The new set forPokemon TCG Pockethas finally been revealed, and it’s another small-scale expansion under the Celestial Guardians umbrella, but this time, players will be collecting Eevee cards from the aptly-named Eevee Grove booster pack. As the name suggests, the expansion will include new cards for Eevee and all Eeveelutions, with a new Eevee Ex card that can be used as the base form for its evolutions, thanks to its ability - though it still grants two points to the opponent if knocked out before this happens. AmongPokemon TCG Pocket’s Eevee Grove cardsis a new Eeveelution that is bound to see some play, especially since it can single-handedly stop the game’s “oldest” meta deck in its tracks.
Pokemon TCG Pockethas an ever-shifting meta, partly thanks to the avalanche of set releases over time, with the game consistently adding one expansion per month since Mythical Island. As such, it’s common for some decks to only last one season (or even less), but it’s much rarer to see decks in the meta for longer than that. There is one infamous exception to this unwritten rule, and that’s the so-called Darktina deck, which uses Darkrai Ex and Giratina Ex to stall opponents and win with powerful attacks. However, it got a big counter in Extradimensional Crisis, and Eevee Grove’s Umbreon may finally put the combo out of commission.
Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Eevee Grove May Be The Final Nail In The Coffin For Darkrai and Giratina
Despite retaining a very high rank inPokemon TCG Pocket’s metaafter Extradimensional Crisis was released, the Darktina deck is mostly countered by Buzzwole Ex and its accompanying cards, like Pheromosa, Celesteela, and Kartana. However, Umbreon from Eevee Grove may be a definitive counter to the deck thanks to its Dark Binding attack, which deals 40 damage for two Energy, and more importantly, it makes the defending Pokemon unable to attack on the next turn if it’s a basic Pokemon.
Darkrai ex and Giratina Ex are both basic Pokemon, meaning that if Umbreon targets either, they won’t be able to attack on the opponent’s next turn, which stops half of the deck’s strategy. In contrast, the other half is to deal passive damage via Nightmare Aura and poisons. In fact,Darktina decks got a buff inPokemon TCG Pocket’s last set in the form of Nihilego, which increases the damage poison deals, making Poison Barb a great Tool to run.
Yet, Nihilego is also a basic Pokemon, so Umbreon’s Dark Binding can counter it too, making all the Pokemon cards in the deck unable to attack. This effect only applies to the defending Pokemon, though, so if the opponent switches them out for a different Pokemon, that card can then attack, provided it meets the requirements. While this can throw a monkey wrench in Umbreon’s plans against several decks, Darktina is a rather slow deck Energy-wise, so paying the Retreat Cost for bothDarkrai Ex and Giratina Exmay make them require even longer to finally attack.
It’s worth noting that Umbreon is also a Darkness Pokemon, meaning it deals 20 more damage to Giratina Ex, for a total of 60. It’s also a one-prize card, so Darktina may have a very hard time against it.
How Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Darkrai/Giratina May Adapt in Eevee Grove’s Meta
Even withBuzzwole Ex being an S-tier deck inPokemon TCG Pocketand dominating the meta, and even after all the counters to Darktina introduced over time, the deck is still very much alive and kicking. Umbreon is yet another counter to the deck, but it’s not impossible that the set will feature new tools for it to use and retain a high rank in the meta. In fact, Umbreon itself could be used in Darktina decks moving forward, even if it doesn’t really do much against Buzzwole Ex’s swapping strategy. It remains to be seen how the meta will evolve with Eevee Grove, but Darktina’s days as one of the best decks in the game may be numbered.
