We end the week with
Zoroark (BW: Next Destinies
102/99), a Secret Rare reprint of
Black & White 71/114); the Stats and
Effects are the same, but the artwork is
radically different, featuring a
non-standard color-scheme for a
Zoroark.
Stats
Zoroark
is a Stage 1 Darkness-Type Pokémon,
which comes as no surprise since this is
a reprint.
Being a Stage 1 Pokémon has
gotten worse as the format has
progressed, with several big, Basic
Pokémon who’s Stats and Effects would
make for a solid Stage 2 Pokémon, thus
easily surpassing most Stage 1 options.
Zoroark must maximize it’s speed as
best as it can, but unless we get
something “special”, it will always be a
turn (and thus a step) behind big Basic
Pokémon, whether they are Pokémon EX or
of the normal variety.
Being a Darkness-Type is a small
advantage; when facing a Darkness-Type
deck, one shouldn’t underestimate how
even the 10 extra points of damage a
single Special Energy
Darkness Energy card can radically
shift games.
Of course those running
Darkness-Type decks have to remember not
to overestimate it either; again it is a
small advantage.
It is almost meaningless in terms
of Type-Matching.
100 HP is as low as I like to see on a
Stage 1, and for a Stage 1 that can’t
Evolve again, it still is functionally
low.
Most aggressive attackers will be
able to OHKO it, and for that matter as
long as it is an attacker it should come
close enough that
PlusPower or the like can close the
deal: don’t expect
Zoroark to survive your opponent’s
turn unless you’ve got it somehow
protected.
The Fighting Weakness isn’t as
bad as it used to be: some
Donphan Prime decks are still
rolling around, but they aren’t the
force they used to be.
You have to worry more about
Terrakion, but ultimately Weakness
just saves the player from dropping a
PlusPower; it hits for 90 before
Weakness anyway (when properly used –
improperly used you actually should
survive).
Psychic Resistance is somewhat
handy; it is one more Energy for
Mewtwo EX to OHKO
Zoroark with X-Ball, but if
Mewtwo EX is actually in a Psychic
deck its Psydrive attack overpowers
Resistance anyway.
The single Energy Retreat Cost
finishes off the bottom stats, and it is
a nice, inexpensive Retreat cost that is
easy to pay and rarely causes problems.
Effects
Nasty Plot is still a useful filler
attack; if you can pay for it but not
Foul Play (since Foul Play can use any
Energy, lacking a way to pay the (D) for
Nasty Plot is a possibility) at least
you can get the exact card you want from
your deck.
Granted it will be costing you a
Prize and whatever you had invested into
Zoroark most of the time since that
100 HP just isn’t going to last, but it
is better than being unable to do
anything.
Foul Play is the real attraction: for
(CC) you can select one of the Defending
Pokémon’s attacks and hit them with it,
ignoring the normal Energy requirements.
As it is
Double Colorless Energy compatible
in the extreme, this makes the attack
blazingly fast… sadly it can’t
compensate for still being under a speed
limit due to the Stage.
If you do power it up through
individual Energy attachments, this
price is also friendly to using a
Special Energy
Darkness Energy or two, which means
you’d actually hit the Defending Pokémon
harder than said Pokémon itself hits
with its own attack.
There is an obvious drawback that has
been made more apparent by the format:
yes, you get access to an attack without
its Energy cost, but you also gain
access without that Pokémon’s Stats or
anticipated deck support.
Sometimes it can be good to have
different Stats, but usually that means
an attack balanced for a 180 HP Pokémon
EX doesn’t work quite as well as you’d
hope.
Usage
Well, there is a psychological advantage
to using expensive and/or prettier
versions of cards.
Some players are intimidated by
it, and as long as it is all their own
doing, I see no problem enjoying that
advantage.
When it is being lovingly
handled, watching a “bling” deck in
action, whether it is a daring rogue,
elite archetype, or “fun” deck, is a
thing of beauty, at least if you are
capable of appreciating both the art and
things like holofoil.
If you’re going to use this (or the
original version), you’ve currently got
three
Zorua to choose from: all are Basic
Darkness-Type Pokémon with Fighting
Weakness, Psychic Resistance, and single
Energy Retreat Costs.
I’d go with the Black & White
version, since it has 60 HP, and while
not a good deal, the 30 damage for (CC)
on a successful coin toss might OHKO an
opening HeartGold/SoulSilver-era Baby
Pokémon if you get real lucky.
The only other
Zoroark we’ve gotten, BW:
Emerging Powers 67/98, would maybe
be considered as a single Tech for a
dedicated
Zoroark deck that wasn’t running
anything but
Zoroark to attack with, since it
focuses on so-so damage attacks.
For the first attack, (D) buys
three coin tosses inflicting 20 points
of damage per “heads” to the Defending
Pokémon, while (DCC) just scores 80 to
the Defending Pokémon. The Stats are
identical to today’s version, save the
more expensive Retreat Cost (CC instead
of C).
The thing is that right now, I don’t
think Foul Play
Zoroark is a strong deck right now.
Yes it can still wonderfully copy
attacks, but too many popular attackers
don’t hit hard enough for their
duplicated attack to OHKO them back.
Even if you’re facing a Pokémon
EX with four Energy attached, you just
can’t afford to burn two Energized
Zoroark taking it down.
So many current, strong decks are
about backing something good with the
right set-up, to exploit its
strengths/mitigate its Weaknesses, which
means you need to run that same support
or you come out behind from the copying.
Spoiler Alert!
Obviously the Darkness-Type Support I
mentioned might be coming next set can
help, but what really helps is the new
Zoroark that might be in that very
set and a
Zorua with Ascension (attack
that searches the deck for
Zoroark and Evolves
Zorua into it).
Though it does get stuck with a
two Energy Retreat Cost, it otherwise
matches the stats of today’s card.
It has some nasty looking
attacks, however.
For (CC) it can do 20 points of
damage times the number of Darkness-Type
Pokémon you have in play, and for (DD)
it can do 20 points of damage times the
number of damage counters on itself.
All alone that is good but not
thrilling; 120 for (CC) but on a Stage 1
with 100 HP still needs help to handle
Reshiram,
Zekrom, etc.
If you can somehow ensure your
opponent nearly (but not quite)
KOs
Zoroark, the second attack could hit
for up to 180 points of damage, but that
isn’t likely either.
The second attack might theoretically
work in a damage swap deck, but mostly I
think the first attack could allow this
coming
Zoroark coupled with what we
reviewed today to function as the likely
Stage 1 back-up for other Darkness-Type
decks.
Remember the coming support:
Darkness Claw (Pokémon Tool that
allows the equipped Darkness-Type
Pokémon to hit for +20 points of
damage),
Dark Patch (Item that attaches a
basic
Darkness Energy from the discard to
something on the Bench), and
Darkrai EX (Ability grants
Darkness-Type Pokémon with a source of
(D) Energy attached a free Retreat Cost,
otherwise your normal big Basic Pokémon
EX).
Again, just enough to keep hope
alive.
End Spoiler Alert!
In Unlimited, like most cards, it won’t
get top marks because it doesn’t feed a
first turn win/lock/donk deck.
Run with the impressive Trainer
support from the total life of the game,
and probably some Trainer like Neo
Genesis
Slowking, and the usual supporting
Pokémon, and you’d have a solid deck,
save that Neo and e-card era Baby
Pokémon could be a real problem; the
attacks aren’t good for offense for a
Stage 1, and the Baby Rule provides
defense for them.
In Limited though, this card is
great… well at least when you’re dealing
with the old Black & White
version; this version lacks access to
its lower Stages, so it should never see
any play (let alone it’s probably
monetary value).
Ratings
Unlimited:
2.75/5
Modified:
2/5
Limited:
N/A (5/5 if it could be used)
Summary
Wonderful for collectors or those
wanting to express their good fortune in
TCG cards (and bling decks can sometimes
grant a mild edge),
Zoroark just can’t survive long
enough to make a copied attack
worthwhile anymore.
You basically have to open with
damage spread but be able to follow
through the whole way, and then start
copying attacks now that they’ll finish
off whatever you’ve already injured.
Please check out my eBay sales by
clicking
here.
It’s me whittling away at about
two decades worth of attempted
collecting, spanning action figures,
comic books, TCGs, and video games.
Exactly what is up is a bit
random.
Right now it includes some
Transformers Mini-Cons and some video
games, including the Pokémon Trading
Card Game for the old Game Boy
Color.
Pojo.com is in no way responsible
for any transactions; Pojo is merely
doing me a favor by letting me link at
the end of my reviews.
