Polteageist V – Team Up Pokemon Review

Otaku

We finish this week by looking at Polteageist V (SW – Black Star Promos SWSH021).  Yes, another Pokémon V, worth an extra Prize when KO’d, unable to make use of cards like Scoop Up Net, and having to deal with counters like Altaria (Champion’s Path 049/073).  It also means this will be a Basic Pokémon even though baseline Polteageist are Stage 1, meaning Polteageist V requires the minimum amount of deck space and time to put into play.  It might mean Polteageist V enjoys better effects (relative to costs), but we’ll get to that.  What we can check right now is whether or not Polteageist V has better HP than typical Polteageist cards… and it does: 170 HP for Polteageist V versus the 60 found on all current Polteageist.  While having “triple” HP sounds amazing, remember that means Polteageist V is still one of the smallest Pokémon V.

Polteageist V is a Psychic type; not overly important for exploiting Weakness right now, but not too bad about crashing into Resistance, either.  Psychic types have some support in Standard, but the only thing really worth mentioning is Horror [P] Energy… and that hurts, because high performing cards typically enjoy favorable type-matching, type-support, or both.  [D] Weakness is a concern with Eternatus VMAX being one of the stronger, current decks… though Eternatus VMAX itself would typically swing hard enough to OHKO Polteageist V regardless of Weakness.  -30 [F] Resistance is a nice bonus, but it only rarely comes in handy.  A Retreat Cost of [C] is nice and low.

Poltegeist V has one Ability and one attack.  “Teapot of Surprises” only works while Polteageist V is your Active Pokémon.  If that Poltegeist V is damaged by an opponent’s attack, even if that attack KO’s Polteageist V, Teapot of Surprise has you select a random card from your opponent’s hand, and your opponent must bottom-deck that card.  “Mind Bend” is Polteageist V’s only attack.  It requires [PCC] to be used, and lets Polteageist V do 100 damage to your opponent’s Active, as well as leaving your opponent’s Active Confused.  This is a good Ability, but wasted on this card.  Polteageist V lacks the HP to survive many attacks, even with outside assistance.  Mind Bend is a decent attack, one that may even help Polteageist V survive a bit longer… but if your opponent fails their Confusion check, they won’t trigger Teapot of Surprises.  I’m also disappointed the Ability only works while Polteageist V is Active.

It isn’t all bad news, however.  With enough disruption, even 170 HP could last multiple turns, and Teapot of Surprises would further enhance that disruption.  You may also be able to take advantage of certain attackers that vacate the Active position after attacking, so you could still have a good offense instead of being forced to rely on Mind Bend.  If you cannot keep Poltegeist V alive, however, it undermines the control aspect of the card.  Sure, you might force your opponent to bottom deck their final card from hand… but then they take two Prizes and now have a two-card hand.  Even the added [P] support of Expanded doesn’t seem likely to help the situation, or the combos offered by the larger cardpool.  Poltegeist V is a promo, so no score for Limited; were it reprinted in a set, it’d be a decent pull, but not one I’d risk in a Mulligan build.

Ratings

• Standard: 1/5
• Expanded: 1/5
• Limited: N/A

Polteageist V is almost worth a two-out-of-five for Teapot of Surprises, but that 170 HP is low enough – for a two Prize target – it almost completely undermines the Ability.  I don’t think there’s enough potential here for me to bother even rounding up… but there is something here.  Enough to still warrant reviewing the card on a Saturday.

Vince

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