As more Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) players begin to get their hands on Surging Sparks, decks are beginning to get refined and online tournaments have already allowed the use of these brand new cards to test their mettle in a competitive setting. Some of these cards have stood out from the rest and have found homes in some of the best and newest decks around. Let’s check out the Top 10 standout Pokémon cards from Surging Sparks!
10. Tera Orb
An unassuming little Item Trainer card, Tera Orb shows promise as a way to reliably grab Tera Pokémon from the deck. These Tera Pokémon initially appeared in the Scarlet and Violet base set and have since grown in number, sporting various game-changing attacks and abilities. Compared to an Ultra Ball, which needs two cards to be discarded as a cost, or Nest Ball, which can only grab Basic Pokémon, Tera Orb is an unconditional way to fetch Tera Pokémon from the deck.
As the number of viable Tera Pokémon increases, its use will just keep on increasing. Charizard ex decks have already begun using this card, so we have an indication that players are beginning to unlock its potential.
9. Energy Search Pro
Limited to one per deck, ACE SPEC cards are powerful Trainers which can alter the course of the game. One of the most hyped ones is Energy Search Pro, which lets us search our deck for as many different types of Basic Energy. This is useful for cards like Radiant Greninja, which requires an energy discard to draw two cards off of its Concealed Cards ability, and Gholdengo ex, which can reach absurd numbers with its Make It Rain attack – it’s no surprise these two Pokémon have made it to the same decklist which has already seen some moderate success.
8. Brilliant Blender
Another ACE SPEC makes it to the list! Brilliant Blender is an ode to one of the most powerful cards in the Pokémon TCG’s history, Battle Compressor. While this looks like a weird card, it has some powerful applications. This Trainer allows us to discard up to five cards from our deck (which pairs well with our next entry on this list…). Beyond that, it can also power up cards like Wattrel PAL and Murkrow PAL, with their United Wings attack. Another upside of the card is it lets us get rid of cards we don’t need in the deck, thereby increasing our odds into drawing into the cards we need to win the game!
7. Ceruledge ex
Sporting a respectable 270 HP, Ceruledge ex has emerged as one of the most popular decks from Surging Sparks due to its unique playstyle of discarding several Energy cards to power up its Abyssal Flames attack, and only for a single Fire energy! While it hasn’t shown considerable results yet, Ceruledge ex is definitely a contender as a mainstay for the Surging Sparks format.
6. Precious Trolley
The last ACE SPEC on our list, Precious Trolley is Buddy Buddy Poffin and Nest Ball turned up to the extreme! From a single card, we can easily fill our bench with basic Pokémon, skipping the awkward state where we need to search for them one by one. Another advantage of this card is it can grab any Basic Pokémon, including Pokémon ex and Pokémon V, which makes it all the more flexible! Some Charizard ex decks already use this card to grab Duskulls, Pidgeys, and a Rotom V for an instant setup on the first turn. Meanwhile, some Gardevoir ex players have also already experimented with the card, as it gives them instant access to all their Ralts to evolve into several Kirlias (with the powerful Refinement ability) the following turn.
5. Hydreigon ex
It seems the community is still divided on Hydreigon ex’s potential. However, it seems it has found a footing in the Surging Sparks format, as it can set up really quick with cards like Crispin, Dark Patch, and Neo Upper Energy, which lets it meet the energy requirement for Obsidian ridiculously quick! With 330 HP and an attack that does 130 to three Pokémon, it has the potential to grab six prizes in one turn if it KOs several Pokémon ex and Pokémon V all at once.
4. Counter Gain
Counter Gain ranks high in our list, as it shows promise due to how the Pokémon TCG is currently played in the highest level. The most powerful decks aim to utilize cards like Dusknoir SFA and Magneton SSP, which gives up a prize card in exchange for powerful effects such as 13 damage counters on an opponent’s Pokémon, or to attach three Energy cards to Lightning Pokémon. Thus, players can manipulate the prize count in the middle of the turn to take advantage of Counter Gain’s powerful effect, requiring one less Colorless Energy to fire off an attack. Hydreigon ex is the current best target for this Tool, but as more Stellar Pokémon – which require several different Energy cards to attack – are introduced, we may see more decks use this card.
3. Magneton SSP
As discussed above, current Pokémon TCG players are utilizing powerful effects that knock out their own Pokémon in exchange for some kind of advantage. Magneton SSP is the latest to join this list – and it’s proven to be effective! With its Overvolt Discharge ability, it can knock itself out to attach three Basic Energy cards from the discard pile to our Lightning Pokémon. This lets us instantly set up a Pikachu ex SSP or even an Iron Hands ex to sweep the opponent.
2. Latias ex
Hailing from Generation 3 of the Pokémon video games, this Legendary Pokémon sports the Skyliner ability, which lets the user’s Basic Pokemon retreat for absolutely no cost. This lets us pivot into our necessary Pokémon much easier and is a godsend in decks like Raging Bolt and Miraidon, which utilize Basic Pokémon ex to quickly attack on the first turn, provided we go second.
1. Pikachu ex
Pikachu ex has fought tooth and nail against the naysayers and has emerged as one of the most format-defining cards of the Surging Sparks set. With its Resolute Heart ability, it can tank a huge attack and still survive with 10 HP, meaning the opponent needs to fire off another attack just to KO it! With Pikachu ex being a Tera Pokémon, it’s also immune to damage while it’s on the bench, which just increases its survivability. This is great for decks that use Area Zero Underdepths, as they have a reliable Tera Pokémon that doesn’t immediately get KO’d. Lost Box, a deck that utilizes the Lost Zone mechanic to effectively banish cards from the game, can also use Mirage Gate to grab the necessary energy to fire off the Topaz Bolt attack, which can KO a considerable amount of important Pokémon in the format.
These cards are hot right now, with several players on the search for them at local tournaments and game nights. What other Surging Sparks cards should be included in the honorable mentions? If you’ve used these cards to create new decks for the brand new Pokémon TCG metagame, make sure to let us know!
Want more Surging Sparks? Then check out this list of the most wanted cards in the set for collectors, or take a look at the full card gallery here.
