Name: Charizard
Set: Dragons
Type: Fire
Stage: 2 (Evolves from Charmeleon)
HP: 120
Weakness: Water
Resistance: None
Retreat: CC
Attack#1: (RC) Collect Fire [30]
Flip a coin.  If heads, search your discard pile for 2 (R) Energy cards and attach them to Charizard (1 if there is only 1).

Name: Charmeleon
Set: Dragons
Type: Fire
Stage: 1 (Evolves from Charmander)
HP: 70
Weakness: Water
Resistance: None
Retreat: C
Attack#1: (R) Smokescreen [10]

If the Defending Pokémon tries to attack during your opponent’s next turn, your opponent flips a coin.  If tails, that attack does nothing.

Name: Charmander
Set: Dragons
Type: Fire
Stage: Basic
HP: 50
Weakness: Water
Resistance: None
Retreat: C

Attack#1: (Flare)

Attributes: Okay, as far as names, being a Charizard (as opposed to say a Blaziken) since, particularly for Modified, the Charizards have always been flashy flops.  Base Set was the first, and it had a fantastic Power but chunky, clunky attack.  The (relatively) recent Holo-Rare Charizard from Expedition was basically a remix of Base Charizard.  There’s a Crystal-Type Charizard, which like all crystal Pokémon has ridiculously over-priced attacks.  Shining Charizard was a joke.  Dark Charizard would have been good… but it only had 80 HP.  They aren’t all bad though: the normal Rare version from Expedition was actually pretty good (one incredibly cheap attack, one good, solid attack, decent stats).  So it’s better to be a part of a weaker group than something that is considered a staple: do we ever want to see a Sneasel or Murkrow that can compete with the originals? o_O Next, we note the fairly obvious-this is a Stage 2 Fire Pokémon.  It’s competing against both other Stage 2 Fire Pokémon, and several Stage 1 Fire Pokémon.  As a stage 2, it needs some “bonuses” to compete against Stage 1 and basic Pokémon: given the way the Pokémon TCG is set up, said bonuses will have to be in the abilities section.  It evolves from Charmeleon and before that Charmander.  The Dragon versions are pretty good-just one or two minor things keep them from being best overall.  For Modified, definitely use the Charmander-the Charmeleon is good for stall, but the Expedition version has better HP and strong attacks.  In either case, run Rare Candies as well.

Okay, back to the card itself.  The HP is perfect-a “plain” Stage 2 can’t get any better.  Water Weakness is expected and probably the most appropriate: Charizard is Fire/Flying, and Fire is Weak to Water while Flying is weak to Ice.  Ice is part of Water, so it covers two of its Weaknesses… except that Fire is Resistant to Ice.  Oh well.  An Electric Weakness might have been nice and made this card somewhat ground-breaking, but could have made it too powerful too.  No Resistance is the worst Resistance.  They probably should have given either Fighting (old reliable) or Fire (new and accurate).  Again, perhaps they feared over-powering it (at least for Modified).  Lat we come to retreat, which is just two.  This fair: it’s not so devastating that we can never pay it, but neither is it so low you can pay it without a thought.

Abilities: Now here’s where Charizard starts cooking.  Collect Fire is a great attack.  Not only does it do a little more damage than it should (given the energy put into it), but it also has a 50% chance of nabbing not one but two Fire Energy from the discard!  In addition to the obvious possible speed/recovery bonuses, it makes retreating much easier.  The second attack is also great.  For just (RCCC), you hit for 60!  Looking at the energy, you only paid for 45.  Doesn’t sound so great?  You have the option of discarding a Fire Energy and doing 30 to a benched Pokémon.  As you know, I treat a discard as an extra energy requirement, but R for 30 to the bench is pretty nice.  More importantly, it’s optional.  Now, as a Stage 2, Charizard needed great attacks, and it got them.  Note that you’ll need a good deal of Fire Energy to run this card, but the costs are mostly colorless, so a few off color energy won’t slow you down too much.

Uses/Combinations: Given its status as a Stage 2 Pokémon, you’re going to have to build you deck around it.  On the bright side, it looks like it might be worth it.  One nice trick is to use Juggler with it-you can Collect Fire to turn the cost into a bonus.  With Rare candy, you can be hitting for 60 a turn starting turn 3.  Doesn’t sound great, but any turn you want to, you can then slap a Fire Energy on Charizard, and then discard it to nuke a benched Pokémon.  30 is quite a bit, even for Evolved Pokémon.  In Unlimited, you could nuke a Sneasel and a Tyrogue at the same time!  You might consider tossing some Boost Energy into the deck-you can drop it for an early Flame Pillar.  Memory Berry is excellent: the Charmander has Rage for just (CC).  A half-dead Charizard could then use it and do 70!  Pokémon Nurse is also a thought, given the tricks for re-powering at a decent pace.  Back it up with a Seviper (to smack around Grass Weak Water) and Sandstorm Electabuzz (more bench damage and fry Electric Weak Water).  Lastly, you can try a couple of different Stadiums: High Pressure lowers retreat for your Fire, but also for Water. x_x Mirage can help you stand something so you can kill it (and maybe a benched Pokémon) with two Flame Pillars or just Collect Fire for a while to re-charge.  Most general use Stadiums still work.

Ratings

Unlimited: 3.5/5-If you build a deck around Charizard in this format, this and the Expedition normal rare version (in a swarming deck) are your best bets.  You’ll need Slowking to protect your Energies, but if you can stay powered-up, Flame Pillar will wreak havoc with the normal Sneasel/Baby decks.  Watch out for Raindance though.  If the rating seems high, remember that most deck foci in this format clock in at 4 or more.  Fighting Resistance might have pushed it a bit higher.

Modified: 4/5-I am going to go out on a limb here: I think this Charizard could be the next big thing.  I faced it last night in a few games.  I was unfortunately using the SS Steelix variant of my Gojira deck series, and was at a natural disadvantage.  Still, my anti-Fire TecH, Aquapolis Suicune, couldn’t douse it fast enough.  It hit my Suicune on the bench, so Flame Pillar could OHKO when it became active.  Sleep helped slow it down, but the real problem is that against other common “Big Fire”, I can OHKO them on a “heads”.  Now, some of the games were close, and my deck had been proving pretty strong, but the person maid, imo, some bad choices for his deck-Magmar ex was one of his backers.  Yuck.  Still, he had some of the power combos (like Memory Berry).  I plan on sticking it into my Gojira engine and taking it for a test drive.

Limited: 3.5/5-It may seem kind of low, but even I have to take into account the difficulty of drafting all three of the Pokémon necessary… unless you draft with another set containing Charmander and Charmeleon, which case it’s a 4/5 at least.  Bench damage and Energy recycling are great.

2-on-2: 3.5/5-A cunning or daring opponent can keep just two Pokémon in play-both their actives.  They are still fairly safe from losing due to running out of Pokémon, and Charizard loses its big trick.

TMP: 4/5-Both players get more options, and the good and bad seem to balance out (your partner can run a pure “anti-water” deck, but your opponents could have a similar problem combo).