Continuing from my thread about cards to fear from the MD prereleases comes this, a topic about cards to fear in the LA prereleases. Remember to state a reason and I'll add it to the list.
Pokefan4000
Deoxys Defense Forme
This card doesn't seem it'll play too good in anywhere outside limited, but it's still very good for limited. Psychic Defense costs 3 energy to use(only 1 has to be psychic. ^_^) and deals 40 damage, a decent amount in this format. But its effect reduces all damage done to it by 20 during your opponent's next turn AND prevents all effects done to deoxys during your foe's next turn. Basics will be plentiful, and they can't deal much damage. So if you get deoxys, try using this card.
Rayquaza
God, do I even have to say why? Rayquaza is a monster. A MONSTER. Sky Judgment deals a whopping 150 damage at the cost of 2 lightning and fire energy, but you must discard all energy attached to Rayquaza. 150 damage can knock out anything in this format. But it takes a while to charge up. That's where its poke-power, Speed Gain, comes in. Once during your turn , before you attack, you may flip a coin until you get tails. For each heads, you can attach a fire or lightning energy from your discard pile to Rayquaza. If you get this, use it.
Regigigas (#15)
A very good card in this format. Slow Start, it's poke-body, doesn't allow Regigigas to attack unless your opponent has 3 or less prize cards left. In this format, you play with 4 prizes. Let your opponent draw a prize and bring in this guy. Crush Grip (its only attack, which costs 1 water energy, 1 metal energy, 1 fighting energy, and any other energy) deals 120 damage, but only if the target doesn't have any damage counters on it. In the case in which it does have damage counters on it, it deals 40 damage. Still a decent amount. A very good card in this format. If you get it, consider using it.
Lucario
Its first attack, Focus Blast, allows you to deal 30 damage to any of your opponent's pokemon for 1 fighting energy. This 2HKOs a good portion of basics in this format. Its next attack is called Spike Lariat. It costs 3 energy(2 have to be fighting) and deals 60 damage. And if the defending pokemon has any damage counters on it, it deals 20 more damage. That's a total of 80 damage. Plus, it's an uncommon card. You just might get it from your reverse holos or the 12 uncommons you get in your starting packs.
Probopass
One of the first revealed cards of this set is also one of my favorites of the set. Its poke-body reduces damage done to it by 10 for each metal energy attached to it. But you can't reduce damage anymore than 20. Its attack, Metal Bomber, is quite a good one for this format. It costs 3 energy(only 1 has to be fighting) and deals 60 damage. For each metal energy attached to it, you can deal 20 damage to one of your opponent's benched pokemon. Attaching metal energy increases not only its strength, but also its defense. If you pull one of these, consider using it.
Lopunny
Not exactly a feared card, but a good one. Lopunny has a sample of everything you need at a prerelease: Healing, drawing, and good damage. Its poke-body lets you remove 1 damage counter from each of your benched pokemon in between turns as long as its your active pokemon. Leftover was good during the GE prerelease, and having this as an active is like a leftovers to all of your benched pokes. Its first attack, Collect, costs absolutely no energy and lets you draw 3 cards. A very good attack. Its last attack is Cross-cut. It costs 2 energy of any type and deals 30 damage. But if the target is evolved, it does 60 damage instead. Whether the foe is evolved or not, this 2HKOs anything besides stage 2 pokes. If you get lopunny, it will be a very good addition to your deck, even if you get only 1. No matter what, use this if you get it.
Victreebel
If you happen to get this, consider it. Its first attack(Burning Scent) costs no energy. It burns and poisons the target. But before you inflict damage, you can switch the defending pokemon with one of your foe's benched pokemon. If you make a pokemon with a high retreat cost come in, they'll be struggling to attach energy to retreat while taking damage in the process. The max damage your foe can take from this by the end of the opponent's next turn after using this move: 60. For no energy. But there's only a 25% chance of this happening, so don't get your hopes up very high. Its next attack(Energy Dissolve) costs 3 energy(2 have to be grass) and deals 60 damage. At the end of your foe's next turn, you discard an energy attached to the defending pokemon. If your opponent tries to retreat to get rid of poison and burn, they may just have to wait a while because of Energy Dissolve. Even if your opponent happens to retreat and brings out an attacker, it removes energy from the current defending pokemon, so it's not a total waste. Just watch out for Gliscor(#5) as it can ruin your plan. Victreebel is a very fun card to use and a great one in limited. So look out for this one.
Politoed
Sure, Enthusiasm is good, but what are the chances of getting 4 poliwag, at least 3 poliwhirl, a poliwrath, and this in your starting packs? The main attraction here is Frog Hop. It costs 2 energy(1 has to be water) and deals 40 damage. You flip a coin. If it's heads, you deal 80 damage instead. That's 10 more damage than Luxio can do for 1 less energy! It has a decent amount of HP(120), but a weakness to grass. Victreebel will eat this thing alive. Same with Bellossom(or as I call it, Bell AWESOME(read next article)). Politoed is a good card, but it's weak to the grass-type threats of this set.
Bellossom
Or as I like to call it, Bellawesome. I'll call it that for the whole article. It has 100 HP, a decent amount. It has a weakness of fire+30. Pokemon like Camerupt, Torkoal, and Heatran(fire type version) will own this thing. It has resistance to water-20, making it a good counter to the poli's. Its first attack(Parallel Gain) deals 30 damage for 1 grass energy and you get to remove 1 damage counter from each of your benched pokemon. Damage + healing = awesomeness in limited. But the main feature of Bellawesome is Blend Pollen. It costs 2 energy(1 has to be grass) and deals 40 damage. You deal 40 plus 20 more for each Vileplume and Bellawesome you have in play. This counts to itself, so if you play it by itself, you deal 60 damage. You also get to flip a coin. If heads, the defending pokemon is now burned. If you get multiple Bellawesome or this and a vileplume, use this. You'll be dealing a lot of damage. See why I call it Bellawesome?
Misdreavus
Not a feared card at all, but has a good first attack. Like buneary(MD), you can search your deck for any basic energy and put it in your hand. For no energy. Plus, it's a common card, so you might get at least 1 in the 36 commons you start with.
Gliscor (#5)
This card is a good one for many reasons. For one, it's like the Wigglyrai combo, but has major differences.
1) This combo only requires 1 pokemon. (although 2 gliscor would be nice, since it will take 2 turns to charge up the one you returned to your hand)
2) Pester is very similar to Sleep Hole, except it costs 1 less energy and doesn't inflict a status condition.
3) Sleep Hole requires the defending pokemon to be asleep to deal 80 damage. Pester deals 80 damage as long as the foe has any special condition.
4) Darkrai has a lv.x that kos with sleep, but gliscor's lv.x automatically inflicts status conditions to power up Pester.
So in many ways, this card is like Wigglyrai, but with 1 card instead of 2. I see a lot of potential with this card in both limited and modified.
AnthonyG
I think a good card to fear in the LA pre release is Luxio. IMO this card is sooo good. 2 for 30 + 10 to the bench (sorta like Shinx DP except does 20 more dame to active) and for 3 energy (1 Electric) 70 damage and flip a coin if tails, discard all Electric energy.
=O So you have a 50/50 shot of not discarding anything, and if you do discard it will (hopefully) be 1 energy.
Idk if you read my other post, but I think Regigigas (the Rare one) should be a card to fear at the LA pre release.
For 3 colorless energy, if you get heads you do 80 damage + 20 to any bench pokemon. But withoug heads you still do an impressive 60 damage for 3 energy.
But here are some more cards I think can do well.
Deoxys [Normal Forme]: If you happen to get Tentecruel and Lantern, or only Tentecruel, this card is a tank. Set up using 'Cruel and have Deoxys sweep after 'Creul dies, by doing 20 + 10 for every energy your opp has can be really good.
Uxie: Really the power it is only strength. But after you use it, you can recycle it using its attack. Although a mere 20 damage is nothing good, you can put Uxie and all the cards attached to him on the bottom of your deck, thus recycling him using his power more than once (can go great with Jirachi).
Lopunny: Drawing 3 cards for no enegy is great. 30 for 2 colorless isn't too good, but if it an evolved pokemon it does 60 damage which is pretty good for 2 energy. Also its Body is really good as well.
Crawdaunt: The only move I really like is the first move. For 2 energy if you flip heads you return the defending pokemon and all cards attached to him.
Swalot: 30 for 2 isn't great, but if you have more remaining HP it does 80 damage for 2 energy which is really good. And 3 energy for auto poison is also really good
Gliscor (Rare): for 2 energy you can do a possible 70 if you flip heads.
There are a lot of flipping cards in this set. But I would take the risk with most of these cards, most of there damage output are great with just a toss of a coin or die. A risk I am willing to take in limited.
DawnOfXatu
Groudon and Kyorge can attack T2 for an auto KO all of the hitmon's attacks do decent damage for kinda low energy. Torkoal since there is quite a bit of snipe/spread in the set and the attack is annoying if they have high retreat. Lucario since you can T2 90Hp doing 30 snipe if you spam him.
slinktre000
I think that another card to fear is Lanturn and Tentacruel because they are only uncommans and work amazingly well together. Tentacruel takes your opponents discarded energy and attaches them to your opponents pokemon in anyway you like and the attack costs nothing. Then send out Lanturn and use its first attack to do 30 damage to any pokemon with an energy attached to it which can be devastating in the long run.
nzyqut
Starmie would be good too since a lot of the people are going to be running at least one unown for draw power such as unown ? and unown R.
Another good card to use is Grumpig because as long as it has at least 3 energies, it'll knock out a lot of stuff if your opp. can't set up fast enough
plus they're both uncommon I remember right so they should be easy to get
Ophie
Jirachi will definitely be something pretty neat to have in a prerelease as well. It's a Basic, so you can just play it and it's good to go. If you can begin with Jirachi, you've pretty much won the game right there, as One Desire will mean you get what you want next turn, preferably a Metal Energy (as chances are your opponent won't play something that'll make you shuffle your deck), and you can start knocking stuff out by the second turn. Discarding Energy won't be a big concern, as you can continue to use One Desire to get more Metal Energy, and a prerelease deck is full of Energy anyway. The only way for the opponent to get out of this is to start attaching Energy onto the Bench and sacrifice a Pokémon of theirs to Doom Desire, in which case you can use One Desire to continue finding evolutions for Pokémon on your Bench and/or Pokémon with Poké-Powers or Poké-Bodies that'll benefit your situation.
Ditto would also be very fun, though it looks extremely hard to use effectively. You'd have to build an every-color deck.
More to come.
Pokefan4000
Deoxys Defense Forme
This card doesn't seem it'll play too good in anywhere outside limited, but it's still very good for limited. Psychic Defense costs 3 energy to use(only 1 has to be psychic. ^_^) and deals 40 damage, a decent amount in this format. But its effect reduces all damage done to it by 20 during your opponent's next turn AND prevents all effects done to deoxys during your foe's next turn. Basics will be plentiful, and they can't deal much damage. So if you get deoxys, try using this card.
Rayquaza
God, do I even have to say why? Rayquaza is a monster. A MONSTER. Sky Judgment deals a whopping 150 damage at the cost of 2 lightning and fire energy, but you must discard all energy attached to Rayquaza. 150 damage can knock out anything in this format. But it takes a while to charge up. That's where its poke-power, Speed Gain, comes in. Once during your turn , before you attack, you may flip a coin until you get tails. For each heads, you can attach a fire or lightning energy from your discard pile to Rayquaza. If you get this, use it.
Regigigas (#15)
A very good card in this format. Slow Start, it's poke-body, doesn't allow Regigigas to attack unless your opponent has 3 or less prize cards left. In this format, you play with 4 prizes. Let your opponent draw a prize and bring in this guy. Crush Grip (its only attack, which costs 1 water energy, 1 metal energy, 1 fighting energy, and any other energy) deals 120 damage, but only if the target doesn't have any damage counters on it. In the case in which it does have damage counters on it, it deals 40 damage. Still a decent amount. A very good card in this format. If you get it, consider using it.
Lucario
Its first attack, Focus Blast, allows you to deal 30 damage to any of your opponent's pokemon for 1 fighting energy. This 2HKOs a good portion of basics in this format. Its next attack is called Spike Lariat. It costs 3 energy(2 have to be fighting) and deals 60 damage. And if the defending pokemon has any damage counters on it, it deals 20 more damage. That's a total of 80 damage. Plus, it's an uncommon card. You just might get it from your reverse holos or the 12 uncommons you get in your starting packs.
Probopass
One of the first revealed cards of this set is also one of my favorites of the set. Its poke-body reduces damage done to it by 10 for each metal energy attached to it. But you can't reduce damage anymore than 20. Its attack, Metal Bomber, is quite a good one for this format. It costs 3 energy(only 1 has to be fighting) and deals 60 damage. For each metal energy attached to it, you can deal 20 damage to one of your opponent's benched pokemon. Attaching metal energy increases not only its strength, but also its defense. If you pull one of these, consider using it.
Lopunny
Not exactly a feared card, but a good one. Lopunny has a sample of everything you need at a prerelease: Healing, drawing, and good damage. Its poke-body lets you remove 1 damage counter from each of your benched pokemon in between turns as long as its your active pokemon. Leftover was good during the GE prerelease, and having this as an active is like a leftovers to all of your benched pokes. Its first attack, Collect, costs absolutely no energy and lets you draw 3 cards. A very good attack. Its last attack is Cross-cut. It costs 2 energy of any type and deals 30 damage. But if the target is evolved, it does 60 damage instead. Whether the foe is evolved or not, this 2HKOs anything besides stage 2 pokes. If you get lopunny, it will be a very good addition to your deck, even if you get only 1. No matter what, use this if you get it.
Victreebel
If you happen to get this, consider it. Its first attack(Burning Scent) costs no energy. It burns and poisons the target. But before you inflict damage, you can switch the defending pokemon with one of your foe's benched pokemon. If you make a pokemon with a high retreat cost come in, they'll be struggling to attach energy to retreat while taking damage in the process. The max damage your foe can take from this by the end of the opponent's next turn after using this move: 60. For no energy. But there's only a 25% chance of this happening, so don't get your hopes up very high. Its next attack(Energy Dissolve) costs 3 energy(2 have to be grass) and deals 60 damage. At the end of your foe's next turn, you discard an energy attached to the defending pokemon. If your opponent tries to retreat to get rid of poison and burn, they may just have to wait a while because of Energy Dissolve. Even if your opponent happens to retreat and brings out an attacker, it removes energy from the current defending pokemon, so it's not a total waste. Just watch out for Gliscor(#5) as it can ruin your plan. Victreebel is a very fun card to use and a great one in limited. So look out for this one.
Politoed
Sure, Enthusiasm is good, but what are the chances of getting 4 poliwag, at least 3 poliwhirl, a poliwrath, and this in your starting packs? The main attraction here is Frog Hop. It costs 2 energy(1 has to be water) and deals 40 damage. You flip a coin. If it's heads, you deal 80 damage instead. That's 10 more damage than Luxio can do for 1 less energy! It has a decent amount of HP(120), but a weakness to grass. Victreebel will eat this thing alive. Same with Bellossom(or as I call it, Bell AWESOME(read next article)). Politoed is a good card, but it's weak to the grass-type threats of this set.
Bellossom
Or as I like to call it, Bellawesome. I'll call it that for the whole article. It has 100 HP, a decent amount. It has a weakness of fire+30. Pokemon like Camerupt, Torkoal, and Heatran(fire type version) will own this thing. It has resistance to water-20, making it a good counter to the poli's. Its first attack(Parallel Gain) deals 30 damage for 1 grass energy and you get to remove 1 damage counter from each of your benched pokemon. Damage + healing = awesomeness in limited. But the main feature of Bellawesome is Blend Pollen. It costs 2 energy(1 has to be grass) and deals 40 damage. You deal 40 plus 20 more for each Vileplume and Bellawesome you have in play. This counts to itself, so if you play it by itself, you deal 60 damage. You also get to flip a coin. If heads, the defending pokemon is now burned. If you get multiple Bellawesome or this and a vileplume, use this. You'll be dealing a lot of damage. See why I call it Bellawesome?
Misdreavus
Not a feared card at all, but has a good first attack. Like buneary(MD), you can search your deck for any basic energy and put it in your hand. For no energy. Plus, it's a common card, so you might get at least 1 in the 36 commons you start with.
Gliscor (#5)
This card is a good one for many reasons. For one, it's like the Wigglyrai combo, but has major differences.
1) This combo only requires 1 pokemon. (although 2 gliscor would be nice, since it will take 2 turns to charge up the one you returned to your hand)
2) Pester is very similar to Sleep Hole, except it costs 1 less energy and doesn't inflict a status condition.
3) Sleep Hole requires the defending pokemon to be asleep to deal 80 damage. Pester deals 80 damage as long as the foe has any special condition.
4) Darkrai has a lv.x that kos with sleep, but gliscor's lv.x automatically inflicts status conditions to power up Pester.
So in many ways, this card is like Wigglyrai, but with 1 card instead of 2. I see a lot of potential with this card in both limited and modified.
AnthonyG
I think a good card to fear in the LA pre release is Luxio. IMO this card is sooo good. 2 for 30 + 10 to the bench (sorta like Shinx DP except does 20 more dame to active) and for 3 energy (1 Electric) 70 damage and flip a coin if tails, discard all Electric energy.
=O So you have a 50/50 shot of not discarding anything, and if you do discard it will (hopefully) be 1 energy.
Idk if you read my other post, but I think Regigigas (the Rare one) should be a card to fear at the LA pre release.
For 3 colorless energy, if you get heads you do 80 damage + 20 to any bench pokemon. But withoug heads you still do an impressive 60 damage for 3 energy.
But here are some more cards I think can do well.
Deoxys [Normal Forme]: If you happen to get Tentecruel and Lantern, or only Tentecruel, this card is a tank. Set up using 'Cruel and have Deoxys sweep after 'Creul dies, by doing 20 + 10 for every energy your opp has can be really good.
Uxie: Really the power it is only strength. But after you use it, you can recycle it using its attack. Although a mere 20 damage is nothing good, you can put Uxie and all the cards attached to him on the bottom of your deck, thus recycling him using his power more than once (can go great with Jirachi).
Lopunny: Drawing 3 cards for no enegy is great. 30 for 2 colorless isn't too good, but if it an evolved pokemon it does 60 damage which is pretty good for 2 energy. Also its Body is really good as well.
Crawdaunt: The only move I really like is the first move. For 2 energy if you flip heads you return the defending pokemon and all cards attached to him.
Swalot: 30 for 2 isn't great, but if you have more remaining HP it does 80 damage for 2 energy which is really good. And 3 energy for auto poison is also really good
Gliscor (Rare): for 2 energy you can do a possible 70 if you flip heads.
There are a lot of flipping cards in this set. But I would take the risk with most of these cards, most of there damage output are great with just a toss of a coin or die. A risk I am willing to take in limited.
DawnOfXatu
Groudon and Kyorge can attack T2 for an auto KO all of the hitmon's attacks do decent damage for kinda low energy. Torkoal since there is quite a bit of snipe/spread in the set and the attack is annoying if they have high retreat. Lucario since you can T2 90Hp doing 30 snipe if you spam him.
slinktre000
I think that another card to fear is Lanturn and Tentacruel because they are only uncommans and work amazingly well together. Tentacruel takes your opponents discarded energy and attaches them to your opponents pokemon in anyway you like and the attack costs nothing. Then send out Lanturn and use its first attack to do 30 damage to any pokemon with an energy attached to it which can be devastating in the long run.
nzyqut
Starmie would be good too since a lot of the people are going to be running at least one unown for draw power such as unown ? and unown R.
Another good card to use is Grumpig because as long as it has at least 3 energies, it'll knock out a lot of stuff if your opp. can't set up fast enough
plus they're both uncommon I remember right so they should be easy to get
Ophie
Jirachi will definitely be something pretty neat to have in a prerelease as well. It's a Basic, so you can just play it and it's good to go. If you can begin with Jirachi, you've pretty much won the game right there, as One Desire will mean you get what you want next turn, preferably a Metal Energy (as chances are your opponent won't play something that'll make you shuffle your deck), and you can start knocking stuff out by the second turn. Discarding Energy won't be a big concern, as you can continue to use One Desire to get more Metal Energy, and a prerelease deck is full of Energy anyway. The only way for the opponent to get out of this is to start attaching Energy onto the Bench and sacrifice a Pokémon of theirs to Doom Desire, in which case you can use One Desire to continue finding evolutions for Pokémon on your Bench and/or Pokémon with Poké-Powers or Poké-Bodies that'll benefit your situation.
Ditto would also be very fun, though it looks extremely hard to use effectively. You'd have to build an every-color deck.
More to come.
