Baby Mario
2010 UK
National
Seniors
Champion |
Greninja
(Kalos Starter Set)
Yep, today’s Pokémon was a pretty predictable choice
considering we had already looked at the other two video
game starter Pokémon. This one though is easily the best
of the three. Note that when I say ‘best’, that doesn’t
necessarily mean it’s any
good. After all, Delphox and
Chesnaught were just dull,
anonymous cards. Greninja
doesn’t offer anything more spectacular, but at least he
offers it for cheap.
Actually, Mat Block is a decent attack and offers pretty
good value for just a single Water Energy. 40 damage and
a coin flip to discard an Energy
from the Defending Pokémon is a nice option.
Unfortunately, it really isn’t worth the effort of
setting up a Stage 2 for, not unless it has something
really good to follow it up. Unsurprisingly, this is
where Greninja lets itself
down: three Energy for an effect-free
80 damage is just . . . so mediocre it hurts, and
frustratingly short of the 90 needed for two-hit KOs on
an EX.
If I was forced at gunpoint to play one of these
Kalos starters, then
Greninja would easily be my
underwhelming weapon of choice. Luckily, I will never
have to do that, and even if I was dead set on using the
ninja frog (he
is pretty cool), I have a much better option that
was released officially just today.
Rating
Modified: 1.75 (best of a poor bunch)
Limited: 2.25 (not enough payment for the effort of
getting it into play)
|
HEZ
Intro to
Unlimited 150 |
Greninja.
Modified:
Poor Greninja, the best of the new starters in the video
game but the worst from these decks. Playing the starter
decks against each other it’s actually not too bad. Mat
Block deals decent damage for just 1 energy with the
chance to discard an energy from your opponent’s Active.
Considering their rather high energy costs you could
cripple them with a little luck.
The second attack is dire though. So many Basic Pokémon
can do better from Terrakion (NVI) doing 90 for 3 and
even unremarkable Pokémon like Throh (B&W) doing the
same 80 for 3.
Unlimited 150.
Nope, still unplayable here, there’s so many better
options for Stage 2 Water Pokémon. The XY set Greninja
remains highly playable in this format though, even as a
1-1-1 line. Just being able to have it bench-sit and add
extra damage with Water Shuriken is amazing. Just don’t
be tempted to make it a 2-2-2 line as the Starter deck
version lets the Greninja side down.
Ratings.
Modified: 1
Unlimited 150: 1
|
