Team Rocket’s Ampharos Line Revealed, References EX Team Rocket Returns!

[Myself :}]

Genuinely very cool callback, but this card is extremely garbage. Setting up a stage 2 to punish evolution with only 4 damage counters makes no sense. Just use Gravity Mountain, with Hawlucha if you really need 4 damage counters, not this clunky stage 2 line with an effect you can’t control. It’s even countered by effects like TM Evolution and Grand Tree. It’s hardly better than the 2 decade old card it’s referencing, despite the immense amount of power creep that has taken place since.

Just have Jamming Towers ready. That takes care of both Grand Tree and TM Evolution. Rare candy can help you get this Ampharos into play fast enough.

 

[jdubs4lief]

If it weren't for the 2 retreat this would be a really good bench sitter. It doesn't really feel like people chase the bench sitters that much anyway, so maybe it doesn't matter too much.

 

[Plasma Wooper]

So Mewtwo ex gets more dangerous. I suspect that the seemingly mid amount of damage it does (although 280 is actually heaps considering it’s HP and that it is basic) will in time be shown to be a devastating attack. In this current example Dragapult can be one shotted by Mewtwo ex with Ampharos in play.

I mean I would just bench Lillie's Clefairy for Pult matchups (and bolt matchups too for that matter), but you do you

 

[Grim Thoughts]

You're discounting that this ability can pair with TM Devo, so you absolutely can control it to a degree. Is this a card that will be great by itself? I don't think so, but I can certainly see it be useful with other things. Devo, Uxie, Rocket Ttar...

My point was that you could potential go the whole game without the ability doing a single thing, and that is even the case against other evolving decks. Since this is a stage 2 itself, it’s very hard to set up alongside something else to manipulate that damage spread which might not even happen. I’m not saying this isn’t fun in a non-serious deck, like what you’re proposing, but I am 100% certain this will see no genuine tournament usage unless we either live in a molasses-slow meta completely dominated by stage 2s, or we get some insane evolving cards (like Broken Time-Space or Forest of Giant Plants). And even then, it probably wouldn’t be good. IMO, but I say this with a decade of experience in this game.

 

[Kangaflora]

Fun fact, the Team Rocket's Tyranitar in this set is also a reference to Dark Tyranitar

I bet that the Dark Tyranitar you are referring to is the one from Neo Destiny as Dark Tyranitar was a Rock type as is Team Rocket's Tyranitar.

 

[Exo]

hear me out
View attachment 20631

Sadly because of the way ampharoses ability is written, rare candy can bypass that effect

 

[HammockBoy]

I mean I would just bench Lillie's Clefairy for Pult matchups (and bolt matchups too for that matter), but you do you

More snarky, mean comments on Pokebeach! very good genius I’m aware of that but Clefairy doesn’t add to the required amount of Rocket cards to use Mewtwo! Hope this helps

 

[Chimecho3000]

Sadly because of the way ampharoses ability is written, rare candy can bypass that effect

Rare Candy evolves a Pokemon from the hand, so it doesn't bypass Ampharos' Ability.

 

[EnhancedReality]

Why can't we get a single prizer with a good ability AND attack?

 

[Celery]

Why can't we get a single prizer with a good ability AND attack?

Fan rotom

 

[angooseburger]

Might be useful in prerelease

most likely not. Depends on the metagame of course but 3 energy 140 damage attack on a 140 hp stage 2 mon is very bad, even in prerelease format. It most likely has the same longetivity as a stage 1 mon or a beefy basic. Keep in mind prerelease format has limited to no source of energy acceleration so you lose a lot of tempo if you lose 3 energies in one hit.
Hop's corviknight is imo the design you need to be similar to to be a good stage 2 in prerelease.