Looks like Wizards (AKA Hasbro) has screwed up again. Yep, I'm talking
about
the weak basics that were limited to the theme decks in Japan have become
rares in the American "Gym: Heroes" set. Annoyed? I'm sure
you all are.
So'm I. It's a pain in the neck to be hoping to pull an Erica's Vileplume,
TR Scyther or TR Hitmonchan and instead pull a Misty's Goldeen or Brock's
Zubat. Well, I'm gonna cover all the nnon-holo rares, and explain the use
(or uselessness) of each card. My Magikarp wanted to join me, but this is
a
pile of stuff, so he'll just have to wait for another day. Anyway,
here
goes nothing...
Name: Brock's Golem
Type: Stage 2 -- Evolves from Brock's
Graveler
Rarity: Rare
Color: Fighting
HP: 90 HP
Weakness: G
Resistance: none
Retreat: 4
Attack: [1FF] Rock Slide (20)
If your
opponent has any Benched Pokemon, choose up to 3 of them.
This
attack does 10 damage to each of them. (Don't apply
Weakness
and
Resistance for Benched Pokemon.)
Attack: [2FF] Fissure (50)
Hmmm...rock slide is pretty good and fissure is reasonable as it can be
powered up with a DCE. Retreat is really high, but he DOES have 90 HP.
Not
*bad*, worthy of Rare.
Name: Brock's Onix
Type: Basic Pokemon
Rarity: Rare
Color: Fighting
HP: 70 HP
Weakness: G
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Attack: [FF] Bind (20)
Flip a
coin. If heads, the Defending Pokemon is now Paralyzed.
Attack: [FFF] Tunneling
If your
opponent has any Benched Pokemon, choose up to 2 of them.
This
attack does 20 damage to each of them. (Don't apply
Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokemon.) Brock's Onix can't
attack
during your next turn.
Niiiice. Tunneling is good with a tiny drawback. Bind is reasonable
as
well. HP is 70, reasonable, but it should be a little faster. All in
all it
is worthy of Rare.
Name: Brock's Rhyhorn
Type: Basic Pokemon
Rarity: Rare
Color: Fighting
HP: 60 HP
Weakness: G
Resistance: L -30
Retreat: 2
Attack: [2] Horn Toss (20)
If your
opponent has any Benched Pokemon, he or she chooses 1 of
them
and switches it with the Defending Pokemon. (Do the damage
before
switching the Pokemon.)
Attack: [1FF] Take Down (40)
Brock's
Rhyhorn does 10 damage to itself.
Not bad, Horn toss is colorless and can be powered up on turn one with a DCE.
Take down isn't so good. Brock's Ryhorn is FAR from good, so this
guy only
sees use in splashing. As an uncommon, he's reasonable, but as a rare?
No.
Name: Brock's Sandslash
Type: Stage 1 -- from Brock's
Sandshrew
Rarity: Rare
Color: Fighting
HP: 60 HP
Weakness: G
Resistance: L -30
Retreat: 1
Attack: [FF] Needles (10)
Flip a
coin. If heads, the Defending Pokemon is now Paralyzed
and
Poisoned.
Attack: [FF] Sandstorm (20)
If the
Defending Pokemon tries to attack during your opponent's
next
turn, your opponent flips a coin. If tails, that attack
does
nothing.
Pretty good. Double status effect for FF OR an accuracy dropping attack
for
the same price. Good, and reasoable as a rare (Venomoth was a HOLO, and
wasn't as versatile). Only problem is Scyther...
Name: Brock's Zubat
Type: Basic Pokemon
Rarity: Rare
Color: Grass
HP: 30 HP
Weakness: P
Resistance: F -30
Retreat: none
Attack: [1] Alert
Draw a
card. Then, switch Brock's Zubat with 1 of your Benched
Pokemon. You can't use this attack if your Bench is empty.
Attack: [2] Wing Attack (20)
Heh. Here's the first *bad* rare. Alert is okay, better than a
fetch...kinda. Wing attack is reasonable. But 30 HP is horrid.
The common
Brock's Zubat is better.
Name: Erika's Clefairy
Type: Basic Pokemon
Rarity: Rare
Color: Colorless
HP: 50 HP
Weakness: F
Resistance: P -30
Retreat: 1
Attack: [1] Moonwatching
Search
your deck for a basic Energy card. Show that card to your
opponent, then put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck
afterward.
Attack: [2] Comet Slap (10x)
Flip 3
coins. This attack does 10 damage times the number of
heads.
Another "loser." Moonwatching is good, and comet slap isn'r
*bad*, but 50 HP
is, particularly when fighting is on the way back.
Name: Erika's Victreebel
Type: Stage 2 -- Evolves from Erika's
Weepinbell
Rarity: Rare
Color: Grass
HP: 80 HP
Weakness: R
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Power: "Fragrance Trap"
Once
during your turn (before your attack), you may flip a coin.
If
heads, and if your opponent has any Benched Pokemon, choose 1
of them
and switch it with his or her Active Pokemon. This power
can't
be used if Erika's Victreebel is Asleep, Confused, or
Paralyzed.
Attack: [GGG] Razor Leaf (50)
Sweeeeet. Fragrance trap can work as a GOW (if you're lucky), a bonus if
the
Prop 15 is passed. Razor leaf is economical and deadly. As I said,
sweeeet.
Name: Lt. Surge's Electabuzz
Type: Basic Pokemon
Rarity: Rare
Color: Lightning
HP: 60 HP
Weakness: F
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Attack: [L] Charge
Take up
to 2 L Energy cards from your discard pile and attach
them
to Lt.
Surge's Electabuzz
Attack: [LL] Electric Current (20)
Take 1
L Energy card attached to Lt. Surge's Electabuzz and
attach
it to 1
of your Benched Pokemon. If you have no Benched Pokemon,
discard
that Energy card.
Charge is nice, and Electric current is okay. Use this guy to load up a
beefy electric pokemon like Base or Fossil Zapdos, or a Raichu. 60 HP
isn't
great, but there's always scoop up.
Name: Lt. Surge's Raichu
Type: Stage 1 -- Evolves from Lt.
Surge's Pikachu
Rarity: Rare
Color: Lightning
HP: 70 HP
Weakness: F
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Attack: [LL] Mega Punch (30)
Attack: [LLLL] Thunderbolt (100)
Discard
all Energy cards attached to Lt. Surge's Raichu in order
to use
this attack.
Talking about charging up a Raichu...This guy's great. Mega Punch is nice,
and Thunderbolt is a great finisher. Mega Punch while charging up, then
use
thunderbolt as a big finale. Worthy.
Name: Misty's Cloyster
Type: Stage 1 -- Evolves from Misty's
Shellder
Rarity: Rare
Color: Water
HP: 60 HP
Weakness: L
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Power: "Shell Armor"
You may
reduce all damage done by attacks to Misty's Cloyser by
10
(after
applying Weakness and Resistance). (Any other effects of
attacks
still happen.) This power can't be used if Misty's
Cloyster is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
Attack: [1WW] Triple Cannon (20x)
Flip 3
coins. This attack does 20 damage times the number of
heads
Nice power, reasonable attack. Works great with Defender. BIG
improvement
over the Fossil variety. Cloyster lovers rejoice.
Name: Misty's Goldeen
Type: Basic Pokemon
Rarity: Rare
Color: Water
HP: 30 HP
Weakness: L
Resistance: none
Retreat: none
Attack: [W] Horn Hazard (30)
Flip a
coin. If tails, this attack does nothing.
This guy's awful. 30 HP is bad, and a 50% chance attack is worse.
The only
way to make him worse would be if you flipped tails it'd knock him out. Oh
yeah, Seaking ain't too good either. No reason to use him 'cept for trade
fodder. Worse than Base Gastly. BG can actually knock out something
(sarcasm).
Name: Misty's Poliwrath
Type: Stage 2 -- from Misty's
Poliwhirl
Rarity: Rare
Color: Water
HP: 90 HP
Weakness: G
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3
Attack: [2WW] Water Ring (30)
Does 10
damage to each Pokemon that isn't W on each player's
Bench.
(Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched
Pokemon.)
Nice. Works great in a mono-water deck, particularly against Haymaker.
Yeah, he's got to deal with lower stages and Scyther, but several consecutive
water rings will cripple a non-water deck.
Name: Misty's Tentacool
Type: Basic Pokemon
Rarity: Rare
Color: Water
HP: 40 HP
Weakness: L
Resistance: none
Retreat: none
Attack: [1] Mysterious Light
Flip a
coin. If heads, the Defending Pokemon is now Asleep.
Attack: [1W] Jellyfish Pod
Search
your deck for any number of Pokemon named Tentacool,
Tentacruel, Misty's Tentacool, or Misty's Tentacruel. Show
those
cards to your opponent, then put them into your hand.
Shuffle
your deck afterward.
Better than fossil, but still bad. 50% sleep is awful. Jellyfish pod
is
*okay* but not great. Okay in a Jellyfish Status effect deck, since you
can
get all the tentacruel you need, and both 'cruel and Misty's 'cruel are good.
Still, a rare? No.
Name: Rocket's Snorlax
Type: Basic Pokemon
Rarity: Rare
Color: Colorless
HP: 90 HP
Weakness: F
Resistance: P -30
Retreat: 4
Power: "Restless Sleep"
If your
opponent's attack does damage to Rocket's Snorlax and
Rocket's Snorlax is already Asleep (even if it's Knocked Out),
this
powe does 20 damage to the attacking Pokemon.
Attack: [3] Collapse (20)
Rocket's Snorlax is now Asleep (after doing damage).
Not bad, It's got a cool power and Collapse allows you to use that power.
If
Snorlax dream eater decks are common in your area, here's the cure. More
use
in Metagame than actual deck planning, but still worthy of a Rare.
Name: Sabrina's Venomoth
Type: Stage 1 -- from Sabrina's
Venonat
Rarity: Rare
Color: Grass
HP: 60 HP
Weakness: R
Resistance: F -30
Retreat: none
Attack: [G] Healing Pollen
Flip 3
coins. For each heads, remove 1 damage counter from each
of your
Pokemon. If a Pokemon has fewer damage counters than the
number
of heads, remove all of them.
Attack: [P] Sonic Distortion (10)
Flip 2
coins. If 1 or both of them are heads, the Defending
Pokemon
is now Confused.
Okay, first I want to thank Wizards for putting this guy in this expansion.
I was afraid I'd have to wait longer, but he's here early! Too bad they
didn't put in Sabrina's Golduck, I've got a great deck using him, but that'll
have to wait till later for tournament use. Anyway, Sonic distortion is
awesome. One energy does 10 damage and 75% chance of confusion!!!!!
This
guy rules!!! Healing Pollen is nice too, use him with Alakazam or a few
Slowbro (F) and watch the damage disappear. This guy rocks!!! Rare?
He
should be HOLO!
Well, there's the review. Well, anyway, I feel that I need to put in my
two
cents about the bad rares that came from the theme decks. Wizards did this
to keep the same rare distribution as in the Base set. However, they took
a
lot of cards that barely belong in the "Common" category and made them
rares
that'll lessen one's chance to get the good rares/holos that make this set so
interesting. This makes getting what you want hard, considering many
collectors don't WANT to trade for them, and they have little or no use in
any competitive decks. Those of you who say it was profit-driven may be
right, I just know it's a pain in the neck. I'll also warn everyone that
Wizards WILL do the same thing in the next expansion, so be prepared to pull
pathetic Misty's Psyducks or Sabrina's Abras. However, there are also a
lot
of great rares in the next set, including another Sabrina's Gengar, Sabrina's
Golduck, and a whole lot more. I'm not even going to talk about the Holos,
since we ALL've been waiting for TR Zapdos (yeaaah baby), Misty's Gyarados
(heheheh. Muk), Brock's Ninetails (1 word: evolutions!), Blaine's
Ninetails, Erica's Venusaur (hahahahah killer bench damage!), Sabrina's
Alakazam (Psylink...heheheheh), and of course TR Mewtwo. Are you drooling
over your keyboard yet?
-FossilMagikarp
email: Edestus360@aol.com