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Dark Slowking

Dark Slowking  60 HP Pojo's Average Rating - Standard: 2.12 (based on 4 reviews) Modified: 2.50 (based on 4 reviews) Draft: 2.63 (based on 3 reviews) Reviewed March 6, 2002 Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the worst.  3 ... average.   5 is the highest rating.

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Lurili	Standard: Not much can really be said about this card. Really, who would want to power up Mind Shock in Standard when you can run some Colorless Basic, any hell, which can do practically the same thing? The power is below sub-par and the HP isn't even good enough to make it compete. The power can be attuned into a deck that makes it bounce in the right way but otherwise this card is borderline usable.  Modified: Slowking is dead in Modified. It is official. Have you ever seen what a Dark Gengar can do to a 80 HP regular Slowking? O_O *shudder* No viability for this poor soul at the moment. Limited: Hmm, well, this guy could be a pretty handy tool, if you're willing to risk wasting some picks on Slowpokes. Only pick this guy if he's in the pool and Slowpokes are being passed around, otherwise you'll usually see him float or nabbed as a 3rd to last pick, mainly because of its PokéPower. It alone saves it from the realm of completely useless in Draft. The attack is also decent to some degree for draft, but sometimes Weakness does come in handy like late game where damage is something you want to be able to splash in one big hit for quick prizes. Standard: 2.2/5 Modified: 2.0/5 Limited (Draft): 2.3/5
TwInSeN21	Dark Slowking When I first read Edo's Spoiler a while back, I thought SURELY that Trap decks will be revived once this card comes out in English! Why? Dark Slowking's Cunning Power, of course! Before we talk about the Power, let's look at the card. 60HP for a Stage 1 is pretty bad, but at least you can use Rocket's Hideout to boost the max HP to 80. The attack is decent (2 Psychic for 30). But, the most important part of the card is the Pokemon Power, Cunning. I'm sure most of you remembered when Trap Decks dominated when Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge came out. A well timed Imposter Oak's Revenge, followed by a Rocket's Sneak Attack, and finally finished by a Rocket's Trap or two will leave your opponent with no hand! It's usually game over after that. The main problem at that time was, the ability for your opponent to topdeck an Oak in the next couple of turns. This is where the Cunning Power can be really beneficial to the Trap Decks. The ability to look at the top card of your opponent's deck AND to shuffle it gives you a pretty big advantage. You'll minimize their chance of topdecking an Oak or any other good cards in their deck. Granted, the power is a coinflip, so you would probably need at least two Dark Slowkings on the bench.  However, the REAL reason Trap Decks died, was because of Neo Genesis Cleffa. Eeeeeeek was just such a broken attack. You get to Elm every turn! Card advantage is really powerful in any CCG and Cleffa did just that. Over and over and over again. Once Cleffa was released, Trap decks had a hard time of winning. If the Trapper didn't go first, your opponent can just search for the Cleffa and the Trapper would have a hard time winning. Anyways, let's go back to the card review. ;-) The Power is actually pretty decent, but since almost every deck run Cleffas, the power won't do much. If you want to evolve your Slowpokes, make sure it's the almighty Genesis Slowking. In Draft, the attack is really good! The Power is pretty awesome as well. By knowing what cards your opponent draw and by preventing them to draw some powerful card like Erika's Jigglypuff, you'll definitely have an edge over your opponent. ;-) Standard Rating: 1.8/5 (Use regular Slowking instead!) Modified: 2/5 (Again, use regular Slowking!!) Draft: 3.6/5
Gymbo	Dark Slowking   60 HP Stage 1 Psychic Pokemon Pokemon Power: Cunning: Once during your turn (before your attack), you may flip a coin. If heads, look at the top of your opponent's deck. Then, you may have your opponent shuffle his or her deck. This power can't be used if Dak Slowking is Asleep, Confused, Paralyzed, (or suffers from Special Conditions). PP: Mind Shock: 30 Do not apply Weakness or Resistance for this attack. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Standard: I could see one playing a tecHed Dark King, just in case you need to screw with what the opponent draws. If you only have 1 Slowking available, plop down Dark Slowking, and manipulate their drawing power. It's not great, but it's not horrible either. Dark Slowking's attack is decent as well, a quick PP for 30 straight damage. It gives the Rocket Slowpoke some usage, if you plan on attacking with this card. Again, if you play this card with the Regular Slowking, you should have no problem keeping a Rocket's Hideout in play with Mind Games. Comboing Cunning with Mind Games could prove useful. It's not great, but it's not horrible, I'll give it a 2.5/5 in Standard. In Modified: Ok, again, you can combo this with Genesis Slowking. It could make for some fairly interesting disruption. You'd have to play Hideout with this card of course for the +20 HP boost. Pichu is pretty scary in Modified. This is a quicker attacking Slowking, and has a cheaper retreat cost, and comparing the attacks of both Slowkings, Dark King has a better, NON-luck based attack. It could become a quick baby killer, if needed. It doesn't do the most damage in the world, but it can give Slowking decks a little boost in attacking speed, especially if you use Afternoon Nap with Rocket Slowpoke. Combining Cunning with Mind Games may prove a little more effective in Modified than in Standard, due to the fact that quick setup is one of the major keys to success in Modified. So if you can have some quick disruption with Mind Games/Cunning you may have something. Don't look for this card to break down any walls, or become your favorite card, as it is NO where near as power as it Genesis cousin, but it can be effective. I'll give it a 3/5 in Modified. In Draft: Eh, it could see some use, especially if you can grab Rocket Slowpokes. It has quick attacking speed, but it order for it to be truly great, you need Rocket Slowpokes, and Rocket's Hideout, and pulling that consistantly may prove difficult in Draft. The Power could be ok, but there isn't as much focus on quick setup in Draft as there is in Modified or Standard. I'll give it a 2/5, because if its lack of potency effected the opponent, but the attack is decent, especially against the scads of Colorless Pokemon you may run across.
Jeremy B.
Random	Dark Slowking? As if the word Slowking wasn't bad enough. But how about this guy? Well first off, that picture is ... well its NOT what you'd call American.  Mind Shock is a decent attack, but not too powerful. It's power though, isn't everything its cracked up to be. I don't see this, or its Neo Genesis partner, being played in modified too much, unless in a dark gengar deck. Rating in Standard: 2/5 Rating in Modified: 3/5

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