My first Pokebeach leaks! Some immediate standouts:
Kricketot -- A sacrifice to grab an entire Grass line with FGP? The question is what line is worth the sacrifice.
Garchomp -- amazing art, ANY energy (including Special) acceleration for [F] and OHKO's EXs for just [F][F] if one is a Strong Energy or if it has a Muscle Band! AND it can be Korrina + Rare Candied or Maxie'd. AND it has free retreat!! Wow, Pokemon Co. really loves Garchomp... as we can tell by this card and of course it's omnipresence in VGC!
Darkrai EX -- First they give us a new Mewtwo EX, now a new Darkrai EX? And it's really good and combos with Hypno (as long as you can keep it awake and manage that extra 20 damage)? Sweet (dreams)! I find it funny we got Darkrai instead of Umbreon, but if it was an Umbreon, let's be honest, it wouldn't be this powerful.
Clefairy - Got kicked out of the dream world and got thrown into the nightmare world omg. Hypno is so cruel...
Clefable - immune to Giratina EX... cool.
Time Puzzle looks good (you can even perform a useless perpetual combo of constantly using 2 time puzzles to bring back 2 time puzzles haha...), but if LEGEND Pokemon taught us anything, it's really hard to plan for 2 of the exact cards you need in hand. I guess it could maybe have a shot with Korrina/Skyla/Mail/Sableye. Also take note that 1 Time Puzzle looks into the future, while 2 Puzzles look into your past. Creative.
(Side note: idk how I feel about Special energy returns, because their irretrievability was a core aspect of keeping them balanced -- but maybe the whole "2 for 2" thing will keep it in check. And as others have mentioned, Special Energy is not even the most clutch combo this thing can pull off haha.)
Mind Reading -- Interesting.... but maybe it would have been better suited to "Rise of the Psychic Kings" haha.
Ho-oh full art :O (it's practically a mirror of the old FA but whatevs!)
Overall, not that horrible a set! A few good non-EX, some okay EXes, half decent BREAK cards, a poverty of evo support, okay trainers... overall, better than XY8 at least...!
PS: I will forever be sad I didn't have a chance to collect Phantom Forces cards q_q