Mastering Gulpin in Control Decks for the Pokémon TCG

Gulpin card art from Hidden Legends (ex5-62)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Strategic Notes: Mastering Gulpin in a Control Shell

Pokémon TCG control decks have always thrived on tempo denial, precise disruption, and the occasional stubborn stall partner. Enter Gulpin, a small Grass-type basic from Hidden Legends that embodies the charm of “simple answers, big impact.” With 50 HP, a straightforward two-attack kit, and a knack for forcing the opponent into awkward decisions, Gulpin can anchor a control plan that wears down threats while you assemble a win condition. ⚡🔥

The card’s lineage matters here. Gulpin appears in the ex5 Hidden Legends set, a period when Trainers and strategies favored patient board development and clever status-play. Its illustration by Yuka Morii captures that clay-pink, glossy-pobble look that fans remember from late-2000s gloss and early holo flair. While it’s not a powerhouse by today’s standards, its attacks—Yawn and Spit Poison—offer reliable disruption that scales with patient deckbuilding. And while this particular Gulpin isn’t legal in Standard or Expanded today, the approach to using status effects for control remains a timeless theme in many TCG eras. 🎨

Card snapshot: what you’re building around

Name: Gulpin
Set: Hidden Legends (ex5)
Card Number: 62
Rarity: Common
Type: Grass
HP: 50
Stage: Basic
Attacks: Yawn (Colorless); Spit Poison (Grass)
Yawn effect: The Defending Pokémon is now Asleep.
Spit Poison effect: The Defending Pokémon is now Poisoned.
Weakness: Psychic ×2
Illustrator: Yuka Morii
Availability: Non-Legal in Standard/Expanded; collectible nostalgia piece

Core gameplay ideas: how Gulpin fits a control plan

In a control-oriented deck, the goal is to outlast the opponent by denying tempo and exploiting every scrappy turn you can secure. Gulpin’s Yawn is a stall mechanism that can buy you precious turns, especially when you lack a big accelerant or a knockout threat. When you drop Gulpin early and attach even a single Energy, you threaten Yawn on the next turn, forcing your opponent to play around sleep rather than freely pursuing a boss attack. It’s a quiet way to tilt the game in your favor without swinging with raw damage. 💎

Spit Poison provides a more proactive element: it applies Poison, a persistent effect that chips away at your foe over the next turns. In a control shell, this poisons the Defending Pokémon and compounds with sleep to slow down aggressive or draw-heavy lines. The synergy here is not “one big hit” but “multiple small inconveniences,” which is exactly how patient players win long, grindy matchups. Remember that Grass energies are a resource; careful energy management keeps Yawn available while you stall and deploy your plan. 🎴

Deck-building notes: durability, pacing, and removal-free pressure

Opening curve: Put Gulpin on the bench early. If you can, get a Grass Energy attached to start pressuring with Spit Poison while you fill the bench with other disruption cards.
Energy discipline: Because Yawn costs Colorless and Spit Poison costs Grass, you’ll want a mix of basic Grass and colorless options. The exact ratio depends on the rest of your lineup, but you’re aiming to keep at least one Gulpin threatening on a turn-by-turn basis.
Disruption pairings: Consider Trainers and Supporters that slow opponents, deny resources, or fetch your switch-out options. The aim is to create windows where sleep and poison are maximizing staying power rather than simply trying to knock out a target.
Bench management: Gulpin rewards careful peeking at your opponent’s board. If you’re facing a heavy-hit or a rapid setup strategy, use the poison track to chip away while you wait for a defensive piece to come into play.
Win condition: In nostalgia-heavy builds, you might laze into a slow victory using status-laden pressure until your opponent cannot recover. In more modern contexts, Gulpin becomes a symbolic anchor that demonstrates the enduring value of control-and-disruption tactics, even if the meta has shifted since its first printing. ⚡

Matchups, weaknesses, and resilience

Gulpin’s chief practical weakness is its low HP—50 means it can fall quickly to a determined offense. Its Psychic weakness ×2 makes it extra vulnerable to threats that rely on Psychic-types or dual-energy attackers, so you’ll want to time your benching with caution and rely on your longer-game plan to survive early blows. In the right environment, however, Gulpin’s status effects create a soft lock that can frustrate faster decks, forcing them to commit more resources than they’d like. This is especially meaningful in environments where stall-friendly strategies are valued and players savor the tension between sleep clocks and poison ticks. 🎮

Artwork, flavor, and collectible context

Yuka Morii’s artwork on ex5-62 captures Gulpin’s squishy, almost cartoonish charm—perfect for a card that emphasizes timing and patient play. While the card isn’t currently legal in Standard or Expanded formats, it remains a beloved piece for collectors who appreciate Hidden Legends’ classic era and Morii’s distinctive style. The holo variants and print runs from this set add to its appeal, especially for fans who enjoy building era-accurate, nostalgia-driven decks that celebrate the broad tapestry of Pokémon TCG history. 🔥

Market snapshot: value, rarity, and collector sentiment

As a Common Grass-type from a cherished era, Gulpin ex5-62 sits in a comfortable price range for older collectors. CardMarket data shows a broad EUR price spectrum, with average values around a few tenths of a euro and occasional holo variants commanding higher attention. On TCGPlayer, non-holo copies in the modern market often hover around modest figures, while reverse-holo and holo prints fetch noticeably higher prices in niche windows. For players, the card’s value lies in its function and nostalgia rather than a skyrocketing market spike, making it a prudent addition for control-focused builds that value flavor and history as much as function. 💎

Whether you’re chasing a memory, exploring the design space of early control archetypes, or simply admiring the quiet elegance of a basic that can swing a game through strategic patience, Gulpin offers a charming doorway into the art of restraint in Pokémon TCG battles.

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