The Best Cards from Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Genetic Apex Expansion

Image: Nintendo / Kotaku

Pokémon TCG Pocket has introduced a decent amount of cards through its Genetic Apex expansion. And even though all of its many currencies and systems can make for a confusing impression, it didn’t take long for players to figure out metas. And now we can share that information with you! From the three available booster packs from the launch period of the new expansion, we’ve put together a ranking of the top eleven cards.

Read More: Pokémon TCG Pocket Can Be Deeply Confusing At First, So Here Are The Basics

This list will be based specifically on cards from the initial expansion. We won’t be including any limited-time promo cards, although we will give a special shout-out to the Lapras ex card. If you’re interested in what to look out for from Genetic Apex, these are the best cards you can pull.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

Under the right circumstances, Alakazam will hit like a truck. His Psychic attack does 60 base damage plus an additional 30 damage for each energy attached to your opponent’s active Pokémon. Considering that most ex Pokémon require three or four energy to use a strong attack, Alakazam can easily dish out 150 or 180 damage.

The biggest detriment is that he will require quite a bit of work. You’ll need to evolve an Abra and then evolve a Kadabra before you can get this guy on the field. It’s a great idea to set up Alakazam on your bench while using other Pokémon in the active spot. On the other hand, it’s a bad start if you have to go first and put an Abra in the active spot.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

One of the more unique utility Pokémon to use is Gengar ex. The 170 HP and 100 damage attack certainly help it stand out, but its best contribution will be the Shadowy Spellbind ability. It’s only active when Gengar ex is in the active spot, but it stops your opponent from using Supporter cards. This is a great way to stop an enemy from powering up their Pokémon or from messing with yours.

Just like Alakazam, an issue here is that Gengar ex is a stage two Pokémon. You will need to evolve two times to bring it out. There is also an inherent risk as an ex card, since it could cost you two points if it’s knocked out. Charizard ex or even Gyarados can spell trouble against this troublemaker ghost.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

Next is another fantastic utility Pokémon. Pidgeot can use its Drive Off ability once per turn to switch out your opponent’s active Pokémon to the bench. It’s like a Sabrina card you can use every turn! Best of all, it can do all this from the bench.

You might notice the pattern, but Pidgeot can take a while to come out since you’ll need to evolve a Pidgey and Pidgeotto. The only other concern is that its Wing Attack dealing 70 damage is kind of just okay. Thankfully, that is balanced out by a lax two-energy requirement.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

That brings us to the first Supporter card on the list, and naturally, it’s Misty. This must-have for Water-type decks relies entirely on luck. You select one Water Pokémon and then keep flipping coins until you flip tails. The Pokémon will gain one energy for each time the coin flips heads.

A match’s momentum can easily switch when this card is used. Being able to fully load up a strong Water Pokémon that didn’t have any energy before is a huge game-changer. Conversely, immediately flipping tails will make this the biggest waste of a Supporter card. The sheer impact it can have cements it a spot on this list.

It also has an unproven, but certainly real bug where every time I use it I’ll only flip one head, but my opponents will get at least three when they use it. They really need to fix that.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

Speaking of strong Water-types, you can’t mention the best without including Articuno ex. A basic ex Pokémon has plenty of potential and this Legendary easily proves that. Its Blizzard attack deals 80 damage but also has the benefit of inflicting 10 damage to your opponent’s benched Pokémon.

Aside from the risk of your opponent gaining two points if it’s knocked out, the only other problem is that it takes three energy to use Blizzard. Articuno ex can make up for that with a 40-damage Ice Wing attack that only requires two energy.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

The face of the brand earns a spot here as well. Pikachu ex has access to the powerful Circle Circuit attack, which does 30 damage for every Lightning-type Pokémon on your bench. A full bench can output 90 damage as long as they’re all the correct type.

There isn’t much too much to complain about here. Circle Circuit can deal a lot of damage for just two energy. What prevents this from landing higher is that it’s entirely dependent on your bench, and 120 HP isn’t great for an ex card that can’t promise consistent damage.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

Professor’s Research might be on the most basic cards, but it’s invaluable no matter the deck. Playing it allows you to draw two cards to add to your hand. These 20-card decks aren’t big by any means, but there are still times when you’re not drawing what you need. This has a great chance of giving you the right card(s) or at least milling out the deck to get them sooner.

I can’t imagine putting together any deck without including this in there. Whether you play it at the beginning of a match to give yourself an advantage or use it in the climactic final turns, the card is great.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

Everyone’s favorite dragon-but-not-a-dragon-type creates a big presence when played on the field. Charizard ex has a tanky 180 HP and both a three-energy Slash attack and a four-energy Crimson Storm. The former deals a modest 60 damage while the latter inflicts a painful 200 that can beat anything.

This Fire-type isn’t without its setbacks. Crimson Storm’s four energy requirement is a lot to build up to and it additionally discards two Fire energy to use it. The giant pool of HP and massive damage make this a card still worth playing.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

Sabrina is undoubtedly the best Supporter card. Playing this will switch out your Opponent’s active Pokémon with one of their choosing from their bench. This is a great way to force them to bench a tough ex card or to bring out a weak Pokémon you know you can beat in one turn.

Some might argue that Pidgeot can be a more consistent way to use such an effect, but Sabrina requires no setup in return. Unless your opponent has a stacked bench, using this is a great way to disrupt their strategy.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

Mewtwo is most people’s favorite legendary from the Kanto region, and for good reason. It looks cool and has an awesome movie that can make anyone cry and leave them with deep pondering thoughts. Mewtwo ex is just as beloved here thanks to it being a basic card that can inflict 150 damage with its Psydrive attack. For just two energy, it can also inflict 50 damage using a Psychic Sphere attack.

Similar to Charizard ex, Mewtwo ex’s strongest attack has the detrimental effect of discarding two Psychic energy to use. That can make Psydrive a less consistent attack to pull off. Still, the 150 damage is great for a Basic Pokémon. As you’ve probably seen, pairing him with a Gardevoir can do wonders thanks to its ability to attach one Psychic energy to the Active Spot card each turn.

Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

Sitting at the top of this list isn’t a Legendary or something that requires a ton of energy. Starmie ex is a low-risk card that can deal big damage fast, making it a great inclusion for a Water-based deck. Its Hydro Splash attack only needs two energy to deal 90 damage. Another fantastic benefit it has is a zero retreat cost, meaning you can easily swap it out if you’re worried it might get knocked out soon.

The only barrier with Starmie ex is that you need to evolve a Staryu for it. That isn’t that big of an issue in the grand scheme of things. Hydro Splash is sure to knock out if not take a big chunk from most Pokémon you pit it against. At the same time, 130 HP will help it survive against most attacks thrown at it. Every Water-based deck will be elevated by including or basing itself around a Starmie ex card.

There is no telling how the metas might change, but for now, these are the best cards by far. If you’re interested in how some of these cards can be used in a deck, we’ve got you covered with four meta-dominating builds.