Pokémon TCG Pocket Gets Space Time Smackdown Expansion Today — Here's Everything You Need to Know

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has rolled out its latest update, introducing the much-anticipated Space Time Smackdown expansion. Inspired by the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl themes, this set brings a fresh wave of excitement to players with its unique offerings.

This new expansion is packaged in two distinct booster packs themed around the legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia. With a total of 207 cards, Space Time Smackdown is smaller than the previous Genetic Apex set, which boasted 286 cards. However, it compensates with a higher concentration of rare cards, featuring 52 alternate art, Star, and Crown rarity cards, compared to Genetic Apex's 60.

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

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The official card count for Space Time Smackdown is 155, excluding the alternate arts. The set introduces 10 new ex Pokémon, including Yanmega, Infernape, Palkia, Pacharisu, Mismagius, Gallade, Weavile, Darkrai, Dialga, and Lickilicky, covering nearly every Pokémon type except Dragon, with the Darkness type receiving two new additions.

One of the standout features of this expansion is the introduction of Pokémon Tool cards. These new items enhance gameplay by providing additional benefits to the active Pokémon. The three new tools are the Giant Cape, adding 20 Hit Points to the Pokémon; the Rocky Helmet, which inflicts 20 HP damage to the opponent's Pokémon when the active trainer takes damage; and the Lum Berry, which removes conditions like Poison from the Pokémon.

Battles

With the release of Space Time Smackdown, Pokémon TCG Pocket introduces new Solo Battles across various tiers. The Intermediate tier features eight new battles, the Advanced tier offers nine, and the Expert tier has eight new challenges, though no new battles have been added to the Beginner tier. These battles spotlight new and returning Pokémon from the set, such as Dialga ex, Palkia ex, Togekiss, Bastiodon, Glaceon, Magmortar, Magnezone, Rampardos, and Torterra.

In multiplayer, the impact of Space Time Smackdown cards on the meta is yet to be fully understood. Standouts like Infernape ex, which delivers 140 damage for just two Fire Energy, and Palkia ex, akin to Mewtwo ex with its 150 damage output and bench-targeting ability, are poised to shake things up. Weavile ex's one Energy attack dealing 30 or 70 damage based on the opponent's condition also promises exciting gameplay. Steel type decks are set to benefit greatly from Dialga ex and other new cards, complementing existing heavyweights like Melmetal and Bisharp.

Missions and Rewards

Alongside Space Time Smackdown, a variety of new missions have been added to the game. These missions maintain familiar structures, such as collecting signature cards to unlock rental decks and completing the set to earn Dialga and Palkia icons. Museum missions encourage collecting 1 Star and full art 2 Star cards, while the "Champion of the Sinnoh Region" secret mission rewards players for assembling a full art Cynthia card along with 1 Star cards of her key Pokémon: Gastrodon, Lucario, Spiritomb, and Garchomp.

Completing these missions earns players Pack Hourglasses, Wonder Hourglasses, Emblem Tickets for the shop, and other rewards. Notably, the controversial Trading Tokens are absent from these rewards, though Creatures Inc. did provide a one-time gift of 500 Trading Tokens to celebrate the trading feature's addition. New shop items include Dialga and Palkia album covers and the Lovely Hearts backdrop, with a new Poké Gold bundle focusing on Cynthia replacing the previous Gardevoir bundle.

Trading

Despite the excitement around Space Time Smackdown, the recent trading update remains a point of contention. Creatures Inc. has not addressed fan feedback since the update's release, focusing instead on promoting the new set. The "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" included 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses, but the trading system has drawn criticism for its reliance on Trade Tokens, which are required to trade cards of 3 Diamonds or higher.

Trade Tokens are earned by selling cards from a player's collection, with varying token values based on card rarity. For instance, selling a 3 Diamond card yields 25 Trade Tokens, while a Crown gold card nets 1500. This system has been criticized as "hilariously toxic" and a "monumental failure" by fans, who argue that it hinders community engagement and makes trading unnecessarily cumbersome.