Poisonous Pokémon TCG Pocket Expansion Unveiled

This guide explores the intricacies of the Poisoned condition in Pokémon TCG Pocket, detailing its mechanics, affected cards, cure methods, and optimal deck building strategies.

Quick Links

• What is 'Poisoned' in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
• Which Cards Inflict Poisoned?
• How to Cure Poisoned
• Building Effective Poison Decks

Pokémon TCG Pocket incorporates several Special Conditions from the physical card game, including Poisoned. This status effect gradually depletes an Active Pokémon's HP until it faints or is cured. Understanding its application, relevant cards, cure methods, and meta-game implications is crucial.

What is 'Poisoned' in Pokémon TCG Pocket?

Poisoned is a Special Condition inflicting 10 HP loss at the end of each round. Calculated during the round's Checkup phase, it persists until cured or the Pokémon faints, unlike some temporary conditions. While it can coexist with other Special Conditions, it doesn't stack with additional Poison effects; a Pokémon only loses 10 HP per turn regardless of multiple Poison applications. This status can be exploited by cards benefiting from Poisoned opponents, such as Muk, which gains a significant damage boost.

Which Cards Inflict Poisoned?

In the Genetic Apex expansion, five cards inflict the Poisoned status: Weezing, Grimer, Nidoking, Tentacruel, and Venomoth. Grimer stands out as an efficient Basic Pokémon, poisoning opponents with a single Energy. Weezing offers another strong option, using its "Gas Leak" ability (no Energy required) while Active.

How to Cure Poisoned?

Three methods exist to counter the Poisoned effect:

1. Evolution: Evolving a Poisoned Pokémon removes the condition.
2. Retreat: Benching the affected Pokémon prevents further HP loss.
3. Item Cards: Cards like Potion mitigate damage but don't cure Poisoned, extending the Active Pokémon's survival.

Building Effective Poison Decks

While not a top-tier archetype, a potent Poison deck can be built around the Grimer, Arbok, and Muk synergy. The strategy centers on rapid poisoning with Grimer, opponent lock-in using Arbok, and maximizing Muk's damage against Poisoned opponents. Consider Koga's Rental Deck as a starting point.

Sample Poison Deck

Alternative strategies include using Jigglypuff (PA) and Wigglytuff ex, or a slower, high-damage approach with the Nidoking evolution line (Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidoking). Experimentation is key to optimizing your Poison deck for the current meta.