Pokémon TCG Pocket Expands with Space Time Smackdown Today: Full Details

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has just rolled out its latest update, introducing the highly anticipated Space Time Smackdown expansion, themed around the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl series. This new set is now available for players to dive into, featuring two distinct booster packs themed after the legendary Pokémon, Dialga and Palkia.

Space Time Smackdown contains a total of 207 cards, which, while smaller than the previous set, Genetic Apex's 286 cards, packs a punch with its rarity distribution. With 52 alternate art, Star, and Crown rarity cards, it boasts a higher percentage of rare cards compared to Genetic Apex's 60 such cards. The official card count for Space Time Smackdown stands at 155, excluding the alternate art cards. This set introduces 10 ex Pokémon cards, including Yanmega, Infernape, Palkia, Pacharisu, Mismagius, Gallade, Weavile, Darkrai, Dialga, and Lickilicky, covering almost all Pokémon types except Dragon, with the Darkness type receiving two ex Pokémon.

One of the most significant additions to this set is the introduction of Pokémon Tool cards. These include Giant Cape, which boosts the Pokémon's Hit Points by 20; Rocky Helmet, which inflicts 20 damage to the opponent's Pokémon upon receiving damage; and Lum Berry, which cures conditions like Poison. These tools add strategic depth to battles, offering players new ways to enhance their Pokémon's capabilities.

Every Alternate Art 'Secret' Card in Pokémon TCG Pocket: Space Time Smackdown

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Battles

Alongside the new card set, Space Time Smackdown brings a fresh wave of Solo Battles to Pokémon TCG Pocket. Players can engage in eight new battles in the Intermediate tier, nine in the Advanced tier, and eight in the Expert tier. These battles spotlight new Pokémon such as Dialga ex, Palkia ex, and others like Togekiss, Bastiodon, Glaceon, Magmortar, Magnezone, Rampardos, and Torterra.

In terms of multiplayer dynamics, it's still early to determine the meta impact, but cards like Infernape ex, with its ability to deliver 140 damage for just two Fire Energy, and Palkia ex, which mirrors Mewtwo ex's power, are poised to shake things up. Weavile ex's efficient single Energy attack adds to the mix, while Steel type decks receive a boost with the addition of Dialga ex and other cards complementing existing powerhouses like Melmetal and Bisharp.

Missions and Rewards

Space Time Smackdown introduces a range of new missions, familiar in structure but rewarding with new incentives. Collecting signature cards unlocks rental decks, and completing the set grants players Dialga and Palkia icons. The return of Museum missions offers challenges for collecting 1 Star and full art 2 Star cards, while the secret mission, Champion of the Sinnoh Region, requires collecting the full art Cynthia card along with 1 Star cards of her key Pokémon: Gastrodon, Lucario, Spiritomb, and Garchomp.

Rewards from these missions include Pack Hourglasses, Wonder Hourglasses, and Emblem Tickets for the shop, with no Trading Tokens offered despite the recent trading feature addition. However, to celebrate trading's introduction, Creatures Inc. gifted players 500 Trading Tokens. New items in the shop include Dialga and Palkia album covers, the Lovely Hearts backdrop, and a new Poké Gold bundle focused on Cynthia.

Trading

Despite the buzz around the trading update, Creatures Inc. has remained silent on the matter, focusing instead on promoting Space Time Smackdown. The "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" included 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses, sufficient to trade one ex Pokémon. However, the trading system has sparked controversy due to the necessity of Trade Tokens for trading cards of 3 Diamonds or higher, requiring players to "sell" cards from their collection to acquire them.

To trade a 3 Diamond card, 120 Trade Tokens are needed; a 1 Star card requires 400, and a 4 Diamond card (an ex Pokémon) demands 500. Players can obtain tokens by deleting cards: 3 Diamond cards yield 25 tokens, 1 Star cards 100, 4 Diamond cards 125, 2 Star cards 300, 3 Star immersive cards 300, and Crown gold cards 1500. Lower rarity cards hold no value in this system.

This structure has drawn criticism from the community, with players describing it as "hilariously toxic" and a "monumental failure," arguing that it hinders the community's ability to connect and trade freely.