With the release of a second “Team Plasma” set, it was time to update my “cheat sheet” article.  This is not a review of the Team Plasma cards, but an overview of their Support.  For those just joining or re-joining the game, Team Plasma affiliated cards function almost identically to their unaligned counterparts except for when an effect specifically references this trait.  If you want a detailed card analysis, you will find that in the Pokémon Card of the Day section of the site.  If you just would like card scans for reference, I recommend PokéBeach or Bulbapedia.

 

Card Pool

The following is a list of “unique” Team Plasma cards released in BW: Plasma Storm and BW: Plasma Freeze; if you see a name twice that means there are two different Pokémon with the same name.

 

Name	Number	Category	Type	Stage
Absol	67/116	Pokémon	Darkness	Basic
Amoonguss	13/135	Pokémon	Grass	1
Articuno EX	25/135	Pokémon	Water	Basic
Beartic	41/135	Pokémon	Water	1
Beheeyem	70/135	Pokémon	Psychic	1
Bisharp	73/116	Pokémon	Darkness	1
Bisharp	74/116	Pokémon	Darkness	1
Bouffalant	114/135	Pokémon	Colorless	Basic
Chandelure	16/116	Pokémon	Fire	2
Cofagrigus	56/116	Pokémon	Psychic	1
Cofagrigus	57/116	Pokémon	Psychic	1
Colress	118/135	Trainer	Supporter	N/A
Colress Machine	119/135	Trainer	Item	N/A
Crobat	55/135	Pokémon	Psychic	2
Cryogonal	30/116	Pokémon	Water	Basic
Deoxys EX	53/116	Pokémon	Psychic	Basic
Druddigon	94/135	Pokémon	Dragon	Basic
Durant	91/135	Pokémon	Metal	Basic
Durant	92/135	Pokémon	Metal	Basic
Espeon	48/116	Pokémon	Psychic	1
Flareon	12/116	Pokémon	Fire	1
Frozen City	100/116	Trainer	Stadium	N/A
Garbodor	66/135	Pokémon	Psychic	1
Garbodor	67/135	Pokémon	Psychic	1
Ghetsis	101/116	Trainer	Supporter	N/A
Giratina	62/135	Pokémon	Psychic	Basic
Glaceon	23/116	Pokémon	Water	1
Heatran EX	13/116	Pokémon	Fire	Basic
Hydreigon	78/116	Pokémon	Darkness	2
Hypnotoxic Laser	123/135	Trainer	Item	N/A
Infernape	17/135	Pokémon	Fire	2
Jellicent	39/135	Pokémon	Water	1
Jolteon	34/116	Pokémon	Lightning	1
Klinklang	90/135	Pokémon	Metal	2
Krookodile	70/116	Pokémon	Darkness	2
Kyurem	31/116	Pokémon	Water	Basic
Leafeon	11/116	Pokémon	Grass	1
Liepard	84/135	Pokémon	Darkness	1
Lugia EX	108, 134	Pokémon	Colorless	Basic
Magnezone	46/135	Pokémon	Lightning	2
Metagross	52/116	Pokémon	Psychic	2
Moltres EX	14/135	Pokémon	Fire	Basic
Muk	46/116	Pokémon	Psychic	1
Plasma Energy	127/135	Energy	Sp. Energy	N/A
Plasma Energy	106/116	Energy	Sp. Energy	N/A
Plasma Frigate	124/135	Trainer	Stadium	N/A
Raticate	88/116	Pokémon	Colorless	1
Rotom	49/135	Pokémon	Lightning	Basic
Sableye	49/116	Pokémon	Psychic	Basic
Scrafty	86/135	Pokémon	Darkness	1
Seismitoad	26/116	Pokémon	Water	2
Shadow Triad	102/116	Trainer	Supporter	N/A
Sharpedo	33/135	Pokémon	Water	1
Skarmory	87/135	Pokémon	Metal	Basic
Snorlax	101/135	Pokémon	Colorless	Basic
Steelix	79/116	Pokémon	Metal	1
Team Plasma Badge	104/116	Trainer	Item	N/A
Team Plasma Ball	105/116	Trainer	Item	N/A
Team Plasma Grunt	125/135	Trainer	Supporter	N/A
Thundurus EX	38/116	Pokémon	Lightning	Basic
Tornadus EX	98/116	Pokémon	Colorless	Basic
Torterra	3/135	Pokémon	Grass	2
Umbreon	64/116	Pokémon	Darkness	1
Vanilluxe	29/116	Pokémon	Water	2
Vaporeon	20/116	Pokémon	Water	1
Watchog	112/135	Pokémon	Colorless	1
Watchog	113/135	Pokémon	Colorless	1
Weavile	66/116	Pokémon	Darkness	1
Weezing	58/135	Pokémon	Psychic	1
Zapdos EX	48/135	Pokémon	Lightning	Basic

 

The following cards were intentionally excluded as they are reprints of other cards already listed: Articuno EX (BW: Plasma Storm 132/135), Lugia EX (BW: Plasma Storm 134/135), Colress (BW: Plasma Storm 135/135), Crobat (BW Promo BW51), Plasma Energy (BW: Plasma Freeze 106/116), Heatran EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 109/116), Thundurus EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 110/116), Deoxys EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 111/116), Tornadus EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 114/116), Ghetsis (BW: Plasma Freeze 115/116), and Metagross (BW Promo 75).  The list isn’t about the effects of multiple releases or rarity, hence their exclusion.

 

This is a total of 69 different cards (35 from BW: Plasma Storm, 34 from BW: Plasma Freeze) that can access Team Plasma Support in some capacity.  As this article is not about evaluating the cards but establishing how this family of cards supports each other, the majority of cards that don’t reference other Team Plasma cards need only be known, not explored.

 

A second, much smaller chart gives us an idea about how those 69 cards break down:

 

Criteria	Amount	Criteria	Amount
Pokémon	58	Colorless	7
Basic	20	Darkness	9
Stage 1	27	Dragon	1
Stage 2	11	Fighting	0
Trainers	10	Fire	5
Item	4	Grass	3
Stadium	2	Lightning	5
Supporter	4	Metal	5
Pokémon Tools	1	Psychic	13
Special Energy	1	Water	10

 

If you are focusing on a Team Plasma deck with a Type-theme, you will notice that Darkness-, Psychic-, and Water-Type Pokémon have the quantity (though not necessarily the quality), while Fighting-Types are completely absent, Dragon-Types have a single entry, and Grass-Types have just three choices.  Colorless-Types, Fire-Types, Lightning-Types, and Metal-Types fall in between with seven, five, five, or five.

 

The Stages are actually more evenly divided; again one can’t speak to how well they will perform (and can’t just run a deck with Stage 2 Pokémon), but even though the numbers aren’t even, there are eat least enough to provide options.  The non-Pokémon card count is also getting better, with a full 10 cards including four Items, two different Stadiums, and four Supporters; the numbers are there that outside of Energy (still just Plasma Energy) you could run a deck that is completely built with Team Plasma affiliated cards now.

 

 

Team Plasma Supporting Cards

Below I will list cards by name and number that are not only Team Plasma cards, but somehow support the theme.  Technically all Team Plasma cards do this simply by existing, but those that truly just have their affiliation and no other ties are beyond the scope of this article.

 

General Usage

The following Team Plasma cards require no specific support, though how a deck is built can make them more or less effective.  Remember that this is not an endorsement of any such cards, and is actually a reference source for use when attempting to evaluate Team Plasma cards in general, especially those that work better when used alongside other Team Plasma cards.  They are grouped by Pokémon, Trainers, and Energy, and within that alphabetically.  For a Pokémon to qualify for this section, it needed all its attacks to feature Colorless Energy requirements and could not require any other Team Plasma card to reach its full potential.

 

Pokémon

 

Bouffalant (BW: Plasma Storm 114/135): A Basic, Colorless-Type Pokémon with 100 HP, Fighting Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat score of two.  For (C), its first attack discards a Pokémon Tool from the Defending Pokémon.  For (CCCC) its second attack hits for a flat 70 points of damage.

 

Watchog (BW: Plasma Storm 112/135): A Stage 1, Colorless-Type Pokémon with 90 HP, Fighting Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat score of one.   The attacks feature all Colorless Energy requirements, allowing a player to work this card into a variety of decks.  For (C) its first attack discards a card from the opponent’s hand while for (CC) the second attack hits for 30 points of damage or 50 if you get “heads” on a required coin flip.

 

Watchog (BW: Plasma Storm 113/135): A Stage 1, Colorless-Type Pokémon with 90 HP, Fighting Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat score of one.   The attacks feature all Colorless Energy requirements, allowing a player to work this card into a variety of decks.  For (CC) the first attack does 20 points of damage plus 10 more points of damage per damage counter on the Defending Pokémon.  For (CCC) it can also hit for a flat 60 points of damage.

 

Trainers

 

Colress (BW: Plasma Storm 118/135, 135/135): A Supporter with a general effect: shuffle your hand into your deck and then draw a number of cards equal to the number of Benched Pokémon.  To be clear, that is the sum total of both your Bench and your opponent’s Bench.  This gives the card a draw range from 0-10.

 

Frozen City (BW: Plasma Freeze 100/116): This Stadium forces a player to place two damage counters onto a Pokémon when an Energy is attached to that Pokémon from hand unless it is a Team Plasma Pokémon.  Technically it works better if you are running it alongside Team Plasma Pokémon (or with Team Plasma Badge) so you don’t have to harm your own Pokémon while attaching Energy, but that isn’t required.

 

Ghetsis (BW: Plasma Freeze 101/116, 116/116): A Supporter with a general effect, at least with respect to what you run; it forces your opponent to reveal his or her hand, then shuffle any Items found there back into his or her deck, after which you draw a number of cards from your own deck equal to the number of Items your opponent had to shuffle away.

 

Hypnotoxic Laser (BW: Plasma Storm 23/135): An Item with a general effect: the Defending Pokémon is Poisoned and you flip a coin; if “heads” the Defending Pokémon is also Asleep.

 

Energy

 

Plasma Energy (BW: Plasma Storm 127/135; BW: Plasma Freeze 106/116): A Special Energy card that provides (C) and has no other effects; many other cards have effects that target it or are triggered by it, however.

 

Requires Other (Non-Specific) Team Plasma Cards

The following Team Plasma cards require no specific Team Plasma cards, just Team Plasma cards in general to make use of at least one of the card’s effects.

 

Pokémon

 

Metagross (BW: Plasma Freeze /116): A Stage 2, Psychic-Type Pokémon with 140 HP, Psychic Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat Cost of two, Metagross possesses one Ability and one attack.  The Ability, Plasma Search, allows you once per turn to search your deck for a Team Plasma card, reveal it to your opponent, and add it to your hand; the Ability expressly forbids additional uses per turn, even if you have a different card with it in play (such as a second copy of this Metagross).  For (PCCC), the attack hits for 60 points of damage and Confuses the Defending Pokémon.

 

Raticate (BW: Plasma Freeze /116): A Colorless-Type Stage 1 Pokémon with 70 HP, Fighting Weakness, and no Resistance or Retreat Cost, this Raticate has two attacks.  Transfer Junk, the first attack, is the reason it is listed; for (C) it allows you to retrieve a Team Plasma Pokémon, Team Plasma Trainer, and Team Plasma Energy card from your discard pile and add it to your hand.  The second attack requires (CC) and does 30 points of damage.

 

Skarmory (BW: Plasma Storm 87/135): A Basic, Metal-Type Pokémon with 90 HP, Fire Weakness, Psychic Resistance, and a Retreat score of (C). Its first attack allows you to discard a Team Plasma card in order to draw three cards at a cost of (C).  Its second attack does not reference Team Plasma cards: it requires (MMC) and does 40 points of damage while reducing the damage done to it by 20 points after Weakness and Resistance.

 

Snorlax (BW: Plasma Storm 101/135): A Basic, Colorless-Type Pokémon with 130 HP, Fighting Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat score of four.  It has a non-Team Plasma Related Ability that prevents the Defending Pokémon from manually retreating (effects that change out Pokémon through other means are unaffected).  For the massive cost of (CCCCC), it has an attack that hits for 30 times the number of Plasma Pokémon you have in play.  This would include counting itself, so it can hit for anywhere from 30 to 180 points of damage.

 

Trainers

 

Shadow Triad (BW: Plasma Freeze 102/116): A Supporter that lets you add a Team Plasma card from your discard pile to your hand; due to the basic rules requiring a card have an effect on the game and a target for its effect(s), you cannot “burn” this card to add nothing from your discard pile to your hand in those rare circumstances you would wish to waste a Supporter.

 

Team Plasma Grunt (BW: Plasma Storm 125/135): A Supporter that can do nothing without another Team Plasma card to discard for it.  Upon such a discard, it draws four cards.

 

Requires Team Plasma Pokémon

This effect requires Team Plasma Pokémon in play; some require other Team Plasma Pokémon in play while some affect that Pokémon itself as well as other Team Plasma Pokémon.  I did not distinguish between effects that can work on a Pokémon with Team Plasma Badge attached and those that could only affect a true Team Plasma Pokémon.

 

Pokémon

 

Glaceon (BW: Plasma Freeze 23/116): A Stage 1, Water-Type Pokémon with 90 HP, Metal Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat cost of two, Glaceon possesses one Ability and one attack.  The former is Freeze Zone and reduces the Retreat Cost of each of your Team Plasma Pokémon by (CC) and can stack; two reduces the cost by a total of (CCCC), three by (CCCCCC), etc., while the latter requires (WCC) to hit for 60 points of damage and put the Defending Pokémon to Sleep.

 

Deoxys EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 38/116, 111/116): A Basic, Psychic-Type Pokémon-EX with 170 HP, Psychic Weakness, no Resistance and a Retreat Cost of two, its “Power Connect” Ability increases the damage a Team Plasma Pokémon’s attack does to Active Pokémon (which includes both players) but expressly states it does not work on Deoxys EX; that would include both itself even if there are multiple copies of the card in play, and even any future cards named “Deoxys EX”.  Its attack is described in the “Requires Plasma Energy” section.

 

Thundurus EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 38/116, 110/116): A Basic, Lightning-Type Pokémon-EX with 170 HP, Fighting Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat Cost of one, Thundurus EX has two attacks.  The first is Raiden Knuckle and is what affects other Team Plasma Pokémon: for (L) the attack does 30 points of damage to the Defending Pokémon plus it allows you to take an Energy from your discard pile and attach it to one of your Benched Team Plasma Pokémon.  The second attack is described in the “Requires Plasma Energy” section.

 

Umbreon (BW: Plasma Freeze 64/116): A Stage 1, Darkness-Type Pokémon with 100 HP, Fighting Weakness, Psychic Resistance, and a Retreat Cost of (C), Umbreon posses one Ability and one Attack.  Dark Shade, the Ability, grants each of your Team Plasma Pokémon +20 HP, and it does stack.  The attack, Darkness Fang, requires (DCC) and hits for 70 points of damage.

 

Trainers

 

Team Plasma Ball: This Item allows you to search your deck for a Team Plasma Pokémon and add it to your hand.

 

Requires Plasma Energy

The following Team Plasma cards require Plasma Energy to access their full potential, or possibly to have any effect at all.  They may also have additional requirements as well.

 

Pokémon

 

Articuno EX (BW: Plasma Storm 25/135, 132/135): A Basic, Water-Type Pokémon-EX with 170 HP, Metal Weakness, Fighting Resistance, and a Retreat score of one; it has two attacks.  The first requires (WCC) and does 60 points of damage to the Defending Pokémon plus 10 points of damage to each of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon.  The second attack requires (WWCC) to use and hits for 80 points of damage, plus it has a Plasma Energy triggered effect.  If Articuno EX has any Plasma Energy attached to it, the attack Paralyzes the Defending Pokémon.

 

Deoxys EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 38/116, 111/116): A Basic, Psychic-Type Pokémon-EX with 170 HP, Psychic Weakness, no Resistance and a Retreat Cost of two, and an Ability described in the “Requires Team Plasma Pokémon” section.  The card’s attack, Helix Spiral, requires (PC) and hits for 30 points of damage unless you have at least one Plasma Energy attached to Deoxys EX, in which case it hits for 30 plus 30 points of damage per Energy attached to the Defending Pokémon.

 

Heatran EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 13/116, /116): A Basic, Fire-Type Pokémon-EX with 180 HP, Water Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat Cost of three, Heatran EX has two attacks.  The first, Heat Boiler, requires (RCC) and does 60 points of damage, unless Heatran EX is affected by a Special Condition in which case the attack hits for an additional 60 points of damage (total of 120 before other effects).  The second attack, Dynamite Press, requires (RRCC) and hits for 80 points of damage, unless you have at least one Plasma Energy attached in which case the attack hits for 80 plus 10 more points of damage per damage counter on the Defending Pokémon.

 

Lugia EX (BW: Plasma Storm 108/135, 134/135): A Basic, Colorless-Type Pokémon-EX with 180 HP, Lightning Weakness, Fighting Resistance, and a Retreat score of two.  It has one Ability and one attack.  The Ability triggers when an opponent’s Pokémon is KOed through damage from an attack by this Pokémon (that is, Lugia EX); the effect then allows you to draw an additional Prize over what you would normally receive.  The card’s only one attack costs (CCCC) and hits for 120 points of damage, but it requires you discard a Plasma Energy; if you cannot discard a Plasma Energy, the attack does nothing.

 

Moltres EX (BW: Plasma Storm 14/135): A Basic, Fire-Type Pokémon-EX with 170 HP, Water Weakness, Fighting Resistance and a Retreat score of one; it has two attacks.  The first requires (RC) and does 30 points of damage, plus if you get “heads” on a required coin toss, it discards an Energy from the Defending Pokémon.  The second attack requires (RRCC) to use and hits for 80 points of damage, unless you have at least one Plasma Energy attached to it.  If you do, it triggers an additional +40 points of damage as per the attack’s effect text, for a total of 120.

 

Thundurus EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 38/116, 110/116): A Basic, Lightning-Type Pokémon-EX with 170 HP, Fighting Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat Cost of one, Thundurus EX has two attacks.  The first is described in the “Requires Team Plasma Pokémon” section.  The second attack, Thunderous Roar, requires (LLCC) and hits for 90 points of damage; if you have at least one Plasma Energy attached to Thunderous EX, the attack also discards an Energy from the Defending Pokémon.

 

Tornadus EX (BW: Plasma Freeze 98/116, 116/116): A Basic, Colorless-Type Pokémon-EX with 180 HP, Lightning Weakness, Fighting Resistance, and a Retreat Cost of two, this Tornadus EX has two attacks.  Windfall, the first attack, requires (C) and does no damage; instead it shuffles your hand into your deck and has you draw six cards.  The second attack, Jet Blast, does 60 points of damage plus 30 more points of damage per Plasma Energy attached to Tornadus EX.

 

Zapdos EX (BW: Plasma Storm 48/135): A Basic, Lightning-Type Pokémon-EX with 170 HP, Lightning Weakness, Fighting Resistance and a Retreat score of one; it has two attacks.  The first requires (LC) and does 30 points of damage plus has a coin flip dependant effect.  If you get “heads” on the required coin toss, all effects of attacks, including damage, done to it are prevented until the end of your opponent’s next turn.  The second attack requires (LLCC) to use and hits for 80 points of damage, unless you have at least one Plasma Energy attached to it.  If you do, it triggers an additional +40 points of damage as per the attack’s effect text, for a total of 120.

 

Trainers

 

Colress Machine (BW: Plasma Storm 119/135): An Item that exists only to search your deck for a Plasma Energy and attach it to one of your Team Plasma Pokémon in play.

 

Plasma Frigate (BW: Plasma Storm 124/135): Plasma Frigate negates the Weakness of any and all Pokémon that have a Plasma Energy attached.

 

Closing

So now you have a straightforward listing of the Team Plasma cards, as well as some useful statistics and groupings to see how the card pool already favors certain strategies.  It is important to remember that I did not include some useful, supportive Team Plasma Pokémon because given the right circumstances, most Team Plasma Pokémon would qualify for this.  Many can work in non-Team Plasma decks as well as they don’t require any other Team Plasma cards and could support anything.