Day: December 3, 2015

Zoroak BREAK
Being that Breakthrough was just released, right now we’re not sure how good this card is. Although it seems of the new set, it’s the most popular one which is a good sign. It seems to have a handful of uses, as an attacker, as an escape rope, and a mimic. The more I see it, the more I’m impressed.

Shaymin-EX
It’s the most expensive card in the game, and just about every deck needs one. However once it’s talents are used, it sits there. So you wonder why the heck you have it out there. But yet you find you can’t make a deck without him. Classic card that you can’t live without when you have it, but it’s not as great as you’d imagine it would be when you do have it.

Wailord EX
Alone this card is useless. By the time you get enough energy on it to actually fire a shot, you could have powered up like 4 Entei’s. However in the right situation this can be a cog in a championship deck. Also you would never ever attack with this card. That’s just not its role.

Durant
In the early part of this decade this was a useful card. However in its 2015 incarnation, it’s largely useless.

Professor Birch
When you first get this card you think it’s a good supporter card. It gets more cards in your hands, which is essential to Pokemon TCG. However that coin flip is the difference between drawing 4 cards and 7. And that inconsistency means you’re better off with Sycamore and/or Shauna. Eventually you stop using Birch for more consistent methods.

Charizard-EX
If this is your first EX (it was ours), you think WOW it’s awesome. It looks great, has a lot of hit points, & can (seemingly) do a good amount of damage. But as you face better players, you notice that it’s damage isn’t that much, it discards an energy every turn which really slows down the rest of your team’s development, and it’s just useless against water decks. So it’s a fun card to see, but not for serious players.

Double Colorless Energy
At times this card seems awesome. It can power so many attacks. But under the surface are some weaknesses. It’s easily targeted for destruction. Not every pokemon needs 2 colorless energy in their attacks. It’s almost impossible to pull out of the discard pile (baby Yveltal aside). Yet it’s still extremely useful and you’ll want this card in just about every deck you own. You just can’t rely in it all the time.

Golurk
This is supposedly a pretty good card. 130 hit points. It counts as both Fighting and Psychic. It can dish out 120 damage. Have I ever seen a successful deck with it? No. Am I scared when an opponent plays it? No.

Loudred
If a Loudred is never played, because no one would ever put him in a deck, does it make a sound?

Lapras
When you get that first theme deck, Lapras is a monster. He’s a basic pokemon with over 100 hit points. He can take energy from the discard pile & power up other pokemon. He can do large amounts of damage if given enough energy.

But in the end, he doesn’t really fit in well with other decks. That energy acceleration doesn’t work early in the game, and those 110 HPs aren’t strong enough for late in the game. As you make better decks, you struggle to find spots for him that will cover those weaknesses.

Eevee
This card can evolve into a bunch of average pokemon which can enhance the other cards around it. Any time you’re playing a deck that’s weak against water, fire, or electricity, you don’t want to see this card on your opposing player’s bench. The only thing that stops an eevee, is not having the proper card to evolve into. So for eevee, evolution is the key.

Lampent
The only reason to have this card in your deck is to discard it. Literally it’s better to throw him out that play him.

Pyroar
If you’re a new player, eventually you turn to fire to make a deck. It’s just a stage everyone goes through. FlashFire’s Pyroar is a good defensive card against EX and basic attackers. But his offense is sustainable if you’re chucking energy on his attack, you’re not powering up your other cards. Can he be useful in a more powerful deck? That is yet to be determined.

Flash Energy
“I got a special energy! I got a special energy! I got a special energy!”

“Double Colorless? Strong Energy? Dangerous Energy? Double Dragon?”

“No — Flash Energy! The special electric energy.”

“Have you ever seen a deck with it?”

“No.”

“Can you think of any uses for it?”

“No.”

“Does it do anything good?”

“No.”

“Still excited about it?

“No.”