Scott, Doll, Spike, Jedi. 4 mechanics here at PoJo. Then we got the rest; all great players! Alex, Colin, Bob, Swoll, and welcome Gavin, who took out one of the highest ranked players in the world two weeks in a row. Go Gavin. We're going to keep it at 9, and if we drop someone, I'll let you all know, so you can try out if you'd like.

And the next Card of the Day? That's right, there's no poll. I posted a contest on the Message Board. I want you guys to try out writing your own Card of the Day on one of the following cards: Gold Berry, Brock's Ninetales, Murkrow, or Steelix. Please do only one. I'll pick a winner soon, who can pick the next (Neo) Card of the Day for me to do. Anyone can participate! Have fun!

The Darkness Type

Yep. Sneasel is one of the new, and very few Darkness type Pokémon. That means the Darkness energy gives it +10 to damage done, with no side effects. That makes it's attacks pretty good. In a normal deck, that is prone to Energy Removal (since you cannot play more than 4 Darkness in a deck), Rainbow as your best bet. (As Rainbow can provide Darkness, and Metal, without the side effects. YES, they're basic energy, but the cards themselves aren't.) Unfortunately, Rainbow energy gets 10 on Sneasel, and doesn't have the +10 benefit, either.

Fury Swipes

A little better than you may think. It ends up doing 10 or 20 most of the time, so that means with the Darkness, it's easier to do 20 or 30 with it. Not bad for an opening attack.

Beat Up

Beat Up is what makes this card good. With a full bench, and two darkness energy, Sneasel needs 3/6 coin flips to be heads for a knockout on any hay basic, even anything with 80 HP, like a Wigglytuff. That's really useful. With a PlusPower, only 2 flips need to be heads to get the 70 HP basic. Beat Up works best with at least 1 darkness energy(instead of 2 rainbow), since you get that extra 10 to get the 70 HP basic, the most common used HP in tournament environment, knocked out. With 3 Darkness, Sneasel doesn't need a PlusPower, and below average flips will knock out the 70 HP Pokémon. 3 Darkness is a problem, due to the fact that Sneasel is very...

Prone to Energy Removal

You can play no more than 4 Darkness energy in a deck. That should give you the idea immediately. Just like double colorless, these things are difficult to get back when removed. Rainbow can help you play "more" in your deck, but Darkness Energy itself is way more advantegous compared to Rainbow. A Sneasel that is ready to Beat Up is just begging for a Super Energy Removal. Understand that the Proneness to Removal is by far, Sneasel's biggest drawback, or flaw. Sneasel can, however, be helped out with EcoGym, and if you like flips, Energy Charge. Because of it's speed and biggest downside being vulnerable to removal, I believe Sneasel works best as a...

Trapper Pokémon

Sneasel is a very fast basic, capable of maximum damage. Despite the new, Anti-Trapping Cleffa, Sneasel can really be great in a Trapper. Trap decks' speed allow them to get basic on the bench easily, and Darkness Energy can't be removed if you get rid of their hand. Sneasel can get a knockout pretty much every turn, and doesn't need to worry about goign down to Wiggly in one hit, or being Supered, if you can get a Chaos out to solidify the advantage you have, when you have 2+ Darkness on it.

Perfect Bottom Stats

Unlike Base Gastly, Sneasel's perfect bottom stats aren't a waste. If Sneasel gets Supered, it can run away easily, and it has no weakness, which is always nice. The resistance to psychic is nice to have against Mewtwo.

My Rating

(1- Terrible, useless. 3- Pretty bad. 5- Average. 7- Tournament level. 9- Broken. Just too good. 10- Wrong.)

Sneasel is definitely tournament playable, yet the high amount of Removal played counters it. It's still good though, since if you can get 2 Darkness on it, with the full bench, you average a knockout against all Hay basics and Wiggly. I'd give it an 8.0.

Neo never had a chance to be played in 15/3, but if it did, I think Sneasel would be a choice. There is slightly less removal, but when you do get your Darkness supered, it's hurt a lot more. There's no room for Energy Charge in 15/3. 7.0. It's difficult to Beat Up with a maximum of 3 Darkness in a deck, and less drawing power. Speed and hand denial can protect Sneasel. That's difficult in 15/3.

Pointless Comments

I play a 6 energy Sneasel trap. 2 Full Heal, 4 Darkness. Excessive card drawing. It works. A first turn Lass can wreck it, though.

~Jason Klaczynski

You make your own Card of the Day! Post it on the Message Board by replying to my post. Do your report on Gold Berry, Brock's Ninetales, Murkrow, or Steelix. Best report gets to pick my next (Neo) Card of the Day.

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