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

Pokémon TCG Pocket's Space Time Smackdown Expansion: A Detailed Look

Pokémon TCG Pocket has launched its latest major update, introducing the Space Time Smackdown expansion based on Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. This expansion, available in Dialga and Palkia-themed booster packs, features 207 cards, a smaller count than Genetic Apex but with a higher percentage (52 out of 207) of alternate art Star and Crown rarity cards compared to its predecessor. The base card count, excluding alternate arts, is 155.

Alternate Art 'Secret' Cards in Space Time Smackdown

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The expansion introduces 10 new ex Pokémon: Yanmega, Infernape, Palkia, Pacharisu, Mismagius, Gallade, Weavile, Darkrai, Dialga, and Lickilicky, covering all Pokémon types except Dragon (Darkness gains two).

A significant addition is the introduction of Pokémon Tool cards: Giant Cape (+20 HP), Rocky Helmet (deals 20 HP on damage taken), and Lum Berry (removes status conditions).

New Battle Challenges:

Space Time Smackdown brings new Solo Battles across Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert tiers, featuring Pokémon from the set like Dialga ex, Palkia ex, Togekiss, and others. The impact on multiplayer meta remains to be seen, but cards like Infernape ex (140 damage for two Energy) and Palkia ex (150 damage plus 20 to benched Pokémon) show strong potential. Dialga ex significantly boosts Steel-type decks.

Missions and Rewards:

New missions offer rewards like Pack Hourglasses, Wonder Hourglasses, and Emblem Tickets. Collecting specific cards unlocks rental decks and icons. Museum missions return, focusing on Star cards and a Champion of the Sinnoh Region mission requiring the Cynthia full art card and 1-Star cards of her key Pokémon. Notably, Trading Tokens are not awarded through missions, though a celebratory gift of 500 tokens was provided. New shop items include Dialga and Palkia album covers and a Cynthia-themed Poké Gold bundle.

Trading Update Controversy:

The recent trading update remains controversial. While a "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" included Trade Tokens and Hourglasses, developer Creatures Inc. hasn't addressed player concerns. The core issue is the high Trade Token cost for trading higher-rarity cards (3 Diamonds and above), requiring players to sell numerous cards to obtain enough tokens for a single trade. This system has been criticized as overly laborious and detrimental to the trading community.