In *Pokemon TCG Pocket*, the Sleep status condition can be a major setback for players. It's crucial to understand how it works and how to counteract it to maintain a competitive edge. Here's a comprehensive guide on Sleep in *Pokemon TCG Pocket* and the strategies to cure it.
What Does Sleep Mean in Pokemon TCG Pocket?
When a Pokemon in *TCG Pocket* is hit with the Sleep status, it becomes incapacitated, unable to attack, use abilities, or retreat to the bench. This leaves your Pokemon vulnerable in the active spot, making it a sitting duck until the Sleep is lifted.
How to Cure Sleep
There are two primary methods to cure Sleep in *Pokemon TCG Pocket*: a coin toss that occurs each turn or by evolving the affected Pokemon.
The coin toss is a turn-based status check that determines if your Pokemon will awaken. It's performed once per turn for both players, meaning your Pokemon could be cured as quickly as one turn or suffer from prolonged Sleep due to unlucky flips.
Evolving your Pokemon is another way to shake off the Sleep. However, this strategy requires time to set up alternative attackers on your bench or hope to draw a next-stage Pokemon. Meanwhile, your opponent might capitalize on this window to set up their strategy or even knock out your sleeping Pokemon for an extra point.
There's also a lesser-known method using the Koga Trainer card, which can return a sleeping Weezing or Muk to your hand, but this is limited to those two Pokemon.
All Sleep Cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Currently, there are eight cards in *Pokemon TCG Pocket* capable of inflicting the Sleep status, including Darkai, Wigglytuff, and Hypno. Hypno, in particular, stands out as the most competitive due to its effectiveness.
Sleep Card | Method | How to Get |
---|---|---|
Darkrai (A2 109) | Through its attack, Dark Void, as a guaranteed effect | Space-Time Smackdown (Dialga) |
Flabebe (A1a 036) | Using its move, Hypnotic Gaze, as a guaranteed effect | Mythical Island |
Frosmoth (A1 093) | With its Powder Snow attack, also a guaranteed status effect | Genetic Apex |
Hypno (A1 125) | Using its ability, Sleep Pendulum, based on a coin flip | Genetic Apex (Pikachu) |
Jigglypuff (P-A 022) | The guaranteed effect of its Sing attack | Promo-A |
Shiinotic (A1a 008) | A guaranteed secondary effect of its Flickering Spores attack | Mythical Island |
Vileplume (A1 013) | A side effect of using Soothing Scent | Genetic Apex (Charizard) |
Wigglytuff ex (A1 195) | An additional effect of its Sleepy Song attack | Genetic Apex (Pikachu) |
Among these, Hypno is particularly dangerous as it can inflict Sleep from the bench without needing Energy. This makes it an invaluable support card for Psychic decks, enabling quick setup of heavy hitters like Mewtwo ex with Psydrive, especially when paired with Gardevoir's ability to accelerate the strategy.
Frosmoth and Wigglytuff ex can also be integrated into various decks, but Hypno remains the standout Sleep card in the current *Pokemon TCG Pocket* meta, maintaining competitiveness without hindering your overall strategy.
Understanding the Sleep status and its remedies is key to mastering *Pokemon TCG Pocket*. Armed with this knowledge, you can explore powerful decks like the best Palkia ex deck to uncover more strategic combinations offered by the latest cards.