Venture into the wilds of Paldea and discover the power of paradox Pokémon with the TCG’s latest set, Temporal Forces.
Combining the Japanese Cyber Judge and Wild Force sets, Temporal Forces will feature over 160 cards, including 22 illustration rare Pokémon, 10 special illustration rare Pokémon, seven ACE SPEC cards, and more new paradox Pokémon.
With a supporting cast of solid pulls, Temporal Forces is welcoming in the upcoming rotation with cards that will slot in and supplement many of the game's top archetypes.
So, what should you be chasing if you're a competitive TCG player?
Table of Contents
1. Iron Leaves ex
Up first is the future variant of Virizion, Iron Leaves ex. This new Pokémon is set to be introduced to the TCG with three different artworks in this latest set… though it comes with substance too.
The grass-type Iron Leaves ex has a respectable 220 HP and an ability, ‘Rapid Vernier’, which allows it to accelerate Energy cards ready to deal damage. With ‘Rapid Vernier’, you can switch Iron Leaves ex from your bench to your active spot and move any amount of Energy from your other Pokémon to this Pokémon when it is first played to your bench.
This hyped switch is useful for launching its signature 180 damage attack, ‘Prism Edge,’ which can OHKO the widely popular Charizard ex, counter possibilities in the Great Tusk archetype, and even disrupt the flow of Snorlax Counter Catcher block sets.
Though it has some susceptibilities, do not be surprised to see Iron Leaves ex being built into many Lost Zone variants, including Giratina decks. This Pokémon from the future is here for the future, and it’s sure to grow into the TCG.
2. Gouging Fire ex
The next paradox Pokémon on the list is Gouging Fire ex, Entei’s primordial past ancestor, who, like Iron Leaves ex, comes in various art styles in Temporal Forces.
Gouging Fire ex is a pretty potent attacker. With Blaze Blitz, it can deal 260 damage, giving it Roaring Moon ex-levels of damage output. This fiery attack requires just three Energy cards (two fire and one colourless), and with the correct combination, you can launch it on the first turn.
By playing the Supporter card, Professor Sada’s Vitality, you can choose up to two Ancient Pokémon and attach a basic Energy card from your discard pile to each. Complement this with the Magma Basin Stadium card, which allows players to attach a fire Energy card from this discard pile to one of their benched Pokémon one per turn (in exchange for two damage counters), and you can quickly ignite Gouging Fire ex.
Building a deck that harnesses the power of effective switching can maximise Gouging Fire ex's power. It pairs well with Iron Valliant ex, also of Temporal Forces, using the psychic future fighter’s ‘Tachyon Bits’ and racking up damage. Item cards like ‘Switch Cart’ and ‘Switch’ can really light up the deck with flaming possibilities.
3. Great Tusk
Will Great Tusk spark the use of mill decks in the mainstay of TCG? Well, it certainly has the attributes.
For a basic Pokémon, this Ancient fighting type has a solid 140 HP, giving it respectable bulk for a single prize card. And it is possible to kick this up a notch with cards such as Bravery Charm, Ancient Booster Energy Capsule and Hero Cape. Get Great Tusk over 200 HP, and it becomes more difficult to OHKO, with few decks consistently hitting such damage each turn without maintenance.
It is precisely this bulk that allows Great Tusk to reap the rewards of its attack, ‘Land Collapse’, which says, ‘discard one card from the top of your opponent's deck. If you played an Ancient Supporter card from your hand this turn, discard 3 more cards.’ Phew. If you consistently can chain this move then you can rip your opponent’s deck to shreds with those tusks. So how can you make this viable?
Well, you can stack your deck with four Professor Sada's Vitality and four Explorer's Guidance to help you reach that Ancient Supporter requirement. You can also introduce ways of finding and recycling those crucial support cards with Pokégear 3.0 and Pal Pad.
With a Great Tusk mill deck placing 12th at the Champion's League in Fukouda, this archetype clearly has the potential to frustrate the opponent through ‘Land Collapse’ and demonstrate some prehistoric power with ‘Giant Tusk’ hitting for a solid 160 damage. Watch out for those Tusks!
4. Iron Crown ex
Iron Crown ex isn’t going to be a deck archetype in its own right, but it will be an extremely good damage mod for decks that look to play Future paradox attackers.
This is because Iron Crown ex’s ability, ‘Cobalt Command’ adds 20 more to any attacks used by your Future Pokémon, such as Iron Hand ex. And if you manage to get four Iron Crown ex on your bench… then you’ll be dishing out an extra 80 damage on any Future Pokémon. That could mean the lethal ‘Amp You Very Much’ hitting for 200, and you take an extra prize card for fun. Couple this supporting potential with Future Booster Energy Capsule, and getting an extra 100 damage from Future Pokémon attacks is possible.
And, while this supporting role is what truly makes Iron Crown ex such a good card, its attack, ‘Twin Shottels’, can also help snipe some of your opponent’s pesky bench Pokémon, by doing 50 damage to two cards of your choice.
5. Cinccino
A perhaps surprising inclusion on a list of beasts from the past and future is Cinccino, but its position is fully merited.
Cincinno will buff out the Lugia VStar deck and will be one of the primary attackers with ‘Special Roll,’ which does 70 damage for each special Energy card attached to it—the special Energy cards that Lugia VStar decks are typically packed with, of course.
This means it can power Cincinno up enough to tackle down your opponent’s double prize card Pokémon and wrap the game up with this fluffy, 110 HP hitter. The likes of Lumineon V and Squawkabilly can be set within OHKO range.
You’ll likely want at least three Cincinno’s in this Lugia VStar set-up, so it’ll be a safe chase for the Temporal Forces set.
6. Roaring Moon
Roaring Moon is a strong late game attacker, an Ancient Pokémon that is powered up when built around other Ancient cards.
Roaring Moon’s USP is its attack, ‘Vengeful Feathers’, powered with just two dark Energy cards. The attack does 70 damage, plus an additional 10 for each Ancient card in your discard pile.
This attack parallels moves we have seen before, such as Vespiquen’s ‘Bee Revenge’, though this dark dragon is far more powerful from a base damage perspective.
Roaring Moon naturally pairs with Great Tusk and Flutter Mane and can be a really powerful late game sweeper once your discard pile has already built some volume. Highly playable cards such as ‘Explorer’s Guidance’, ‘Professor Sada’s Vitality’, and ‘Awakening Drum’ are also likely to feature in decks, so Roaring Moon can be charged up to go head-to-head with some of the meta’s top attackers.
7. Prime Catcher
ACE SPEC cards were last introduced to the TCG in 2013, and now they’re back and set to shape the game’s latest competitive decks.
With one ACE SPEC card playable per deck, you’ll want to make the right choice… and Prime Catcher is a true headliner.
Prime Catcher allows you to switch one of your opponent’s benched Pokémon to the active spot while switching your active Pokémon with one of your benched Pokémon. Move over Guzma. Obviously, this allows you to create favourable match-ups so you can knock out your opponent’s Pokémon and take prize cards with greater ease.
In Japan, it has already seen play in decks such as Gholdengo ex, Charizard ex, Gouging Fire ex, Raging Bolt ex, Roaring Moon ex, Iron Valiant ex, Miraidon ex, Chien-Pao ex, Ancient Box, Origin form Palkia and Lost Zone Giratina.
And finally, as Prime Catcher is an Item card, you can hunt for it in your deck with cards like Arven. Once you have it in hand, you can play it the same turn as an Item card… and then also use a Supporter card. This means it is feasible to play Prime Catcher alongside Iono, disrupting your opponent’s hand and bench at the same time.
8. Buddy-Buddy Poffin
Buddy-Buddy Poffin is your way to build up your bench with basic Pokémon that can accelerate your strategies and protect your Pokémon in play.
This is because Buddy-Buddy Poffin allows you to search your deck for up to two basic Pokémon with 70 HP or less and put them on your bench before shuffling your deck. You may play as many item cards as you like during your turn.
The obvious beneficiaries are evolving decks – not only those available in the immediate future and beyond Temporal Forces. For example, in a Charizard ex deck Buddy-Buddy Poffin could help you quickly lay your foundations by searching out a 70 HP Charmander or a 50 HP Pidgey ready to be evolved.
But then there’s also the benefit of searching for those basic Pokémon in your deck that don’t need to evolve. Think 70 HP Manaphy protecting your bench with ‘Wave Veil’. Or maybe 70 HP, draw engine Comfey helping you to grab cards with ‘Flower Selecting’. There’s even 70 HP Sableye, whose attack, ‘Damage Collection’, allows you to move any number of damage counters from an opponent’s benched Pokémon to their active Pokémon.
Buddy-Buddy Poffin is likely to benefit many decks, especially as Battle VIP Pass is phased out of standard play during rotation.
9. Hero’s Cape
The second ACE SPEC card on this list is Hero’s Cape, which is built differently from Prime Catcher.
While Prime Catcher puts you firmly on the front foot as you hunt down your opponent’s bench Pokemon, Hero Cape sets you up for stall, control or grinding matches where you resist KO’s as strongly as possible.
This is because the Pokémon Hero’s Cape is attached to get an additional 100 HP. Stall decks are about to get even more stally. Heavy hitters are about to get even more bulky.
In Japan, this card has already found itself into builds such as the Gardevoir ex and Scream Tail deck. Yet the possibilities obviously extend much further with the Champions League best-performing Charizard ex and Pidegot ex set-up combining Hero’s Cape into play. In doing so, it is possible to get Charizard ex’s HP up to 430, which is pretty huge to say the least.
It will likely prove to be slightly less popular than Prime Catcher due to the existence of Lost Vacuum, but Hero’s Cape is going to be getting attached to some of the TCG’s most bulky Pokémon without a doubt. Snorlax and Goodra, we’re looking at you.
10. Mist Energy
Last on the list is Mist Energy, which can be attached to your Pokémon to provide one colourless energy. The upshot of using this card is that when it is attached to your Pokémon, it prevents all effects of attacks used by your opponent's Pokémon to the card Mist Energy is attached to.
With many decks in the current meta harnessing effect play to drive their strategies forward, the integration of Mist Energy may help shut down Giritina VStar and its OHKO power, ‘Star Requiem’, Roaring Moon ex with its devastating ‘Frenzied Gouging’ effect, and the damage counter-shifting Sableye.
As things stand, Mist Energy could potentially strengthen decks such as Lugia VStar and Arceus VStar which require colourless energy to power their massive attacks. Though decks such as Charizard ex also have some level of colourless energy requirement, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mist Energy gain play in a few different archetypes to counter some of the meta’s top decks.
What else is out there?
The shortlist of honourable mentions list is also one that could, in reality, be far from short as there are so many options with some degree of playability.
The Supporter card Eri is a solid pick up for controlling decks, such as Snorlax Stall and the Great Tusk archetype as it allows you to discard two Item cards from your opponent’s hand.
There’s also the 140 HP, single prize Koraidon which can add another dimension to Ancient decks with its ‘Primordial Beatdown’ attack which does 30 damage for each of your Ancient Pokémon in play. This gives you good comparability with cards such as Roaring Moon as you can get damage boosts from both your active spots and the discard pile.
And, the final mention is the ACE SPEC card, Maximum Belt, which, when attached to your Pokémon, allows them to do 50 more damage to your opponent's Active Pokémon ex. These ACE SPECs are going to win matches.
This is of course not an exhaustive list as there is more to uncover in the Temporal Forces set, coming out 22 March.
Check out the Temporal Forces release and our full range of Pokemon TCG here at Gathering Games.
