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Pojo's Pokémon Card of the Day

 

Ferrothorn #73

Emerging Powers

Date Reviewed: Oct. 27, 2011

Ratings & Reviews Summary

Modified: 1.57
Limited: 3.00

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale.
1 being the worst. 
3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating.

Back to the main COTD Page

Baby Mario
2010 UK National
Seniors
Champion

Ferrothorn 73/98 (Emerging Powers)

Today’s card features one of the stranger designs from Generation V: Ferrothorn looks like a cross between a UFO and some kind of spiky plant thing to me. In the videogames its unique Metal/Grass Typing gives it some hugely impressive Defensive stats. Unfortunately, in the TCG, it just makes it extremely vulnerable to the many, many players who are bringing Reshiram decks to tournaments.

For a Pokémon that is so famously durable in the VG, Ferrothorn has a less than impressive 90 HP which, coupled with the Fire Weakness, means that the current metagame is not a good place for it to be active. Even the Metal Typing which gives access to the defensive boost of Special Metal Energy won’t be any help at all when your opponent announces ‘Blue Flare’. The Psychic Resistance is better than nothing and could come in handy against Gothitelle, but most of the time, it won’t count for much. The Retreat cost of three is very heavy and would actually be a disincentive to use this card . . . and it doesn’t need any more of those.

Ferrothorn’s first attack, Iron Defense, costs only one Metal Energy and gives you a coin flip for immunity from damage and effects on your opponent’s next turn. It may sound like a reasonable delaying tactic, but it’s really not. For a start you are relying on a flip; for another having a protected active Pokémon does not give you an unbreakable wall in a format where most decks are playing Pokémon Catcher in multiples; finally (and to me, this is the most important point), is this really what you go to the trouble of getting out a Stage 1 for? A 50-50 chance of walling your opponent? I don’t see that as being a productive use of your resources somehow.

Of course, where Iron Defense could be good is if it is saving your Ferrothorn for some spectacularly hard-hitting second attack . . . only it isn’t. Power Whip costs [C][C] and does 10 damage to one of your opponent’s Pokémon for each Energy attached to Ferrothorn. We have seen very similar attacks on other Pokémon in the past (Lickilicky TM and Tangrowth GE for example), and it never really works. Why? Because to do significant damage requires a large amount of Energy invested in a Pokémon that is easily KO’d, that’s why. By way of a comparison, it would take Ferrothorn four Energy to do what Yanmega Prime can do for no Energy whatsoever and although Ferrothorn’s snipe damage isn’t capped, the chances of getting it to do more than that are very slim.

Basically, Ferrothorn is a Pokémon that asks for a lot, and gives very little in return.

Rating

Modified: 1.5 (Not an efficient use of your precious resources)

Limited: 3.5 (Not bad at all here. Can buy you time and clean up late game by sniping damaged Pokémon)

Mad Mattezhion
 Professor Bathurst League Australia

Ferrothorn 73/98 (Emerging Powers)
 
Today we review one of the 2 Ferrothorn cards from the set (you get a cookie if you can guess what tomorrow's card is!). Although I've never been a big fan of Bug/Metal hybrids we do seem to have a few of them around so maybe this card will change my opinion.
 
Nope, not gonna happen. This Ferrothorn has a barely acceptable HP for a Stage 1 and generally won't last long enough for Special Metal energy to make a difference. Weakness to Reshiram and friends is another major downside and the heavy triple retreat cost is the final nail in the coffin. At least the resistance will frustrate Mew Prime and Gothitelle.
 
The attacks are a waste of resources in Modified but in Limited they will prove quite useful. Iron Defense costs a single [m] energy for a chance at immunity, which is a decent option ifyou need to stall, but the lack of damage means this is purely defensive (never a good sign) and sooner or later it will fail (with or without your opponent's help).
 
Power Whip is completely underwhelming, costing [c][c] to hit a single target and dealing 10 damage per Energy attached to Ferrothorn. Even though you could use FanBoar or Typhlosion Prime to attach lots of energy for more damage, you won't because Ferrothorn is completely outgunned by Reshiram and Yanmega Prime. At least in Limited the ability to snipe without needing any specific energy will give Ferrothorn a reason to hit the table.
 
This card is just filler for the prereleases, but then that isn't such a bad thing. Limited events get boring when a lack of in-set support slows games down to a crawl so Ferrothorn has a good reason to exist after all.
 
Modified: 1.5 (far below the average)
 
Limited: 2.5 (it's a sniper but not an especially powerful one so pick your targets carefully)
 
Combos with: that back corner of the binder where the inexpensive, ugly cards all hide.

virusyosh Hello once again, Pojo readers! Today we'll be reviewing one of the new Metal-types in the Emerging Powers expansion that is fairly popular in the video games. Today's Card of the Day is Ferrothorn (#73).

Ferrothorn is a Stage 1 Metal Pokemon. Metal-types are very uncommon in the Modified format, with Steelix Prime seeing very little play and not much else. You may occasionally see a Scizor Prime or two as well. 90 HP is average for a Stage 1 Pokemon, and Ferrothorn will be able to take an unboosted hit in Limited, but will fall to most heavy hitters in Modified. However, it is important to note that Ferrothorn can take advantage of the damage reducing properties of Special Metal Energy. Fire Weakness makes Ferrothorn easy prey for Reshiram, Typhlosion, and Emboar; Psychic Resistance helps against Mew Prime and Gothitelle; and a Retreat Cost of 3 is gigantic, so you'll want to use Switch to get Ferrothorn out of the Active Position.

Ferrothorn has two attacks: Iron Defense and Power Whip. Iron Defense costs a single Metal Energy, and can prevent all effects of attacks including damage during your opponent's next turn. This attack is fine as a stalling mechanism in Limited, but probably won't get you very far in Modified. Power Whip is Ferrothorn's form of offense, and deals 10 damage to one of your opponent's Pokemon for each Energy attached to Ferrothorn. In this way, Ferrothorn could be an interesting choice as a sniper when paired with Ability Emboar, as you can load Fire Energies onto Ferrothorn and snipe for a high amount of damage. However, there are generally better options: Mandibuzz BW is a better sniper for a cheaper cost, for example.

Modified: 1.75/5 Ferrothorn probably won't make a big splash in Modified any time soon. Fire is far too common of a type, and Power Whip doesn't deal enough damage for its investment to be effective.

Limited: 3/5 Ferrothorn is solid but unspectacular in Limited. Iron Defense is decent but unreliable if you need to stall, and Power Whip can be good as a snipe attack. The lack of Fire Pokemon in Emerging Powers helps Ferrothorn's case, as well.

Combos With: Emboar BW (Ability)


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