It may be tempting to spendPokémon TCG PocketPack Points on important pieces of competitive decks, but it isn’t always worth it. Pack Points are the only way to guarantee players can get their hands on most cards. However,Pokémon TCG Pocketdoesn’t make it easyto get Pack Points.
Players are only awarded five Pack Points each time they open adigital pack of Pokémon cards, with more rare cards typically going for 500 Pack Points. This means if players want to get their hands on a spicy Mewtwo ex or Charizard ex, they’ll need to eitherget lucky with their pulls or open 100 booster packs. Because Pack Points are so hard to come by, players should hold onto them when they can, especially if there’s a decent chance of pulling the cards they want from a pack.
10Players Will Likely Find Bulbasaur In Packs Or Wonder Picks
Bulbasaur Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
Plenty ofPokémonplayers probably have a strong attachment to Bulbasaur. As one of the three original starters, there’s a decent chance this was some people’s first ever Pokémon. Add to that the fact that players need two copies of Bulbasaur if they want to runVenusaur ex deck, and there are likely some players considering spending Pack Points on a copy or two forPokémon TCG Pocket.
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When considering buying any Pokémon with Pack Points, it helps to think of it in terms of packs.Players need to open seven packs to afford a Bulbasaur, which could put them a few days behind in saving up for a more impactful card. There’s also a good chance that players will open a Bulbasaur while saving for another Pokémon. Bulbasaur is a single-diamond card, and each pack has at least one single-diamond card in it. Mewtwo packs have a 2% chance of that card being a Bulbasaur.
While this seems low, remember that it’s one of the better chances of any card being in a pack. Plenty of players are also likely opening Mewtwo packs hoping to score a Mewtwo ex, so Bulbasaur shows up in Wonder Pick too. It also wouldn’t be surprising if, at some point, there ends up being an event surrounding the Gen 1 starters that makes it easy to score a Bulbasaur.
9There Are Better Fire Pokémon Than Vulpix And The Blaine Deck
Vulpix Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
FollowingPokémon TCG Pocket’s fire-type event, there was a significant upswing in the number of players using decks with Pokémon that were available through it. The most popular of these new decks was the Blaine deck, built around the Supporter cardBlaine with Vulpix and Ninetalesas some of the main Pokémon. Players who missed the event might be tempted to spend some of their pack points to try the deck out themselves, but it isn’t really worth it.
The Blaine deck is far less consistent than a fire-type deck built around Charizard ex. Its popularity is more a result of the cards in it being more readily available than rare cards like Charizard ex or Moltres ex. Now that the event is over, there’s no real point chasing down the pieces of a Blaine deck when Pack Points would be better spent on a more powerful one.
8Ponyta Could Be In Any Pack
Ponyta Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
Ponyta is a very similar case to Vulpix. Ponyta and Rapidash are the Pokémon that make up the rest of the Blaine deck, so it may seem like a more valuable game piece than it really is due to its increased exposure. However,Ponyta is an even worse Pokémon to spend Pack Pointson because it is easier to pull out of a pack than Vulpix.
Vulpix only appears in the single-diamond slot of Genetic Apex Charizard packs. In contrast,Ponyta shows up in the single-diamond slot of all three packs. This means any time a player opens a pack onPokémon TCG Pocket, there is a decent chance they are pulling a Ponyta. Between opening packs and Wonder Pick, it’s likely players will be able to get two copies relatively quickly without having to waste Pack Points.
7Cubone Is Part Of A Risky Build
Cubone Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
Cubone is an integral part of the Marowak ex decks since players will need two copies to drop this build’s most powerful card. With speed being a major factor inPokémon TCG Pocket, it can be easy to see why players might be tempted to opt for a deck that could potentially do 160 damage on turn two. That said,Marowak ex buildsaren’t especially consistent.
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While Marowak ex decks can be fun and do well on occasion,the deck’s reliance on a coin flip to do major damage makes it inherently risky. This seems more like the kind of deck a player would use while waiting to get the pieces necessary to build a more consistent deck. Spending the same number of pack points on Cubone as a building block for a better deck just doesn’t seem worth it.
6Voltorb Is In A Top-Tier Deck, But Isn’t Always Top Choice
Voltorb Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
Although not always part of the roster,some players like to include a Voltorb and Electrode in their Pikachu ex deck. Electrode can be a goodcounter to Sabrina, one of the most popular Trainer cards inPokémon TCG Pocket,thanks to its free retreat cost. The urge to tinker with a deck to find maximum efficiency can be strong, but Voltorb is a Pokémon worth waiting to open in a pack instead of spending points on.
Of the two top-tier decks, Pikachu ex and Mewtwo ex,the Pikachu ex deck has a lot more variants. Players run it with Pincurchin, Zebstrika, Magnemite, and even the other Pikachu as potential backups. By the time players pull two Pikachu ex and Zapdos ex, they will likely have the pieces necessary for at least one incarnation of this deck, especially less rare cards like the single-diamond Voltorb.
5Charmander Goes In Decks That Could Cost A Lot Of Pack Points
Charmander Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
Charmander is an essential piece of any Charizard ex deck, as you need each level of evolution to get the big guy out. However,Charizard ex decks also require a lot of difficult-to-acquire cardsthat can cost a lot of pack points. No matter the variation, any optimal Charizard ex build is going to want two each of Charizard ex and Moltres ex. Some builds also include Arcanine ex.
The standard art treatments for any ex card cost 500 Pack Points. While there’s always a chance that players luck into one or more of them whileopening packs or Wonder Picking, it isn’t nearly as likely as them opening a Charmander. Players looking to play a Charizard deck would be better off saving up their pack points for one of the deck’s best cards instead of setting themselves up with a Charmander that they’ll probably open at some point when searching for a Charizard ex.
4Sandshrew Can Be Replaced In Its Most Common Deck
Sandshrew Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
Like Cubone, Sandshrew goes into the Marowak ex builds that some players run. Unlike Cubone,Sandshrew is not a requirement for these decks. While any Marowak deck needs a Cubone, some replace Sandshrew and Sandslash with Pokémon like Mankey and Primeape, Hitmonlee, or Kabuto and Kabutops. Any time a Pokémon in a deck can be easily replaced with another, it’s probably best not to waste Pack Points on it. This is especially true for a Pokémon as common as Sandshrew.
Sandshrew can be opened in the single-diamond slot of any pack. This means that it’s one of the most common Pokémon players will open alongside the likes of Ponyta. While the Marowak ex decks are slightly better than the Blaine decks, there are plenty of variant builds that allow players to make a Marowak ex deck without a Sandshrew.
3Blitzle Is In A Top-Tier Deck But Isn’t The Best Part Of It
Blitzle Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
Blitzle and its evolution Zebstrika show up in somevariations of the Pikachu ex deck. Zebstrika’s ability to hit benched Pokémon can be a good way to finish off a Pokémon that has retreated. It can also be good for sniping basic Pokémon before they evolve into something more dangerous.While Blitzle and Zebstrika have their uses, they aren’t integral to the Pikachu ex build.
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Players will sometimes opt to swap out Blitzle and Zebstrika for Pikachu and Raichu, allowing them to use Lt. Surge. Having a way to move energy around in the Pikachu ex deck can be useful since the Pokémon here are delicate and may need to retreat more frequently. While a Zebstrika variant of the deck may be preferable for taking out a Ralts or Charmander before it becomes too dangerous, players will likely draw a Blitzle at some point. Blitzle can be found in all three packs, so Pikachu players would be better served saving up for rare Pokémon.
2Players Might Want To Buy Petilil’s Evolution Instead
Petilil Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
Petilil and its evolution Lilligant are two of the better options for the Venusaur ex deck. While they can be replaced by a Caterpie or Exeggcute and Exeggutor, it’s hard to beat Lilligant’s ability to add extra energy to a benched Pokémon. This makes it much easier for Venusaur ex to save up the four energy necessary for its attack.
While Venusaur ex players would be forgiven for wanting to spend Pack Points to use this better build,Petilil is one of the easier Pokémon to pull from a pack inPokémon TCG Pocket. It is in the single-diamond slot of all three packs, making it the easiest Pokémon in this build to find, including Bulbasaur. Pack points for this build would better be saved for buying a Venusaur ex or one of the two-diamond evolutions like Lilligant or Ivysaur which will be more difficult to get through packs.
1Ralts Is The Most Common Pokémon In Its Deck
Ralts Costs 35 Pack Points In Pokémon TCG Pocket
The Mewtwo ex deckis one of the best decks inPokémon TCG Pocket, and it really needs two copies of Ralts to run efficiently. However, it also needs two of Ralts’s evolutions - Kirlia and Gardevoir - and obviously it needs two Mewtwo exs. While Ralts is an integral part of this build, it’s also by far the easiest Pokémon in the deck to find.
Unlike some of the other Pokémon players shouldn’t spend Pack Points on, Ralts can be a little trickier to find. It only appears in the single-diamond slot of Mewtwo packs. However, because it’s the easiest Pokémon to get for this build, players looking to make a Mewtwo ex deck might want to save their points for the many rarer cards they’ll need to finish it.
When deciding how to spend Pack Points, it’s important to remember thatPokémon TCG Pocketis only just getting started. As tempting as it is to speed through resources to grab pieces of a current meta deck, that meta will inevitably shift once a new set comes out. Players would be smart not to waste Pack Points or other resources on common cards if they want to keep up with the game long-term.
