With the release of the new Ruby/Sapphire EX cards, many players of the Pokémon TCG have been stunned by the new rules (stereotyped as not-the-greatest improvement by Nintendo) and baffled by Nintendo’s reluctance to allow the old Wizard’s cards. But in all of this mayhem, many players have overlooked the new cards themselves. I did at first, also, but then one card caught my eye—and it’s called Mewtwo EX.

             Why did I like this card? Well, for starters, it’s a basic with 100 HP. And it’s the only card in the game that does 60 for three energies, no strings attached. But beside that, think about its combo properties. What am I talking about? SKYRIDGE GENGAR. This card, combined with Mewtwo Ex, makes a force. If you play a Beedrill-kind of deck with Gengar+Mewtwo, you have a second turn 100 HP wall dealing you 60 each round. Back up these bad boys with Mirage stadiums and goldberries and you have your opponent pinned to the floor.

             You’re probably thinking to yourself right now, “….First turn, Ghastly, other poké, energy to Ghastly. Second turn, breeder, Gengar,…….? Huh? Where do Mewtwo and the energy come back from the graveyard?” Well, my friends, two simple trainers: Juggler, and Energy Retrieval. You use Juggler to chuck energy, and Energy Retrieval not to get it back, but to get that one other card out of your hand: Mewtwo EX. Since Energy Retrieval (Legendary Collection) says “….for up to 2 basic energy…..” you don’t have to take back any energy. Of course, to save yourself the worry of relying on two separate trainers in early game, you could just take the long way around and use Skyridge Haunter’s attack; I’d tech a couple in my deck anyway. ~_^ 

Paris Garavaglia

Cello1126@aol.com