Klawf ex, Brassius, Houndstone, Eevee Gym Promos Revealed!

By: Water Pokémon Master · Posted Posted onJan 18, 2023 at 9:53 PM · 26 Comments

The next round of Gym promos will release in Japan starting January 20th. As usual, they will be available through special one-card promo booster packs at Gym tournaments. These will be the first Scarlet & Violet Gym promos.

Most of them are alternate art reprints from Scarlet ex / Violet ex. The new ones are translated below thanks to JustInBasil.

Additionally, an Eevee promo will be given out at Gym tournaments to those who play in a special tournament with an unmodified Starter Set ex deck. A reverse holo stamped reprint of Arven will be given out to winners of a prerelease-style tournament where you play with decks composed of recently released cards.

It was highly unlikely, but this would have been the last opportunity for Japan to release the Charizard VMAX from our Charizard Ultra-Premium Collection. This means it will remain exclusive to the international TCG along with some of our Celebrations promos like Greninja Star. Perhaps the international TCG will be getting more exclusives in the future?

Klawf ex – Fighting – HP220
Basic Pokemon

Ability: Countering Claws
If this Pokémon is in the Active Spot and is damaged by an attack from your opponent’s Pokémon (even if this Pokémon is Knocked Out), discard an Energy from the Attacking Pokémon.

[F][C][C] Falling Press: 100+ damage. Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 80 more damage.

Pokemon ex rule: When your Pokemon ex is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.

Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3

Houndstone – Psychic – HP130
Stage 1 – Evolves from Greavard

[C][C] Excavate: Choose up to 2 Item cards from your discard pile and put them into your hand.

[P][C][C] Spooky Shot: 100 damage.

Weakness: Darkness (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3

Eevee – Colorless – HP60
Basic Pokemon

[C] Call for Family: Search your deck for a Basic Pokémon and put it onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.

[C][C][C] Tackle: 30 damage.

Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1

Brassius – Trainer
Supporter

Shuffle your hand into your deck. Then, draw cards until you have 1 more card in your hand than you shuffled in.

You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn.

View thread (26 replies)
Klawrf's ability is great, but the attack is really bad. If it had reduced damage instead as the effect of its attack to synergize with the ability, it could have been a menace with Boulder Breastplate and healing... or if it at least did good damage like 140 + 80 on a heads. I'm a bit sad because I really like Klawrf, and I thought it'd get better treatment since it was a titan.
 
TheRainmaker said:
Klawrf's ability is great, but the attack is really bad. If it had reduced damage instead as the effect of its attack to synergize with the ability, it could have been a menace with Boulder Breastplate and healing... or if it at least did good damage like 140 + 80 on a heads. I'm a bit sad because I really like Klawrf, and I thought it'd get better treatment since it was a titan.
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Literally my exact thoughts. They even revealed him before release, so to see him get...this...treatment is really sad.
 
Brassius - I know that it might be released in SV3, but i kinda like this card. Better than Shauna or Cynthia combined. Except if you shuffle 3 cards, that's bad. 4-5

Klawf ex - forget it. 3
 
TheRainmaker said:
Klawrf's ability is great, but the attack is really bad. If it had reduced damage instead as the effect of its attack to synergize with the ability, it could have been a menace with Boulder Breastplate and healing... or if it at least did good damage like 140 + 80 on a heads. I'm a bit sad because I really like Klawrf, and I thought it'd get better treatment since it was a titan.
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It's almost like they didn't do those things specifically because the Ability is good and Rock Chestplate is a thing that exists. I'm sorry it's not the meta-defining SS-tier card you think it should be, but at least it's a passable ex.
 
PMJ said:
It's almost like they didn't do those things specifically because the Ability is good and Rock Chestplate is a thing that exists. I'm sorry it's not the meta-defining SS-tier card you think it should be, but at least it's a passable ex.
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The fact I suggested 140+80 on a heads as passable attack should give away that I don't want it to be SS-tier, I just want it to be viable in any capacity outside of build and battle, but alright let's not criticize cards that will see next to no play when they were just short of being somewhat playable.
 
PMJ said:
It's almost like they didn't do those things specifically because the Ability is good and Rock Chestplate is a thing that exists. I'm sorry it's not the meta-defining SS-tier card you think it should be, but at least it's a passable ex.
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Equating someone asking for a better ex for a legitimately good Pokemon to them asking for an S tier meta-defining deck is just absurd, whether you're doing that in good faith or not. Come on...let's not pretend that attack isn't mediocre. We shouldn't accept "flip a coin for under 100 extra damage" attacks on two-prizers in 2023.
 
ZestyGan said:
Equating someone asking for a better ex for a legitimately good Pokemon to them asking for an S tier meta-defining deck is just absurd, whether you're doing that in good faith or not. Come on...let's not pretend that attack isn't mediocre. We shouldn't accept "flip a coin for under 100 extra damage" attacks on two-prizers in 2023.
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This, also I’d prefere anything other than flip a coin, there is so many flipping coin cards this set… I hope that scarlet violet era won’t be a flipping gen
 
Bid said:
This, also I’d prefere anything other than flip a coin, there is so many flipping coin cards this set… I hope that scarlet violet era won’t be a flipping gen
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Honestly, that whole genre of "flip a coin and you might do 30-90 more damage" attacks should've just stayed in Sun and Moon. Its such an outdated, uninspired and lazy way to make an attack seem good, but then you realize that chancing an entire Pokemon's quality on whether or not you'll get a heads....is just objectively not worth it these days. At least, in a world with something like Lugia Vstar or Darkrai Vstar. I legitimately do not get how they think it's okay to let a cards' ENTIRE quality be banked on a coin flip...for, like, 80 more damage. I honestly think it would be more fitting for Klawf if its attack was base 110 damage but you can discard 2 more energy to do 110 more damage. Sure, 220 for 3 is a lot, but given that Klawf in the games is an angry moron...it's certainly better than "HEY FLIP A COIN AND YOU MIGHT DO SOMEWHAT GOOD DAMAGE!"
 
ZestyGan said:
Honestly, that whole genre of "flip a coin and you might do 30-90 more damage" attacks should've just stayed in Sun and Moon. Its such an outdated, uninspired and lazy way to make an attack seem good, but then you realize that chancing an entire Pokemon's quality on whether or not you'll get a heads....is just objectively not worth it these days. At least, in a world with something like Lugia Vstar or Darkrai Vstar. I legitimately do not get how they think it's okay to let a cards' ENTIRE quality be banked on a coin flip...for, like, 80 more damage. I honestly think it would be more fitting for Klawf if its attack was base 110 damage but you can discard 2 more energy to do 110 more damage. Sure, 220 for 3 is a lot, but given that Klawf in the games is an angry moron...it's certainly better than "HEY FLIP A COIN AND YOU MIGHT DO SOMEWHAT GOOD DAMAGE!"
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I would say it’s more “HEY FLIP A COIN AND EVEN IF YOU GOT HEAD YOU WONT DO ENOUGH IN THIS META” Seriously I hate to see it, and as you say it’s lazy as company and boring for players (I’m speaking for myself)
 
TheRainmaker said:
Klawrf's ability is great, but the attack is really bad. If it had reduced damage instead as the effect of its attack to synergize with the ability, it could have been a menace with Boulder Breastplate and healing... or if it at least did good damage like 140 + 80 on a heads. I'm a bit sad because I really like Klawrf, and I thought it'd get better treatment since it was a titan.
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While I wish Klawf got a better card, I don‘t think it‘s too bad. It‘ll probably never be meta-defining but how many cards can do 220 - 250 damage to an ex in one turn (after rotation)? I don‘t think you need a good attack on Klawf ex since your main focus is taking hits and you‘re a basic fighting ex with 220 hp which means u get access to Penny and Rocky Chestplate. We also get some fun healing cards like Slowbro or Arboliva and even if Klawf ex gets knocked out, it‘s easy to get another one set up.
These Promos generally tend to be on the weaker side, so Klawf fits right in BUT I think Klawf ex is worth testing around with because it does have an amazing ability.
 
narwhals_have_tusks said:
While I wish Klawf got a better card, I don‘t think it‘s too bad. It‘ll probably never be meta-defining but how many cards can do 220 - 250 damage to an ex in one turn (after rotation)? I don‘t think you need a good attack on Klawf ex since your main focus is taking hits and you‘re a basic fighting ex with 220 hp which means u get access to Penny and Rocky Chestplate. We also get some fun healing cards like Slowbro or Arboliva and even if Klawf ex gets knocked out, it‘s easy to get another one set up.
These Promos generally tend to be on the weaker side, so Klawf fits right in BUT I think Klawf ex is worth testing around with because it does have an amazing ability.
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Path and Klefki exists, bro. Meaning this thing won't even survived.
 
ZestyGan said:
Literally my exact thoughts. They even revealed him before release, so to see him get...this...treatment is really sad.
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At least he got an ex card, my new favorite didn't get anything but an illustration rare, they really did armarouge dirty. and the attack on klawf will still 2 hit ko almost any other pokemon if you are even the smallest bit lucky.
 
Hinode said:
At least he got an ex card, my new favorite didn't get anything but an illustration rare, they really did armarouge dirty. and the attack on klawf will still 2 hit ko almost any other pokemon if you are even the smallest bit lucky.
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Armarouge is kinda mascot Pokémon so I bet it will have a really really good treatment
 
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