Pokémon TCG Pocket encourages players to experiment with their cards to construct the best decks they can. While finding the cards you love and incorporating them into your builds is well and good, it’s also recommended to base that deck around a card that has the potential to deal high amounts of damage. Tinkaton ex is a card that meets that requirement, though making a deck around the Metal-type card is easier said than done.
What is the Tinkaton ex card in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
The Tinkaton ex card is a Metal-type card in Pokémon TCG Pocket in the Shining Revelry expansion booster pack. With a total of 170 HP and a +20 weakness to Fire-type attacks, the card surprisingly requires two energies of any type to retreat. This could prove to be an issue, especially considering Tinkaton ex gives the enemy player two points upon defeat thanks to its ex status.
Like every other evolutionary Pokémon card in the game, players can’t just play Tinkaton ex from the get-go. Instead, it’s crucial first to send out a Tinkatink, evolve it into a Tinkatuff, and finally send out the Tinkaton ex card. There are three variants of Tinkaton EX, though the two full-art versions are the most sought after. While they’re understandably rare, LootBar can help you increase your chances of acquiring the variant you want.
Some may be wondering why the Tinkaton ex card is so popular in decks, and it’s primarily thanks to the Pokémon’s only attack, Terrific Thumping. Requiring at least two Metal-type energies and another energy of any type, this attack does 80 guaranteed damage. That isn’t all, as the player also flips a coin, and getting a head means the attack does an additional 80 damage, effectively doubling the already high damage. Naturally, this damage can also increase if the enemy Pokémon card is weak to Metal-type attacks, making Tinkaton ex a high-risk and high-reward card.
What is the best Tinkaton ex deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
The best Tinkaton ex deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket is primarily centered around utilizing the card’s high attack damage to make quick work of enemies. Naturally, cards that can cut down the setup time are crucial to ensure Tinkaton ex can start dealing damage quickly, especially considering how much damage he does is based on RNG.
To streamline the process and make setting up quicker, the cards listed below should be included when creating a deck centered around Tinkaton ex.
- Tinkatink x2
- Rare Candy x2
- Tinkaton ex x2
- Rocky Helmet x2
- Dialga ex x2
- Red x2
- Cyrus x2
- Sabrina x2
- Professor’s Research x2
- Lillie x2
There’s some room for flexibility here, too. While Dialga is an excellent option for those who want to quickly set up Tinkaton ex, those who don’t have the legendary Pokémon can also look toward an alternate Metal-type Pokémon who can deal high damage. This Pokémon can be someone like Skarmory, or even a tank like Melmetal, who gives time for Tinkaton ex to set up.
- How can you use the Tinkaton ex deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
Thanks to the long setup process Tinkaton ex usually demands, his best deck is primarily centered around streamlining and fastening the setup. Rare Candy is easily one of the best cards for this, thanks to its ability to completely skip a Pokémon’s stage 1 evolution. Using this card can make it so that the player won’t have to add a single Tinkatuff to their deck, all the while ensuring that a valuable turn isn’t used to evolve Tinkatink into Tinkatuff.
It wouldn’t be farfetched to say that Dialga ex has the potential to take the deck from a seven to a ten, thanks to its Metallic Turbo move. While the attack’s base damage is fairly low, dealing only 30 damage to the enemy, it also lets the player take two Metal-type energies from their Energy Zone to attach them to their benched Pokémon. All the player has to do is have Tinkaton ex on their bench and use Dialga ex as their active Pokémon to quickly set up Tinkaton. When Tinkaton ex has enough energy to use Terrific Thumping, just have Dialga ex retreat using the same energy he was using to use Metallic Turbo and start dealing damage as Tinkaton.
The rest of the support cards in the deck are also there to speed up the setup process, increase the damage dealt to the enemy, or mess with the enemy player during the early game. For example, Lillie is excellent at ensuring longevity for Tinkaton ex, while Red grants it additional attack power.
Remember, the goal is to set up and send out Tinkaton ex as fast as possible. While Dialga ex is an excellent card in its own right, players should ensure they remember that Dialga’s purpose is to set up Tinkaton ex, not to become the ace. Therefore, refrain from giving it more than two energy cards unless it’s absolutely required, as that would waste precious turns that could have been used to turn Tinkaton ex into the powerhouse it can be.
How to counter a Tinkaton ex deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
The Tinkaton ex deck is fairly strong, and those who don’t use it can potentially come across it, prompting them to want to learn a viable counter. Fortunately, those who know about the long setup process of the deck will know that the best strategy is to show constant aggression. Having cards that don’t require much setting up is key for this, and LootBar can help you get your hands on them to construct the ideal anti-Tinkaton ex deck.
Those who use a deck centered around Tinkaton ex will likely want to play passively at the start as they attach Metal-type energy to Tinkaton ex while evolving it from its previous forms. This is the perfect time to deal damage to the enemy, forcing them to spend turns attaching energy to their active Pokémon or risk you getting points before Tinkaton ex even has a chance to come out.
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Conclusion
In summary, the best Tinkaton ex deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket has the potential to be an excellent damage-dealing deck when equipped with the right cards and strategy. Having the right supporting cards is crucial if you don’t want to lose before Tinkaton ex can even be set up, which is why getting a Pokémon TCG top up or two is the way to go to ensure you have the required cards to take the deck to the next level.