Appletun – Rebel Clash Pokemon Review

Otaku

Before we delve into today’s CotD, I wanted to let you know that results are out for the latest LimitlessTCG tournament.  I’ve barely had time to glance over them, so I encourage you even more than normal to take a look for yourselves.  Then feel free to laugh at where I completely called it wrong… though I do have some hope that at least some of the changes are going to occur, even if only gradually.

This card brings a smile to may face, because it reminds me of Perfect Strangers.  Yes, I’m weird and I’m old.  Appletun (SSH – Rebel Clash 023/192) is a [G] Type, so it isn’t very good when it comes to Type-matching, but Grass Types do have some nice, new support.  [G] counters exist, but haven’t proven worthwhile.  Appletun is a Stage 1, so it’s not super-easy to work into a deck, but neither is it especially difficult… especially if the deck already has a Ditto {*} in it and not locked into other TecH.

Appletun has 90 HP, so its an easy OHKO for most decks, though early attacks, or those focused on effects and not damage, might require a 2HKO.  Unless they’re a Fire Type attacker, in which case [R] Weakness means attacks doing 50 to 80 damage still score the OHKO.  A lack of Resistance is normal, and even if it was present, -30 to damage from a single Type, on top of 90 HP, wouldn’t mean much.  The HP even affects the Retreat Cost; [CCC] is bad but it only matters if Appletun is stuck up front during your turn.  During your opponent’s turn, it’s probably getting KO’d.

Appltun has the Ability “Delicious Aroma” and the attack “Solar Beam”.  Once, during your turn, you may use Delcious Aroma.  You flip a coin, and if “tails”… you’re done using Delicious Aroma, move along with the rest of your turn.  If “heads”, you can pick one of your opponent’s Benched Basic Pokémon, and make it their new Active (forcing their old Active to the Bench).  [GC] pays for Solar Beam, and it does 70 damage. Delicious Aroma is a reusable Pokémon Catcher, but only against Basic Pokémon… and they do make up most of the metagame.  Solar Beam is decent damage for the Energy, but [GC] is a bit awkward outside of certain decks.

There are currently two versions or Applin from which Flapple may evolve: SSH – Rebel Clash 020/192 and  SSH – Rebel Clash 021/192.  Both are Basic [G]  Pokémon with 40 HP, [R] Weakness, no Resistance, and a Retreat Cost of [C].  For [C], 021/192 has you flip a coin, with “tails” doing nothing while “heads” prevents all damage done by attacks to itself during your opponent’s next turn.  Sometimes evolving Basics are stepping stones, but these aren’t even that; they’re precarious pebbles upon which to perch Appletun.  I favor the 021/192 because, if I’m desperate enough to attack with an Applin, I’d rather have something approaching a 50% chance of it surving the next turn.

Just yesterday we reviewed Flapple, and we did that because it also can evolve from Applin.  Its stats are the same as Appletun but with 10 less HP (insignificantly worse) and two fewer to retreat (better).  Its “Apple Drop” Ability places two damage counters on one of your opponent’s Pokémon, then shuffles that Flapple (and all cards attached) back into your deck.  Its “Acid Spray” attack is also filler, like Solar Beam, but a tiny bit better; 10 less damage, but for [CC] and with a coin flip to (maybe) discard an Energy from your opponent’s Active.  If Acid Spray was better, being able to fuel it with Twin Energy would be huge… but instead, it’s just handy.

I believe Apple Drop is the more valuable than Delicious Aroma.  When it comes to similar Abilities, variations on both have defined metagames or been easily forgotten.  I’m in favor of Apple Drop because there are many attacks that just miss key KO’s, and this is a potential answer for them.  Damage spread/counter manipulation can also do some interesting things.  Gusting effects have long helped win games, which makes it sound like Appletun should be the victor, but we have Boss’s Orders now.  Of course, if you’re running Flapple – especially in multiples – you ought to consider Appletun, and vice versa.

Ratings

• Standard: 2/5
• Expanded: 2/5
• Limited: 5/5

I don’t normally do this, but I went ahead and lowered the Standard and Expanded scores I gave Flapple yesterday by one, and rewrote its closing.  Most of what I said held true, but I really needed to acknowledge we have quite a few damage counter placing alternatives, and ones that were proven in competitive play.  The same thing goes for Appletun and its Ability; they have their own drawbacks, but Boss’s Way, Custom Catcher, Great Catcher, and even Pokémon Catcher have proven themselves (to different degrees) already.  Nonetheless, Appletun got a review now because it made one of the other reviewer’s Top 15 lists… and despite my criticisms, I understand why.