Circhester Bath – Vivid Voltage
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2020
Ratings Summary:
Standard: 3.00
Expanded: 3.00
Limited: 4.00
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is horrible. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Vince
Looks like we have another piece of support for Basic Pokémon!
Circhester Bath is a Stadium Card which makes Basic Pokémon take 20 less damage from attacks. Even though the damage reduction seem small, it is sometimes enough to change certain attacks from OHKOs into 2HKOs, or 2HKOs into 3HKO. And we haven’t even factored other damage reduction cards that could be used in conjunction with this Stadium card. Also, since Basic Benched Pokemon also benefits from that effect, it makes spread decks almost ineffective. However, effects that place damage counters won’t be reduced as it is an effect, not dealing damage.
Ratings:
Standard: 3/5
Expanded: 2.5/5
Limited: 4.5/5
Otaku
Circhester Bath (SW – Vivid Voltage 150/185) is a Trainer-Stadium, with an effect that reduces the damage all Basic Pokémon take by 20, from the attacks of opposing Pokémon, after applying Weakness and Resistance. -20 is a small amount, but it just needs to shift a OHKO into a 2HKO to make a big difference in the metagame. Speaking of which, we’re at a good time for this card: we have the right mix of Evolution and Basic attackers, and of OHKO and 2HKO decks that may fall into the correct margins for Circhester Bath to be a real benefit. It is a bit like how Eviolite was so important to the early Black & White era, though definitely different. Eviolite was a Tool that reduced the damage the equipped Basic Pokémon took by 20 (after Weakness/Resistance), and the metagame was almost purely Basic attackers at the time, but it too was about the margins.
While Circhester Bath won’t help with self-damage, unlike Eviolite, it protects all Basics. Again, this means it can help your opponent but that means it also applies to Benched Pokémon as well. Circhester might be good enough to slip most decks focused on Basic attackers. It can backfire in Basic versus Basic match-ups, however, so I don’t think it’ll become the default solo Stadium for a given deck, unless it was already running with none. Chaotic Swell and Circhester Bath seem like a good, generic (for Basics) package in Standard. If you’re not reliant on Abilities, maybe Chaotic Swell, Circhester Bath, and Power Plant. Perhaps this is even a new piece for Zacian V decks; soak another 20 damage! In Expanded, there is a lot more competition, but I believe there’s still a place for Circhester Bath. As for Limited, definitely take it. Even though it may backfire later, and even if you don’t have a lot of Basic attackers, it can help keep your evolving Basics alive long enough to evolve. There’s also the matter of discarding other Stadiums.
Ratings
- Standard: 3/5
- Expanded: 3/5
- Limited: 4/5
Circhester Bath is a fairly simple, straightforward card. -20 isn’t a massive defensive boost, but we have enough Basic attackers that appear to be the right size for it to make a difference. Not enough to make this the best card in the set, but enough I had it as my 12th-Place pick, and for it to be our 22nd-Place pick overall. There are some cards I worry we overrated, some I fear we underrated, and some I think we got about right. I’m currently leaning towards the “underrated” camp for this one, but that’s based on pure speculation and not results.
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