Pokemon Pocket incorporates various Special Conditions familiar to fans of the physical TCG, including the Poisoned condition. This status inflicts ongoing damage to an Active Pokemon, reducing its HP until it is healed or knocked out. The guide below offers comprehensive insights into the nature of Poisoned, the associated cards, curing methods, and effective deck strategies to maximize this condition within the current metagame.
Understanding ‘Poisoned’ in Pokemon TCG Pocket
The Poisoned status is considered a Special Condition that diminishes a Pokemon’s HP by 10 at the end of each turn. Unlike some effects that may wear off automatically or require additional actions, Poisoned remains in effect until either the affected Pokemon is healed or knocked out. This status diminishes the overall HP during the round Checkup phase, making it crucial to strategize appropriately.
It’s important to note that although Poisoned can combine with other Special Conditions, it does not stack with additional Poison effects. This means that regardless of how many times a Pokemon is inflicted with the Poisoned status, it will consistently lose only 10 HP per turn. Trainers can, however, amplify damage output by utilizing cards like Muk, which boosts damage to +50 when an opponent is Poisoned.
Cards Featuring the Poisoned Ability
In the Genetic Apex expansion, five notable cards have the ability to inflict the Poisoned condition:
- Weezing
- Grimer
- Nidoking
- Tentacruel
- Venomoth
Among these options, Grimer stands out as a Basic Pokemon that can poison opponents using just one Energy. Weezing is also a formidable choice, applying the Poisoned status through its Gas Leak ability without requiring Energy, though it must be the Active Pokemon to utilize this effect. For those eager to explore a Poisoned-themed deck, Koga’s Rental Deck featuring Grimer and Arbok presents a fantastic starting point.
Methods to Cure Poisoned Status
Trainers have three effective methods to remedy the Poisoned condition:
- Evolution: Evolving the poisoned Pokemon instantly removes the Poisoned status.
- Retreat: Moving the Poisoned Pokemon to the Bench halts any further HP loss.
- Item Cards: Utilizing items like Potion can heal HP but do not eliminate the Poisoned condition; they merely extend survivability.
Optimal Poison Deck Strategies
Although Poison remains a less common archetype in the current Pokemon Pocket metagame, you can construct a powerful lineup using the Grimer, Arbok, and Muk combination. This strategy involves quickly poisoning adversaries with Grimer, then utilizing Arbok to control their Active Pokemon, before leveraging Muk to inflict substantial damage (up to 120 DMG) to any Poisoned enemies.
Poisoned Deck Details
| Card | Quantity | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Grimer | x2 | Applies Poisoned |
| Ekans | x2 | Evolves into Arbok |
| Arbok | x2 | Locks in the enemy’s Active Pokemon |
| Muk | x2 | Deals 120 DMG to Poisoned Pokemon |
| Koffin | x2 | Evolves into Weezing |
| Weezing | x2 | Applies Poisoned with an Ability |
| Whom | x2 | Returns an Active Weezing or Muk to your hand |
| Poke Ball | x2 | Draws a Basic Pokemon |
| Professor’s Research | x2 | Draws two cards |
| Sabrina | x1 | Forces the enemy’s Active Pokemon to Retreat |
| X Speed | x1 | Reduces Retreat costs |
For an alternative strategy, consider integrating the Jigglypuff (PA) and Wigglytuff ex combination into your Poison deck. Alternatively, the Nidoking Evolution line (Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidoking) provides an option for a slower-building, high-damage Poison deck.
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