Ancient Swellow and Delta Plus

[Pipotchi]

Spoiler: Translations

Swellow - Colorless - HP90
Stage 1 - Evolves from Taillow

Δ Plus: Take 1 more Prize card if your opponent's Pokemon is Knocked Out by damage from this Pokemon's attacks.

[C][C] Peck: 30 damage.
[C][C][C] Wing Attack: 50 damage.

Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-20)
Retreat: 1

What do you guys think about this card? At first glance its weak, the attacks are really top notch garbage and it only has 90hp. However its splashable into basically every single deck and can clean up any weakened pokemon for 2 or 3 prizes, since its trait is really very strong. I definitely would not have this as the main attacker in any deck, not even with bats or anything like that- but it could be teched into decks that are very self-sufficient already and have leftover room- perhaps landorus EX, or a mewtwo virizion style deck.. Missing out on a knockout by 20 hp suddenly becomes fine when Swellow covers for the lost momentum, taking 2 prizes the next turn. I remember watching top cut a really long time ago (Im not a great player so I dont know if he is a good player or not) but the guy used to occasionally run 1-1 ninetales just for the ability. Perhaps this could be enough for Swellow too.There could also be a funny Beedrill Swellow strategy but that sounds pretty bad, albeit funny if you got it going. (allergy shock makes swellow take a ko next turn. RIP your strategy when they just switch out).

 

[DarkMatterGaming]

Good trait... Meh stats.

One retreat kind of kills it, 2 Colorless for 30... that's pretty garbage, and 3 for 50 is also pretty garbage. Add in no effects and it's not exactly going to sweep up many kills. I guess LaserBank can soften things up for it, but Fairies usually carry Max Potion, Dark usually has Darkrai down on bench for free retreat, Spinning Turn...

There is one thing I'm curious about, and that's what'd happen if it KO'd Robo Sub. Would the wording of Robo Sub prevent a prize from being taken, or would you technically get one? I'd think it's the former.

 

[Ms Hugo]

There is one thing I'm curious about, and that's what'd happen if it KO'd Robo Sub. Would the wording of Robo Sub prevent a prize from being taken, or would you technically get one? I'd think it's the former.

I think it'd work like Strong Energy on an attack that does no damage. Because there's nothing there in the first place, you can't have "more" of it.

I think this might be pretty fun with Target Whistle against certain decks, but I don't see it really having a massive impact. Though it would be great with Xerneas-EX to X-blast an EX and take 3 prizes next turn with Swellow.

 

[DarkMatterGaming]

I think this might be pretty fun with Target Whistle against certain decks, but I don't see it really having a massive impact. Though it would be great with Xerneas-EX to X-blast an EX and take 3 prizes next turn with Swellow.

Hm... Crobat/Swellow could work the more I think about it. Snipe at key targets with your bats, have Robo Subs to absorb hits if needed and Swellow can come in and finish the job pretty easily. I'd definitely need to get my hands on the card before I can make any real judgments though.

 

[GadgetJax]

Swellow really can't do much. It maxes at 70 with a Band, and 80 with a Bangle. Not good number. I do agree that Target Whistle and a heavy Lysandre line make this card very strong, but I don't know if it will be enough. I'm hoping that this Trait is featured on some other Pokemon that has better attacks. Considering that Salamence Lvl X had a similar Poke-Power, I assume that there will be an Ancient Salamence with this kind of Trait.

 

[DarkMatterGaming]

Swellow really can't do much. It maxes at 70 with a Band, and 80 with a Bangle. Not good number. I do agree that Target Whistle and a heavy Lysandre line make this card very strong, but I don't know if it will be enough. I'm hoping that this Trait is featured on some other Pokemon that has better attacks. Considering that Salamence Lvl X had a similar Poke-Power, I assume that there will be an Ancient Salamence with this kind of Trait.

It'll be either featured on another card...

Or this is a sign that we're getting some pretty terrifying support eventually...

 

[pokedan24]

I'm more optimistic about this card. Unlike Lugia EX (which requires Plasma Energy to even attack), this doesn't require a deck built around it. Any time there's Pokemon with 30 HP or less, you can slap a DCE on this and take an extra prize. That alone can be pretty scary.

 

[DarkMatterGaming]

I'm more optimistic about this card. Unlike Lugia EX (which requires Plasma Energy to even attack), this doesn't require a deck built around it. Any time there's Pokemon with 30 HP or less, you can slap a DCE on this and take an extra prize. That alone can be pretty scary.

I can definitely see how it looks good on paper, don't get me wrong; however, generally 2HKOs don't leave your opponent's Pokemon with less than 30 or even 50 HP (from my experiences). Add in that it's a Stage 1, and it's very underwhelming; if you want to tech it in, that's at least a 1-1 line, and until you draw into the Swellow or search it, that Tailow is Lysandre bait - arguably, that's worse than Jirachi EX, since you don't even get a Supporter out of it being put down.

 

[Pipotchi]

I'm more optimistic about this card. Unlike Lugia EX (which requires Plasma Energy to even attack), this doesn't require a deck built around it. Any time there's Pokemon with 30 HP or less, you can slap a DCE on this and take an extra prize. That alone can be pretty scary.

I can definitely see how it looks good on paper, don't get me wrong; however, generally 2HKOs don't leave your opponent's Pokemon with less than 30 or even 50 HP (from my experiences). Add in that it's a Stage 1, and it's very underwhelming; if you want to tech it in, that's at least a 1-1 line, and until you draw into the Swellow or search it, that Tailow is Lysandre bait - arguably, that's worse than Jirachi EX, since you don't even get a Supporter out of it being put down.

i dont think bats + swellow is a good idea because swellow is a really bad primary attacker even with bats. but imagine something like mega manectric + swellow. key numbers for kos are 130hp (big basics and big stage 1s), 150hp (stage 2 pokemon) and 180 for EXs/240hp for megas.
mega manectric can hit for 110 and accelerate energy onto a swellow (one of its problems, since its such a low hp pokemon) to set it up for a 2 prize turn on 130hp or 150hp pokemon.
against 180hp pokemon, it would require a musc band on swellow and then thats your 3 prize turn. against mega pokemon its a little bit more of a problem, but mega manectric sets up a variety of pokemon for an extra prize turn for swellow and also allows a free retreat into it/giving it 2 of the 3 energies it needs to attack. thats not bad at all imo

 

[DarkMatterGaming]

I can definitely see how it looks good on paper, don't get me wrong; however, generally 2HKOs don't leave your opponent's Pokemon with less than 30 or even 50 HP (from my experiences). Add in that it's a Stage 1, and it's very underwhelming; if you want to tech it in, that's at least a 1-1 line, and until you draw into the Swellow or search it, that Tailow is Lysandre bait - arguably, that's worse than Jirachi EX, since you don't even get a Supporter out of it being put down.

i dont think bats + swellow is a good idea because swellow is a really bad primary attacker even with bats. but imagine something like mega manectric + swellow. key numbers for kos are 130hp (big basics and big stage 1s), 150hp (stage 2 pokemon) and 180 for EXs/240hp for megas.
mega manectric can hit for 110 and accelerate energy onto a swellow (one of its problems, since its such a low hp pokemon) to set it up for a 2 prize turn on 130hp or 150hp pokemon.
against 180hp pokemon, it would require a musc band on swellow and then thats your 3 prize turn. against mega pokemon its a little bit more of a problem, but mega manectric sets up a variety of pokemon for an extra prize turn for swellow and also allows a free retreat into it/giving it 2 of the 3 energies it needs to attack. thats not bad at all imo

I feel like that - if you're running M-Manectric - there a lot of other options you could be accelerating onto other than Swellow. Yveltal EX and Mewtwo EX spring to mind. While the prize trade isn't horrible, it's assuming that you do get a Tailow on bench, it lives a turn and you also have Swellow on hand. It's also assuming Energy in discard plus the potential of MB.

It's not unfeasible, but there a lot more consistent things you could be doing with M-Manectric.

 

[totodile_it_down]

Toad/LaserBank/Dusknoir/Swellow. Put a Float Stone on Toad, dish out damage, eliminate items, and use Dusknoir to manipulate the damage so you can get the knockout with Swellow as needed

Shouldn't be hard to set up at all ha.