Strongest Basic Pokemon In Pokemon TCG Pocket

Basic Pokemon are essential for any Pokemon TCG Pocket strategy. At the start of every match, you are guaranteed at least one Basic Pokemon in your hand to get you going. While some Basics are necessary to climb into stronger Evolutions, others can hold their own by themselves.

These cards are incredibly useful since many of them can be used to start attacking as soon as possible. In a game where the first person to land a blow can gain an immediate advantage, it is good to have an idea of which Basic Pokemon are going to put in the most legwork toward acquiring points.

Updated January 1, 2025, by Alexander Pinera: Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Mythical Island makes it easier than ever to get a powerful strategy going using only Basic Pokemon. This can mean getting a head start with some swift Moves, or even having versatile Pokemon that only get stronger the longer the game drags on. Don’t let the term Basic fool you into thinking these Pokemon are weak. They are not to be messed with and can make any deck stronger. With a good mix of powerful ex Pokemon, non-evolution Basics, and amazing starts to an Evolution line, here are some of the most useful Basic Pokemon to start using.

15

Celebi Ex

Maximize Your Power

Celebi ex is one of the strongest ex Pokemon in the game and a fantastic Basic one to boot. For two Energy it can deal up to 100 damage in the early game, making it perfect for taking down many Basic Pokemon on your opponent’s side of the field.

Celebi ex gets better with time since you can flip an additional coin for each Grass Energy attached to it. If you have enough coin flips to land on heads four times, that will wipe out any Pokemon in the game.

14

Ponyta

A Powerful Horse Kick

If you’re running a Fire deck, then Ponyta is the perfect Evolution line to add some aggression. Ponyta can start attacking with only one Energy, but unlike the one found in Genetic Apex, it has the potential to hit for 40 with a good coin flip.

This is a great Pokemon to have in your Active Spot since you can easily get into Rapidash one turn after you play it. It also has the benefit of being able to hit weaknesses, unlike Farfetch’d, which is a Colorless.

13

Eevee

A Lucky Eevee

If you’re willing to flip some coins, Eevee is an aggressive choice for any deck, especially those that have something for Eevee to evolve into. Eevee is great at flipping coins since it can start doing so for only one Energy and deal 20 damage each time you land on heads.

This is much more economical than a card like Lickitung since it is not only cheaper to use, but easier to set up, and can be upgraded through Evolution. In some cases, Eevee can wipe out Basic Pokemon in only one hit, giving you a neat head start early in the game.

12

Marshadow

The Comeback King

Marshadow is the perfect comeback Pokemon. You can have it sitting on your Bench while your other Pokemon start punching at your opponent. This can force your opponent to start striking back. If they manage to get rid of your aggressive Pokemon, Marshadow can swoop in and deal a whopping 100 damage using Revenge.

This makes Marshadow an excellent support Pokemon since it can intimidate your opponent just by being on the Bench. While 40 base damage isn’t much for two Energy, it has a Retreat Cost of one, making it easy to put back on the Bench to wait its turn.

11

Tauros

The Ex Killer

Tauros is a menace against ex Pokemon. As a Basic Pokemon, it doesn’t need to Evolve to unleash some devastating power. Instead, all it needs is to stand face-to-face with an ex Pokemon.

As a Colorless Pokemon, Tauros is easy to slide into any deck as long as you have room for it. For three Energy, Fighting tackle does a base 40 damage. However, this damage goes up to 120 when used against an ex Pokemon. With the help of Giovanni, this can be an effective way of one-shotting Pokemon such as Celebi ex, Mew ex, Starmie ex, and more.

10

Lickitung

Just Keep Hitting

Lickitung is a strong Basic Pokemon since it has the potential to knock out any Pokemon in one hit. Like Misty, this card is a coin flip card with no cap. This means you don’t stop flipping until you hit tails.

Of course, this also means that the ceiling for how much damage you can do is through the roof. At 60 damage per head, four is all you need to knock out the most powerful Pokemon in the game. However, with no base damage, you also run the risk of doing nothing.

9

Jinx

Punish Energy Hoarders

Believe it or not, Jinx has the potential to be one of the strongest basic Pokemon in Pokemon TCG Pocket. This is because this card’s damage output scales with the amount of Energy your opponent has on their Pokemon plus 30 for the base damage.

With a Retreat Cost of one and Psychic only costing two Energy to perform, this Move can be set up quickly if your opponent is trying to use Energy acceleration. So, if they end up overstepping or getting too many good coin flips on Moltres or Misty, this greed will prove their undoing.

8

Pinsir

The Basic Pokemon Killer

Pinsir follows the same rules as Marowak ex. You get two coin flips, and each time, it does major damage. Pinsir is such a good Grass Pokemon because you don’t need to Evolve it to get this effect.

For two Energy, Double Horn has the potential to do up to 100 damage. This will knock out most Basic Pokemon that don’t have the HP of an ex card. This card also has 90 HP and can benefit from Erika and Butterfree for extra healing.

7

Kangaskhan

The Old One Two

Kangaskhan is a beefy Basic Pokemon with a strong punch. While technically weaker than Pinsir, it has more HP and only requires one Energy to start throwing punches around. Dizzy Punch lets you flip two coins, and for each head, you do 30 damage.

This can do a maximum of 60 damage and, with a few lucky flips, gains you a lead in the game early on. Kangaskhan is also Colorless, so it can be splashed around into any deck that you want to try running it in.

6

Magmar

Stoke The Flames

Magmar does 50 damage for two Energy, which is a nightmare for Grass-types and will deal with most of the Steel-types in one hit due to weakness. However, what makes Magmar such an aggressive Fire-type is that it is compatible with Blaine.

This gives Magmar 30 extra damage, and it’s the only Basic Pokemon that can take advantage of this effect without having to Evolve first. Even without using Blaine, Magmar is capable of sending many other Basic Pokemon to the discard pile before they can reach their final form.

5

Farfetch’d

A Consistent Hitter

Many aggressive decks use Farfetch’d because it is a Colorless Pokemon that can coexist with any type of Energy. While it may only have one move, Leek Slap does 40 damage for only one Energy, which is the most damage you can do at such a low and flexible cost.

This is why Farfetch’d is a fantastic card to see in your opening hand since it immediately lets you start smacking your opponent for 40 damage as soon as you get some Energy on it.

4

Hitmonlee

Kick The Bench Early

Hitmonlee is a strong Basic Pokemon because it is easy to set up and start attacking with. All it takes to start using Stretch Kick is one Energy. So, if you have it in your opening hand and get it in the Active Spot right away, your opponent’s Bench is immediately in trouble.

There are so many powerful Pokemon that start with 60 HP Basic forms. These are the ones that your opponent wants to keep safe. However, if they cannot draw into the right Evolutions in time, Hitmonlee can do away with many of them in only two hits, thus preventing them from getting their board to full power.

3

Zapdos ex

The Power Of Thunder

Most Pokemon in the game have only one move to use. This keeps the game simple. However, Zapdos ex has two moves it can use. Peck can do 20 damage for only one Energy in the early game, while Thundering Hurricane has the potential to deal up to 200 damage for three.

This gives Zapdos ex plenty of options, whether you’re opening it in your hand or seeing it later in the game. However, these choices make it an excellent pick for a solo deck focusing on charging up only one Pokemon to quickly deal damage.

2

Articuno ex

Freeze Your Opponent

Articuno is a solid Pokemon to have on your Bench at the start of the game. This is because it has strong moves that can hit your opponent early on and weaken the Bench. Misty makes this process easier if luck is on your side, with attacks available on your first turn.

This is why Articuno ex is usually the better choice for a bird turbo deck since it has the potential to close games very quickly as opposed to other birds that need to get one Energy at a time to start collecting points.

1

Mewtwo ex

Two Powerful Choices

Mewtwo ex has 150 HP, which makes it a powerful Pokemon to have on your Active Spot at the start of the game. At two Energy, it can start hitting for 50 with Psychic Sphere. At full power, it can deal a devastating 150 damage with Psydrive.

Even without Gardevoir providing Energy acceleration, you can always save Mewtwo’s most powerful attack when you need one of your opponent’s best Pokemon gone in a clean sweep. This is why Mewtwo ex is one of the strongest Basic Pokemon in the game.