Pokemon TCG Pocket’s battle system is horribly balanced when it comes to who goes first, but one card manages to thrive at the front, especially when backed by a powerful Supporter.
There are tremendous downsides to going first in a Pokemon Pocket match, as the player doesn’t draw a card or spend an Energy on them. Technically, they can evolve before the other player when it’s their next turn, but there are powerful cards, like Kangaskhan, that don’t need to evolve.
In a format where Misty Energy rush can end games in a few turns, there is seemingly no benefit to going first, as complained about by users on the PTCGP Reddit, who think it’s an instant loss in the current Gold Emblem event and it’s brutal difficulty.
Exeggutor ex decks can thrive in Pokemon TCG Pocket’s first round
As pointed out by other users, there is a solution for those who getting frustrated with going first in Pokemon Pocket, as an Exeggutor ex theme deck is the way around it.
The reason Exeggutor ex is so effective early on is that it’s only attack, Tropical Swing, requires a single Grass Energy to use. It usually does 40 on its own, but a Heads on a coin flip boosts this to 80, enough to KO a lot of Basic Pokemon.
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The player just needs to play Exeggcute as their opening Pokemon. Then, on their second turn, evolve it into Exeggutor with a single Grass Energy, and they have a potent ‘Mon on the field that can wreak havoc.
Not only that, but Exeggutor is very bulky, with 160 HP, allowing it to survive a ton of hits from even the biggest ‘Mons in the game.
Exeggutor can also benefit from Erika, a Supporter Card that can heal 50 HP from a Grass Pokemon. This boosts Exeggutor’s survivability considerably, making it even harder for an enemy trainer to get rid of while you’re setting up on the Bench.
Naturally, there are threats to Exeggutor, most notably Fire-type Pokemon, thanks to its weakness. This deck is still fun to play and can make Pokemon Pocket feel less frustrating for those sick of losing thanks to one coin flip at the start of the game.