In Pokémon TCG Pocket there are three fossil cards. But how can you make good use of them? Let’s take a look.
What are the fossils in Pokémon TCG Pocket? There are a total of three fossil cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
- Helix Fossil
- Dome Fossil
- Old Amber
They all have the same effect: “Play this card as if it were a basic colorless Pokémon with 40 HP. You can remove this card from play and place it on your discard pile at any time during your turn. This card cannot retreat.”
Additionally, each one serves as a base evolution for a specific Pokémon:
- The Helix Fossil evolves into Omanyte and then into Omastar
- The Dome Fossil evolves into Kabuto and then into Kabutops
- The Old Amber evolves into Aerodactyl
These are the basics of the fossil cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket. However, some trainers include the cards in their decks without considering the evolutions. Why?
What fossils without evolution can be used for in TCG Pocket
Here are the advantages: You can somewhat influence your starting hand with them. You always get a basic Pokémon in your starting hand that is in your deck in TCG Pocket. While fossils act as basic Pokémon, they are actually item cards. They do not count towards this rule.
This means: You will definitely get another basic Pokémon in your starting hand. So if you’re playing a deck where you want to get a very specific basic Pokémon in your first hand, you can fill up to six slots in your deck with fossils, allowing fewer other basic Pokémon in the deck. The likelihood of drawing your desired basic Pokémon is higher when there are few other basic Pokémon in the deck.
You can then use fossil cards as placeholders on the bench. In general, they can serve as placeholders if you’re playing a deck with which you want to stall for time. This includes decks like the Gengar-ex-deck.
You can use fossils in the active position while you power up Pokémon with energy on the bench. Since you can place them on the discard pile without retreat costs without losing a point, you can bring your desired Pokémon from the bench into play as soon as it’s ready.
Additionally, fossils are good against Sabrina, who swaps your active Pokémon. Many players try to bring a Pokémon from the bench into play with Sabrina that may not be adequately prepared to be destroyed early. You can then simply play a fossil from the bench instead of having to switch in a strong monster.
And again: Since you can place fossils on the discard pile without retreat costs, you can quickly bring a strong Pokémon that was swapped out by Sabrina back into the active position without having to use energy.
The disadvantages: Fossils are overall a tactical trick that can be effective in certain types of decks. However, they are not an absolute top solution, like the Misty Water combo. The major drawback is that fossils cannot deal damage. While they can act as placeholders in the active position, they will never put pressure on your opponent. This can stall for time, but your opponent can also lean back a bit.
Moreover, fossils also give a point when your opponent defeats them. Since they only have 40 HP, they do not survive many attacks.
Which cards are worthwhile in TCG Pocket? There are numerous cards in TCG Pocket that enable strong combinations. It’s crucial that you play suitable decks that fully exploit these strengths and synergies. To provide you with an overview of the strongest decks in TCG Pocket, we’ve put together a selection for you: The best decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket in the tier list.
