Toxtricity – Rebel Clash Pokemon Review

Otaku

Toxtricity (SSH – Rebel Clash 069/192) got almost no hype, unlike its related-yet-not set-mates, Toxtricity V and Toxtricity VMAX.  The baseline Toxtricity has no specialty mechanics; it is worth a single Prize when KO’d, and it isn’t an Ultra Beast or anything like that.  It is still a [L] type, though: that means access to some potent, proven type-based support.  Theoretically, it also would be adequate-to-good at type-matching, as it is now the primary Weakness for [W] types in addition to showing up among the various TCG types when a VG Flying-type is represented.  Except strong [L] decks like those built around Pikachu & Zekrom-GX mean there is almost no [L] Weakness to exploit in the metagame.

Toxtricity is a Stage 1, so it is neither easy nor difficult to work into most decks.  130 HP isn’t as good as it once was, and is more likely to be OHKO’d than not by medium or better attacks, but it can hang on against less.  [F] Weakness and lack of Resistance are better than they ought to be.  Part of that is the HP, as 130 is low enough that doubling or reducing damage from a single type’s attackers won’t make much of a difference.  Getting into specifics, Fighting types are a sliver of the metagame and most Pokémon have no Resistance.  A Retreat Cost of [CC] is neither high nor low; depending on the rest of your deck, you might avoid it, reduce it, or just pay it as needed.

Toxtricity knows two attacks.  “Poison Shout” costs [L] and does 20 damage to each of your opponent’s Pokémon, while also leaving your opponent’s Active Poisoned.  As usual, you don’t apply Weakness or Resistance for any Benched Pokémon you hit.  Both because of attack flavor and improved functionality, I really wish this attack did 20 and Poison to your opponent’s Active, but placed two damage counters instead of doing 20 damage to each opposing Benched Pokémon.  Why?  So you can still take advantage of Electropower to hit your opponent’s Active hard while doing damage spread… but the spread won’t be so easily blocked.  Oh, and “Hammer In” is a filler attack, doing 90 for [LCC].  It should at least be doing 100 for that price, probably more like 120.

When it comes to fielding Toxtricity, either you’re evolving Toxel (SSH – Rebel Clash 068/192) or Ditto {*}.  If you want to focus on spreading damage, you’ll probably be running multiple Toxtricity and thus have to use Toxel.  If you just need to run a single Toxtricity, then you might be able to just use Ditto {*}.  Toxel offers nothing substantial, but at least its “Tight Jaw” attack costs [L] and lets you flip a coin to try and Paralyze your opponent’s Active.  It also does 10 damage, but Paralysis might buy you the turn you need to evolve.  All of this is conjecture, though.  As is typical, I haven’t tried a Toxtricity deck myself, and I’m having some issues with the PTCGO, so I haven’t even played it in several weeks, let alone faced any Toxtricity decks.

I don’t have a Toxtricity deck to reference, because none of them have performed well in recent tournaments listed over on Limitless.  This could just be bad luck, but I think it is because spreading damage is a less effective in a metagame where so many competitive Pokémon have massive HP scores.  We still see such strategies, but they’re from decks like Galarian Obstagoon… which can use its attack to prevent an opponent’s Basic from attacking it back.  It also uses an Ability to place damage counters, so while the volume of damage being spread is lower, it can go where it does the most good without involving yet another card effect.

Expanded adds more combo partners, but also more competition and counters.  A lot more competition and counters.  What keeps its score from totally tanking, besides me perhaps being too generous, is some of the smaller decks are actually vulnerable to damage spreading tactics.  At least, they are if they’re not expecting damage spread and thus are running few to no counters.  Where Toxtricity can really shine (glow?) is the Limited Format.  Unless you whiff on Toxel or also pull a Basic Pokémon V worth running in a Mulligan deck, run Toxtricity.  Poison Shout isn’t an “I Win” button, but it can be close to it.  Special Conditions and spread are harder to deal with here, and hiding injured Pokémon on your Bench, or just having a bunch of low HP Basics waiting to evolve, are relatively common.

Ratings

• Standard: 2/5
• Expanded: 2/5
• Limited: 4/5

I guess I’m a fan of Toxtricity – the Pokémon – without even knowing it, because the above scores just barely align with the rest of my review.  Well, I do tend to love using Poison and/or damage spreading effects.  Toxtricity isn’t hopeless, but falls short of what it needs to compete.  A hypothetical metagame shift could help it, but I don’t expect that to happen.