Images courtesy of The Pokémon Company
Celestial Guardians, the newest full-sized Pokémon TCG Pocket set, was released on April 30th. The set features 155 new cards, largely sourced from the Pokémon Sun & Moon games. Some of these cards are remarkably middling, but many others stand out as quite good. A few can break the current metagame and even reshape an all-new one.
With that, we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 picks for cards from Celestial Guardians!
#10. Poison Barb
(Found in the Lunala subset pack)
Poison Barb, a new Pokémon Tool from the set, Poisons your opponent’s Pokémon when it hits your own with an attack. This card has application in various decks, including ones revolving around Paldean Clodsire ex and the new Alolan Muk ex. However, the card is far from niche. Getting an additional 10 to 20 damage onto an opposing Pokémon can often clinch a victory, and any deck can run a Poison Barb or two.
There’s one major card that makes this one less viable in the set, and we’ll get to that later. But for now, Poison Barb makes the list at number 10.
#9. Lillie
(Found in the Solgaleo subset pack)
Lillie is a new Supporter card with amazing potential in the meta that will soon form. Prior to April 30th, Stage 2 Pokémon were a bit weaker than other Pokémon cards in the game. This is mainly due to the number of card slots your Stage 2 line would require, as well as the time it takes to set up a Stage 2 Pokémon in practice. Your Pokémon would often get beaten down by snipers like Darkrai ex or Greninja. This made them prime targets for a Cyrus-based Knock Out.
Lillie mitigates that issue (if they don’t Cyrus it in first) by healing a lot of damage from that card. It’s more healing on a single Pokémon in a single move than any card before it, and that counts for a lot.
#8. Lunala ex
(Found in the Lunala subset pack)
Lunala ex is a powerful Pokémon ex that serves as one of the two faces of Celestial Guardians. Lunala ex has an Ability that acts similarly to Lt. Surge from Genetic Apex, only more repeatable, less specific, and without expending your sole Supporter usage for the turn. It could pair well with Giratina ex, if Darkrai ex and Druddigon weren’t taking up valuable slots in the top deck in the current metagame. Because of this outclassing, Lunala isn’t making it higher on this list, but it’s still a strong support card.
#7. Primarina
(Found in the Lunala subset pack)
Celestial Guardians did an injustice to Primarina. While Incineroar and Decidueye got Pokémon ex iterations, Primarina was relegated to non-ex status. However, this doesn’t preclude Primarina from securing a spot in our Top 10, because the card is really strong. Each turn, you heal a whopping 30 damage from each of your Water-type Pokémon. As if Water-type decks needed more support, Primarina is there to provide. Plus, with art by the famed PTCG illustrator Kagemaru Himeno, this card is something worth looking at as well as into for your next Water-type deck.
#6. Tapu Lele
(Found in the Lunala subset pack)
When we call a card format-warping, Tapu Lele is the kind of card we’re referring to. Tapu Lele is a sniper-type Psychic-type that can and will punish decks that are greedy for Energy intake. Move over, Charizard ex and Giratina ex! There’s a very new, very scary counter in town. Of course, as a Basic Pokémon with only 90 HP, Tapu Lele can be dealt with; it’s just going to terrorize certain decks if not dealt with quickly.
#5. Solgaleo ex
(Found in the Solgaleo subset pack)
As mentioned before, the meta seems to want to punish Energy-greedy decks. Solgaleo ex hits those decks hard, and hits them fast as well. I’m fully anticipating a deck that will deliver a one-two-punch with Dialga ex‘s Metallic Turbo attack into Solgaro ex the following turn. Cards like Magearna and Adaman might also feature in such a build to ensure maximum synergy. Ultimately, Solgaleo ex’s Rising Road Ability is what makes that deck tick and allows Solgaleo to be an optimal Benched Pokémon until the time is right.
#4. Incineroar ex
(Found in the Solgaleo subset pack)
Another super-powerful Stage 2 Pokémon ex option, Incineroar ex can dish out a lot of damage in very short order. Most often, you’ll see Incineroar dealing 30 damage and the Burned Special Condition on the turn it comes into play, followed by another 140+ damage in an ideal scenario. It’s an extremely aggressive Pokémon ex and might see play in a deck with Moltres ex. That is, if Energy punishment isn’t too oppressive after all.
#3. Decidueye ex
(Found in the Lunala subset pack)
The other Pokémon ex starter in Celestial Guardians, Decidueye ex shines over the other Pokémon in the set. It’s the ultimate sniper Pokémon in the game. This is especially true given the implications of Stage 2 Pokémon now being much stronger than they were. I foresee many players making decks with Decidueye ex, Greninja, and Spiritomb as the deck’s skeleton. Such a deck wants to make full use of Cyrus and Sabrina, and while the Energy type is largely irrelevant, Water and Grass Energy are both fine to add.
Expect to see this very soon.
#2. Guzma
(Found in the Lunala subset pack)
Guzma is the best Supporter card in all of Celestial Guardians, bar none. It will singlehandedly destabilize the longstanding meta issue of Rocky Helmet Druddigon, and will wreck any Pokémon equipped with a Giant Cape. In fact, Guzma facilitates a really interesting, if very niche, scenario.
Picture this: you’ve already gained two Prize Points, but your opponent has a full Bench; it’s nothing but four Pokémon ex. All those Benched Pokémon ex have either a Giant Cape or a functioning Leaf Cape attached and are hanging on just by virtue of those Pokémon Tools. When you play Guzma and those Pokémon Tools drop off, all four of those opposing Pokémon ex will yield two Prize Points each simultaneously. This gives you a total of ten Prize Points, the most any game of Pokémon TCG Pocket could yield so far. Pretty cool!
But of course, Guzma is strong outside of that situation as well. The card isn’t ubiquitous by any stretch, and the meta will soon adapt to it, but for now, it’s a good deterrent, or a failsafe at worst.
Our #1 Pokémon TCG Pocket Card For Celestial Guardians Is…
Rare Candy is going to redefine the new metagame, where Guzma and Tapu Lele will destabilize the old one. This Item allows Stage 2 Pokémon to thrive in an environment where previously they were too slow to be viable. Furthermore, Rare Candy can simply act as a go-between to replace any Stage 1 Pokémon in your deck. This leads to any deck that sees a Stage 2 as less necessary for the plan using Rare Candy as a substitution for the Stage 1 Pokémon in that line. And the best part is, Rare Candy can be found in either subset of Celestial Guardians packs. This means you won’t have to scramble to open a specific pack to get your two copies!
As a result, many Stage 2 Pokémon will be boosted by this card’s release. Charizard ex from Shining Revelry immediately springs to mind, as does the Decidueye ex/Greninja deck, theorycrafted earlier. This is the dawning of a brand-new day for Pokémon TCG Pocket, and we are ready for it!
And now, let me open the floor to you, dear readers. Did we miss any key cards from Celestial Guardians? Have you already opened any packs from the set? Does it make you want to play even more Pokémon TCG Pocket? Sound off below!
