Toxic Turn! Pokémon TCG Unleashes Poisoned Pocket and its Venomous Allure

This guide explores the intricacies of the Poisoned condition in Pokémon TCG Pocket, covering its mechanics, affected cards, cures, and optimal deck strategies.

Quick Navigation

• Understanding 'Poisoned' in Pokémon TCG Pocket
• Cards with the Poisoned Ability
• Curing the Poisoned Status
• Crafting the Best Poison Deck

Pokémon TCG Pocket incorporates several Special Conditions from the physical card game, including the debilitating Poisoned status. This condition gradually drains an Active Pokémon's HP until it's neutralized or the Pokémon faints. This guide delves into the specifics of how Poisoned works, which cards inflict it, how to remove it, and effective deck building strategies that leverage this effect.

Understanding 'Poisoned' in Pokémon TCG Pocket

The Poisoned condition is a Special Condition that inflicts 10 HP damage at the end of each round. This damage is calculated during the round's Checkup phase. Unlike some effects, it doesn't automatically dissipate or depend on coin flips. A Poisoned Pokémon continues to lose HP until cured or knocked out.

While Poisoned can coexist with other Special Conditions, it doesn't stack with additional Poison effects. A Pokémon only takes 10 HP damage per turn regardless of how many times it's poisoned. However, this status can be exploited; for example, Muk inflicts an additional 50 damage to already Poisoned opponents.

Cards with the Poisoned Ability

Within the Genetic Apex expansion, five cards can inflict the Poisoned condition: Weezing, Grimer, Nidoking, Tentacruel, and Venomoth. Grimer stands out as a particularly effective Basic Pokémon, poisoning opponents with a single Energy. Weezing is another strong contender, utilizing its Gas Leak ability (no Energy required) but only while active.

For players interested in experimenting with Poison decks, exploring Pokémon Pocket's Rental Decks is recommended. Koga's Rental Deck, featuring Grimer and Arbok, provides an excellent starting point.

Curing the Poisoned Status

Three methods exist for counteracting the Poisoned effect:

1. Evolution: Evolving a Poisoned Pokémon removes the Poisoned status.
2. Retreat: Moving a Poisoned Pokémon to the Bench prevents further HP loss.
3. Item Cards: Cards like Potion mitigate the damage by healing HP, but they don't cure the condition; they merely extend the Active Pokémon's survival.

Crafting the Best Poison Deck

Currently, Poison isn't a top-tier archetype in Pokémon TCG Pocket, but a robust deck can be built around the synergistic trio of Grimer, Arbok, and Muk. The strategy centers on swiftly poisoning opponents with Grimer, trapping them with Arbok, and capitalizing on Muk's ability to inflict up to 120 damage to Poisoned enemies.

The table below details a meta-focused deck leveraging these synergies:

Poison Deck Composition

Alternative strategies include incorporating Jigglypuff (PA) and Wigglytuff ex as a fallback, or employing the Nidoking evolution line (Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidoking) for a slower, higher-damage approach.