carefully about their next move!

Serperior

Serperior is now one of this game's premier energy engines. As soon as this thing hits the field, every Grass energy on every Pokemon on your side of the field counts as if it were two energy, making this effect retroactive to previously added Grass energy as soon as it hits the field. With a Serperior on your bench, your Grass deck becomes super-charged and capable of tremendous feats. This effect also means that Serperior's own attack requirement is effectively 2, making it pretty easy to use! Oh, and this effect also works on retreat cost! Just keep your Serperior safe, and you've got what is effectively a nuclear reactor on your side of the field, providing huge amounts of energy by simply existing.

Vaporeon

Vaporeon is another energy engine, but it works in a different way. By having a Vaporeon on your bench, you can pretty much move energy freely at will, allowing your energy to go so much farther than it otherwise would. If you have this card on your bench, then you pretty much only need 4-6 Water energy to do pretty much anything in the game, so a single lucky Misty plus a Vaporeon on the field means that most Water decks can be pretty much done setting up... just so long as your active Pokemon doesn't get KOed, taking all of that precious energy with it!

Magmar

While easy to overlook, the new Magmar card is actually pretty danged threatening. 80 HP makes it pretty bulky for a non-EX, first-stage Pokemon, and its ability to throw out 80 damage attacks that can be boosted by Blaine - Genetic Apex #221 [U] to hit for 110 damage early-game makes it extremely dangerous if it can set up quickly. The one thing that Fire is missing at the moment is a way to generate energy from the bench easily, as if we had that then this Magmar card could definitely become the basis for an entire early-game strategy for instant kills. As-is it's a nice early-game card!

Shiinotic

Just what Grass needed: more stall! If you need a bit of time to get set up, then throw in a Shiinotic and enjoy its relatively low energy cost to score a 50% chance to leave the opponent unable to do anything for a turn unless they can evolve their active Pokemon. It can honestly be hard to fit into a deck right now, as Grass has a lot of options now, but it's worth considering at least!

Rapidash

Another nice edition to Fire Type decks, this version of Rapidash is almost completely an upgrade to the existing Rapidash - Genetic Apex #043 [U], with the lone exception of requiring one additional energy to utilize its attack. When combined with Blaine, this card deals 70-130 damage, making it a very potent early-game card if you've got a bit of coin-luck.

Lumineon

2 energy and 0 retreat cost for a card that can deal 50 damage to the opponent's bench? Yes please! It can be a bit hard to fit Lumineon on some decks due to the plethora of powerful Water Type options, but it makes a low-cost, easy to use card for sniping down the opposition's back line.

Weezing

For a number of players, Weezing - Genetic Apex #177 [R] is an easy-to-use source of offensive pressure thanks to its low energy cost and free poison thanks in part to its ability to work with Koga - Genetic Apex #222 [U]. The new variant of Weezing trades off some of its lingering offensive pressure for defensive pressure, potentially stalling out the opposing team while dealing similar damage to our classic Weezing despite the lack of Poison utility. However, its additional energy cost makes it a bit less flexible, and it definitely can't be seen as a strict upgrade to the Genetic Apex weezing, so it's more just an interesting side option for those of us who run a Dark deck.

Stonejourner

Fighting is a type that's still a little bit on the mediocre side right now. It definitely has a lot of powerful options, and isn't bad by any means, but it does have some issues when compared to the top-tier options of other types. Stonjourner is basically a strict upgrade to Onix - Genetic Apex #150 [U] for the type, sporting better damage and HP alongside one less retreat cost. Its one down-side is the fact that it doesn't work with Brock - Genetic Apex #224 [U], but that's a small drawback for a really nice tank that can wall out the opposition pretty easily early-game.

Also, its 3 Retreat cost isn't as bad as it seems now thanks to Leaf, which we'll discuss soon!

Sigilyph

This is an easy pick for a lot of Psychic decks; 1 energy cost, 1 retreat cost, 80 HP, and the ability to draw a card when attacking makes this an outstanding card to get out at the start of a fight to help shore up your hand quickly.

Trainer Cards

Leaf

The mere existence of Leaf makes high retreat cost Pokemon cards so much more viable! While it is a Supporter card, meaning it can't be used on the same turn as staples like Professor’s Research - PROMO-A #007 [C], it's very much worth considering if you pack a lot of high retreat cost cards in your deck, or even if you just want to switch out a 2-energy retreat while using minimal resources.

Blue

The inverse of Giovanni, Blue reduces incoming damage by 10. It may not seem like much, but many Giovanni users will attest to the moments where that 10 damage won them a tough battle, and saving 10 damage will definitely be the same here. It's not very useful, until suddenly it's very, very useful!

Budding Expeditioner

The Budding Expeditioner card is basically a carbon-copy of Koga - Genetic Apex #222 [U] specifically designed for the new Mew EX card, highlighted above. This card makes Mew EX substantially easier to use, and gives the player an out instead of losing 2 points from having an EX card get KOed. This one is going to be a staple in decks that focus on Mew EX, to be sure.

Pokemon Flute

At first glance, this one seems a bit counter-productive: why give your opponent access to one of their downed Pokemon? Well, a few reasons. First: if you KO an evolved Pokemon, then the non-evolved version is also discarded. So if you KO a Charizard EX, for example, you can use this item to bring a Charmander to the field, but your opponent won't have the cards needed to pull out a 3rd Charizard EX. Second, the previously mentioned Pidgeot EX loves it when their target has weak Pokemon on the bench, so Pokemon Flute can open up a nasty combo. It's also nice for filling up the opponent's deck with Pokemon that have outlived their usefulness, leaving them unable to get their best options out entirely.

It's a little risky to use, as you could give someone with Charizard EX and Charmeleon in their hand a chance to get their combo going again, but the reward for specific tactics is substantial, as it can be extremely disruptive in the right situation.

Mythical Slab

The Mythical Slab is a nice card engine for Psychic decks. If you're packing a lot of Psychic Type cards, then what's the harm in trying for a card draw? It also has solid synergy with Pokédex - PROMO-A #004 [C] to see what's next, and Poké Ball - PROMO-A #005 [C] to shuffle the deck if the card that you want is a ways down. Just remember that if you don't draw the card that you find, then it's going to the bottom of the deck, so it's possible to have this card brick your hand if it draws the card that you really need, but it isn't a Psychic Type card.

Closing

So that's our overview of some of the more interesting cards from this expansion. Overall, Mythical Island has brought a lot of great options to the game, expanding several archetypes and creating a few new ones. A few lucky pulls could easily result in a new deck or two for anyone that's saved up hourglasses, so best of luck to anyone who still hasn't pulled. Let us know if there are any cards that we didn't highlight that you're looking forward to use!