Summary
There are many new cards to toy with inPokemon TCG Pocketnow that the Celestial Guardian set has been released, and more will allegedly come as early as the end of May 2025 with a small accompanying set dedicated to more Gen 7 critters. The game’s best decks have dramatically changed with Celestial Guardians, be it becauseOricorio negates 18-Trainer card decks inPokemon TCG Pocketas well as some Ex-focused decks, or because the various new cards created more successful strategies. One of the new cards did exactly this, increasing the number of viable competitive decks, but at the same time, it can be a double-edged sword.
One ofPokemon TCG Pocket’s best decks remains Darkrai Ex with Giratina Ex, even in the face of surging Oricorio usage, but the meta is arguably much more varied now than it was before the latest expansion came out. Many more decks of each Pokemon type have become viable with Celestial Guardians, even types that were not previously as good, and this is proof that introducing cards to help existing strategies can also create new ones in the process. This is exactly what happened with the new Rare Candy card, and while it’s great, it can be quite problematic.
Why Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Rare Candy is a Game-Changer
Much like other TCGs before it,Pokemon TCG Pocketis not immune to the issue of “mandatory” cards in competitive decks, that is, cards that are so consistently and universally good that they should always be played. This includes the likes of Professor’s Research and Poke Ball, and high competitive ranks may even include cards like Cyrus, Sabrina, Mars, and Red Card in the list.Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Rare Candyis one of these cards too, now, and the reason is that it single-handedly allows Stage 2 cards to be much stronger and more consistent.
Before Celestial Guardians, Stage 2 cards were not as strong as basicEx cards inPokemon TCG Pocketbecause they required more time to set up and could easily break without the right evolutions. However, Rare Candy can now make or break a match depending on whether players draw it. It’s very rare for a Stage 2 card to benefit from going the usual basic into Stage 1 into Stage 2 route rather than simply using Rare Candy to immediately fully evolve a Pokemon, meaning that not drawing this card early while the opponent does can immediately make the match unbalanced.
This can be seen in metaSolgaleo Ex decks inPokemon TCG Pocket, or even the various versions of Greninja decks that are dominating the meta, as fully evolving these critters leads to massive benefits in the long term. For example, a fully evolved Greninja or Crobat allows players to deal passive damage without even attacking, which is an incredible benefit if achieved as early as turn 3 or 4. However, not drawing Rare Candy or the Stage 2 card to accompany it early can quite as easily determine the fate of a match, as it can be hard to come back from this.
Why Rare Candy Promotes a Luck-Based Gameplay in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Rare Candy remains a fantastic tool in competitive decks, but what follows is that it can create a more “luck-based” meta than cards likePokemon TCG Pocket’s Mistyever could, and it may not be healthy for the mobile game in the long run. There is little that players can do to prevent this, so while Rare Candy’s existence makes Stage 2 cards more consistent across the board, it also means that not having a Stage 2 ready on turn 3 or 4 while the opponent does may doom that particular match.
