Quick Links
Darkness has always been one of the most enjoyable archetypes inPokemon TCG Pocket. However, that hasn’t often translated to strong performances in the metagame. Aside from Darkrai ex’s success, Darkness Pokemon have mostly underperformed across recent expansions.
With the arrival of Eevee Grove, many are wondering if the archetype can finally be saved, especially with the introduction of a brand-new Darkness-type Umbreon card. But it’s not that simple. While the set introduces some fresh synergies within the Darkness archetype, it stops short of fully reviving it.Pokemon TCG Pocket’s June expansion does bring some fun new Darkness variants to play around with, but it doesn’t do much to elevate their standing in the PvP scene.
If you’re curious about which Darkness decks are performing best in the Eevee Grove era, this guide has you covered. It highlights two of themost popular new Darkness lineupsand breaks down how to play them effectively. You’ll also find an analysis of the archetype’s current performance in the metagame, helping you decide whether a Darkness-centric strategy is worth the switch.
An Overview of Eevee Grove’s Darkness-type Pokemon
Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Eevee Grove expansionintroduced seven Darkness-type Pokemon. Four of them are brand-new cards featuring unique stats and abilities, while the remaining three are full-art and shiny variants of existing cards.
Here’s the complete list:
For comparison, the previous mini-set,Extradimensional Crisis, introduced nine Darkness-type Pokemon. One of the top cards from that expansion was Nihilego, which has since become a go-to in many Darkness decks.
Eevee Grove’s top Darkness-type deck isUmbreon’s alliance with Darkrai ex. This duo takes advantage of Poison Barb’s effect and Nihilego’s ability, which together can deal up to 30 passive damage. Combined with Darkrai ex’s 20-damage passive and Umbreon’s 40-damage attack, the deck can hit for up to 90 damage per turn using just one Energy. More importantly, each time Umbreon lands a hit, it effectively blocks the opponent’s next attack, as long as their active Pokemon is a Basic.
Before the Extradimensional Crisis era,Darkrai ex was famous for its deadly bond with Giratina ex. The two ex Pokemon dominated PvP for nearly two full seasons before Ultra Beasts took over. Now, Darkrai ex might have another chance to be a trendy contender in competitive play, thanks to its new partnership with Umbreon.
Here’s how the deck’s synergies work:
How to Play the Umbreon-Darkrai ex Deck
You can open with Nihilego to poison the enemy directly before switching to Umbreon.
Alternative Darkness Deck: Umbreon + Crobat
You can leverage Umbreon’s Binding Move in a Darkness deck alongside Triumphant Light’s Crobat. However, this duo isn’t effective on its own; they need Arceus ex to activate Crobat’s passive chip damage and to play the role of a secondary damage dealer.
Pokemon TCG Pocket’s fourth expansionintroduced link abilities. These are passive moves that activate once certain conditions are met. In the case of Crobat, the link ability requires Arceus or Arceus ex on the board to trigger the Cunning Link move. With Cunning Link, Crobat deals 30 damage per turn to the opponent’s Active Pokemon. So, if you bench two Crobats alongside one Arceus, you can deal a whopping 60 passive damage each turn.
Umbreon’s new synergy with Crobat and Arceus ex lets it deal up to 100 damage with just one Energy. However, this power comes with drawbacks. Crobat is a Stage Two Pokemon, making it harder to set up than, say, Nihilego. Plus, Umbreon itself is a Stage One card, which adds to the deck’s rigidity by increasing the number of Pokemon.
Here’s how Umbreon synergizes with Crobat and Arceus ex:
How to Play the Umbreon-Crobat Deck
How to Counter Eevee Grove’s Darkness Decks
Since most Darkness decks in the Eevee Grove era rely on Umbreon, the ideal counter is aBuzzwole ex Celesteela deck. This Ultra Beast duo bypasses Umbreon’s attack restriction because Celesteela lets Buzzwole ex retreat and reactivate in the same turn. For those unfamiliar, most restrictive effects, like Umbreon’s Dark Binding, are removed when a Pokemon retreats or evolves.
An Analysis of Eevee Grove’s Darkness Decks
The archetype faces many challenges, and it’s unlikely Umbreon alone can carry Darkness Pokemon to the top.
Darkness hasn’t been a favored archetype sincePokemon TCG Pocket’s launch. While it has had its moments in the metagame, it has never held a top spot on the PvP ladder. With the arrival of the Eevee Grove set, Umbreon might be seen as a new hope for Darkness decks. Still, the archetype faces many challenges, and with so many strong rivals from other archetypes, it’s unlikely Umbreon alone can carry Darkness Pokemon to the top.
Darkness decks make up less than one percent of thecurrent meta, and their win rates aren’t impressive. In other words, the archetype doesn’t offer much competitive value. Most players experiment with Darkness decks mainly because Eevee Grove’s Umbreon enables creative combos, like its synergy with Nihilego or Crobat. Whether future expansions will shift the balance for Darkness-type Pokemon or if they’ll stay mid-tier remains to be seen.
