Dusk Mane Necrozma – SM Promo Pokemon Review

Otaku

Dusk Mane Necrozma (SM – Black Star Promos SM107, SM124) is a promo release I kept thinking we’ve already reviewed… but I don’t think we ever actually have.  It is a card that has already proven itself in competitive play, showing up in Zacian V decks.  Not all of them, but in many of them, including those not just making the top cut, but the top eight.  So… why?

Dusk Mane Necrozma reminds us of how important a name is to the game.  There are a variety of Necrozma cards, and there’s a Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX, but this is the only Dusk Mane Necrozma we’ve received.  It is an Ultra Beast, able to tap their support but having to deal with a few (mostly inconsequential) counters.  Its Metal-Type is valuable because we already have strong [M] Type decks, built around [M] Type support.  Being a Basic is best, making it fast and easy to run.  130 is alright; more likely to be OHKO’d than not, but still a decent chance of surviving while Active.   [R] Weakness is dangerous.  -20 [P] Weakness is actually one of the better ones to have right now.  A Retreat Cost of [CC] is neither good nor bad, high nor low.

Dusk Mane Necrozma knows two attacks.  For [M] “Dusk Shot” do 60 damage to one of your opponent’s Pokémon-EX/GX.  Active or Benched, you pick the Pokémon and the attack does the damage, and it also states not to apply Weakness/Resistance, even if you select your opponent’s Active.  60 for one is solid, and while Pokémon-EX are getting scarce in Expanded and Pokémon-GX less common in Standard, there’s still enough of them for it to be worthwhile.  You’re not scoring OHKO’s, you’re using this to go for a quick hit to finish off something already injured,or prep it to be taken out by a big hit the next turn.

“Rusty Claws” lets Dusk Mane Necrozma attack for 100 damage, at a cost of [MMC].  This is bad.  It’s effect states that, if your opponent only has one Prize left to take, Rusty Claws does 100 + 100 damage (200 total).  200 for three, even [MMC] is good.  The catch is that your opponent has a good chance of OHKOing a Dusk Mane Necrozma, unless their field is weak.  So you score a good hit but if it wasn’t enough to win you the game, you’re still in trouble.

Yeah, I’m still not completely sure why this card is being run; I’m guessing the two uses I expect to be niche are actually pretty important.  At least, important enough for this card to show up as a single in many Zacian V lists.  So give it a try!  Metal support does help.  In a single turn – you can

1. Bench Dusk Mane Necrozma
2. Use two copies of Metal Saucer on it.
3. Manually attach a third Energy, so it can attack this turn.
4. Retreat or use a switching effect to promote Dusk Mane Necrozma.
5. Attach Metal Frying Pan to Dusk Mane Necrozma.

Assuming your opponent is on their last Prize, you’ll do 200 damage, and they’ll now have to do 160 damage to OHKO Dusk Mane Necrozma back.

Edit (20200617): I should clarify that I really don’t know which attack, or if it is the combination of both, are earning Dusk Mane Necrozma a place in some Zacian V builds.  As I went into more detail with Rusty Claws, I inadvertently focused on it.  Let’s balance that out.  One of our readers, Matt, took time to write in and point out how an opponent’s Pikachu & Zekrom-GX or Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX can survive a hit from Zacian V, and then hide on the Bench.  Sure, you can force them up front with something like Boss’s Orders, but now you’re burning a Supporter and engaging in some serious overkill.  Whether you’re saving it for end game or dealing with it immediately, Dusk Mane gives you a more expendable option.

I actually like this a bit better in Expanded, but that is just because there are still some smaller Pokémon-EX/GX still in regular use.  Not seeing successful Zacian V decks here, however, so I’m scoring it lower.  As a promo, it can’t be used in the Limited Format.

Ratings

• Standard: 3/5
• Expanded: 2/5
• Limited: N/A

Dusk Mane Necrozma finally gets its due… I hope.  It is probably for the best we didn’t review it right away, as I still don’t quite understand what makes it worth running.  At least this far in, I can still guess at it.