Hi everyone, this is nikePK.  I haven’t put anything on the site lately, but I

was just thinking, and decided I’d do my opinion on the Top 5 pokemon from each

set, the top 3 trainers from each set, and overall the top 10 cards from each

set.  So without further adieu, here they are, starting from the great Base

Set.  By the way, this is a list of how these cards stack up now, not with just

the sets that were out when they were released. (ex: Hitmonchan would be on the

base top 5 if it were just base, but he’s not very good anymore so he didn’t

make it.)

Base Set:  Pokemon

 #5- Poliwrath-  Poliwrath is still pretty good today.  His attacks cost a lot,

but with a double colorless his whirlpool attack is one of the best ratio

attacks in the game.  Removing energy is always a good thing to have, just make

sure those wimpy poliwags don’t get crushed first.  Pros: 90 hp, weak to grass

instead of lightning.  Cons: Crappy pre evolutions, high retreat.

 #4- Arcanine-  Arcy is still around today, its limited, but still there.

Combined with a metal energy its very nice and it has great Hp and a decent

basic.  Arcanine’s flamethrower can be used to take out little pokemon so you

can save your hp.  Pros: 100hp for stage 1!!, Decent basic, Fire type, does

loads of damage. Cons: High retreat, deals damage back to itself.

 #3- Electrode- Voltorb stinks (rocket one is OK), but unlike the jungle

counterpart, the base Electrode is wonderful.  You can buzzap him into any 2

energy you want when he’s low on health, or you can use his 3 for 50 attack to

your advantage.  Energy removal hurts his power, but if you can take a prize by

giving a prize, then by all means go for it. Pros: nice pokemon power, nice

attack, 80 hp, low retreat.  Cons: Well…umm he evolves from Voltorb, his power

lets opponent take a prize.

 #2- Chansey-  I bet you didn’t see this coming * rolls eyes *. Chansey’s

popularity skyrocketed once unown N came in to play.  It’s died down a bit but

its still a wonderful cleaner. Big hp, 2 great attacks, the big egg has always

been great, and he’s not just for stalling like he used to be long ago. Pros:

Huge Hp, 2 great attacks, low retreat, colorless energy requirements etc.. etc…

Cons: Ouch! self damage, unown n and sprout tower against him.

 #1- Electabuzz-  Yep, basics take home the gold and silver. Electabuzz has

always been a great pokemon, nothing has stopped him from being great, nothing

has enhanced him being great.  An overall great pokemon for just about any

situation and for any part of the game. Pros: quick, 70 hp, 1st turn

paralyzation.  Cons: 2 retreat, there is some resistance to lighting.

Top 3 Trainers of Base set

 #3-Professor Oak- Behind? grab a new hand to go, then pummel your opponent into

the ground.  You may have to discard your hand, but that’s not much of a problem

when you consider the benefits.

 #2- Computer Search- Stuck? Well then try a computer search. It gets you the

card you need, when you need it the most.  Again, discarding 2 cards isn’t much

when you can get any card from your deck.

 #1- Super Energy Removal- So many cards can combo with this card to give your

opponent playing only 10 energy in his/her Sneasel deck nightmares. Recycle

energy, clefable, jumpluff, buzz, rocket’s zappy. You get the picture.  Ruin

your opponents plans and make him pay for trying to build up his monster.

Top 10 cards of the whole set:

 #10-Lass

 #9- Blastoise

 #8- Poliwrath

 #7- Arcanine

 #6- Electrode

 #5- Professor Oak

 #4- Computer Search

 #3- Chansey

 #2- Electabuzz

 #1- Super energy removal

Now we move onto the 2nd set in the Pokemon card game, Jungle.  Jungle brought

us many many powerful cards that changed the environment and that are still used

today.

Top 5 Jungle Pokemon:

 #5- Pinsir-  Back then it was used with Venusaur, now it’s used with Meganium.

Either way it makes a great pair for either one.  Pinsir lacks the 10 more hp

its superior cousin Scyther has, and it lacks a first turn attack.  It also has

a retreat, but when you only have to pay G for 20 and 50% of paralysis and GG

for 50, while playing Meganium, its well worth it. Pros: High power attacks,

combos well with other grass pokemon.  Cons: a retreat cost, no 1st turn attack.

60 hp.

 #4- Rapidash-  What a wonderful addition to fire jungle gave us.  Rapidash has

70 hp for a stage 1 which is ok, but its attacks make up for it.  Pros: free

retreat! agility attack that does 30, colorless attack.  Cons: 70hp and that’s

about it.

 #3- Wigglytuff-  Many would put him at #1, but the top 2 in my opinion are a

bit more useful.  Wiggly dominated for a long time, and he is still used, even

though his power is hurt a bit.  3 colorless for 60 is still 0wnage.  Pros:

great damage for energy ratio, 80 hp, great basic.  Cons: attack could do as

little as 10, 2 retreat, weak to removal.

 #2- Clefable- Wow, one energy for his attack is just plain awesome. Recycle

energy + SER with him has become a popular deck.  Clefairy even got a boost with

neo, so now he has 10 more hp.  Pros: 1 energy attack, works in many

situations.  Cons: damage could be a lot, or none. 2 retreat.

 #1- Scyther-  As you’ll hear anyone say, Scyther is so versatile.  It’s real

power is when its on turn 1 within a grass deck.  A turn 2 60 can ruin any

pokemon trainer’s day.  Free retreat adds to how wonderful he is.  Pros: 70hp, 0

retreat, colorless attack.  Cons: fire weakness, first turn attack does no

damage.

Top 1 trainer of Jungle:

 #1- Pokeball-  Well, unfortunately…it wins by default… This card isn’t any good

considering all of the alternatives out there.

Top 10 overall in Jungle:

 #10- Vileplume

 #9- Lickitung

 #8- Kangaskhan

 #7- Exeggutor

 #6- Venomoth

 #5- Pinsir

 #4- Rapidash

 #3-Wigglytuff

 #2-Clefable

 #1- Scyther

The last set to feature all normal pokemon, Fossil is now up for judging.

Top 5 Pokemon of Fossil:

 #5- Lapras-  Good all around water pokemon.  Water finally got a good basic,

and it’s still not that bad except when you consider it’s weakness.  Pros: 80hp,

1st turn attack.  Cons: weak to lightning, 2 retreat, not very powerful.

 #4- Moltres-  It used to be one of the most dominant decks for a long while.

Moltres stall has died down but I think it could do pretty well with Typhlosion

and fire recharge.  Pros: first attack can really mess up opponent.  Cons: 2nd

attack makes it vulnerable to clefable, not great in many decks except for stall

which is mostly dead.

 #3- Articuno- Combined with Blastoise, this guy is great.  High energy attacks

with good side effects and lots of damage and not a weakness in sight.  Starting

with him isn’t so great, but he can survive a few hits.  Pros: combo with

raindance, no weakness, nice attacks.  Cons: not so hot without Blastoise. 2

retreat

 #2- Ditto- Copy them, become them, charge up faster than them.  Opposite of the

gameboy game, ditto is faster than most of his opponents because transform is a

pokemon power and because he can use DCE to his advantage.  He has a few

downfalls but overall ditto is still a great Sneasel killer and a staple in some

decks.  Pros: powers up fast, becomes anything of your opponents.  Cons: Muk,

Magby, pichu..,  He becomes anything of your opponents.

 #1- Muk- You thought Ditto would be #1, didn’t u?  Well it’s Muk, he

successfully shuts down many things today, such as typhlosion, Slowking, and

ditto.  His strength lies in his pokemon power, but he has a decent attack too.

If only its attack cost was 2…  Pros: Power shuts down lots of stuff, Weak to

psy. Grimer is good.  Cons: 2 retreat, 3 grass for his only attack.

Top 3 Trainers of Fossil:

 #3- Gambler- Feeling lucky? Well if you are, Gamblers for you.  Gambler can

serve 2 purposes depending  on which flip you need.  With heads it gets you a

lot of cards.  With tails and with cards in your hand, you can prevent decking.

 #2- Mysterious Fossil- Not so much that its good, but its almost needed to

evolve into the great neo 2 Kabutops and Omastars.

 #1- Mr. Fuji- Prevnts you from decking, gets injured Pokemon off the bench.  No

flip involved, what more could you want?

Oh boy, Top 10 overall.

 #10- Golduck

 #9- Aerodactyl

 #8- Gengar

 #7- Mr. Fuji

 #6- Magmar

 #5- Lapras

 #4- Moltres

 #3- Articuno

 #2- Ditto

 #1- Muk

Whew, Ok, now we’ve got The terrible Titans of Pokemon thieving, Team Rocket.

Top 5 Team Rocket set Pokemon:

 #5- Dark Electrode-  2 Lighting for 30 and you can take the energy and throw it

on any of your other pokemon.  This hit and run style keeps your energy on the

board, while dark electrode deals out damage and take some pain. Works good with

Switch or Recycle energy to get him out of the active spot next turn.  Pros:

nice 2nd attack. low retreat.   Cons: low hp, crap 1st attack.

 #4- Dark Charizard-  Better than base by a long shot; Dark Charizard can deal

some major pain, for a tiny cost of energy.  He may have to discard some, but

discarding 2 for 100 damage is stellar.  Pros: Good 2nd attack, rocket

Charmander prepares for his evolution.  Cons: Dark Charmeleon is crap,

downgraded to 80hp, bad 1st attack. 2nd attack relies on flips

 #3- Dark Blastoise- Wow, a cheaper, faster, more powerful water gun attack for

the new Shelled pokemon.  Bad hp keeps him from being the best he can, but if

you can get it powered to do 70 a turn, then focus band can help him keep

dishing it out.  Pros: 2 wonderful attacks! only 2 retreat this time.   Cons:

70hp for a stage 2. Weak to lightning.

 #2-Dark Vileplume-  Dark Vileplume has lost a lot of power since neo came out,

but you can still protect yourself from Pichu, Magby, Muk, and Igglybuff.  Dark

Plume is considered 2nd rate when compared to slowking, but when you even the

playing field where nobody can play trainers AT ALL, then your specially built

deck stands a much better chance.

 #1- Dark Muk - Grass takes its 3rd Gold in a row for top Pokemon (isn’t grass

the greatest) and for good reason here. Pokemon Power + Sludge Punch=

Greatness.  Poison your opponent and don’t let him escape while you remove

energy left and right off of their benched pokemon.  Pros: great attack for

energy ratio, great pokemon power.  Cons: 60 hp.

Top 3 Trainers of Team Rocket:

 #3-Imposter Oak’s Revenge- Get rid of anything good that they had and hopefully

screw up their plans of making any run at winning.

 #2- Rocket’s Sneak Attack- Take a trainer, any trainer….and get rid of it! It’s

power has been weakened by Cleffa but it can still cause serious damage on 1st

turn.

 #1- Nightly Garbage Run- Pretty much a necessity in every deck, NGR lets you

prevent decking, and lets you play lower energy costs.  Wonderful, and uncommon.

Top 10 overall Rocket Set:

 #10- Dark Flareon

 #9- Dark Weezing

 #8- Rocket’s Sneak attack

 #7-Dark Electrode

 #6- Dark Charizard

 #5- Dark Blastoise

 #4- Dark Vileplume

 #3- Nightly Garbage Run

 #2- Dark Muk

 #1- Rainbow energy (pretty much a necessary element in all steel and darkness

decks, it deserves its spot at #1)

Well that’s it for today, I’ll be back to talk about Part II, Gym Heroes-

Southern Islands. Bye for now.

Questions, comments, send ‘em to PANDNKENNEDY@prodigy.net

         -nikePK-