Summary
Gengar has finally secured a spot among the top decks in a majorPokemon TCG Pockettournament. The Pokemon has struggled sincePokemon TCG Pocket’s first expansion, Genetic Apex, and has rarely been a viable build-around card in PvP or competitive play.
Even afterPokemon TCG Pocket’s Triumphant Lightintroduced a new Gengar variant, the Pokemon saw little play in the metagame. Most players dismissed Gengar A2a 033 as a “fringe” card due to its Stage 2 status and modest 70 damage output. However, a recent tournament result has proven that this variant has the potential to become an archetype-defining card.
A player named HydraPika recently piloted a Gengar deck to a fourth-place finish in the Swiss rounds of a $10,000 tournament with over 2,800 participants. While the deck was later eliminated, Gengar’s non-ex form has never achieved this level of success, drawing attention from across the community. Some players on Reddit analyzed HydraPika’s deck, noting thatPokemon TCG Pocket’s Asleep conditioninflicted by Gengar A2a 033 could be the key to its breakthrough.
Fans Theorize Why Gengar A2a 033 Is Suddenly Meta
A group of players suggested that Gengar A2a 033’s Asleep effect has an indefinite chance of recurring, which often allows its 70-damage attack to hit twice before the opponent can respond. In other words, they argued that Gengar’s Triumphant Light variant effectively deals 140 damage, not 70. That said, they also noted several variables that can disrupt its damage output, such as the coin flip after Gengar’s attack or the opponent’s use of Pokemon Center Lady, which can remove the crucial Asleep condition. Others credit Gengar’s recent success toPokemon TCG Pocket’s new Item card, Rare Candy, which accelerates evolution and effectively turns Gengar into a Stage 1.
HydraPika’s deck, currently eliminated fromUrsiiday’s $10,000 tournament, also features two key backup attackers: Oricorio A3 077 and Tapu Lele A3 084. Both cards debuted inPokemon TCG Pocket’s Celestial Guardians setand play crucial roles in supporting Gengar’s strategy. Oricorio acts as a revenge attacker, stepping in to finish off opponents after the main attacker is knocked out. Tapu Lele, on the other hand, is a strong counter to the Giratina ex and Darkrai ex meta, dealing heavy damage to energy-stacking Pokemon.
Despite the arrival of anti-ex cards like Oricorio inPokemon TCG Pocket’s recent meta, the PvP scene remains heavily dominated by Giratina ex. For now, Gengar seems unlikely to become a consistent or top-tier deck core. Still, its recent success is a promising sign for fans, suggesting that not all competitive lineups need to rely on streamlined, meta-defining cards.
