Pokémon TCG Previews Five New Pitch Black Cards Ahead of July Release
The upcoming Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion “Mega Evolution – Pitch Black” is set to introduce a darker collection of Pokémon, strategies, and Mega Evolution Pokémon ex when it arrives later this year.
Featuring more than 115 cards, the expansion explores themes ranging from ancient fossils and mysterious sea creatures to destructive Fire and Darkness type attackers.
Ahead of the set’s launch, several cards have been highlighted to give players a closer look at some of the mechanics and strategies waiting inside the expansion.
Among the most powerful reveals is Mega Excadrill ex, a heavily offensive Pokémon capable of dealing substantial damage while disrupting an opponent’s deck.
Its Undermine attack inflicts 90 damage and forces the opposing player to discard the top two cards of their deck when powered by Metal Energy.
Mega Excadrill ex can become even more threatening through Maximum Drilling, an attack that delivers 200 damage and gains an additional 130 damage when enough extra Energy has been attached.
Players who can consistently accelerate Energy attachments may find Mega Excadrill ex to be one of the set’s most dangerous attackers.
Supporting fossil-themed strategies is the Stadium card Fossil Quarry, which helps players bring ancient discoveries into play more efficiently.
Once during each player’s turn, Fossil Quarry allows a search of the deck for up to two Item cards containing “Antique” in their names before placing them directly onto the Bench.
This effect provides valuable consistency for decks built around the expansion’s fossil-themed cards, which can otherwise be difficult to locate quickly.
One Pokémon that benefits significantly from this strategy is Relicanth, a deep-sea species with strong synergy alongside Antique cards.
Relicanth’s Fossil Beatdown attack starts at 10 damage but gains an additional 30 damage for every Benched Pokémon carrying “Antique” in its name.
By combining Relicanth with Fossil Quarry, players can rapidly build a board state capable of boosting the attack’s overall damage output.
Another ocean-dwelling addition to the set is Dhelmise, which rewards players for building around the Hide ‘n’ Sneak Ability.
This Ability allows certain Pokémon to avoid the effects of attacks and Abilities, creating opportunities for more tactical and evasive gameplay.
Dhelmise attacks with Vengeful Anchor for 30 damage using a Psychic Energy attachment.
However, if four or more Pokémon possessing Hide ‘n’ Sneak are already in the discard pile, the attack gains an additional 140 damage, turning Dhelmise into a surprisingly powerful late-game threat.
The expansion also introduces a new interpretation of Chi-Yu within the Pokémon TCG.
Rather than appearing as a Fire-type Pokémon, Chi-Yu makes its debut as a Darkness-type card, a fitting choice given the expansion’s shadowy theme.
Its attack, Whirling Envy, normally deals 20 damage for a single Darkness Energy.
When Chi-Yu has accumulated at least two damage counters, however, the attack receives a substantial increase of 90 additional damage.
This risk-versus-reward design encourages players to carefully manage damage while maximizing offensive potential.
Together, these newly revealed cards offer a glimpse into the variety of strategies available throughout the Mega Evolution – Pitch Black expansion, ranging from Energy-heavy attackers and fossil synergies to unconventional Darkness-type tactics.
Pokémon TCG: “Mega Evolution – Pitch Black” is scheduled to launch on July 17, 2026, bringing more than 115 cards to players and collectors worldwide.
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