Pokémon TCG Pocket's newest set contains some powerful cards that will work well in existing decks or as the foundation of new ones. Last week, the popular digital trading card game released Triumphant Light, a brand-new themed booster pack containing 75 new cards (not including alternate art cards). While these themed booster packs don't contain quite as many cards as a full expansion, there are still plenty of great cards for players to collect or use in any deck.

One unique twist in Triumphant Light is that it introduces a new kind of mechanic built around Arceus and Arceus ex. Several other cards synergize with these two Pokémon cards with specific abilities that reduce damage, increase HP, or provide other boosts while Arceus or Arceus ex is on the battlefield. Because Arceus is a Colorless Pokémon, it can slot into multiple decks to provide some major boosts alongside those Pokémon that it synergizes with. Below is some of the best cards that you'll want to get your hands on while opening Triumphant Light packs:

Houndoom Has Great Art (& A Great Counter)

Fierce Fire-type Pokémon

Houndoom brings a surprising ability that helps cancel out one of the major strategic moves in Pokémon TCG Pocket. Houndoom's Counter attack not only deals 60 damage for just two Energy, it also prevents the opponent's Pokémon from retreating on their next turn. This ability is particularly impressive since so much of the game involves knowing when to swap out an injured Pokémon to prevent opponent's from gaining an additional point and a potential win.

Also, Houndoom's full art card is one of the top in the new set. Illustrated by matazo, this new card shows Houndoom breathing out sparks and flames while standing menacingly on a rock. This artwork does an amazing job of illustrating why you don't want to mess with this Fire/Dark-type Pokémon that literally looks like a dog from hell.

Sudowoodo Alt Art Is Beautiful

Stationary Rock-type Pokémon

Sudowoodo might not seem like an amazing Pokémon at first glance, but it's one of the most potent counters to one of the top cards in the set. Sudowoodo's Fighting Headbutt deals only 20 damage normally, but it deals 30 extra damage if its opponent is a Pokémon ex card. This is particularly useful as Arceus ex, the signature card in the new set, is weak against Fighting-type Pokémon. That boosts Sudowoodo's damage output to 70 damage against Arceus ex, which means Sudowoodo can knock out this powerful Pokémon with just two attacks.

Sudowoodo also has an alternate art card, showcasing the Pokémon as it stands among several cultivated bonsai trees. Illustrated by Yuriko Akase, it appears that Sudowoodo is guiding its owner on how to shape and cultivate the bonsai trees, as its little plant friends all look like Sudowoodo or its pre-evolved form Bonsly.

Glaceon ex Is Perfect For Fans Of The Eeveelution

Damaging Ice-Type Pokémon

Glaceon puts continuous pressure on its opponent thanks to its Snowy Terrain ability. This ability deals 10 damage to all of an opponent's Pokémon at the end of the Checkup Phase. Since the Checkup Phase occurs between turns, this means that Glaceon deals 20 damage every round just by sitting on the Active Spot. With 140 HP and a 90 damage attack, Glaceon seems like an easy addition to any Water-type deck.

Its new special illustration rare card shows Glaceon frolicking in a winter wonderland. Illustrated by rika, the artwork appears to show Glaceon standing on top of an Ice Rock, the specific type of evolutionary geographical landmark originally needed to evolve Glaceon in earlier Pokémon games.

Probo ex Cards Are All Highlights

Stout Steel-type Pokémon

Probo ex could prove to be the tank of Triumphant Light, with high HP and an attack that reduces damage on the subsequent turn. The new Steel-type Pokémon ex card has a whopping 160 HP, making it one of the beefiest Pokémon in the game. The Pokémon's strong HP is buoyed by its Defensive Unit attack that reduces incoming damage by 20 HP.

The Special Illustration Rare card, illustrated by Masa, shows Probo protecting its limbs under a tree during a rainstorm.

Players can also use Adamar to further reduce damage, as the Trainer card can reduce damage to Steel-type Pokémon by an additional 20 points. These two cards can help Probo absorb multiple hits and reduce weak attacks to basically nothing. The Special Illustration Rare card, illustrated by Masa, shows Probo protecting its limbs under a tree during a rainstorm. As each of its limbs is actually a Nose, it appears that this Pokémon is protecting itself from one of its fundamental weaknesses - water.

Crobat Can Deal A Lot Of Damage

Dark-Type Pokémon That Syncs With Arceus

Of the various Pokémon that sync up with Arceus and Arceus ex, Crobat is my favorite. This Stage 2 Pokémon can functionally make a free attack every single turn as long as Arceus or Arceus ex is on the field thanks to its Cunning Link. Cunning Link deals 30 damage to the opponent's Active Pokémon as long as Arceus or Arceus ex is in play. Coupled with an attack that deals 50 damage for just one Darkness Energy, this is a pretty great Pokémon to slot into a Dark-type deck.

Of course, the biggest weakness to Crobat is that it's a Stage 2 Pokémon AND it requires Arceus to be a real threat. Personally, I'd toy around with using two Crobat, a pair of Darkrai ex, and Arceus ex as the basis of a deck to see if the deck can really shine as a ive damage-dealing menace.

Leafeon ex Secret Illustration Rare Is Adorable

Grass-Type Energy Generator

Leafeon ex provides a much-needed energy engine to Grass-type decks. The Pokémon's Forest Breath ability allows players to add a Grass-type Energy to one Grass-type Pokémon as long as Leafeon is in the active spot. Given the lack of real energy generators in Grass-type decks, I expect this card to get a lot of use, especially if some intrepid player figures out a top-tier Grass-type deck.

The Pokémon's Secret Illustration Rare card shows Glaceon lounging in a meadow. Illustrated by saino misaki, this beautiful Pokémon card captures a serenity and tranquility not often seen in a Pokémon card. Leafeon is my favorite Eevee evolution, so this card is definitely on the top of my list of chase cards.

Irida Provides A Lot Of Versatility

Healing Pearl Clan Leader

Irida, leader of the Pearl Clan, becomes a necessary addition to every Water-type deck in the game. Her ability heals 40 damage from any Pokémon that has Water Energy attached. Given there's no limitation on how many Pokémon can be healed with this ability, nor is there a limit to what type of Pokémon she can heal, Irida has the ability to heal up to 160 points of damage, which is massive in Pokémon TCG Pocket.

Irida comes with two cards - a standard card and a Full Art card showing her standing confidently with a small smile on her face. If Irida existed as a physical Pokémon card, she'd probably be a top-seller on the secondary market, and I'm guessing that this card will continue to be popular for a long time given its versatility.

Celestic Team Elder Is A Must-Have

Most Powerful er Card In Triumphant Light

The Celestic Town Elder is probably the strongest er card in Triumphant Light, and one of the strongest er cards in the game. This humble-looking card allows a player to pull a random Basic Pokémon from the discard pile into their hand. While the randomness is technically a weakness, players shouldn't have more than two Basic Pokémon in their discard pile at any time.

This card ultimately allows players to bounce back from an early knockout and get a necessary Pokémon back into play. Whether you need to bring back Arceus to activate other Pokémon's abilities or need a Basic Pokémon to pull off a string of evolutions, this is a great and versatile card for just about any deck.

Arceus ex Immersive Art Is Excellent

A Standout Card Of Triumphant Light

Arceus ex is the featured Pokémon card in Triumphant Light, with multiple cards that tie into it. Arceus ex itself feels a bit underwhelming - it has an ability that prevents it from being impacted by Special Conditions and an attack that can deal up to 130 damage as long as the player has a full deck for just three Colorless Energy. This puts it in the range of being a solid Pokémon ex card but not necessarily a top-tier card.

Where Arceus ex really shines is its versatility. It can slot into any deck and it syncs up with multiple other Pokémon cards in the new set. Each type of card has at least one Pokémon that syncs up with Arceus, meaning that players can put Arceus and that card into their favorite set.

Our advice is to play around with Arceus ex and its related cards until you find a combination that fits well in your strongest deck.

Arceus ex also comes with multiple alternate art cards, including the set's only Gold card and Immersive Art card. The Immersive Art card is particularly fantastic, with Arceus floating above the various Pokémon that synergizes with it in the set. It's a great representation of the set as a whole and is awesome to look at over and over again.

Garchomp ex Special llustration Rare Is The Best Card

Most Powerful Pokémon Ex Card In Triumphant Light

Garchomp ex is our top card in Triumphant Light. A Stage 2 Pokémon, Garchomp ex has two potent attacks. The first attack deals 50 damage to one Pokémon belonging to the opponent for just 1 Fighting Energy, while the other deals 100 damage at 3 Energy. While Stage 2 Pokémon take time to set up, Garchomp ex is definitely worth the work since it can snipe damaged bench Pokémon or fully knock out an Active Pokémon.

Garchomp ex's Special Illustration Rare card shows the card challenging Arceus in battle. Illustrated by toriyufu, this card reflects Garchomp's status as one of the few cards in the set that can truly challenge Arceus in a straight battle in Pokémon TCG Pocket.