In our previous article we discussed the best Poison effect Pokémon to use in battle. We named some common ones used in battle and ones that weren’t. But we mentioned that we missed a few that could also help you in your battles. That’s what this article is for! We’ll talk about some more Poison Pokémon and how they can be used in battle!
Crobat EX:
This is a Dark Type Pokémon and the first of 2 Dark Type Pokémon we’ll look at today. This is also the only EX Pokémon featured in this article. It only has one attack but it’s extremely effective! It does 70 damage for only 1 Energy which is amazing for a Stage 2 Pokémon. It also Poisons the opposing Active Pokémon when you use this attack. If you have a Rare Candy in your deck to use on Zubat this can be a strong offensive start! You can also combo this with Nihilego to increase the damage done by Poison. This is a Stage 2 Pokémon that has a very simple attack but its damage is incredible for only 1 Energy. Try to get this Pokémon on the Field as soon as you can so you can surprise your opponent!
Scolipede:
This is the second Dark Type Pokémon that is featured in this article. This is also the only Pokémon featured that doesn’t inflict Poison directly. Instead, this is one of many Pokémon that has an attack that capitalizes on Poison. This Pokémon can use Venoshock which in this case does 70+ damage for 2 Energy. But if the opposing Pokémon is Poisoned, this attack does an extra 50 damage! The appeal for Pokémon like Scolipede is that previous evolutions can inflict Poison. For example, Whirlipede can do 20 damage for 1 Energy and inflict Poison. If you evolve to Scolipede your next turn, you can deal extra damage! However, you’ll want to continue implementing Poison so come prepared with other methods! For example, Celebi (Pulsing Aura) allows you to use attacks from previous Evolutions!
Roserade:
This is a Grass Type Pokémon and one of 2 variants that can inflict Poison. For this article we’ll look at Roserade from the Fantastical Parade card set. That’s because this attack comes with an extra effects that the other Roserade doesn’t have! This attack does 50 damage for 2 Energy, and once it hits it Poisons the opposing Pokémon. However, during the opponents next turn, their defending Pokémon won’t be able to retreat. This means that unless it has other methods of retreating, the Poisoned Pokémon will stay in the Active Spot. Having Pokémon that make retreating unavailable are helpful for targeting Pokémon. This can backfire if your opposing Pokémon is already set up or has a lot of health. So we recommend using this Pokémon early when your opponent isn’t set up for attacks if you can!
Tentacruel:
This is a Water Type Pokémon and works in a similar way to Roserade. There are multiple variants of Tentacruel that can inflict Poison. However, for this article we’ll focus on Tentacruel from the Secluded Springs card set. In a similar attack to Roserade, it does 50 damage for 3 Energy. However, the main difference is that when you use this attack you flip a coin. If the coin lands on Heads the opposing Pokémon is not only Poisoned but Paralyzed. It works in the same way as Roserade but being Paralyzed means that it can’t attack or retreat! Targetting a Pokémon that can’t do anything is a great way to deal consistent damage. However, as with Roserade be careful of when you use this attack! Status Effects can be cleared by cards such as Pokémon Center Lady so look out for those counters!
There are other Pokémon and Supporter cards that can inflict Poison that weren’t featured here. But there are also other Status Effect types that can you can utilise in battle! Some are more common than others and they come with different strategies. We’ll discuss those Pokémon in future articles, so keep an eye out for them! For now though, experiment with Poison Pokémon and see how they fit in your decks!