Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s A4 expansion has added several new cards that contribute to one of the game’s most irritating archetypes: Mill. For those unfamiliar, in card games like Pokemon TCG Pocket, the mill archetype is a strategy that involves discarding or nullifying as many enemy cards as possible.
The main goal of a mill strategy is to restrict the opponent’s playable cards so they’re guaranteed to lose. What makes this approach viable are the cards or tools that attack enemy cards before they’re played, something Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s roster has lacked until now.
Pokemon TCG Pocket’s A4 Set Adds Multiple Mill-Friendly Cards
- Murkrow: After a successful coin flip, Murkrow forces the enemy to reveal a random card and shuffle it back into their deck
- Houndoom (Dark-type): Discards a random card from the opponent’s hand
- Dark Pendant (Tool): When attached to a Dark-type Pokemon, it forces the opponent to reveal a random card and shuffle it back into their deck each time they attack and damage the Pokemon it’s attached to
- Silver: Reveals the enemy’s hand and allows the player to send one of their Supporters back into the deck
Thanks to the addition of cards like Houndoom, Murkrow, Silver, and Dark Pendant, the mill archetype is no longer an impractical strategy. These new A4 cards can also synergize with Persian from Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s A1 set, which used to be the one-man army of the mill archetype.
Here’s an example of how the overhauled milling could work: Houndoom is in the Active Spot with Dark Pendant equipped. Every time it attacks the opposing player, they lose a card from their hand and every time the enemy attacks Houndoom, they lose another card. Fans should also remember that Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s Trainer Cards, like Red Card and Mars, can support this strategy as well, leaving the enemy with almost no cards to play.
That said, the mill archetype still has a long way to go if it wants to top the meta. A4 has certainly enhanced the strategy, but milling isn’t the best plan against Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s current meta-dominating decks. Most of them can deal with card discarders like Houndoom before they have a chance to make a lasting impact. What the archetype needs to have a say in the metagame is more synergies and a few new discard-oriented Trainers. Until then, it will remain in the “fun to play” category of decks, likely lacking the consistency needed to climb the competitive PvP ladder.
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