If you have spent time Pokémon TCG Pocket Like us, you’ve probably tried to optimize your decks as much as possible. But rather than setting up more basic Pokémon or trying to attract more big hitters, you should look elsewhere to maximize your power.

We are talking about fossils. These cards, perhaps niche at first glance, provide some truly powerful versatility to many of the game’s decks, filling two major roles, while not sucking energy from your main team of powerful Pokémon. This doesn’t make sense in every deck, but for many it’s worth considering.

Here’s why. As a trainer card that you can place on your board and bench, they provide a 40 HP wall that can absorb a hit or two. However, unlike other basic Pokémon, they will not be picked up by a Pokeball when you are looking for a specific card to build your monentum. On top of that, you can discard them from the game at any time during your turn, so if you need that spot on the bench, you don’t need to wait for a member of your team to die to start fill it and expend energy.

Additionally, you may have noticed that the Sabrina card is played a lot by other players. This is a great training option, as it allows you to force replace the Advanced Pokémon with a Benched Pokémon, allowing your opponent to draw cards that you would otherwise want to remove from play. With Fossil cards, you can simply exchange them for a quick sacrifice. Sure, you lose a card and your opponent gains a point, but you don’t waste energy and can continue to develop your powerful Pokémon without having to worry about unfortunate deaths.

There are currently three types of fossils available, and you really only need two to try it. Any fossils too, since you’re not looking to use them as evolution material. Try it and let us know how it works in the comments below!