Pokemon Card of the Day - Pokemon Tips - Pojo.com

Thundachu	Rock Technical Machine Overview: A new TM released, wonderful. This one lets you use Stone Generator for 1 colorless energy, which if your opponent has any evolved pokemon in play, you get to remove the highest stage from EACH OF THEM and put it back into his or her hand. There are a few drwbacks. First of all, you can only attach this card to your own evolved pokemon excluding Pokemon-EX and pokemon with owner's names such as Team Aqua. This card can come in very handy when dealing with Blaziken ex and Gardevoir and now the upcomming set for Vileplume ex, Metagross, and Ninetales ex. Another drawback is that unlike normal attacks, a TM can only be used once. Unlimited: There arent many evolutions in Unlimited these days considering the time and energy it takes to build them up. 1.5/5 Modified: As I said, this card can be good here because of the amount of good evolutions being played. The only bad thing is, it will only stall them for 1 turn, then they can replay them again, but a good strategy would be to get their previous stage k0ed so they can't replay the powerful higher stage. I hope someone besides me understood that, as it is harder to explain than it sounded in my head ¬_¬. 3.5/5 Draft: Not many evolutions in draft either because of they are so hard to get. 2/5
Jermy101	The Rock TM is like Omastar's Pull Down attack. Useful for pulling down Rare Candied Stage 2s and for putting 150 HP ex pokemon down to 70-80 HP, hopefully KOing them. This card combos with cards that do damage to all pokemon in play so that you can rock TM them and get multiple KOs. Unlimited - I don't think it has much use here since there aren't many stage 2s. 2/5 Modified - A great card here. Combo it with Exploud for multiple KOs. 4/5 Draft - I don't think it would be good here. There are no rare candies, hardly any stage 2s. 1/5
Hedge	Ancient TM Rock This card is ~~broken.~~ It WOULD be, but everyone is teching against it now. Three stage one’s here, 4 there… No rarecandies anymore. The card is still good, sure, but honestly. It’s full effect is not applicable with the metagame now. Besides that, it has minor restrictions… No ex’s, evolved only. Ok w/e. One energy… That’s VERY good, but like I said…… I say keep one handy in most decks, just incase, because most decks do still use one or two RC’s. ^^^ The Bottom Line. ~Hedge
burninating torchic	ATM Rock Modified Play: 3.75/5. Well, this card is rather interesting. This undoubtedly helps in modified, because most of(or all) the archetypes out there revolve around Evolved Pokemon. Gardevoir/EX, Blaze/EX, etc. Basically the only semi-good deck type safe from this card is Aqua, as it's main hitter is Kyogre. This card is great for doing things like getting 50 damage on a Blaze or Gardevoir. Use this card on em, and, since the case is usually rare candy, knock out Ralts/Torchic. This card works pretty well in modified, but there is one drawback to this card. It can only be attached to an evolved Pokemon. If you want a experience relating to this, see the "Personal Notes" Section of this review. This card only works when attached to an evolved Pokemon, so the card within itself is a war to see who can evolve and draw it first, devolving the opponent. Limited: 3/5 I saw quite a bit of this card at the Hidden Legends Prereleases I attended. And, as mentioned in my modified review, it is a war to see who can play it first. But, there weren't as many evolutions to worry about, let alone powerful ones. The card isn't as useful when you know half the people in the tournament have either small or no evolution lines in their decks. And, if it's hard for you to get out evolutions, it isn't a good pick. Still handy when you can use it though, I remember losing because someone rocked my 50 damage Dodrio. Unlimited: Not yet in my rating system. Personal Notes: I personally HATE this card. It cost me the tournament. No, not because someone used it on me. I tryed to attach it to Snow Cloud Castform, but it turned out it could only be attached to evolved Pokemon. That cost me the game(last round swiss, no top cut) and the tournament. --------------- Well, there you go. My first format rating. I intend to check out some unlimited decks at origins and look through the Neo-Skyridge block before I start rating unlimited.
Johnny Blaze	Ancient Technical Machine Rock – An Omastar’s Pull Down for only 1 colorless energy for any evolved Pokemon that is not an EX or has an owner in it’s name? Too good to be true? Yes it is that darn good in the current modified environment. This card alone has people changing their thoughts about running 3-4 Rare Candy in their decks and increasing the middle stages to 2-3 cards. It is splashable in any deck . One thing I like that Nintendo did with these new TM’s is that unlike the old TM’s where you had Water, Fire, Dark, etc. that could only be used on that particular type Pokemon these new TM’s can be used on any Pokemon as long as it is evolved. It is possible with this card to get multiple prizes as long as there is enough damage spread around on their Rare Candied evos. Then bang there goes the basic. This will be the most played TM out of the 3. Limited: Not enough good evos. To be considered a factor. 2/5 Modified: 4/5 Limited: 3/5 just because you wont see that many Evos being skipped but still could be useful in ko’ing the basic.
Young John	Rock Technical Machine: I am assuming that this is the Ancient TM (Rock) so that is what I am reviewing it as. Unlimited: Here it's alright but not extremely useful. If your area is surrounded in quick stage 2 decks like Typhlosion, then play it and it will probably help you. If it's not dominated by all stage 2 decks, then don't bother really cause there's better options. 2.5/5 Modified: It's a bit better here due to all decks being stage 2s really and with rare candy so popular it will be devestating at times. However a good player will know how to play around it and will be watching for it, so it can have it's uses but it also be a card you don't want to see. With everyone expecting it.. it loses it's power 3/5 Limited: Meh it has some uses as like getting a KO by making their HP smaller but it's not that great, maybe draft it depending on what the sets are. 2/5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Milotic: Unlimited: Semi good but it's not that great. It might work well in like a Steelix deck or Scizor... that'd be really nice when they almost have you dead, However gold berry does about the same in a way when on a metal poke. 2/5 Modified: It's better here and will see some action may even win a few tournaments paired up with some stuff. It isn't really the main attacker but more of the supporting pokemon. 3.5/5 Limited: It's power is great and it's attacks rock. Draft this sucker if you get it 5/5 Young John
Jason Chen	Ancient Technical Machine Rock: Its Omastar in a bottle. This card is simply beautiful. There are many stategical devices which use this card. Let's survey its power: Devolving Pokemon evolved with Rare Candy. If your opponent has a powerful Stage 2 Pokemon that he used Rare Candy to get, devolve it to its weak basic form. Killing Pokemon: When a Pokemon devolves, it usually ends up with less HP. For example, if a candied Blaziken ex has taken 50 damage, you can devolve it to kill the torchic, effectively killing the Blaziken ex. The drawback to this method is that you don't get to draw two prizes, and the Blaziken ex stays in their hand. Another thing to keep in mind: Ancient TM Rock devolves ALL of your opponent's Pokemon, and if you have attacks that do scattered damage, like Exploud's Breaking Sound, you can kill many Pokemon at the same time. You can also kill stuff on the bench if you lack Reversals/ Bench attacks. Combos: There are many... among them are: Kabutops (Skyridge) and Ancient TM Rock Use Stone Generator, devolve all of their Pokemon, they can only re-evolve their Active and possibly one more. With the use of switch cards, they could re-evolve all of their Pokemon, but that wouldn't be likely or economical. Desert Ruins and Ancient TM Rock Wait for thier Pokemon ex to accumulate damage, if they become a threat, devolve them, killing them. This is a generally very powerful card. If you try to calculate for worst-case scenarios in a certain game situation, Ancient TM Rock will often screw it all up. Kepp in mind, however, that it is an attack; sometimes, it is better just to use one of your Pokemon's attacks. The fact that it can't be attached to basics, Pokemon with owners, and Pokemon-ex makes it useless in decks that use mainly these Pokemon. I would play 2 of these in a deck tha relies on evolved Pokemon. 4 in a deck that centers arouind this card, like Kabutops/ Ancient TM Rock. Ratings: Unlimited: 1.5/5 Evolutions aren't that commonly played, Slowking is there to slow down the power of this TM and ruin its surprise. Most evos like to bench sit in this format. Not recommended here. Modified: 3.5/5 Wastes an attack, but awesome here. With the reliance of most decks on Rare Candy, this card helps most decks, but Rogue decks in particular. Limited: 2/5 Basics proliferate in Limited, and your attacks should do more damage to the opponent than Ancient Technical Machine Rock. I would only draft it if you drafted all sucky Pokemon and need a way to do some damage.
Patriarch	First off, before I get into my review, I apologize for not reviewing Stephen's Advice, everyone! quickly gives it 2.25/5, 4/5, and 5/5. This week is obviously turning out to be the one where we review the biggest and baddest bits out of this set. Now...for ATM Rock! If you all remembered Omastar's pull down back in Sandstorm, then you'll love the portable one-shot version! Throw one of those on a non-ex, unowned Pokemon, and watch the evolutions fly back into their hand! Pretty good, no? However, here are some things to seriously think about if you tech this into your deck: -Basics can't use this...meaning it isn't too good early game, and just sits in your hand for the most part. -Almost NOTHING from Magma/Aqua can use this, and the things that can are too terrible to even consider playing in modified. -ex Pokemon can't manipulate it, and in most decks at the moment, the non-ex's who can aren't strong enough to stand up by themselves. However, there are many that can, so don't worry! Unlimited (1.5/5): Nobody's discovered how good Aqua Scizor is here; people are still set on Sneasel/Slowking-this, and Sneasel/Slowking-that, so chances are, you won't be needing it for tech. Modified (3.75/5): Despite all the Pokemon this card is not available to, you have to recognize how much of a metagame-changer this is. In many decks, the rare candy count is dropping. What does this tell you? Limited (4/5): There are way more Pokemon than can fully abuse this card here. All the same goods and bads apply here, only the bads are on a much smaller scale, and the goods are on a wider one.
Otaku	Name: Ancient Technical Machine [Rock] Set: Hidden Legends Card#: 85/101 Rarity: Uncommon Type: Trainer Sub-type: Technical Machine Effect Text: Attach this card to 1 of your Evolved Pokémon (excluding Pokémon-ex and Pokémon that has an owner it its name) in play. That Pokémon may use this card’s attack instead of its own. At the end of your turn, discard Ancient Technical Machine [Rock]. (C) Stone Generator If your opponent has any Evolved Pokémon in play, remove the highest Stage Evolution card from each of them and put those cards back into his or her hand. Attributes: Like all Trainers, Ancient Technical Machine [Rock] can be prevented by a handful of Pokémon Powers, attack effects, and even another Trainer. Unlike many Trainers, Ancient Technical Machine [Rock] is put into play (so an opponent’s Chaos Gym could only cancel it and not give your opponent a chance to use it); specifically attached to a Pokémon. Like all Technical Machines, this card will go away at the end of the turn it’s attached, whether you make use of it or not. Like many Technical Machines, Ancient Technical Machine [Rock] has some restrictions on whom it can be attached to. In this case, this is a Technical Machine that can only be attached to “plain” Pokémon. No Basic Pokémon, no Pokémon-ex, and no Pokémon with an “owner” (Rocket’s, Team Magma’s, Dark, etc.) mentioned in the name. Abilities: Like most Technical Machine’s, this card provides a nice, attack for one of any color Energy. This makes the attack easy to use. So, what does it actually do? Mass De-evolution of the opposing Pokémon. Now, note that it affects all of your opponent’s Pokémon, but only removes the top most Stage of Evolution and it sends it to the hand, not the discard pile. That makes the attack seem kind of useless, except most Pokémon Evolutions have more HP than their lower Stages, so if the Pokémon targeted are injured, De-evolution could yield multiple KOs. Uses/Combinations: The main use, and the use that will lead many people to run a copy or three in their decks, is countering the use of Rare Candy. Decks that foolishly used just Rare Candy are now asking for a total loss of Evolution. Decks that relied heavily on it can be set back several turns while they wait for the two copies or so they have of a Stage 2 line’s Stage 1 form. And of course, if a Pokémon is “Rare Candied”, then we drop from the normal 90+ HP of a Stage 2 all the way down to as little as 40 HP on a Basic. The second main use is with cards that are good at either getting a lot of Damage (but not enough for a OHKO) on the Defending Pokémon fast, or gradually building up a lot of damage on all opposing Pokémon at once. This is the main tactic of my Gojira decks, for example. The widespread damage building up on its own wasn’t ineffective (though the tier one decks, which are broken in my opinion, naturally eat them). With this, I will only need three Spinning Tail attacks (does 20 to all opposing Pokémon) from my Steelix to set up for multiple KOs from Ancient Technical Machine [Rock]. Another probable candidate is Exploud from Hidden Legends. For a single Energy, it can hit all opposing Pokémon for 10 damage. This means you can send up one, use some healing (like Pokémon Nurse) on it to keep it alive for a couple turns, then send another one and do the same, and probably get 6 KOs when the third Exploud uses Ancient Technical Machine [Rock]. Ratings Unlimited: 2/5-It will rarely matter for most decks, but for a handful of annoying ones, it makes it a little easier to deal with some annoyances. Zzap does a lot of damage to Pokémon with Powers, but keeping a Pichu alive long enough to get off like four can be extremely difficult. Modified: 4/5-If you aren’t running a deck that lacks more than a few legal users of Ancient Technical Machine [Rock], then you should try to fit a few copies in. Powerful stuff. Limited: 4/5-You can’t set up for it nicely, but in Limited events, it’s very common for an opponent to retreat to save one of their badly damaged Evolutions. Wait for them to do it a few times and then drop this and attack for the win. Or you can just use it for an easy retaliatory KO when your big hitter goes down before the opponent’s, after having hit once or twice. Summary Brilliant card. True, it means the Sandstorm Omastar decks are more or less dead, but it helps even out the playing field for most other cards, so we can live with it.

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