Name:
Flygon
Set/Card#:
Dragons (4/97)
Type:
Colorless
Stage:
2 (Evolves from Vibrava)
HP:
120
Weakness:
Colorless
Resistance:
Electric, Fighting
Retreat:
CC
Attack#1:
(GL) Energy Shower
Attach any
number of basic Energy cards from your hand to your Pokémon in
any way you like.
Attack#2:
(CCC) Rainbow Burn [30+]
Does 30
damage plus 10 more damage fir each type of basic Energy
card attached to Flygon.
Name:
Flygon
Set/Card#:
Dragon (15/97)
Type:
Colorless
Stage:
2 (evolves from Vibrava)
HP:
100
Weakness:
None
Resistance:
None
Retreat:
CC
Poké-Body:
Sand Guard
Whenever Flygon would be damaged by your opponent’s attack
(after applying Weakness and Resistance), flip a coin. If
heads, reduce that damage by 20.
Poké-Power:
Attack:
(GLC) Air
Slash [60]
Flip a
coin. If tails, discard an Energy card attached to Flygon.
Name:
Vibrava
Set/Card#:
Dragon (22/97)
Type:
Colorless
Stage:
1 (Evolves from Trapinch)
HP:
80
Weakness:
Colorless
Resistance:
Electric, Fighting
Retreat:
C
Attack#1:
(C) Quick Charge
Search your
deck for up to 3 different types of basic Energy cards, show
them to your opponent, and put them into your hand. Shuffle
your deck afterward.
Attack#2:
(GL) Dragon Spark
Flip a
coin. If heads, this attack does 20 damage to each of your
opponent’s Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance
to Benched Pokémon.)
Name:
Vibrava
Set/Card#:
Dragon (46/97)
Type:
Colorless
Stage:
Stage 1 (Evolves from Trapinch)
HP:
70
Weakness:
None
Resistance:
None
Retreat:
C
Poké-Body:
Levitate
If Vibrava has
any basic Energy cards attached to it, Vibrava’s Retreat Cost is
0.
Attack:
(CC) Razor Wing [20]
Name:
Vibrava
Set/Card#:
Dragon (47/97)
Type:
Colorless
Stage:
Stage 1 (Evolves from Trapinch)
HP:
70
Weakness:
None
Resistance:
None
Retreat:
C
Attack#1:
(GC) Dive [20]
Attack#2:
(LCC) Quick Turn [40x]
Flip 2
coins. This attack does 40 damage times the number of
heads.
Name:
Trapinch
Set/Card#:
Dragon (78/97)
Type:
Fighting
Stage:
Basic
HP:
50
Weakness:
Grass
Resistance:
None
Retreat:
C
Name:
Trapinch
Set/Card#:
Dragon (79/97)
Type:
Fighting
Stage:
Basic
HP:
50
Weakness:
Grass
Resistance:
None
Retreat:
C
Attack#1:
(C) Bind
Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now
Paralyzed.
Attack#2:
(CC) Rock Smash [10+]
Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 damage plus 20
more damage.
Name:
Trapinch
Set/Card#:
Sandstorm (82/100)
Type:
Fighting
Stage:
Basic
HP:
40
Weakness:
Grass
Resistance:
None
Retreat:
C
Attack#1:
(C) Sand Pit [10]
The Defending Pokémon can’t retreat until the end of your
opponent’s next turn.
Attack#2:
(CC) Iron Grip [20]
Attributes:
There are two Flygon. Both can be run in the same deck, so if
one is good, the other one benefits, so it’s good for this to be
a “Flygon”. Flygon is a Stage 2 Pokémon. This means it needs
to be a bit “better” than it would be if it were a Basic or a
Stage 1. Why? If it isn’t, you’d just play a Basic or a Stage
1. Since it is an Evolution, we can’t just drop it into play,
so let’s look at where it comes. Flygon evolves from Vibrava,
which in turn evolves from Trapinch. For now, one should
probably use the 80 HP Vibrava with 80 HP-I like Bench damage,
but the main thing is it can take more of a beating… unless it’s
from a Colorless Pokémon. If they run rampant in your area, use
#46 or #47. As for the Trapinch, I’d go with #79, as it’s the
best of the meager offerings. Unless you fear a bench hit, your
best bet is to bench a Trapinch, attach a (G) or (L) Energy to
it, then on the next turn Rare Candy to Flygon, attach a second
appropriate Energy then use the Energy Shower attack, which I
will cover later.
Flygon is
Colorless, which is a mixed bag-as always, in Unlimited if this
card proves strong, people will just counter it with Unown N and
Sprout Tower… but doing that eats up deck space and adds certain
Weakness to their own deck, so it’s something to be aware of,
but not crippling. In Modified, being Colorless is actually
pretty nice. No Resistance, and a
growing amount of Weakness due to the recent “Dragon” Pokémon,
like Flygon itself. The holographic Flygon has the maximum (for
a non-Pokémon ex) Hit Point score of 120. Needless to say, this
is nice. Dropping to the cards bottom stats, we see Colorless
Weakness. A Zangoose can OHKO you, and any Pokémon can become
Colorless through Crystal Shard. Still, in the long run, this
too is not crippling, since other than “TecH”, most heavily
played Colorless Pokémon are “small” (SS Dunsparce, the
Linoones, the Delcatty), or Weak to
Colorless as well (like the holographic Salamence). There is
one actual good thing about being weak to Colorless: to balance
out what was thought to be a crippling Weakness, so far all
Colorless weak Pokémon have double Resistance! Flygon gets
Electric and Fighting Resistance. Neither type is heavily
played as a main deck choice, but a) there is a decent amount of
“TecH” used for each, and b) good decks to exist for these
types. Sadly, they are just not heavily played. Finally, we
come to a retreat of two, which is high enough to require some
forethought and caution, but low enough to not be crippling.
Abilities:
Energy Shower is a great attack-a Rainbow “Raindance”, so to
speak. The only downside would be that it was on a Stage 2, and
thus not easy to add to decks. Fortunately, the second attack
makes great use of it. Rainbow Burn returns. Just as before,
it gets more damage for each different type of basic Energy card
attached. As long as at least one “real” basic Energy card is
used, you get 40 for the price of 30. If you do can get two
types, then it’s a 20 bonus of the actual “cost”. If all three
are different, then it’s a two for one, as we pay for 30, but
get 60. Yes, there should be a moderate bonus for requiring
different Energy types, except, they aren’t “truly” required for
the attack, so the bonus would be small-in this case, its just
that for each different basic Energy
card that is attached, you get +10. So this attack maxes
out 90 damage! If it was inflexible,
this would stink, but since it’s so very flexible, it’s like
having 6 different attacks! Now combined with Energy Shower, it
takes care of the problem that plagued the Ho-oh that originally
had this attack-you can pull it off turn 3….
Uses/Combinations:
For Unlimited, don’t bother… but if you do, then
Ecogym. That way, no matter how
much Energy removal they use on you, it only sets you back two
turns. Once Double Rainbow Energy (not the actual name) comes
out, if it works as I have been told, you could make use of it.
Not for Rainbow Burn, but for Energy Shower-allowing it to
always be able to be used if you still have an Energy attachment
available. The real place this should see use is in Modified.
There, try it either with those good old Sandstorm Xatu, or with
the Rare Magneton from Dragon. That Magneton can retrieve two
Energy cards from the discard for one card from your hand via
its Poké-Power. Combined with Juggler and TV Reporter, you
should be able to burn through your deck, chucking Energies, and
then retrieve the right color combination to maximize Rainbow
Burn. If one wants, they could toss in one of the
non-holographic versions to help fend of other Colorless Weak
Dragons, but said version isn’t very good….
Ratings
Unlimited:
1.75/5-If it ever could set up, it could become a beast… of
course, Colorless Pokémon are incredibly strong here, and
usually lacking in Colorless Weakness. At least your Resistance
will tick of Tyrogues, and Electabuzz.
Modified:
4/5-Another possible new “archetype”.
I have seen a few in action, and if
they get going, they are incredibly hard to stop. The added
benefit of being able to sacrifice a
Flygon to power up multiple Wobbbuffets
can help take care of the decks natural vulnerability to
Gardevoir/ex.
Limited:
4/5-A top pick. While a Stage 2, the multiple versions of each
Stage make it easier to draft them based on what I have read,
and its natural abilities allow it to fit into most decks with
out too much difficulty.
2-on-2:
4/5-No real difference that I can see…
TMP:
4.5/5-Only if you can target a partner with Energy shower.
Otherwise still a respectable 4/5.
Summary
Keep an eye
out for it-this thing might be king if it weren’t for Gardevoir
ex. Also, for those interested, the Ames, IA City Championship
is this Saturday (the 7th). It will be held at
Mayhem Collectibles, located at 2532 Lincoln Way (which is in
Ames, naturally). Hard to miss since there is a large “Animated
Series”-style Bat-Man painted above the store name. =P
This is in the “Campus Town” portion
of Ames. Registration starts at Noon, and the actual
Modified tournament starts at 1:00. Registration is $1.
Depending on attendance, I will be there either judging or
playing. E-mail me if you need more information, and relax, I
am not the TO or head judge. ;)
-Otaku (nintendotaku@hotmail.com)
