Kangaskhan – Genetic Apex
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2025
Ratings Summary:
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is horrible. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Otaku
Kangaskhan (A1 203) is a Colorless, Basic Pokémon. She has 100 HP, (F) Weakness, a Retreat Cost of (C)(C)(C). Kangaskhan has no Ability, but does have a single attack, “Dizzy Punch”. Priced at (C), Dizzy Punch lets you flip two coins, and for each “heads”, Dizzy Punch allows Kangaskhan to do 20 damage to the opponent’s Active. Kangaskhan is available as a ♦♦♦ rare.
Nothing in Pocket is (C) Weak1, nor are there any card effects (beneficial or detrimental) that affect all (C) Pokémon2. Some Colorless Pokémon seem to receive better damage and/or effects for attacks fueled with (C) Energy requirements, than non-Colorless Pokémon with similar Energy costs, but I haven’t had time to sit down and verify if the only explanation is their Typing. At the very least, no Colorless Pokémon in Pocket3 have non-(C) Energy costs, allowing them to fit into almost any deck.
Being a Basic is still the best; this hasn’t changed since the beginning of Pocket, let alone since yesterday. No waiting to evolve, or needing to run additional cards to get Kangaskhan into play. She’s also a very good opening Active, so that is a “pro” and not a “con”. Poké Ball (P-A 005; A2b 111) remains valuable support, and while it isn’t a massive bonus, Shaymin (A2a 069, 081) could potentially help as well. The remaining Basic support, and both anti-Basic effects, aren’t particularly relevant.4
Kangaskhan has 100 HP, which is solid for a non-evolving Basic; there are chunkier options, even among single Prize Pokémon, but especially those first few turns, 100 is likely to endure. (F) Weakness is a concern. Not from most main attackers, but the supporting (F) Types who do decent damage for one Energy, but with a combination of Lucario (A2 092, 172) and Weakness, reliably one-shot Kangaskhan. The Retreat Cost of (C)(C)(C) is a bigger concern; an Active Kangaskhan tends to stay their until KO’d.
Dizzy Punch is a flippy, yet cost-effective, attack. One of any Energy gives you a one-in-four chance of doing 60 damage. Yeah, that’s enough to OHKO most evolving Basics, and put a serious dent into anything and everything else. Of course, there’s an equal risk of the attack whiffing, and doing no damage, but the odds are best that Dizzy Punch does 30 damage. Which just so happens to still be a good return on an investment of (C) Energy. Combined with Kangaskhan’s states, it’s definite net positive.
Kangaskhan is not a new card. Rather, it’s one of those that I’ve been needing to review since I began doing Card of the Days for the Pokémon TCG Pocket. To the point I had to check multiple times to be certain we hadn’t already covered it. At first, Kangaskhan was one of the opening Basics, in the days of Genetic Apex-only play. It wasn’t the only viable generic opener even back then, but it’s one of the few who stuck around. While it does not need cards like Giant Cape (A2 147) or Rocky Helmet (A2 148), it uses them well.
Let’s discuss Kangaskhan’s current competition. When compiling my Top 10 Pokémon of Genetic Apex list, I chose Farfetch’d (A1 198) instead of Kangaskhan. Farfetch’d only has 60 HP, but it’s “Leek Slap” attack let’s it do 40 damage for (C). If your opponent doesn’t OHKO it, Farfetch’d only requires (C) to retreat. There have been times since then, where Farfetch’d saw more success than Kangaskhan, though that’s not just not the case right now.
We have to jump ahead to Mythical Island for the next major rival… who is probably the dominant, generic opener: Druddigon (A1a 056). Many decks like opening with it. Unless your opponent can indirectly damage Druddigon, they’ll not only have to chew through its 100 HP and “Rough Skin” Ability, their attacker taking 20 damage each time. It too makes good use of Giant Cape, but great use of Rocky Helmet. It’s Retreat Cost of (C)(C) sometimes bites the Druddigon user in the butt, though.
The next one is from the next set, Space-Time Smackdown. It’s also who we covered yesterday: Giratina (A2 078, 167). While not much use offensively, Giratina’s 120 HP, coupled with it’s “Levitate” Ability zeroing out its Retreat Cost so long as you have at least one Energy attached to it, have made Giratina a valuable, mobile meatshield. Yet again, it gets even better if you can spare a Giant Cape or Rocky Helmet.
Rotom (A2 062, 164) brings us back to an offensive opener. 70 HP with a Retreat Cost of (C) is nice, but it’s “Assault Laser” allows you to do 50 damage to an opponent’s Active if that Active has a Tool attached. If not, it’s only 20 damage. Given how common Tool usage is, on openers and main attackers, Assault Laser has enough kick to it that it too saw success, though I don’t know how good it is doing now. There are better single Energy attackers, but what sets Rotom apart from them is, like Farfetch’d and Kangaskhan, Rotom only needs (C) to attack.
Now, there’s even more competition for Kangaskhan and company when we consider non-generic openers. Pokémon that need the deck to run a particular Energy Type, Pokémon Type, Pokémon, or any combination of the four. I also left out those that specialize in drawing or searching out cards, because the last I knew, those effects just weren’t worth it. It’s not something I can easily check; most (but not all) openers aren’t headlining a deck.
Rating: 3/5
Kangaskhan isn’t as good as when she first released, but she’s still a solid option for multiple decks. You just have to be comfortable with her including coin flips, but if you are, she’s a great low-Energy, low effort opener. You might be surprised what you can do with her. For example, some Darkrai ex (A2 110, 187, 202; P-A 042) already run Dawn (A2 151, 194). If you have all three cards handy Turn 2, plus a Darkness Energy, you’ve got an easy combo that could do up to 80 damage! Even when it whiffs… you still have a 100 HP meatshield your opponent cannot afford to ignore. Unlike Druddigon, Kangaskhan can just keep attacking and attacking.
1(C) Weakness did exist in the full TCG for a time, but was discontinued.
2In the full TCG, Type-based support and counters Colorless Pokémon have been around for decades at this point, and exist into the present.
3Some Colorless Pokémon have non-Colorless Energy requirements in the full TCG, though it is uncommon.
4Combee (A2 017, 157) and Celestic Town Elder (A2a 073, 088) as support, with Pokémon Flute (A1a 064) and Victreebel (A1 020) as Basic counters.
5Contemporary examples include Hitmonlee (A1
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