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Pojo's Pokemon Card of the Day

Jigglypuff13

11/11 Dusknoir Lv.X (SF)   Hello, and welcome to today's card, Dusknoir Lv.X! This is a special Lv.X since it's the first one to have only one ability on it's own, but it isn't a bad one. Before that, the basics of the card. 140 HP on a Stage 2 Lv.X is about average really, thus isn't too bad. Also works quite well with Shadow Command Dusknoir (SF holo) due to it's self damaging Poké-Power being able to be used once more. x2 Dark Weakness is expected, but hurts a little since it's the most easily played type, all thanks to Weavile (SW) turning anything into Dark type. Of course, some cards are more effective with Weavile than others (like Tyranitar (SF) likes Weavile a lot, but I don't think Magnezone Lv.X (LA) will want any help), but it's always going to be a bit of a threat to the new ghosts (Dusknoirs and Gengar (SF) mainly, but Mismagius (SF) is always there as well). And no Resist... Hold on, this one of those rare beasts, a card with a Resistance! It may only be a -20 Colorless Resistance, but that's better than nothing, isn't it? However, the Retreat is rather large at a cost of 3 (Just one ting, how heavy can a ghost actually be?), so it's a good idea to pack a couple of Switches/Warp Points into your Dusknoir deck.   Now, ability, Ectoplasm, and this has been, well, it depends who you are really. If you want to play Dusknoir, it's long awaited. If you don't, it's been something you've been fearing. What it does is if Dusknoir Lv.X is your active Pokékmon and gets KOed by damage from an attack (important that bit), then it becomes a Stadium that, in between turns, does 10 spread to your opponent only. It's the first stadium (well, it isn't a proper stadium, but you know what I mean) that only effects one player, which is nice, and is just harsh really. With 10 spread, after just 4 turns, you will be KOing healthy Claydols without needing to do anything special to it! Oh, if we have any non-Dusknoir players still reading (which, after reading the card and these reviews, I think many people will have converted), don't think a counter stadium is going to help at all. Or in fact, anything is going to help here because as soon as you get rid of it, it goes straight back into the Dusknoir players' hand, ready to be re-used and recycled (which will help out in the battle against climate change :D Or maybe not, but that isn't the point) to create move havoc later on in the game.   So how do you counter Dusknoir Lv.X? Well, one way to go about this is to KO all of your opponents Dusknoirs before they turn into the Lv.X form. With 120 HP each and annoyingly mighty attacks, that not always easy. No, the best thing to do is to KO Dusknoir. "But how, if it's KOed, it will turn into a Stadium?", you may be asking. Well, it's simple, but first, re-read the card. Yes, now you see it. It only turns into a Stadium when KOed by DAMAGE from an attack. Special Conditions and the placing of Damage Counters, along with Poké-Powers/Bodies that do damage, will not turn Dusknoir into a Stadium, which is always nice. Unless you can snipe, since it also says if Dusknoir Lv.X is the ACTIVE Pokémon, so sniping it when benched is a great way to get rid of it. However I do appreciate that not every deck will have such an ability (I've never seen Skittles place damage counters or snipe, for example), so they are just going to have to grin and bear it I'm afraid.   Now, you want to play this card, did you say? And you want to know what Dusknoirs to play? Well, we have 4 legal ones. There's the three everyone knows about from DP and SF, but then there is also the promo one that no one ever seems to remember. I don't know why because, for just straight damage, the promo is excellent. 70 for 3 isn't great, but you can then move 2 damage counters from Dusknoir to any of your opponents Pokémon, thus esentially 90 for 3. It also has a nice little disruptive power that doesn't really have any use apart from in Dusknoir/Gengar decks (which I don't recommend since it doesn't sound that great to me). The SF non-holo Dusknoir is quite nice as well, doing spread to everything with an energy attached in between turns so long as it's active, and doing 80 for PCC if the defending Pokémon already has any damage counters on it. The DP one, well, who hasn't heard of why it's so great? The only other option if the Shadow command one, which, I'm afraid, I'm not a big fan of. Yes, it can draw cards, but unless you can abuse the discard (which I don't like), you are only really abusing damaging itself, which esentially means you are letting your opponent KO Dusknoir. Yes, after just 4 uses, you are KOing Claydols for PC and yes, you stop Kingdra and similar decks in their tracks with Night Spin, but there's something about it that makes me think it will end up as more of a hindrance than a help. However, I do like it's synergy with the Lv.X form. Keep damaging Dusknoir, and then you are either getting you opponent to KO Dusknoir Lv.X to make it stadium, or they are suffering massive snipes whilst doing very little. It's one of those annoying moments that can and will put your opponent in a bad place.   Survivability, well, I'm going to wait until the start of cities before I resume this part of my reviews. However, it's probably quite good unless you end up against a Dark type, at which point it will turn into a stadium,   Ratings:   Modified: It's unbelievably annoying when it turns into a Stadium (which will be most of the time), and with a massive number of possible normal Dusknoir combinations, your opponent will have to watch out as to what they all do, and have a possible counter for all of them. There isn't much to not like about it, however, I have found something. How it still gives up a prize when it turns into a Stadium. This was obvious really, but it is still annoying that you have to actually get it KOed to be able to unleash Ectoplasm. A hefty price, but undoubtedly a fair one. 4.5/5   Limited: As if you are going to get a good line of it here. If you get any sort of whole Dusknoir Lv.X line here, then it will be a struggle to get Dusknoir Lv.X out. Do so though, and it's going to be hard to KO, and when it is, chance are, will turn into a Stadium, and thus the spread will hurt your opponent a lot. Just don't ever count on getting it out. 2/5

Narctiss

Dusknoir Lv.X. It's stomach always reminds me of a cat...   HP 140 - Not too bad! I suppose it's better it's lower.. x2 Darkness weakness - x2 is always bad, darkness isn't so terrible, but it will suffer against Tyrannitar and it's pre-evos won't like any starter Sableye S's. -20 Colourless Resistance - Horay! Resistance! Although it's colourless, any is appreciated. It'll help against Garchomp, not too much else I can think of that will attack though. 3 Retreat Cost - More high retreats! Ah well, once more, mandatory Warp/Switch to be decked.   Poke-Power: Ectoplasm (And nothing else!) In short. If your opponent KO's this pokemon, they're going to suffer, a lot, every time between turns they'll take a damage counter on each of their Pokemon. There are a few ways to get rid of it though once it's in play as a Stadium card (and even then, it goes BACK to your opponents hand for another round!) or before it goes into play, these are: Another stadium in play KO'ing Dusknoir through Burn, Poison or anything else that isn't an attack (Shocking Tail, Jamming, Radiance, etc Poke-Bodies; Poke-Blower heads flip for a single damage counter). Using an attack to get rid of Stadiums such as Electivire X's. Stopping Poke-Powers with Psychic Lock on Gardervoir or Mesprit LA's own Poke-power And, well, not much else really!   When against this Pokemon, you'd better hope you can either KO another of their pokemon or have a stadium to hand, otherwise you're going to be in for some major damage. You may well see this card in play with KIngdra decks who might run the DP Dusknoir. That'd keep the bench down to three Pokemon, Kingdra will spread accute damage to those three in the biggest threat first, and then bring out Dusknoir to get KO'd and spread some more damage should needs be! Any Dusknoir goes well with this Lv.X, simply because it has no attacks to combo with. It's Poke-Power doesn't rely on anything more than being KO'd, so it's just a nice tech to bump up normal Dusknoir's HP by 20 or so, and have some fun being KO'd. Any spread decks may find use with this. A good example I just thought of would be Azelf X with it. You get to snipe their bench depending on their energy amount, and also gives Dusknoir no weakness. Excellent. The combos may be quite large with this card however, as it's a little omnipotent. Definitely something for Cities!   Modified: 4/5 An attack would be nice, but it's Poke-Power makes up for lots! The weakness and retreat cost don't really make any difference, they HELP in using this card!! Limited: 3/5  Four prizes in a pre-release is small, an any KO is bad, but spreading is always good, so I wasn't sure how to rate this. I'll go with 3 on the basis it spreads a lot, but a KO is a bad KO. So far this set's not a bad set at all!