Otaku |
Today we look at a
card that is not an update of a Base Set
classic. Nor is it an update of a card from the
early days of the game. It is a reprint, and of a
card that first released not even three full years ago,
M Blastoise-EX (XY 30/146; XY:
Evolutions 22/108, 102/108). Why are we
looking at it again? Blastoise Spirit Link (XY:
Evolutions 73/108) is why. So what does being
a Mega Evolution really mean? Without a
Spirit Link it means your turn ends when one of your
Pokémon Mega Evolves. Such a huge drawback is very
hard to offset, even though Mega Evolutions typically
enjoy having a substantial amount of HP, and even for
the ones that have a pretty good attack. There
have been a few though. Mega Evolutions do enjoy
their own Stage support but also have to deal with Mega
Evolution counters. I also consider it a bonus as
Mega Evolving seems easier than being a Stage 2 (at
least with access to a Spirit Link); regular
Blastoise are Stage 2 cards, so if Mega Evolutions
had worked like BREAK Evolutions, M Blastoise-EX
would have acted like a “Stage 3” card, instead of a
trickier version of a Stage 1. It is also
important not to forget that Mega Evolutions carry all
the baggage of being a Pokémon-EX; giving up an extra
Prize when KO’d, having to deal with Pokémon-EX
counters, and being unable to access certain beneficial
effects.
M Blastoise-EX
is a Water Type, which gives it access to some nice
pieces of support like Dive Ball and Rough
Seas. It makes it more likely they can make
use of effects like the “Aqua Tube” on Manaphy-EX
or work with strong, fellow Water Type attackers like
Suicune (BW: Plasma Blast 20/101).
Nearly all Fire Types and some Fighting Types are Water
Weak, while only BW-era Grass Types are Water Resistant
(and even then, only most and not all). M Blastoise-EX
has 220 HP; while not one of the higher scores for Mega
Evolutions, it is still enough to not be seen as “low”;
most of the time M Blastoise-EX can take a hit,
with some chance of even surviving two. Grass
Weakness cancels out that edge, of course, and M
Blastoise-EX has no Resistance. Its Retreat
Cost of [CCC] is chunky enough to need assistance,
either lowering the cost or bypassing manually
retreating at all or allowing it to tank while up front.
M Blastoise-EX, like all Mega Evolutions, has
just a single attack. “Hydro Bombard” costs [WWW] and
does 120 damage, plus it hits two of your opponent’s
Benched Pokémon for 30 damage. So a total of 180
damage, but distributed in a specific way among three
targets; not great, but pretty good. Soften up
some targets on the Bench while 2HKOing other Mega
Evolutions (or typical your Basic Pokémon-EX sporting a
Fighting Fury Belt).
M Blastoise-EX
has to Evolve from Blastoise-EX, and we have two
choices there: XY 29/146 (also available as XY
142/146, XY: Black Star Promos XY30, XY: Black
Star Promos XY122, and XY: Evolutions 21/108)
and Generations 17/83. Both are Basic
Water-Type Pokémon-EX with 180 HP, Grass Weakness, no
Resistance, Retreat Cost [CCC], and two attacks. XY
29/146 has “Rapid Spin” for [CC], which does 30 damage,
forces you to change out your Active, then forces your
opponent to do the same. For [WWW] this
Blastoise-EX can use “Splash Bomb” to do 120 damage,
but you also have to flip a coin; “tails” means Splash
Bomb does 30 damage to Blastoise-EX itself.
It was reviewed on its own
here.
Generations 17/83 can use “Hyper Whirlpool” for
[WCC] to do 60 damage and flip a coin; if “heads” you
discard an Energy attached to the opponent’s Active.
For [WWCC] it can use “Hydro Press” to do 100 damage,
plus 20 to one of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon.
We looked at it
here.
We also have another M Blastoise-EX to consider,
Generations 18/83. It has the same stats as
M Blastoise-EX (XY 30/146; XY:
Evolutions 22/108, 102/108) but its attack is “Dread
Launcher”. For [WWCC] Dread Launcher does 180
damage and has you flip a coin: “tails” means you must
discard two [W] Energy from itself. This too was
reviewed (here).
Blastoise-EX (XY 29/146, 142/146; XY:
Black Star Promos XY30, XY122; XY: Evolutions
21/108) can get itself out of the Active slot while
Hyper Whirlpool is overpriced, though both Blastoise-EX
have solid second attacks. M Blastoise-EX (Generations
18/83) has a really solid attack, capable of OHKOing
your typical Basic Pokémon-EX (sans stuff like
Fighting Fury Belt). At first I thought I
might prefer using it, but odds are you could run the
two together, using Hydro Bombard against targets that
Dread Launcher can’t OHKO (or when some bonus Bench hits
are worthwhile).
M Blastoise-EX
(XY 30/146; XY: Evolutions 22/108,
102/108) didn’t even get a review from its prior
release, and M Blastoise-EX (Generations
18/83) didn’t score too highly when it was reviewed
earlier this year: is Blastoise Spirit Link
really enough to change things? No, but
fortunately that is not the only change.
The cardpool and metagame have significantly changed
since either of these two M Blastoise-EX first
released. It may seem odd, but perhaps the most
important thing is that Water lost some of its useful
support. Blastoise (BW: Boundaries Crossed
31/149; BW: Plasma Storm 137/135; BW: Plasma
Blast 16/101) fueled a lot of attackers, including
but not limited to Keldeo-EX. Sure you
could run M Blastoise-EX (either) totally
separate as their own thing, but it just seemed like
Blastoise would do it better. Now however
we’ve seen Blue Box (Water Toolbox) decks do quite well
and really leverage the remaining Water Type support.
We have Mega Turbo and/or Max Elixir to
speed Energy onto your M Blastoise-EX, and a
format shifting to be a bit less Basic dominant, and
with HP scores rising. There is still more
competition to consider; like I said Blue Box is already
a “thing”, and some of the reasons I’m giving would
apply to M Kyogre-EX as well. Still it is
enough for me to contemplate giving M Blastoise-EX
a try in Standard. Expanded, not so much (Deluge
decks and a stronger Blue Box build are still options
there). Whether it is with XY boosters or
XY: Evolutions boosters, M Blastoise-EX is
a nice addition to Blastoise-EX. That is a
lot of luck to have, though.
Ratings
Standard:
3.25/5
Expanded:
3/5
Limited:
3.15/5
Summary:
Perhaps it is somewhat fitting; M Blastoise-EX
was there for the beginning of the XY-era and it’s here
for the end of it as well. Thanks to Blastoise
Spirit Link and the loss (or weakening) of prior
competition and threats, M Blastoise-EX is a
solid Mega Evolution; not mindblowing, but showing at
least some potential.
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