Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has right now acquired its subsequent main replace and first full set since launch because the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl-themed Space Time Smackdown enlargement is now accessible.
This set, which is available in two booster packs themed after Dialga and Palkia, features a whole of 207 playing cards and is due to this fact considerably smaller than Genetic Apex’s 286. That being mentioned, 52 of those are the alternate artwork, Star and Crown rarity playing cards, and as Genetic Apex had 60 of those, there’s a greater proportion of uncommon items to gather.
Space Time Smackdown’s official card depend due to this fact involves 155, as alternate arts aren’t included within the general assortment quantity. Included on this depend are 10 ex Pokémon: Yanmega, Infernape, Palkia, Pacharisu, Mismagius, Gallade, Weavile, Darkrai, Dialga, and Lickilicky.
Every Pokémon kind due to this fact has a brand new ex Pokémon apart from Dragon, and the Darkness kind gained two.
Space Time Smackdown’s largest addition is probably within the introduction of Pokémon Tool playing cards, nonetheless. These are gadgets which could be connected to the lively Pokémon to offer it additional advantages in battle, and three have arrived within the new set.
These embody Giant Cape, which supplies the Pokémon an additional 20 Hit Points; the Rocky Helmet, which does 20 HP to the opponent’s Pokémon at any time when the lively coach takes injury; and the Lum Berry, which removes circumstances corresponding to Poison from the Pokémon.
Battles
As is the case with each new set launch, the addition of Space Time Smackdown has introduced new Solo Battles to Pokémon TCG Pocket. Eight new battles can be found within the Intermediate tier, 9 can be found within the Advanced tier, and eight can be found within the Expert tier, although none have been added to the only Beginner tier.
These deal with Pokémon launched within the set corresponding to Dialga ex and Palkia ex but in addition the likes of Togekiss, Bastiodon, Glacion, Magmortar, Magnezone, Rampardos, Tortrerra, and extra.
As for multiplayer, it is too early to inform precisely what is going to shake up the meta however lots of the Space Time Smackdown playing cards have nice potential to. Infernape ex, for instance, can do 140 injury for simply two Fire Energy, and whereas it discards each of those on influence, that is nonetheless an extremely highly effective and fast transfer that may one hit knock out all however the strongest ex Pokémon.
Palkia ex additionally poses a risk given its resemblance to Mewtwo ex. It equally does 150 injury for 4 Energy, although additionally does 20 injury to every benched Pokémon at the price of dropping 3 whole Energy. Weavile ex, in the meantime, has a single one Energy assault that does 30 injury or 70 if the defending Pokémon has injury. Perhaps the most important enhance will come to Steel kind decks although, as Dialga ex and a wealth of different playing cards be part of the likes of Melmetal and Bisharp that are already accessible.
Missions and Rewards
Myriad new missions have joined Pokémon TCG Pocket alongside Space Time Smackdown too, although these are comparatively related in construction to what gamers are used to. Collecting signature playing cards will unlock rental decks as ordinary, for instance, whereas piecing collectively all the set slowly however certainly will unlock Dialga and Palkia icons.
Museum missions have returned too, together with two for gathering every 1 Star card and one other two for gathering every full artwork 2 Star card. The last secret mission known as Champion of the Sinnoh Region and is awarded for gathering the complete artwork Cynthia card alongside 1 Star playing cards of her 4 key Pokémon: Gastrodon, Lucario, Spiritomb, and Garchomp.
Missions, as ordinary, award Pack Hourglasses, Wonder Hourglasses, Emblem Tickets for the store, and extra, although notably not one of the controversial Trading Tokens. Developer Creatures Inc. did give gamers a free 500 of those to have a good time buying and selling’s addition to the sport although.
Rewards can be utilized to unlock some new gadgets within the store too, together with Dialga and Palkia album covers and the Lovely Hearts backdrop. A brand new Poké Gold bundle has changed the earlier Gardevoir one too, this time specializing in Cynthia.
Trading
Creatures Inc. nonetheless hasn’t commented on the controversial buying and selling replace since its launch yesterday, with its social media accounts and the sport itself solely actually specializing in Space Time Smackdown. The aforementioned “Trade Feature Celebration Gift” did arrive with 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses (the previous of which is sufficient to commerce a single ex Pokémon), however the developer has in any other case remained quiet on fan complaints.
Trade Tokens are on the centre of the controversy, as these are required for buying and selling any card at 3 Diamonds or greater. 120 Trade Tokens are required to commerce a 3 Diamond card, 400 are required to commerce a 1 Star card, and 500 are required to commerce a 4 Diamond card, that means an ex Pokémon.
They can solely be obtained by primarily promoting playing cards. Players can delete from their assortment a 3 Diamond card for 25 Trade Tokens, a 1 Star card for 100, a 4 Diamond card for 125, a 2 Star card for 300, a 3 Star immersive card for 300, and a Crown gold card for 1500. Cards of decrease rarities are nugatory, although require no Trade Tokens to commerce both.
This means gamers should promote, for instance, 5 ex Pokémon earlier than they’ll commerce one ex Pokémon, or 5 1 Star card (the rarest accessible to commerce) earlier than they’ll commerce one 1 Star card. What’s extra, promoting one Crown rarity card, that are the rarest within the recreation and is probably not obtained even after months of enjoying, will solely web gamers sufficient tokens to commerce three ex Pokémon.
Fans have known as it “hilariously poisonous” and a “monumental failure,” and lamented {that a} “secure method for the neighborhood to attach extra” was sacrificed for one thing “so laborious.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll speak about The Witcher all day.