Pokémon TCG Pocket Paradox Drive EX Card Review & Meta Analysis
Pokémon TCG Pocket players, fasten your seatbelts as we take a trip to Area Zero of the Paldea Region, where, aside from many familiar species, you will also encounter the mysterious Paradox Pokémon. This entire adventure is sealed inside the Paradox Drive Themed Booster Pack, which marks the B3a expansion of the popular mobile game.
Naturally, there will be new EX cards up for grabs, but are these non-Mega Evolution Pokémon good enough to compete in the cutthroat meta?
Let’s explore!
After the buffs to the Fighting type during the Pulsing Aura meta, namely Korrina and the Arena of Antiquity Stadium card, Miraidon EX is in a decent position.
Doing 110 + 30 + 20 = 160 DMG for 3x 
Energy is pretty neat, and when you take Koraidon EX’s ability into account, it’s more appealing.
Start with something like Hitmonchan EX or Fighting Coach Lucario (after evolving from Riolu, obviously), let it stall for a while (at least 2 turns of Energy grants), and once you bring Koraidon EX to the Bench, automatically switch it into the Active Spot, take Hitmonchan’s Energies, and give Koraidon the turn’s Energy to make it 3x .
The problem arises when you start with Koraidon EX. The HP pool of 150 isn’t stellar in today’s meta, and if you’re planning to stall with Koraidon, you’re bound to get KO’d soon enough.
Not a reliable motorcycle for the Ranked track, eh?
Miraidon EX is tricky to use, as you need to collect as many 
Energies as possible to derive maximum Energy output from it. It does 20 + 20(3 ) = 80 DMG for 3x Energy attached, and when you reach 4x Energy, you then deal 100 DMG.
One way would be to farm Energy with 2x Oricorio and take support from Electrical Cord Pokémon Tool and Elemental Switch Item to gather more Energy for Miraidon. Do pay attention to its ability (the same as Koraidon EX), which lets Miraidon switch to the Active Spot when you put it on your Bench from your Hand, and then move all the previously Active Pokémon’s Energy to it.
A more effective deck would comprise 1x Miraidon EX and two copies of the Magnemite line, taking advantage of Genetci Apex Magneton’s Energy ramping ability to harvest Energy. Also, have Mirror Shot Magnezone from Crimson Blaze and Magnezone EX from Pulsing Aura.
Magneton would ensure enough supply of Energy, and once you’re all set, bring in Miraidon EX and use its ability to do tons of damage, improving on it with each turn’s Energy.
The issues with these are starting with Miraidon EX and, more importantly, the low HP pool of this Legendary against the bulky Mega Evolutions.
If you choose to use two Miraidon EX (kind of risky since you’re more likely to start with it), you can absorb all the damage on one, use the Supporter Professor Turo’s effect to bring it back to the deck, use Miraidon’s ability to take all the gathered Energy, and have a fresh Miraidon EX ready to wreak havoc.
To put it into perspective, with more Energy, Miraidon EX can do astronomical damage, and ramping Energy is arguably the easiest of all types. Miraidon EX is great on its day and best used as a late-game sweeper, but in the future (no pun intended), don’t be surprised if its wheels fall off the meta.
Iron Bundle EX comes with a rather funny schtick. For 3 Energy, it inflicts 60 DMG and 20 more damage (making it 80 DMG) if it’s the first time using an attack after coming into play. Also, it paralyzes the opponent’s Active Pokémon.
There are certain aspects to this. First, if you have an Iron Valiant on your Bench, you don’t need to use 3 Energy. Indeed, Iron Valiant’s ability makes attacks used by your Future Paradox Pokémon cost 1 less Energy. As such, Iron Bundle EX requires only 2 Energy to attack if there’s Iron Valiant to back it up.
But the real reason I mentioned “funny” is Professor Turo’s effect!
If your Iron Bundle EX takes hefty damage, just use Prof Turo to put it back into your deck and then bring it back to the Bench. If you grab enough Energy again, you do 80 DMG again! With Energy support from Baxcalibur and Misty, and team support from Suicune EX, Chien-Pao EX, and Greninja (including the EX), Iron Bundle EX is offensively one of the better EX cards in this set. The glaring issue with this Pokémon is its low HP.
Here’s a spoiler: Flutter Mane EX is possibly the most viable EX Pokémon from the Paradox Drive set! It may not be the strongest, but it is the least cumbersome to use and doesn’t have any such ‘ifs and buts’ to work in battles.
For just 2x 
Energy, Flutter Mane EX does 70 DMG, and if it’s the first time it’s using the attack, your opponent can’t use any Trainer cards in the next turn. Pair it with Mega Gardevoir EX, Indeedee EX, and Meloetta, while using the Peculiar Plaza Stadium card to enjoy free retreat cost, to build a formidable deck.
Apply the Ancient Booster Energy Capsule Pokémon Tool to increase Flutter Mane EX’s health to a respectable 170 HP, and watch it terrorize the opposition more than the other EX cards in this set.
Since it’s a Basic, you can comfortably put it in Gengar EX decks to inhibit your opponent from using Trainers and Supporters (based on the Pokémon in question). In fact, the Juliana Supporter card from Paradox Drive helps summon Stage 2 cards like Gengar EX!
It is worth mentioning again that Flutter Mane EX is more efficient than all other EX cards in this set, and requires way less setup and build compared to all of them. This sneaky ghost has done it, dominating the competitive scene of battles in the VGC and Smogon, and also making an impression in Pokémon TCG Pocket!
Finally, we have the hidden treasure of Area Zero, the assumed master of the Paradox phenomenon, and the answer to all the mysteries in Scarlet and Violet: Terapagos.
Terapagos EX makes its presence as one of the most unique EX Pokémon in TCG Pocket, dealing 80 DMG for 3x Colorless Energy, making it suitable for any deck, but with a twist. The type of Energy also matters.
So basically, Terapagos EX does 80 DMG + 20 DMG for each type of Energy used. Now, let’s say you used Mantyke and Terapagos EX in a Water deck. Since all 3 Energies are 
, Terapagos dishes out 80 + 20(1) = 100 DMG.
You see where this is going? If you use 3 different types of Energes, Terapagos EX ends up doing 80 + 20(3) = 140 DMG for 3 Energy, which is tremendous. The more types of Energy you use, the more multiples of 20 you can add to 80 DMG.
This brings us to the mode of Energy acceleration you need to use to ramp up Terapagos EX. Ho-Oh EX sounds reasonable, but the Legendary Bird itself needs 3 Energy to function, making the deck extremely impractical.
This brings us to Baby Pokémon like Mantyke and Magby, who can supply free Energy of their type to a Benched Basic for free, at no Energy cost. While this is feasible, there is the problem of Babies having only 30 HP, which makes them easy KOs.
Thankfully, we have the solution to this problem right within the confines of the Paradox Drive set!
For just 1x Colorless Energy, this Sableye grants a random Energy to one of your Benched Pokémon. Build a Terapagos EX deck with dual Energies, add an Energy-ramping Baby, and use this Sableye once or twice to bring more variety, paving the way for multiple Energy types.
With 3 different Energies (quite easy to achieve), you do 140 DMG, and if you’re able to add more types, you reach up to 160, 180 DMG!
There’s also a forgotten Supporter who makes Terapagos EX decks all the more formidable.
Juggler has hardly ever been used, except for Ho-Oh EX decks, but now, this could be a game-changer for Terapagos. You can move other Energy types to Terapagos EX and amplify its damage output (or even make up for the amount of Energy).
Terapagos EX is a fun and strong Pokémon for sure, and is tricky to pull off. Once you make it work, you win games out of the blue! That said, if you’re eager to use a threatening Colorless type that also utilizes 3 Energy to attack, go with Arceus EX.
The Paradox Drive set is a bit underwhelming, to be fair. It’s a fun set of EX cards, but almost all of them require too many instances of the cards being in your favor (literally). Flutter Mane EX is the sleeper hit of this set, and Miraidon EX will definitely have its moments.
Does it match the power levels of the Mega Evolution EX Pokémon? Barely. But, with some well-built decks, Paradox Drive’s EX cards are great additions to existing decks (think Flutter Mane).
Let’s hope that the eventual debuts of Roaring Moon EX and Iron Valiant EX (sounds quite reasonable down the line, eh?) serve as a treat to fans of Paradox Pokémon, which are genuinely some of the coolest additions to the franchise!
Until then, happy collecting and battling, Pokémon TCG Pocket-ers!
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