Bronzong – Team Up Pokemon Review

Otaku

Bronzong (SM – Team Up 101/181) earns a review due to its “Heatproof” Ability, which prevents all damage it would otherwise take from attacks made by your opponent’s [R] Pokémon.

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Yeah.  Your opponent can sometimes mitigate it: for example, Reshiram & Charizard-GX can just use its “Double Blaze-GX” attack for the OHKO, at least if you have three or more extra [R] Energy attached to it.  If you have anything else in play, your opponent can KO those targets, instead.  The good news, at least in Standard, is that Bronzong’s Ability isn’t easily shut off; that same cannot be said for Expanded.  Which is why we didn’t look at Bronzong when it was new.  So, why are we looking at it now?

Preston Ellis piloted this Lucario & Melmetal-GX/Vileplume (SM – Burning Shadows 6/147) to a seventh place finish at the recent NAIC.  Decks built around mostly or exclusively Basics have to struggle to attack around or through Vileplume’s “Disgusting Pollen” Ability.  Everything else has to deal with Lucario & Melmetal-GX.  Both are backed by a strong lineup of Trainers geared towards stall/control.  The thing is, Evolved [R] Types aren’t prevented from attacking by Disgusted Pollen, and Basic or Evolved [R] Types run the risk of OHKOing the massive Lucario & Melmetal-GX via Weakness.  Metal Frying Pan offers some protection, but not enough.

Enter Bronzong.  Technically, the deck runs just enough Energy (one Double Colorless Energy and one Counter Energy) that Bronzong could attack; “Shady Stamp” does 70 dmage and leaves your opponent’s Active Confused.  That isn’t great, but it also ain’t bad for a stall deck.  Mostly, though, it just needs to wall.  The deck also has Lapras (SM – Team Up 31/181) for when you really need to KO something that is [W] Weak, and Unown (SM – Lost Thunder 91/214) so you can shoot for the win if your hand becomes large enough.

Bronzong is here for niche defense, but right now, it is a niche that needs occupying, earning Bronzong a solid Standard Format score.  Due to the additional Ability negation in Expanded, I cannot score it as well there.  In the Limited Format, a Stage 1 line with 130 HP, potentially useful Ability, and mostly Colorless attack is actually a very good pull.

Ratings

Standard: 3/5

Expanded: 2/5

Limited: 3.5/5