|
Otaku |
Name:
Manectric
Type:
Electric
Stage:
1 Evolves from Electrike
HP:
70
Weakness:
Fighting
Resistance:
Metal
Retreat:
C
Attack#1:
(C) Attract Current [10]
Search your deck for a (L) Energy
card and attach it to one of your Pokemon. Shuffle your deck
afterward.
Attack#2:
(LLC) Thunder Jolt [50]
Flip a coin. If tails, Manectric
does 10 damage to itself.
This is a card many people
underestimate. Let's look at its stats to get a feel for it.
First, there is it's name and type: it's a Manectric, an Electric
Pokemon. There is only one other Manectric currently available,
so there's only one other Electric Pokemon we would be forced to
run less of if we paired it up with one. If this card were a
Raichu (for example), we would have lost a significant portion of
our cardpool. It evolves from Electrike, which already has 3
choices available. Like most cards with evolutions, you won't
keep it an Electrike for long, but I would probably use the
Uncommon version: while it has the same stats as the other two
(the same as Manectric but with 20 less HP), the Uncommon
version's first attack can attach a (L) energy from the discard
That, along with your energy attachments for the first and second
turn, will give you a fully powered Manectric by turn 2. It can
also hit for a solid 30 for LC, though it has a 50% chance of
doing 10 damage to yourself. The other two versions have all
colorless energy requirements, making them a better match for the
Uncommon Manectric, who requires only one of the 3 energy for its
big attack be (L). Its HP is 70, a passable amount for a Stage
1. It's Weakness to Fighting will hurt it quite bad: be it
Unlimited or any any of the potential Modified Formats, there are
basic Fighting-Types that can be added to any deck. With that
70HP, most of them can KO Manectric in two hits, possibly one if
it has already injured itself. Its Resistance is quite nice
though. In Unlimited, it will mean little, but in any of the
potential Modified Formats have some very solid Metal
Pokemon. The strongest canidates can do large amounts of damage,
but requries copious amounts of energy and/or several flips, so
its 70HP will likely seem like much more against such Pokemon.
It's retreat is a nice, inexpensive single colorless requirement,
the second best retreat in the game, and is easily paid,
particularly in formats that have Recycle Energy. The last things
to look at on the card are its two attacks. The first, as you can
see, is under-costed: do 10 damage (as expected for "C" cost)
but also search your deck for a (L) energy
and attach it to one of your Pokemon. This can
be very useful, and we will come back to it soon. It's second,
larger attack is ever so slightly under-costed: (LLC) should give
40 damage, and averaging 5 self-damage should tack on another 5,
but it does a full 50. That self damage is not enough to make the
card unplayable, but it is something you will have to keep track
of.
So what's the best use for this
card? Probably as support. It's HP score is too low for it to
slug it out against most other attackers, particularly given it's
possibility of self damage. Its first attack will make it useful
for cards that are Energy hogs, but need no specific type or (L).
What do I mean? Two examples I can think of off the top of my
head are the Aquapolis Zapdos and Camerupt. In a more or less
mono-electric deck, you could use said Zapdos as a main attacker,
and get around its Poke-Body (which prevents the attachment of (L)
energy from your hand) using Manectric's Attract
Current. After Manectric has been beaten up a bit and Zappy is
ready, heal and retreat and let Zappy come up and play. This
Zapdos's attack does a straight 60 for LLCC, with a 50% chance of
placing 2 damage counters on itself. Once it's ready to Faint,
bring up a new (or refreshed Manectric), heal Zapdos, and re-power
it. With Super Scoop-Up, Pokemon Nurse, Switch and Warp Energy,
this should be effective. Camerupt is similar, but will require
some Fire Energy be added in. Still, you can use attract current
to set Camerupt up to attack repeatedly (Camerupt Firespin
requires you discard basic energies, so (L) can fill the discard
cost just fine). You'd probably only have to repeat the process
once to nab all your prizes thank's to Camerupts 100 damage a
turn.
Ratings
Unlimited:
2/5. As stated above, on it's own it's a weak attacker. The
decks that could use it for energy hunting often have other
options, or are not really viable. Still, it looks fun, and
sometimes such decks are so unexpectd they win anyway. Let's not
forget the energy removal that will make it hard to power-up its
first attack, let alone the second. Oh, and did I mention Tyrogue
and Plus Power?
Modified (Neon
w/Nintendo): 2.5/5. Better, but
not by much. Still more efficient options, though at least
evolutions stand a chance here, and it won;t have to worry about
any reliable energy removal. Oh, and did I mention Tyrogue and
Strenth Charm?
Modified (Eon
w/Nintendo): 3/5. Decks have
slowed down a bit, and thing such as the combos I mentioned should
have time to work. I will also mention here that should the
Legendery Collection be kept, you should actually give this card a
3.5: the addition of LC Zapdos and Scoop-Up make solid "hit and
run" technique. Watch out for Mahukitas and Machops, particularly
with Strength Charm.
Nintendo Only:
3.5/5. Here it lacks most of the wonderful Trainer support it had
in the other formats, but so does everything else. As such, if
you can power up something like Camerupt, you could win the game
with little effort. Be wary of Fighting being splashed in: other
than Groundon ex and Hitmonchan ex, the other
Fighting Pokemon use one Fighting Energy, so even a Stage 1 line
can be splashed into a deck (filling deck space appears to be a
challenge in Nintendo's format). There is extra incentive to run
Fghting here as Delcatty and Linoone, fairly common Pokemon
support are Fighting weak.
Team Multi-Player:
2/5. Like Neon, but with twice the
chance of getting 'rogued.
2-on-2:
3/5. Like Nintendo-only, but with twice the chance of your
opponent having an active Fighting Type
Draft:
3.75/5. Why so high? It's first attack will not only
help it power up fast, but allow it to work with few (L) energy in
the deck, so it can be added to any other color deck easily. That
50 damage should let it KO most of your opponent's probably basics
in just one shot. Electrikes exist as commons with all colorless
attacks, and there is an Uncommon Manectric that is also
splashable (needing just one (L) energy) and can be your "true"
target, so if you fail to draft this Holo version, your efforts
have not been in vain.
-Otaku |
