Damage Output: Terms & Ranges – Pokémon TCG Pocket Article

Damage Output: Terms & Ranges

Date Posted:  January 19, 2025

Otaku

I’ve been writing Card of the Day articles about the Pokémon TCG Pocket for two and a half weeks, and realized I needed to write an article explaining the terms and ranges I use for attack damage output. I also realized I need to revise both the terms and each damage range. There are several other supplemental articles I need to complete, but I was fortunate that this project was quick to complete.

I’ll begin with the new terms and the damage range to which each applies:

I am hopeful that five terms and ranges will suffice, as I can use a descriptor (or the exact damage) if when I need to be more precise. I went with linear growth; other than the “None” category, each is 50 points “wide”.

Who all uses these terms and ranges?

I created this for myself, as stated, so no one but me. However, I would love for others to use it if it actually proves useful! Likewise, I would not be surprised if others created something similar (the terms are generic), or if no one has because only I find them helpful.

What about combos?

It’ll depend on the combo, and how pertinent it is to that review. If it does not seem to confusing, time consuming, or length consuming, I can explain how an attack might increase or decrease in range. I often use these terms when explaining what kind of attack a Pokémon has to worry about given its HP.

What about variable damage attacks?

Time and article length permitting, I’ll address how the attack range can vary. If I don’t specify whether I’m talking about the attack’s minimum, maximum, mean, median, or mode value, I’m probably going with whatever I believe is most relevant to actual game play.

What about Energy costs? Other Attack costs, conditions, and effects?

That will have to wait for a future article.

How long will you be using this?

Until I believe it is no longer sufficient and have time to replace it. Power creep is a very real thing in the full TCG: I do not expect things to be different for Pocket. Hopefully, it will only matter in the long term. Depending on when you read this, I either have or soon will revise the already posted Pokémon Pocket reviews to follow the above guidelines, and may link to this article.

Did you base this on the HP and/or damage outputs of the metagame? The entire cardpool?

I did not have time to be this thorough. I did consider the damage outputs I often encounter while playing, or have seen in competitive decks. If I can work far enough ahead, I hope to try again and be more thorough.

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