Pokemon Home

Pokedex

Price Guide Set List

Message Board

Pokemon GO Tips

Pokemon News

Featured Articles

Trading Card Game
- Price Guide
- Price Guide
- Card of the Day
- Professional Grading
- Killer Deck Reports
- Deck Garage
- William Hung
- Jason Klaczynski
- Jeremy's Deck Garage
- Johnny Blaze's Banter
- TCG Strategies
- Rulings Help
- Apprentice & Patch
- Apprentice League
- Spoilers & Translations
- Official Rules
- Featured Event Reports
- Top of the World
- An X-Act Science
- Error Cards
- Printable Checklist
- Places to Play

Nintendo Tips
- Red/Blue
- Yellow
- Gold & Silver
- Crystal
- Ruby & Sapphire
- Fire Red & Leaf Green
- Emerald
- SNAP
- Pinball
- TCG cart
- Stadium
- PuPuzzle League
- Pinball: Ruby/Sapphire
- Pokemon Coliseum
- Pokemon Box
- Pokemon Channel

GameBoy Help
- ClownMasters Fixes
- Groudon's Den
- Pokemon of the Week

E-Card Reader FAQ's
- Expedition
- Aquapolis
- Skyridge
- Construction Action Function
- EON Ticket Manual

Deck Garage
- Pokemaster's Pit Stop
- Kyle's Garage
- Ghostly Gengar

Cartoon/Anime
- Episode Listing
- Character Bios
- Movies & Videos
- What's a Pokemon?
- Video List
- DVD List

Featured Articles

Pojo's Toy Box

Books & Videos

Downloads

Advertise With Us
- Sponsors
- Links

Chat

About Us
Contact Us

Pojo's Pokemon Card of the Day

Baby Mario Top 4 UK Nats	Hitmontop HGSS   If there is one type of Pokémon that always seems to get a raw deal in the TCG, it is the non-Legendary unevolving Basic. Sure, occasionally they get made into decent starter Pokémon like Holon’s Castform, Spiritomb, or Pachirisu. Mostly though, they are rubbish: when was the last time you saw someone play Miltank or Kangaskhan at a tournament, huh?   For the rest of this week we shall be reviewing some of these unevolving Basics to see if they can make the grade. We start off with Hitmontop, the least memorable of all the Hitmon- Pokémon.   Hitmontop has a pretty poor 60 HP, coupled with an x2 Psychic Weakness, so don’t count on it being around for too long. It has no Powers or Bodies, but it does have two attacks. The first, Triple Kick only costs one Fighting Energy, so at least it is quick. This attack requires you to flip three coins, and you do 20 damage times the number of heads. Obviously, 60 for [F] is pretty good, but you won’t always be getting that, will you? You are just as likely to do no damage at all, and that’s what makes it a poor attack.   If you wanted to guarantee 60 damage from Hitmontop it does also come with Close Combat, assuming it survives long enough for you to attach another two Energy (or waste a Double Colourless). 60 for three is not a good damage to cost ratio in today’s format, and this attack even comes with the downside of making Hitmontop take an extra 20 damage if your opponent attacks it next turn.   So, in summary, Hitmontop is a Pokémon which MAY be able to do 60 damage with one or other of its attacks before almost inevitably getting knocked out immediately afterwards. That’s just not good enough. It would be a terrible card in League or casual play, never mind actual tournaments.   Rating   Modified: 1.25 (rubbish really, despite the remote possibility that it could donk) Limited: 1.25 (not really any better here, and Limited is usual more forgiving of bad cards)
virusyosh	Happy midweek, Pojo viewers! Our COTD today is Hitmontop from the HeartGold and SoulSilver set. Hitmontop is a Basic Fighting Pokemon. Fighting isn't a very terrible type to be right now, as  It has 60 HP, which is quite bad for a non-evolving Basic. Double Weakness to Psychic isn't great as there are many common Psychics around, like Gengar. No resistance is really unfortunate, and a Retreat Cost of 1 is decent if you have to pay it. Hitmontop has two attacks. The first attack, Triple Kick, costs [F] lets you flip 3 coins and deal 20 damage for each one. Flippy attacks are quite unreliable, but at least it only requires 1 energy. The second attack, Close Combat, deals 60 damage for [FCC] and makes your opponent's next attack deal 20 more damage on their next turn. 60 damage for 3 is way overpriced, and letting your opponent do extra damage is never a good idea. Modified: 1/5 The attacks are underpowered and don't do a whole lot. Not really worth using at all here. Limited: 1.5/5 Might be slightly better here, but probably not. The attacks are still overcosted and underpowered, but Hitmontop may be able to live a little bit longer and take out a Basic or two along the way.
Otaku	As someone who actually is at least a wee bit Irish, let me say “Happy St. Patrick’s Day”!  It’s an excellent time to learn of the man, and even though many parts of his life are unclear or contested, the basics are still enlightening.  It is also an excellent time to learn about Ireland and the Irish in general.  Perhaps today’s CotD is a nod to the old stereotype of the Irish brawler. ;)   Today’s CotD is the latest version of Hitmontop from HGSS.  This card is best described as… depressing.  He is a Basic Fighting-Type Pokémon with just 60 HP and no possibility of Evolving.  It is possible to play him as an Evolution on the Tyrogue from Legends Awakened via the Baby Evolution Poké-Power.  That Tyrogue has 60 HP as well, so that tells you Hitmontop is in trouble.  That Tyrogue also has better Weakness: plus 10 damage from Psychic Pokémon instead of doubling the damage from Psychic Pokémon like this Hitmontop.  They both have a depressing lack of Resistance and solid single Energy Retreat Cost.  Right now, it looks like Hitmontop had better have some amazing tricks at his disposal or he won’t be seeing play.   As we look at the attacks, we see that he was headed in the right direction, but doesn’t quite get there.  Triple Kick is flip heavy, but very affordable as it requires but a single Fighting Energy.  With three coin flips, odd are very good you’ll get at least 20 damage, with a decent shot at scoring 40.  If you’re very lucky, you could even hit for 60.  Too bad it’s just easier (and with a good deck more reliable) to focus on Donphan Prime for a guaranteed 60 damage.  Even the 10 damage Donphan will slam its own Bench for is easier to deal with than the luck of the coins.  Still, it isn’t a bad attack.  The second attack, unfortunately, is a bad attack, at least with how it was implemented on this card.  Close Combat requires just one Fighting and two of any other Energy.  So a single Fighting Energy and a Double Colorless and you’re ready to hit something and hard.  Unfortunately, you’re hitting for 60 and then taking an extra 20 damage from attacks during your opponent’s next turn.  With as much Energy as is required and only 60 HP, that almost guarantees a Prize.  Yesterday’s CotD and (set mate to Hitmontop) Clefable was not favorably reviewed by me.  I was not thinking ahead when I mentioned that hitting for 40 damage with a Double Colorless Energy was actually a solid attack.  I bring it up to emphasize how vulnerable Hitmontop is: only weaker Basics won’t be able to OHKO him after he uses Close Combat.  This effect means a card like Chansey from Platinum, could OHKO Hitmontop with a Double Colorless Energy and Pulled Punch, an attack carefully designed to be challenging to OHKO with.  This attack can work on something with more HP or that can heal or protect.   So Hitmontop should only see play in Limited events.  There, even if unreliable, it still threatens the often delicate set-up of an opponent, and if you do load it down with three Energy, it can easily finish a half KO’d foe, or fresh smallish Stage 1 or Basic Pokémon.  Anywhere else and have better choices, even amongst the “Hitmon” line.   Ratings   Modified: 1.5/5   Limited: 3/5