Fringe Card Gengar Finally Finds Success in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Gengar A2a 033 from the Triumphant Light expansion has finally broken into the top decks at a major Pokemon TCG Pocket tournament. Player HydraPika piloted a Gengar deck to fourth place in the Swiss rounds of a $10,000 tournament with over 2,800 participants. The key to its success likely lies in the card's ability to put opponents to sleep with potential recurrence, along with support from the new Rare Candy card.

Gengar Finally Shines in the Competitive Scene

Gengar has finally secured a spot among the top decks in a major Pokemon TCG Pocket tournament. This Pokemon has struggled for relevance since the game's first expansion, Genetic Apex, and has rarely been a viable card for building competitive decks in PvP.

Why was Gengar overlooked for so long? Most players dismissed it as a "fringe" card due to its Stage 2 status (requiring two evolutions) and relatively modest 70 damage output. However, a recent tournament result has proven that this variant has the potential to become an archetype-defining card.

Even after Pokemon TCG Pocket introduced a new Gengar variant in the Triumphant Light expansion, this Pokemon saw minimal use in the metagame. The recent tournament result, however, has proven that it has the potential to change existing standards.

Surprising Tournament Success 💫

A player named HydraPika recently piloted a Gengar-centered deck to success in a major tournament:

✓ 4th place in the Swiss rounds
✓ $10,000 tournament with over 2,800 participants
✓ First significant success for the non-ex version of Gengar

Although the deck was later eliminated, Gengar's non-ex form has never achieved this level of success, drawing attention from across the community. Some players on Reddit analyzed HydraPika's deck and discovered interesting facts.

💡 Pro tip: Most successful decks in the current meta use powerful ex cards like Giratina ex. Gengar's success shows that non-ex strategies can also be competitive if well-constructed.

Why Is Gengar A2a 033 Suddenly Meta? 🔍

Players theorize several reasons why Gengar has suddenly become relevant:

1. Infinite Sleep Loop

A group of players suggested that Gengar's Asleep effect has an indefinite chance of recurring, which often allows its 70-damage attack to hit twice before the opponent can respond.

Effective damage output:

• Normally: 70 damage
• With recurrence due to the Asleep condition: effectively 140 damage

2. Variables Affecting Effectiveness

However, there are several elements that can disrupt the damage output:

• The coin flip after Gengar's attack
• The opponent's use of the Pokemon Center Lady card, which can remove the crucial Asleep condition

3. Accelerated Evolution

Other players credit Gengar's recent success to the new Rare Candy card from Pokemon TCG Pocket, which accelerates evolution and effectively turns Gengar from Stage 2 to a Stage 1 equivalent.

❌ A common mistake is underestimating the significance of the Asleep condition in the current meta. Unlike other conditions such as Burned or Poisoned, Asleep can completely prevent the opponent from attacking, thereby gaining a critical advantage in game tempo.

Key Support Cards in HydraPika's Deck

HydraPika's deck, eventually eliminated from the Ursiiday $10,000 tournament, also features two key backup attackers:

Oricorio A3 077

• Debuted in the Celestial Guardians expansion
• Functions as a revenge attacker
• Steps in to finish off opponents after the main attacker is knocked out

Tapu Lele A3 084

• Also from the Celestial Guardians expansion
• Strong counter to Giratina ex and Darkrai ex meta
• Deals heavy damage to Pokemon that stack energy

Current State of the Metagame in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Despite the arrival of anti-ex cards like Oricorio in the recent Pokemon TCG Pocket meta, the PvP scene remains heavily dominated by Giratina ex.

Current distribution of top tier decks:

• Giratina ex: ~65% of top decks
• Yveltal ex: ~15% of top decks
• Darkrai ex: ~10% of top decks
• Others (including Gengar): ~10% of top decks

For now, it seems unlikely that Gengar will become a consistent or top-tier deck core. Still, its recent success is a promising sign for fans, suggesting that not all competitive lineups need to rely on streamlined, meta-defining cards.

How to Best Utilize Gengar A2a 033

If you want to try a Gengar deck inspired by HydraPika's success, here are some tips:

1. Maximize the chance of the Asleep condition - Combine with cards that increase the chance of successfully putting the opponent to sleep
2. Add Rare Candy - Accelerate evolution and skip the Haunter intermediate stage
3. Include backup attackers - Especially those who can capitalize on a weakened opponent (like Oricorio)
4. Prepare for ex opponents - Most of your adversaries will be using ex cards, so it's important to have a strategy against them

📊 Success rate statistic: According to data from tournaments over the past month, non-ex decks have approximately a 22% chance of placing in the top 8, showing increasing diversity in the Pokemon TCG Pocket metagame.

The Future of Gengar in the Metagame

With planned new expansions for Pokemon TCG Pocket, there are several possibilities for how Gengar could further evolve:

• New support cards specifically for Ghost-type Pokemon
• Anti-meta tools targeted against dominant ex cards
• Faster evolution mechanics that could help Stage 2 Pokemon

Although Gengar's success may currently be an isolated incident, it provides a refreshing change in an otherwise predictable meta and inspires players to experiment with unconventional strategies.

Conclusion

Gengar's unexpected success at a major tournament represents an interesting development in the Pokemon TCG Pocket metagame. While it may not cause an immediate revolution, it shows that creative deck building and thorough understanding of game mechanics can bring success even with cards that most of the community considers second-rate.

For players looking for alternatives to the ubiquitous ex decks, Gengar A2a 033 offers a promising path to creating a competitive deck that can surprise opponents and bring a refreshing gaming experience.

Action items:

1. Try Gengar A2a 033 in your deck with Rare Candy support
2. Experiment with combining Gengar and Oricorio for a complete strategy
3. Watch future tournaments to see if Gengar appears in other successful compositions
4. Be prepared to adapt your strategy against dominant ex cards

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