There are seven difficult secret missions to complete in Pokémon TCG Pocket with their own rewards, so here's what cards you'll need to complete them.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Pokémon TCG Pocket's first major expansion, Space-Time Smackdown, is here and it's fantastic. Much more than just extra cards for the popular digital card game., the expansion establishes Pokémon TCG Pocket as a game I'll be returning to as long as the developers keep up the pace of new releases.

Good news! You can finally trade cards with friends in Pokémon TCG Pocket. Bad news! It sucks. It feels even more limited and backwards than when it was originally teased, and fans are in full revolt over the long-anticipated feature’s completely bungled rollout.

You can use as many Pokémon Tool cards as you want per turn, but you can only use one Tool card per Pokémon. So if you attach a Rocky Helmet on a certain Pokémon, you can’t stack another card, like another Rocky Helmet or a Lum Berry on top of it. Once your Pokémon loses HP and is sent to the discard pile, so too will the Tool card.

This means that players actually won't be able to trade cards from the Space-Time Smackdown expansion when it launches, and will instead have to wait for that option. It also means that all the Pokemon TCG Pocket rarest cards can't be traded, so if you wanted somebody's gold Mewtwo ex, you won't get it.

As is the case with every new set release, the addition of Space Time Smackdown has brought new Solo Battles to Pokémon TCG Pocket. Eight new battles are available in the Intermediate tier, nine are available in the Advanced tier, and eight are available in the Expert tier, though none have been added to the simplest Beginner tier.

The Pokémon Company probably sees the circuitousness of Pocket ’s trading system as a clever way to make the game stickier. But compared to other tactics like Pocket ’s regular events built around battling, it feels somewhat predatory and like something that doesn’t offer much value to players.

There are a number of ways to build up Palkia ex in Pocket, but we found it worked best alongside Vaporeon, Manaphy, and a singular Articuno ex for easy Energy Token control and immense damage output. Building this deck may take newer players a little more time, as it features cards from every set and themed booster pack in the game so far.

The next major Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket update, dubbed Space-Time Smackdown, is scheduled for Jan. 29, but several cards are already starting to appear online, presumably through datamining. Let’s break down some highlights.

Pokémon card art is always fantastic, but my god, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket’s latest line of full-art cards is particularly exceptional. The “Space-Time Smackdown” set will be released on the app on January 30,