Coalossal VMAX #7 – Top 15 Pokemon Cards in Vivid Voltage

Otaku

Coalossal VMAX (SW – Vivid Voltage 99/185, 189/185) is our 7th-place finisher.  It is a Pokémon VMAX, which is both a particular mechanic and Stage of evolution.  With regards to the latter, Pokémon VMAX operate a lot like Stage 1 Pokémon; slower and a little more demanding than Basics, but easier than just about anything else.  As baseline Coalossal are normally Stage 2 Pokémon, this is an advantage.  They can make use of general evolution support, and there are both counters and pieces of support unique to Pokémon VMAX, as well as beneficial effects that exclude them.  Pokémon VMAX give up two additional Prizes when KO’d (so usually three total), but they receive compensation with vastly improved HP scores relative to their Basic Pokémon V or baseline counterparts.  Pokémon VMAX still count as Pokémon V, so all those counters and exclusions still apply.  Coalossal VMAX is a Gingantamax Pokémon, but this currently means nothing in the TCG as there are no rules or effects based on this trait.

Coalossal VMAX is a Fighting type, which looks good on paper, at least.  If [L] decks do make a comeback, most are [F] Weak.  Eternatus VMAX decks are expected to remain good, and Coalossal VMAX can exploit its Weakness.  You’ll bump into [F] Resistance, as it is one of the more common forms.  We just received some more Fighting support this set, and there’s even more in Expanded.  Some anti-Fighting effects are in Expanded as well, but they aren’t likely to matter.  What will matter is this card’s HP: 330 is just 10 shy of the printed maximum!  While still not guaranteed to survive any and all attacks, OHKOing Coalossal VMAX should be difficult for most decks.  The most likely exception will come from Grass type attackers, due to Coalossal VMAX’s [G] Weakness.  This will matter, but it isn’t the worst Weakness to have right now.  No Resistance is the worst Resistance, fortunately, it is also the most common so it isn’t really a detriment.  A Retreat Cost of [CCCC] is the highest, but not the worst; it is only slightly harder to deal with than a Retreat Cost of [CCC], but it comes with access to cards like Poké Maniac and Buff Padding.

Coalossal VMAX knows two attacks.  For [F], it can use “Eruption Shot”, doing 40 damage with an additional effect.  The bad news is that this discards the top card of your deck, but the good news is that, if it is an Energy card, it not only does the attack do an extra 90 damage (so 130 total), but you then attach the Energy to Coalossal VMAX!  40 for one Energy is weak, but that’s quite the bonus if you get a luck topdeck… or return on investment if you use another card’s effect to control what is on the top of your own deck.  Note that the attack does not specify “basic Energy”; this attack will work with Special Energy cards!  “G-Max Boulder”, the second attack, is far pricier but also far simpler: [FFFC] pays for 240 damage.  It is a solid return for the Energy invested, made better by Coalossal VMAX having built-in Energy acceleration.  An Eruption Shot that reveals an Energy can lead into a G-Max Boulder that should 2HKO anything lacking protection or healing.  Two uses of G-Max Boulder are overkill, but similarly effective.  Of course, you need to have the Energy, and for as good as Eruption Shot is, even if it doesn’t whiff it also won’t let you jump from itself to the second attack without some help.

With Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick banned, you have to evolve Coalossal VMAX from Coalossal V.  Unfortunately, Coalossal V is filler, but at least its stats are okay.  If you need more of an explanation, a bonus CotD for it should either have just been post or be going up shortly.  So, how should one use Coalossal VMAX?  Japan’s cardpool isn’t the same as ours, not only due to getting most cards before we do, but their rotation isn’t quite the same.  It is only from one event, but LimitlessTCG has the results from the Champions League held in Yokohama on October 3rd of this year.  The best peforming Coalossal VMAX deck took 3rd-place, and it wasn’t alone.  You can look at the full results yourself, for more details.

The top performing deck used both Magcargo (SM – Celestial Storm 24/168) and Oranguru (Sword & Shield 148/202; SW – Black Star Promos 199/185) to ensure there’s an Energy card on the top of your deck when you use Eruption Shot.  The deck contains no alternate means of Energy acceleration.  It does feature a card we lack in our Standard – Diancie {*} – so Coalossal VMAX won’t reach quite the same numbers unless it includes Leon (which the Japanese list lacks).  The rest of the list looks good to me, both in terms of quality and how it is all legal in our own Standard Format.  What actually leads to a sliver of doubt are some other cards other decks are lacking in our Standard Format.  Namely, [L] decks still have access to Electropower and Thunder Mountain {*}, giving them a greater presence than in our own Standard Format.  Which means fewer “juicy” targets with Fighting Weakness.

In the Expanded Format, I like Coalossal VMAX.  I’m not sure how its Weakness will play out, but it regains access to Magcargo, Diancie {*} and gains access to cards like Strength Energy.  While this card is enhanced by ready access to Item cards, Special Energy cards, and Abilities, I don’t think it has to rely on them, at least, not completely.  Even if your opponent can shut down all of it, if you still have access to Acerola, you can peck at your opponent with 40 (and the odd lucky 130) damage from Eruption Shot, then bounce with Acerola when you become too damaged.  This is all Theorymon on my part, though; I have not tested the deck myself.  I definitely like Coalossal VMAX in the Limited Format, though you’ll need extreme luck to pull both it and Coalossal V, given their rarities.  If you do, either slap it into a mostly or mono-Fighting deck, or run a Mulligan build with it.  Coalossal V is slow in powering up, which is my major concern.

Ratings

• Standard: 4/5
• Expanded: 4/5
• Limited: 4/5

Coalossal VMAX is our first unambiguously good card.  The biggest thing going against it is my paranoia; Fighting has been toying with my expectations for the last several sets.  Coalossal VMAX was my 4th-place pick, but I’m not actually upset it ranked a few spots lower.

Vince

Note: This card did not appear on Vince’s personal list.