Cloyster the Mutant Clam-Oyster Crossbreed!

    Cloyster's Stats:
    HP:  50
    Evolves from Shellder
    Uncommon
    Attack #1:  Water-Water.  "Clamp." 30 Damage.  Flip a coin.  If heads,
the Defending Pokemon is now Paralyzed.  If tails, this attack does nothing
(not even damage).
    Attack #2:  Water-Water.  "Spike Cannon."  30x Damage.  Flip 2 coins. 
This attack does 30 damage times the number of heads.
    Weakness:  Lightning
    Resistance:  Zilch
    Retreat:  Two Colorless Energy

    After about five minutes of trying to find Cloyster's good points... I've
decided that Cloyster would be good in a deck for a 3 year old to play
against another 3 year old using cards that were discarded by their elder
siblings.  Other than that, it's trade fodder.
    I think the best way to improve Cloyster would be to give it an attack
that didn't depend on a coin flip or flips to work.  If you get one tail,
Clamp does not work.  Otherwise, it does 30 and paralysis, which is *nice*
but not *great* for a coin attack.  Spike Cannon gives you a whole extra
chance to flip and get heads!  If you get 2 heads, you do 60, it's nice, but
if you get 2 tails, you do 0.  That gives you an "average" of 30 damage,
which seems okay at first glance, but when you realize that tails tend to
"run in streaks" you get sort of depressed and send out Cloyster to be
Electabuzz fodder.
    Of course, when you're on a Heads streak, it is a very good thing.  A
friend of mine pretended to "backhand" my Chansey, and my next ten (at
least... I'm thinking closer to 15 though) Scrunch flips were ALL heads.
    Anyhow, Cloyster's picture is pretty cool, and its Pokédex information
makes it sound better than it is, but Cloyster, in my opinion, would work
best in the sort of tournament environment where some lunatic has decreed
that "All Pokemon Must Have 50 or Less HP."  In that case, I'd use a bunch of
Farfetch'd and Koffing.  Maybe Fossil Gastly/Haunter.  *shrug* 
    My Rating:  Half a toenail clipping (out of four feet and a tail).
    Suggested Best Use As a Pokemon Card:  Trade to a 5-year-old for an Abra
    Suggested Best Use As a Piece of Paper:  Toothpick.
Advice if you use Cloyster in an actual deck:  Replace it with ANY OTHER
stage 1 water pokemon.  Try the Horsea-Seadra line, or the
Tentacool-Tentacruel line.  The Goldeen-Seaking line would fit there too.
(same energy requirement)
    The only excuse for using Cloyster in a serious deck is if it's your
favorite pokemon!  Congrats for not having Pikachu as your favorite! 

        Rainy the Furry Blue Mock-Dragon



RainStr0m@aol.com