News Japan's SM3 Sets for the 20th Movie Feature Ho-Oh and Necrozma!

[taschen88]

The good: Ho-Oh GX is an inacredibly easy way to get Charizard GX into play.
The bad: who cares? the only merit of Charizard GX is its mill attack, and you can't use it anymore because you just used up your GX attack getting it onto the bench.
The ugly: on top of the fact the combo is self-defeating, the energy demands of such a combination are ridiculously unmanageable, to the point you can take the existence of Kiawe for granted and it's not that helpful.

Random thought: is SM4 going to be the Grass type's time to shine? In response to Aqua Patch and Kiawe, can anyone else anticipate that instead of just going down the Forest of Giant Plants route again, they release a Stadium that turns all Pokemon in play, each player's decks, and discard piles into Grass types?

I wonder if the official ruling of this card will allow putting [R] Mega Pokemon-EX from Discard Pile to Bench. Not that any [R] Megas are crucial players to the metagame anyway. But it would be nice to put Mega Charizard/Houndoom/Camerupt/Blaziken directly to the Bench.

As for [G] types, I think it's having a moment now. SM1 introduced Decidueye-GX and Lurantis-GX, then SM2 with Golisopod and SM2+(Promo) Lurantis. All that while Forest of the Giant Plants, Revitalizer, and item lock Vileplume are still part of Standard. Personally I'm a fan of Grass decks, too, but I'd like to see more Grass support Trainer cards later after the rotation. Would love to see a viable stage 2 starter GX, maybe Venusaur or Meganium? With the first attack with 1 [G] or DCE Energy cost, please!

 

[Fayld]

Normal Golisopod from Guardians is better tbh. The first attack would be good with Zoroark to continuously switch but still, just 120 damage. It's an okay card. I give it 6/10. I do like the art though!

Ah, but you see, you wouldn't only be hitting for 120. Choice band to 150. 2 Lurantis promo on the bench = 190. Kukui = 210. Those are some pretty huge numbers that aren't that hard to put together...for one energy and the necessity of switching. That switch necessity isn't all that hard to hit even without Zoroark. Honestly, if anything I am more irritated that the second attack and the GX attack are so underwhelming. That said, there is a deck here.

Oh, and outside the box thinking. This could be used similar to have Tapu Bulu is currently used in the Vikavolt + Koko deck. I don't think it works, but it is at least interesting

 

[that_one_venasaur]

I actually really like the GX ability. It could really disrupt a lot of decks. I'm fairly new to the game (i've just been a collector) but is there a way to get this Charizard set up quickly?

 

[I_miss_Zoroark_GX]

It could be nice addiction to non GX Golisopods, 'cuz he can revenge swing for 150 with Band after one is knocked out. Zororark is also an option here. Overall - pretty bad but also fun card.

NOTE: Still better than Charizard GX.

That wouldn't work. Promoting a pokemon to active after a KO occurs on your opponent's turn, not yours. You'd have to promote something that can then retreat into golisopod.

 

[marsmich]

As long as this card (Golisopod-GX) is valid with Forest, there could be turn one donk potential!

 

[LiftoffLizard]

This is literally insane with decidueye and some switching mechanic whichever of the bazillion you prefer. Think of t1 damage out put

 

[ImmortalDarkrai]

Not bad, not bad. With that retreat cost you'd need a good way to stream the attacks though. And on a side note, why do people keep saying play it with Aether Paradise? Have they not read the card? Basics only.

 

[Elray]

Seems like a good one-off in a regular Golisopod deck. If you run into a non-EX or non-GX deck then regular Golisopod isn't that good so just use the GX to hit big numbers.

 

[taschen88]

The First Impressions attack could work well with BKP Manaphy-EX/BKT Zoroark in Standard or DRK Darkrai-EX/BCR Keldeo-EX in Expanded. I honestly don't mind that this card isn't as good as the non-GX variant from GRI. There still should be non-EX/GX good attackers out there.

 

[2good4gnius]

You all are so completely stupid. "120 for one energy is meh" ?!?! Grass has so much damage amplification now with the new promo lurantis, choice band, and kukui, I've been playing lurantis/bulu lately and it's literally unstoppable, with golisopod, all you need to hit 190 is a choice band, and a single lurantis and a Kukui or 2 Lurantis, and with forest of giant plants, you could be hitting 190 for a SINGLE FLIPPING ENERGY turn one and stream it with switches and/or zoroark float stone. This is broken.

 

[woahaustin]

it'll be fun to play around with the first attack with a float stone and wishiwashi engine. as of right now tho i dont see why id want to run this over things like lurantis gx tho

 

[ZygardeGuy]

Agree! I expected tinges of cyan/blue/purple in the background to make Ho-Oh pop out more out front. Well, let's see how to holo glistens when the card gets released. As an online-only player, I've noticed they're making holo cards more "in your face" holo, so I'm hoping they do that with this card as well.

I was expecting this. Haven't you noticed that all of the FA GX's have had solid colour backgrounds?

 

[CaptZero]

Although you can use stand in zoroark or something to change the active each turn and keep using the 120 damage right?

And you could use baby Golisopod as a one prize attacker. Imagine one energy, turn one, 150 damage. Holy shit that has potential.

 

[Kontoleon]

Come on this card looks like brilliant on my eyes.

Is only Stage 1 GRASS pokemon, and with a single energy can easy hit the magic (from me) number 120! with 120 can OHKO the most NON gx/ex basic pokemon, he can OHKO Garbodor, Saymin EX with no really use many items.

If needed you can easy play Max posion, and the real advance of this Pokemon is the speed.

If you are lucky and you play second you can OHKO the opponent on first turn, with no really fast counter pokemon on him. However the 2nd turn if you miss the switch with DCE you can hit a cool 100, And on late game you may can K.O the opponent with "save" your pokemon with GX attack.

This pokemon have 2 main weakness, the fire pokemon, and the rethreat lock. Volcanion has 130 HP And with a good set up can hit the 210 HP. (3 set up) but is general good card from my eyes.

 

[Purrloin]

Am I the only one disappointed about the Sun and Moon full arts in this set? I mean honestly I think the ultra rare versions look better than the full arts do. The ultra rares almost remind me of the full arts we had in BW/XY era stuff whereas these new full arts just seem...I don't know, kind of bad.

I agree. I find the regular arts so much more appealing artistically. The full-arts seem so bland and "unfinished" to me, like they forgot to do a background so they just MSPaint a solid color over it. Honestly I think they should just have the rainbow arts be the normal full-arts.

 

[MoFoTY86]

Wow. I am surprised no one mentioned Solgaleo GX. Yes yes I know it is a Metal Stage 2, but you can always Skyla, Rare Candy and boom! Also worry about Hex, Garbotoxin to shut off that ability. Switch, Escape Rope, Olympia, Float Stone. I think people will use only the 1st attack and maaaaybe the GX. In case your new active isn't Knocked Out, then just retreat. It's just a thought about Solgaleo. Not a big expert player but still have ideas and thoughts.

 

[TheBigE196]

Although you can use stand in zoroark or something to change the active each turn and keep using the 120 damage right?

Use SUM Wishiwashi with cowardice + float stone, free retreat golisopod into washi, bounce washi to hand and make gol active, play down washi on bench, hit for 120

 

[Fayld]

Use SUM Wishiwashi with cowardice + float stone, free retreat golisopod into washi, bounce washi to hand and make gol active, play down washi on bench, hit for 120

That looks like a real winner. You can rinse repeat that too.

 

[SupremeLeaderQuagsire]

This card is great in my opinion. Swinging 120 for 1 is excellent, and there is Zoroark to help switch in. If you go second, Forest of Giant Plants into Golisopod-GX into a Zoroark play etc nets 120 on turn 1. Lycanroc-GX and Lapras-GX, just to name a few, are weak to Grass, so without anything extra you already get OHKOs on them. With a Choice Band that's 150, with two Lurantis (which isn't going to be hard to get out with Forest of Giant Plants) you hit 190. And remember, this is for one energy.

It's next attack is also good. Add on a DCE and you hit for 100 plus you take 20 less next turn. With Aether that's 50 less. You hit OHKOs on Lycanroc-GX and Lapras-GX w/o Muscle Dumbbells and Fighting Fury Belt respectively, plus you take less next turn, giving you an effective 230 HP.

The GX attack, also for a Grass and DCE, hits 150 and you switch to the bench. Switch into a Wobbufett or Tauros-GX or any other wall, and your opponent is unable to use Abilities or too scared to attack.

210 is a nice and high number. Muscle Dumbbells gives you 250, Aether Paradise Conservation area gives you an effective 280, and Armor Press gives you an effective 300! That is an insane amount of HP. You may prefer using Choice Band instead of Dumbbells and Forest over Aether Paradise, but its all preference.

Don't forget about the GRI Golisopod, either. You can run a 4-3-1 line, and it's a nice and handy 1 prize attacker that can also get up to an insane amount of HP. (200 is a large number for a Stage 1, 1 prize attacker!)

One last thing I would like to note is DCE. Tapu Koko and Zoroark are both 1 prize attackers with DCE attacks, so they fit nicely into the deck. Zoroark also has Stand In and Tapu Koko has a free retreat, making them useful tools. Tapu Koko can help hit the numbers you need and Zoroark can punish the opponent for playing down too many Pokémon to their bench.

I think people are giving this card a little bit too much slack, I like it a lot. I might play it depending on whether Burning Shadows brings a lot of Fire to the meta or not.

 

[theprp30]

Cool artwork, could be nice on grass teams, but not greatest card in world by any imagination.