Okay, no offense drg, but what are you talking about? Okay here it is:

#10 Heracross  
This is not a totally useless card, however it is not really a playable one
either, at least not when you want to win. 
 
HP                        60
Retreat                  2
Weakness            Fire
Resistance           None
 
60 HP is not bad for a basic pokemon, however the retreat cost of 2 is going
to slow this card down.  Two is quite a lot for a 60 HP pokemon, and the
weakness is standard.
So we are looking at 60 damage for 3 grass energies, what's so bad about
that?  Once again, WOTC have prevented a card being good by one simple line: 
"Flip a coin, if tails this attack does nothing".  Put simply, this sucks. 
And the pokemon power, although useful, is not going to make much difference
as this pokemon is probably usually going to find itself taken out in one
hit.  However, when a Focus Band is attached, this could be useful, but for 3
energies of one colour you expect a little more than a 50% attack.  Really,
this card just provides another excuse for Clefable to have some fun.
 
Rating: 4/10 (Not bad, although probably not playable in a tourney
environment)

Okay...? In a Damage Swap deck this guy is great. Swap 40 to him, attach a
Gold Berry, and attack. If heads, your just did 120 damage for 3 energies,
with no discarding, then between turns, your healed! If tails, your healed
and you can try again next turn, unless they can do 60 damage on their turn.
He might not be the greatest, but he's not that bad. I know if I don't say
this, you'll probably "Re" and bash me: not many would throw in a grass type
in a Swap deck, but he's worth making a deck around that idea, my friend made
a Swap with just the Alakazam family and the Promo RK9 family. And it worked
great! Next up:

#7 Bellossom
 
So this is a Stage 2?  You are telling me that I have to evolve twice to be
able to get this piece of cardboard on the table?  There has to be a mistake
somewhere, surely.  Let's take a look:
 
HP                      70
Retreat                2
Weakness           Fire
Resistance          None
 
70 HP.  That magical number, the number that all BASIC pokemon aspire to. 
Not Stage 2's.  By that second stage of evolution, you expect a little more
than 70 HP.  A retreat cost of 2 is not bad, and the weakness to fire is
pretty standard among grass pokemon.
Well, it must have some good attacks then, to make up for the less-than-good
HP.  Sorry, not this time.  One grass energy, and remove all damage counters
from one of your pokemon, but only 50% of the time.  If this was a pokemon
power, Bellossom would be broken, but it is an attack, and half the time it
does nothing.  But if your opponent isn't doing much damage, then perhaps
this could be useful.  Second Attack, 2 grass and a colourless energy, you
deal 30 damage times the number of vileplume in play.  Hey COOL!  120 damage
for 3 energy!  Nope.  The maximum number of oddishes you can have in your
deck is 4, and seeing as one is taken up by Bellossom, you can only do a
maximum of 90 damage.  So all you need is 4 Stage 2 pokemon to deal 90 damage
a turn.  Err....yeah.....  Plus all these evolution cards are going to take
up space in your deck, plus other basics (you DO need more than 4 oddishes in
a deck).  Remember also, that 70 HP makes it vulnerable to Wigglies,
Sneasels, and other pokemon which can deal damage for few energy.  Three
energy to deal damage also makes it prone to Energy Removals, and pretty much
most decks are gonna take this out with ease (or gust and ko that oddish, as
most people will suspect Dark Plume the second they see an oddish).  So
really, this card serves very little purpose, and requires a great deal of
luck to ever work (if that oddish is in the prizes......)

It's 30x each Bellossom in play, not Vileplume, so that's up to (not that it
happens to often) 120 for 3 energy. 70 HP is not that good, I'll admit, but
with the first attack you could heal itself or a benched Chansey (in Swap
deck, of course you'd have to get off 2 stage 2s, but...). 2 retreat isn't
that good, but alright since it's a stage 2. Still better than Vileplume, but
not that good, unless you can stall with that Chansey, get some Bellossoms
retreat, use the first move(healing pollen?) and if heads get rid of all the
damage counters on the Chansey, (or you could've Scooped instead of
retreating) or do 60 or so damage with Petal Dance. Next:

#2 Electabuzz
 
Well, folks, I looked at this card, and I did not think WHY?  I thought
WHAT?  As in, WHAT were WOTC smoking when they came up with this card?  I am
not sure as to the point of this card, but it probably burns well in
household fires.  Apart from that and wallpaper, I can't see much future for
this card.
 
HP                      70
Retreat                1
Weakness           Fighting
Resistance          None
 
Let me see, these stats look familiar.  Yes, they are almost identical to
that of base Electabuzz.  The 70 HP is good, so is the retreat cost, the
weakness and resistance are normal, however it is in the attacks that this
card falls on its face, dies, and becomes buried under 7 feet of dirt. 
Perhaps WOTC wanted to make an uncommon Electabuzz, so that those who could
not afford the rare cards could still use big basic pokemon in their decks. 
Good idea, right?  Wrong.  And so is this card.  For a double colourless
energy, it can deal 20 damage.  I suppose that is ok, although I don't really
want to waste my Double Colourless first turn, when instead I could play a
lightning energy on base Electabuzz, for a possible paralyse.  Now THREE
lighting energies for a colourless 30 damage!  WHY?  Why would ANYONE waste 3
energies of one type on this pokemon to do a mere 30 damage?  Of course, it
is better than base electabuzz against the ever-popular cubone decks (sarcasm
check), but really, this attack sucks.  Even other pokemon which require 3 of
one type of energy can do better.  Look at Electrode, Hitmonlee,
Gyarados......all deal a good deal MORE damage for all those energies.  And
meanwhile, base Electabuzz is dancing around, doing his little thunderpunch
thing, for one lighting and colourless energy  (and MORE damage than Neo
Electabuzz).  Was Neo Electabuzz necessary?  NO!  This card is useless in
comparison to the Electabuzz we already have, and we don't need new versions
of cards we already have.  The only time this card could be useful is in a
no-rares games, but even then, for a Double Colourless, get a Lt Surge's
Pikachu.  So overall, this card is just wrong, like so many others.  Perhaps
you can all find new creative ways to use this card, after all, you did need
something to test those new pens out on.......

2 colorless for 20 is average, but the other move, with a pluspower, K.O.s
Erika's Dratini and Mr. Mime. It also gets around defender, (not that anyone
plays it)Growl, and, I don't think this works, but possibly, Withdraw and
moves like that. He's not much compared to Base Electabuzz... But if you've
got a Haymaker with 4 Buzz, if your area plays E. Dratini, change one to Neo.

# Aipom
 
Well, here we are.  The worst card in the Neo ste, in my opinion.  What can I
say?  I suppose that after the huge success of base gastly, WOTC must have
realised that it was overpowered, and needed something similar to counter
it.  Here's your answer.  And Aipom is certainly about as useful as base
gastly.  In fact, about the only good point about it is the resistance to
psychic.   
 
HP                          40
Retreat                    None
Weakness               Fighting
Resistance              Psychic
 
As I typed out the stats for this card, I was tempted to put "Everything" in
the place where I typed the word "Fighting".  This card is, in a word,
USELESS!  Ok, you see it, and you think that the Stage 1 must be REALLY good
for this card to even be CONSIDERED playable in non-tourney play.  But wait
for it, there IS NO Stage 1!  This is a basic pokemon, and it doesn't
evolve!  40 HP is just wrong.  For a pokemon that doesn't evolve, 40 HP is
sinful.  Erika's jigglypuff, scyther with a pluspower, hitmonchan etc etc,
leaves this card in the position that I have put it in.  The no retreat cost
is nice, but it shouldn't even be in your deck, let alone your active
pokemon.  The weakness to fighting is standard, as is the resistance to
psychic for normal pokemon.  This card really makes you ask WHY? even LOUDER
than before.  There are few explanations as to why this card was made, as it
is just the most useless neo card by a mile.  Perhaps Wizards needed some
card to use for Origami, needed a new target for their dartboard (that EVIL
grin on Aipom's face is somehow enchanting yet irritating), else perhaps it
was created after a late night.
I suppose we better take a look at the attacks:  Make Off With.  Hmmmm.  This
could be useful if you were about to deck, but then again, isn't Nightly
Garbage Run so much less pathetic?  You shuffle Aipom and all cards attached
to it into your deck.  Not the kind of attack you want when it is the only
pokemon you are left with.  Then again, if this is the only pokemon you are
left with, then chances are you should sell your cards and take up rock
collecting instead.  NEVER in ANY deck should this card be played, EVER. 
Wait!  There is one more attack!  Could this save Aipom from a 0/10 rating? 
Not likely.  One energy, for an average of 10 damage.  Hardly exciting, and
hardly useful, this really just makes Aipom look even worse (if that is
possible).  Altogether, this card is just wrong, and should not be used. 
That is why it has earned itself the honour of being in my opinion, the WORST
card in the entire set of Neo.
Perhaps we will see Aipom competing against base gastly, and bellsprout in an
international pageant to find the most useless card in the world.  You never
know, Aipom might win something, but it certainly won't be any Pokemon TCG
matches.
 
Rating: 0.5/10 (SAVED by the no retreat cost)

He's once again good in a Swap, stall, this time, Swap 30 to him, Pilfer, and
if heads you can get back a Scoop Up or something... No retreat is good, I
have a no retreat deck, so I would know. He is not that good, but not the
worst in neo. The worst in Neo is decided upon by how you play it. And Card
Flip Game is good in a Stall (I've never even played one, but every card
seems to be good in it).

PICC0L05300@aol.com

Kyle Tarpley