New Feature:
If you think this review is too long to read, just skip
straight to the scores and then read the summary for a
concise overview!
Yes, the summary now lives up to its name
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Name:
Rocket’s Mewtwo
Set:
Gym Challenge
Card#:
14/132 (also a Best of Promo)
Type:
Psychic
Stage:
Basic
HP:
70
Weakness:
Psychic
Resistance:
None
Retreat:
CC
Attack#1:
(P) Juxtapose
Flip a coin. If heads, switch the number of damage counters
on Rocket’s Mewtwo with the number of damage counters on the
Defending Pokémon (even if it would
Knock Out either Pokémon). (It’s okay if 1 of
the Pokémon has no damage counters on it).
Attack#2:
(PP) Hypnoblast [20]
Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now
Asleep.
Attack#3:
(PPPC) Psyburn [60]
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Attributes:
Rocket’s Mewtwo gets the handful of disadvantages of being
an “owned” Pokémon, such as being unable to use Ancient Tomb
to cover its Weakness. It is Psychic, which is not so hot
in Unlimited: Neo Genesis Sneasel
and Murkrow are still widely
used and Resistant. Then again,
Slowking is widely used and Weak,
so if you can just get it active, it’s a prize. So it is
not the greatest, but neither is it the worst. Moving on,
we see that it has a sturdy 70HP. Few attacks hit reliably
for this amount of damage without being dependant upon
things like flips or large combos. Rocket’s Mewtwo is Weak
to other Psychic Pokémon, so watch out for Movie Promo
Mewtwo and its “extreme” younger-but-bigger brother Mewtwo
ex: both can OHKO this card. Then again, Rocket’s Mewtwo
can OHKO them right back. There is no Resistance, which is
as bad as it gets. Finally, there is a retreat cost of two
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EX: Team Rocket Returns SPOILER ALERT!
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If the translations of the Japanese cards are correct, the
new set contains both new Dark Pokémon and new Rocket’s
Pokémon! More importantly, the Team Rocket team-specific
Trainers and related effects refer to both Dark Pokémon and
Rocket’s Pokémon! If this holds true, it means
Unlimited’s old Rocket’s Pokémon
might finally see some love. ;) That is why I wanted to look
at these cards, to get them into people’s minds! If the
translations hold true, add one to the
Unlimited score due to the new combos, including a
Supporter that works like the Team Aqua/Magma Schemers, a
“Ball” type Trainer for Dark and Rocket Pokémon, and two new
Stadiums. The one is like the old Rocket’s Hideout, but
includes Rocket’s Pokémon, pumping Rocket’s Mewtwo up to a
beefy 90 HP. The second gives all Dark and Rocket’s Pokémon
access to an extra attack. The HP is really nice for
Rocket’s Mewtwo, given access to Focus Band and Juxtapose.
The downside is that Rocket’s Mewtwo ex will be able to do
everything this card can, only better. It will depend on a
few key facts as to whether or not the two cards will
compliment each other or clash.
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*************END SPOILER ALERT!**************
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Abilities:
This was the first Pokémon to have three attacks. Juxtapose
is flippy, but nice. It may do
nothing, but when it works you can heal yourself while
hurting them! Opponent have a
healthy Sneasel while your
Mewtwo is only still standing from a successful Focus Band?
If the flip works, you can heal yourself and KO that
weasel. Hypnoblast, by modern
standards, is a tad overpriced. (PP) pays
for 30 damage. We get 20 with a
flip for Sleep. Auto sleep is only worth (C) now. 20 would
only cost (CC). So we should be getting auto-Sleep.
Finally, we have Psyburn. A
nice large straight damage attack, but it will rarely go off
without a lot of protection though: (PPPC), while ever so
slightly discounted for doing 60 damage,
is still hard to build up on its own.
Uses/Combinations:
Magnetic Storm means that you can completely ignore
Resistance. Focus Band is a little sweeter than normal with
Juxtapose. Should you wish, you could include Pokémon
Center/Nurse, Super/Scoop-up, and/or Mr.
Briney’s Compassion: you are
still a threat with a single Psychic Energy. Some of those
cards combo with other Mewtwos,
and that is good: this could be interesting in a mono-Mewtwo
deck (or mostly Mewtwo deck). Sabrina’s
Alakazam likes it, but that’s
pretty hard to play in and of itself.
Ratings
Unlimited:
3/5-It’s pretty middle-of-the-road right now. It either
acts in a manner not unlike Rocket’s
Hitmonchan: A Big Bad Basic Pokémon that is a threat
so long as it has damage more damage on it than you and
could have a Psychic Energy attached before it attacked.
Limited:
4.5/5-If you see it, take it. Your opponent has little
chance of getting something that counters it well. With a
little luck, Juxtapose could make it neatly immortal.
Summary
Rocket’s Mewtwo is a fun card and just a little more useful
than Rocket’s Hitmonchan. It is
a Big Basic, having a solid 70 HP. Being Psychic isn’t
especially good, but it does have three solid attacks. I
wouldn’t run it on its own, but it is good in a few specific
decks.
Imagine what it would be like if Juxtapose had a concrete
cost, like discarding an Energy,
instead of a flip…
