Hey everyone! I've decided to update my little project with a third edition of The Magic Number Five. If anyone is interested, here are the first two editions:
Edition One
Edition Two
Now for the set I'll be reviewing today:
It's Black and White! Some hype was received over a variety of cards from this set, and some cards lived up to that hype. Some of these cards have even showed up in competitive tournaments, and even won tournaments. So what cards make Black and White shine? Let's take a look at five of them.
Let's take a look at the first card, Emboar, also known as AbilityBoar!
A First Look at Emboar
Emboar towers above other Stage 2 Pokemon at 150 HP, and has a Weakness to Water, which isn't too bad, considering that the only dominant Water-types in this format are Kyurem, and possibly Blastoise (Kingdra Prime would fit under this category, however, Kingdra's Dragon Steam attack only hits Emboar and other fire-types for 40 damage). No Resistance isn't the end of the world for Emboar, but what really hinders Emboar is its Retreat Cost of 4. Not only is it unwise to discard energy in variants of Emboar, but Emboar is extremely vulnerable to Pokemon Catcher, which makes it an easy target to drag into the Active position and either KO it, or keep it there to delay set-up.
Emboar has one attack, Heat Crash, and with no added effect, the attack is pretty horrid. Unless you feel like stacking four energy on an Emboar to do a measly 80 damage, Emboar doesn't seem like a very solid card to use. However, the true potential in Emboar lies in its Ability, Inferno Fandango.
How does Emboar Help/Work in this Format?
Emboar's Ability, Inferno Fandango, can combo with a jumble of cards, due to the fact that you can use its Ability to attach Fire energy to any Pokemon. This opens up room to use Emboar with many different cards. First, a deck that sees minor play, Magneboar, uses Emboar along with Magnezone Prime to attach as many energy as you can to any of your Pokemon, and then use Magnezone's Lost Burn to KO virtually any Pokemon in the format. Emboar can also be used with Reshiram BW to stack energies on multiple Reshirams all at once, and with Energy Retreival and Fisherman, you can keep the energy on the Reshirams as they discard them with Blue Flare. As a support card, Emboar can combo with Shuckle Promo to draw a large amount of cards in one turn. With all of these combos, there are even more to be discovered with using Emboar. Even Audino EP can combo with Emboar, and can hit for quite a bit of damage with Powerful Slap.
By itself, you could possibly use the other Emboar from BW and use AbilityBoar to charge up the other Emboar over and over again, while hitting for a massive 150 damage, which KO's almost every Pokemon in the format. Although difficult to set up, running Emboar by itself can be accomplished, as long as you run it consistently.
How would you rate this card?
Emboar itself is pretty pathetic. Hitting for a low 80 damage for a high energy cost is pretty bad, especially with no effects on the attack. A Retreat Cost of 4 can be quite costly for when Emboar has to retreat, and can be quite hampering for a player to suffer through.
However, Emboar as a combo with other cards makes up for its flaws. Magnezone Prime and Reshiram benefit largely from the addition of Emboar into the format, and even Audino can make for a nice rogue with Emboar. Overall, Emboar is quite a card to deal with, and due to it being the best energy accelerator in the format, it deserves a 7.5/10.
How about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
Oh 5ban Graphics, you almost always fail to impress me. Emboar is just there in the artwork, and nothing there is stunning in any way. The flames on the edges are okay, though. I give it a 2/10.
Now for our next card, it's Samurott (ability)!
A First Look at Samurott
Samurott boasts a rather impressive 140 HP for a Stage 2 Pokemon, and has a Weakness to Lightning-type Pokemon, which is probably one of the worst weaknesses a Pokemon can have in this format, due to Zekrom, Magnezone Prime, and a new contender, Thundurus, all hitting Samurott for Weakness. This hinders Samurott's playability quite a bit, however, it isn't the end of the world for Samurott. Samurott has no Resistance and a Retreat Cost of 2, which aren't making Samurott look any better, but a Retreat Cost of 2 on a Stage 2 Pokemon isn't too shabby.
Samurott has an Ability and an attack, Shell Armor and Hydro Pump, both quite impressive at first glance. Hydro Pump does not require any specific types of energy, making Samurott extremely flexible and techable in decks, and Shell Armor has no drawbacks and theoretically boosts Samurott's HP to 160. Both can be very helpful in certain situations, so using Samurott correctly can put a game in another player's favor.
How does Samurott Help/Work in this Format?
One of Samurott's main purpose is to counter Reshiram variants, and some Reshiram players opt for a 1-0-1 Samurott line to help in the mirror matchup. Samurott can be teched into many decks that already use Water energy to bring Samurott's damage output to its peak, such as Feraligatr/Kyurem/Vileplume, and can be a quick answer to Stage 1's by getting rid of the deck's low HP attackers.
However, Samurott can actually function by itself. Although playing straight Samurott is not a wise choice in this format, Samurott can use quite a few partners in this format to lead it to victory. Cinccino and Bouffalant use DCE, which Samurott can function off of, so the deck can pretty much take care of anything that comes its way, give or take a few decks. Although Donphan Prime has decreased in popularity, you can still use Samurott + Donphan to cover each others' Weaknesses (you could even add Zekrom, Samurott's bane, to counter other Water types like Kyurem). Mentioned above, Samurott can abuse Feraligatr Prime and attack along with Kyurem to hit for lots of damage, provided Samurott has lots of Water energy on it.
How would you rate this card?
Samurott has a lot going for it, while its combos are almost endless. A Lightning Weakness can hurt Samurott a lot, and it hampers the playability of it because of the dominance of Lightning-types in our format right now. Samurott itself is probably one of the best self-reliance cards in the format right now, due to the fact that it can function greatly by itself. Samurott deserves a 7/10 for it's superb attack and Ability, but unfortunately, a Lightning Weakness is one of the worst a Pokemon can have in this format at the moment.
How about the art fans out there? How's the artwork?
Pretty much the same design as Emboar's, which I do not enjoy. The whirlpool around it makes it stand out in the picture, though, but that's about all the props this artwork is getting. Sorry 5Ban, Samurott gets a 2/10.
Now for our next card, it's Reuniclus!
A First Look at Reuniclus
Reuniclus has a rather low 90 HP, which is one of the lowest HPs of Stage 2 Pokemon in this format. A Psychic Weakness only gives it trouble against Gothitelle, but other than that, a Psychic Weakness is pretty good, due to the lack of played Psychic-types in this format. The new Mewtwo EX from Psycho Drive may give Reuniclus problems, however. Reuniclus has a Retreat Cost of 2, which like Samurott, isn't that horrible, but its Attack, Psywave, is pretty pathetic, requiring all energy to be Psychic, lowering its use, and the rather low damage output refrains players from using this card as an attacker. However, probably the part of Reuniclus that best describes its playability is its Ability, Damage Swap, which is pretty similar to Base Set Alakazam, except Reuniclus allows you to KO a Pokemon with Damage Swap.
How does Reuniclus Help/Work in this Format?
Reuniclus takes a spot in Item Lock decks, which is the only deck Reuniclus can be used to its fullest without being Catcher KOd. Reuniclus can either be used with Gothitelle or Vileplume, which are the only forms of Item Lock in this format (excluding Teddiursa CoL). Using Reuniclus with Gothitelle is quite the combo, and has shown itself to work in this format, using Gothitelle to lock Item cards while using Reuniclus to move the damage off of Gothitelle to another Pokemon, usually a damage sponge like Zekrom. With Vileplume, Reuniclus takes a space in the ever-so-famous google.dec, which is a rogue deck that utilizes Reuniclus, Vileplume, and a whole bunch of other cards. Vileplume locks the Item cards, which like Gothitelle, slows down the opponent, and Reuniclus keeps the damage off of the main attackers. Reuniclus can be used to keep tankers, such as the Regigigas EX that is possibly being released in the U.S. soon, and Suicune/Entei Legend, which is a key card used in google.dec.
Reuniclus is an interesting card to use with Gothitelle and Vileplume, namely, because there are a few tactics you can use to abuse Damage Swap even more. First off, you can use Damage Swap to KO one of your own Pokemon. This seems silly, as you are giving your opponent a free prize, but you can then use Twins to instantly get whatever you need set up to take back the lead. Setting up Gothitelle or Vileplume T2 can be helped if Reuniclus is set up first under the right conditions, and you can use Reuniclus later in the game to be able to use another Twins if there is a prize tie, and you need something quick.
Another tactic you can use with Reuniclus is keeping the damage on something else, preferably a Dragon, and then using that damage against your opponent to Outrage for lots of damage. Reuniclus can hold minimal damage on itself while you simply stick a DCE on a Dragon, move the damage to it, and Outrage away. In this tactic, keeping the damage instead of trashing it is key. This seems a little odd, since usually in Pokemon, it is better to have less damage on your Pokemon, but with Reuniclus and the Dragons, this is not the case.
How would you rate this card?
Although Reuniclus has limited possibilities because it only functions well in Item Lock decks due to Pokemon Catcher, it is still quite an excellent card. Any player would wish for some higher HP on Reuniclus (which is ironic because Reuniclus has a high HP Base Stat in the VG), and a better attack would be preferable, or maybe at least the attack not requiring all Psychic energy. There is only so much power a card can be given, however, and I feel that Reuniclus has been given its share. I would personally rate Reuniclus an 8/10.
How about those art fans out there? How's the artwork?
This is probably one of the better 5Ban artworks I've seen in a while. The psychic waves emanating in the background really make the card itself look mysterious, but I'm no art expert. Reuniclus is adorable on the card like it always is, so I think Reuniclus deserves a 5/10. I wish there had been more style to the artwork, but a collector can only wish for so much.
Now for our fourth card, it's Cinccino!
A First Look at Cinccino
Cinccino has a reasonable 90 HP for a Stage 1, and with a Fighting Weakness, Donphan Prime and Terrakion NV are its only threats. A Retreat Cost of 1 is really helpful, especially when you don't have a Pokemon in your deck that has a free retreat. It's first attack, Tail Slap, is flippy with a relatively low damage output, but it does only require one Colorless energy, so it can be used in certain situations early game. Its second attack, Do The Wave, is what makes players use this card, and Double Colorless Energy gives Cinccino speed that is hard to come by in this format.
How does Cinccino Help/Work in this Format?
Cinccino's speed can get it hitting for 100 damage on the second on the second turn, and fortunately, filling a Bench with Pokemon isn't too hard in this format, so dealing early-game pressure can be quite easy. One of Cinccino's uses is pairing up with Kingdra Prime to score KOs on Pokemon that Cinccino could not regularly do itself (without added effects). With one Spray Splash from Kingdra, Cinccino is able to OHKO Yanmega Prime, Tornadus, and Thundurus (without any added effects), as well as any other Pokemon that have 110 HP. With 2 Spray Splashes, Cinccino can OHKO any 120 HP Pokemon, and so on. Cinccino works with Samurott BW, Bouffalant BW, other Stage 1 Pokemon, such as Donphan Prime, Yanmega Prime, and Zoroark BW, due to the easiness to set them up.
Because Cinccino only requires a Double Colorless Energy (or simply two regular Energy) to begin attacking, it can be paired with almost any Pokemon to deal quick and easy damage. Cinccino is able to abuse Pokemon Catcher and KO Basics that are in its KO range if the Bench is not yet filled. Pokemon Collector is an obvious must in this deck, as Cinccino relies on a full Bench to hit for 100 damage on the second turn. If all goes correctly, Cinccino can pressure your opponent enough during early game to give you a win.
How would you rate this card?
Cinccino is just a really decent card all around. Its first attack isn't too flashy, but that doesn't hold it back in this format, as Do The Wave has been shown to pose a threat. It's HP is just right, and it's Retreat Cost is pretty nice. Due to the decrease in popularity of Donphan Prime, Cinccino doesn't have to worry about a Weakness holding it back. Every card has its faults, however, and Cinccino is not an exception. Cinccino does have a damage cap (without Kingdra), and because of the existence of Dragons in this format, Cinccino isn't likely to survive long. Cinccino needs a full Bench to hit for a lot of damage, and with Kyurem in this format, it can score multiple KOs at once, putting Cinccino at a disadvantage when it comes to re-benching Benched Pokemon. Cinccino is a nice card when it comes down to it, however, and I think Cinccino deserves a 7.5/10.
How about those art fans out there? How's the artwork?
Kagemaru Himeno couldn't have done a better job with Cinccino. The flowers in the background have a similar design to another card Kagemaru designed, Audino EP. If you lok closely, Cinccino simply looks like a Minccino with a coat of white fur, which makes it look elegnant and "sophisticated," but some just call it adorable. And I must admit, I am one of them who call Cinccino adorable. Cinccino gets a 9/10.
And now for our final card, it's Professor Juniper!
A First Look at Professor Juniper
Due to Professor Juniper being a Supporter card, it has no HP, Retreat Cost, Weakness, or Resistance. Professor Juniper is almost an exact reprint of Base Set Professor Oak, except Professor Oak used to be a Trainer in the Base Set days, which meant you could play it as many times as you liked. Professor Juniper, however, is different, and it can only be played once per turn. However, this slight drawback didn't stop Professor Juniper from showing up in a variety of decks in this format.
How does Professor Juniper Help/Work in this Format?
Professor Juniper provides a great source of draw power for when a deck really needs it. Discarding your entire hand seems like a terrible idea, but some decks do rely on it. One deck in particular, TyRam, uses Professor Juniper to get Fire Energies in the discard pile so you can then use Typhlosion Prime's Afterburner Poke-Power to grab that discarded Fire Energy, giving TyRam an edge early game, while also providing some raw draw power. A new deck that sprung up, Eelzone (or EMT, Eelektrik NV/Magnezone Prime/Thundurus EP), uses Professor Juniper to discard the Electric Energies so Eelektrik can grab them late with Dynamotor. Although Juniper is not the top priority for Eelzone, it definitely helps when you need that Energy in the discard.
As mentioned before, a drawback to Juniper is that you have to discard your entire hand once you play it, so a tip would be to always play down any Pluspowers, Pokemon Catchers, Eviolites/Defenders, and any cards that would benefit you that turn before playing Juniper. The less of a hand you have before you discard, the better. Using Junk Arm is also a wise choice to re-use a Pokemon Catcher or something of the sort before you discard your hand. Since you are discarding your hand anyway, why not use as many cards as you can before you play Juniper? Once you discard your hand, you have a new 7-card hand, which is more than decent if you need a few components in your hand to make a play happen.
How would you rate this card?
Juniper is a staple in almost every deck, and although Sage's Training does outclass Juniper in the opinions of some TCG players, Juniper is a card that can always be used in a deck for more raw draw power. Whether the focus in a match is to discard Energy in the hand or not, Juniper is a card that comes with risks that are worth taking to get a potentially better hand. 7 cards is nothing to scoff at, especially when you have a large amount of cards still left in the deck, which makes Juniper an excellent deck miller. Overall, I give Juniper a 7.5/10 for its usefulness, but a discarding of the hand even once can be detrimental for a player using it if Juniper is played incorrectly or at the wrong time.
How about those art fans out there? How's the artwork?
It's not too flashy, to be honest. Juniper's house is in the background, and it may be just me, but the trees in the background seem outlined differently than the rest of the picture. Juniper looks like she is saluting to somebody or covering her face from the sun, but either way, it isn't too stunning. I would give Juniper a 2/10 overall. Don't disappoint me again, Ken Sugimori (and you didn't - the N artwork, if I may say, was quite good).
I really hope everyone enjoyed this edition. I put a lot of work into this, and I made sure I didn't forget everything. LMK if I did, and please tell me if I have improved or not. I'd like a lot of different opinions so I can improve, and my spelling and grammar is not perfect, so if you see a mistake, please notify me. Thanks again, and vote in the poll, please! (BTW, if you comment, please tell me if you liked the idea of centering everything).
Edition One
Edition Two
Now for the set I'll be reviewing today:
It's Black and White! Some hype was received over a variety of cards from this set, and some cards lived up to that hype. Some of these cards have even showed up in competitive tournaments, and even won tournaments. So what cards make Black and White shine? Let's take a look at five of them.
Let's take a look at the first card, Emboar, also known as AbilityBoar!
A First Look at Emboar
Emboar towers above other Stage 2 Pokemon at 150 HP, and has a Weakness to Water, which isn't too bad, considering that the only dominant Water-types in this format are Kyurem, and possibly Blastoise (Kingdra Prime would fit under this category, however, Kingdra's Dragon Steam attack only hits Emboar and other fire-types for 40 damage). No Resistance isn't the end of the world for Emboar, but what really hinders Emboar is its Retreat Cost of 4. Not only is it unwise to discard energy in variants of Emboar, but Emboar is extremely vulnerable to Pokemon Catcher, which makes it an easy target to drag into the Active position and either KO it, or keep it there to delay set-up.
Emboar has one attack, Heat Crash, and with no added effect, the attack is pretty horrid. Unless you feel like stacking four energy on an Emboar to do a measly 80 damage, Emboar doesn't seem like a very solid card to use. However, the true potential in Emboar lies in its Ability, Inferno Fandango.
How does Emboar Help/Work in this Format?
Emboar's Ability, Inferno Fandango, can combo with a jumble of cards, due to the fact that you can use its Ability to attach Fire energy to any Pokemon. This opens up room to use Emboar with many different cards. First, a deck that sees minor play, Magneboar, uses Emboar along with Magnezone Prime to attach as many energy as you can to any of your Pokemon, and then use Magnezone's Lost Burn to KO virtually any Pokemon in the format. Emboar can also be used with Reshiram BW to stack energies on multiple Reshirams all at once, and with Energy Retreival and Fisherman, you can keep the energy on the Reshirams as they discard them with Blue Flare. As a support card, Emboar can combo with Shuckle Promo to draw a large amount of cards in one turn. With all of these combos, there are even more to be discovered with using Emboar. Even Audino EP can combo with Emboar, and can hit for quite a bit of damage with Powerful Slap.
By itself, you could possibly use the other Emboar from BW and use AbilityBoar to charge up the other Emboar over and over again, while hitting for a massive 150 damage, which KO's almost every Pokemon in the format. Although difficult to set up, running Emboar by itself can be accomplished, as long as you run it consistently.
How would you rate this card?
Emboar itself is pretty pathetic. Hitting for a low 80 damage for a high energy cost is pretty bad, especially with no effects on the attack. A Retreat Cost of 4 can be quite costly for when Emboar has to retreat, and can be quite hampering for a player to suffer through.
However, Emboar as a combo with other cards makes up for its flaws. Magnezone Prime and Reshiram benefit largely from the addition of Emboar into the format, and even Audino can make for a nice rogue with Emboar. Overall, Emboar is quite a card to deal with, and due to it being the best energy accelerator in the format, it deserves a 7.5/10.
How about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
Oh 5ban Graphics, you almost always fail to impress me. Emboar is just there in the artwork, and nothing there is stunning in any way. The flames on the edges are okay, though. I give it a 2/10.
Now for our next card, it's Samurott (ability)!
A First Look at Samurott
Samurott boasts a rather impressive 140 HP for a Stage 2 Pokemon, and has a Weakness to Lightning-type Pokemon, which is probably one of the worst weaknesses a Pokemon can have in this format, due to Zekrom, Magnezone Prime, and a new contender, Thundurus, all hitting Samurott for Weakness. This hinders Samurott's playability quite a bit, however, it isn't the end of the world for Samurott. Samurott has no Resistance and a Retreat Cost of 2, which aren't making Samurott look any better, but a Retreat Cost of 2 on a Stage 2 Pokemon isn't too shabby.
Samurott has an Ability and an attack, Shell Armor and Hydro Pump, both quite impressive at first glance. Hydro Pump does not require any specific types of energy, making Samurott extremely flexible and techable in decks, and Shell Armor has no drawbacks and theoretically boosts Samurott's HP to 160. Both can be very helpful in certain situations, so using Samurott correctly can put a game in another player's favor.
How does Samurott Help/Work in this Format?
One of Samurott's main purpose is to counter Reshiram variants, and some Reshiram players opt for a 1-0-1 Samurott line to help in the mirror matchup. Samurott can be teched into many decks that already use Water energy to bring Samurott's damage output to its peak, such as Feraligatr/Kyurem/Vileplume, and can be a quick answer to Stage 1's by getting rid of the deck's low HP attackers.
However, Samurott can actually function by itself. Although playing straight Samurott is not a wise choice in this format, Samurott can use quite a few partners in this format to lead it to victory. Cinccino and Bouffalant use DCE, which Samurott can function off of, so the deck can pretty much take care of anything that comes its way, give or take a few decks. Although Donphan Prime has decreased in popularity, you can still use Samurott + Donphan to cover each others' Weaknesses (you could even add Zekrom, Samurott's bane, to counter other Water types like Kyurem). Mentioned above, Samurott can abuse Feraligatr Prime and attack along with Kyurem to hit for lots of damage, provided Samurott has lots of Water energy on it.
How would you rate this card?
Samurott has a lot going for it, while its combos are almost endless. A Lightning Weakness can hurt Samurott a lot, and it hampers the playability of it because of the dominance of Lightning-types in our format right now. Samurott itself is probably one of the best self-reliance cards in the format right now, due to the fact that it can function greatly by itself. Samurott deserves a 7/10 for it's superb attack and Ability, but unfortunately, a Lightning Weakness is one of the worst a Pokemon can have in this format at the moment.
How about the art fans out there? How's the artwork?
Pretty much the same design as Emboar's, which I do not enjoy. The whirlpool around it makes it stand out in the picture, though, but that's about all the props this artwork is getting. Sorry 5Ban, Samurott gets a 2/10.
Now for our next card, it's Reuniclus!
A First Look at Reuniclus
Reuniclus has a rather low 90 HP, which is one of the lowest HPs of Stage 2 Pokemon in this format. A Psychic Weakness only gives it trouble against Gothitelle, but other than that, a Psychic Weakness is pretty good, due to the lack of played Psychic-types in this format. The new Mewtwo EX from Psycho Drive may give Reuniclus problems, however. Reuniclus has a Retreat Cost of 2, which like Samurott, isn't that horrible, but its Attack, Psywave, is pretty pathetic, requiring all energy to be Psychic, lowering its use, and the rather low damage output refrains players from using this card as an attacker. However, probably the part of Reuniclus that best describes its playability is its Ability, Damage Swap, which is pretty similar to Base Set Alakazam, except Reuniclus allows you to KO a Pokemon with Damage Swap.
How does Reuniclus Help/Work in this Format?
Reuniclus takes a spot in Item Lock decks, which is the only deck Reuniclus can be used to its fullest without being Catcher KOd. Reuniclus can either be used with Gothitelle or Vileplume, which are the only forms of Item Lock in this format (excluding Teddiursa CoL). Using Reuniclus with Gothitelle is quite the combo, and has shown itself to work in this format, using Gothitelle to lock Item cards while using Reuniclus to move the damage off of Gothitelle to another Pokemon, usually a damage sponge like Zekrom. With Vileplume, Reuniclus takes a space in the ever-so-famous google.dec, which is a rogue deck that utilizes Reuniclus, Vileplume, and a whole bunch of other cards. Vileplume locks the Item cards, which like Gothitelle, slows down the opponent, and Reuniclus keeps the damage off of the main attackers. Reuniclus can be used to keep tankers, such as the Regigigas EX that is possibly being released in the U.S. soon, and Suicune/Entei Legend, which is a key card used in google.dec.
Reuniclus is an interesting card to use with Gothitelle and Vileplume, namely, because there are a few tactics you can use to abuse Damage Swap even more. First off, you can use Damage Swap to KO one of your own Pokemon. This seems silly, as you are giving your opponent a free prize, but you can then use Twins to instantly get whatever you need set up to take back the lead. Setting up Gothitelle or Vileplume T2 can be helped if Reuniclus is set up first under the right conditions, and you can use Reuniclus later in the game to be able to use another Twins if there is a prize tie, and you need something quick.
Another tactic you can use with Reuniclus is keeping the damage on something else, preferably a Dragon, and then using that damage against your opponent to Outrage for lots of damage. Reuniclus can hold minimal damage on itself while you simply stick a DCE on a Dragon, move the damage to it, and Outrage away. In this tactic, keeping the damage instead of trashing it is key. This seems a little odd, since usually in Pokemon, it is better to have less damage on your Pokemon, but with Reuniclus and the Dragons, this is not the case.
How would you rate this card?
Although Reuniclus has limited possibilities because it only functions well in Item Lock decks due to Pokemon Catcher, it is still quite an excellent card. Any player would wish for some higher HP on Reuniclus (which is ironic because Reuniclus has a high HP Base Stat in the VG), and a better attack would be preferable, or maybe at least the attack not requiring all Psychic energy. There is only so much power a card can be given, however, and I feel that Reuniclus has been given its share. I would personally rate Reuniclus an 8/10.
How about those art fans out there? How's the artwork?
This is probably one of the better 5Ban artworks I've seen in a while. The psychic waves emanating in the background really make the card itself look mysterious, but I'm no art expert. Reuniclus is adorable on the card like it always is, so I think Reuniclus deserves a 5/10. I wish there had been more style to the artwork, but a collector can only wish for so much.
Now for our fourth card, it's Cinccino!
A First Look at Cinccino
Cinccino has a reasonable 90 HP for a Stage 1, and with a Fighting Weakness, Donphan Prime and Terrakion NV are its only threats. A Retreat Cost of 1 is really helpful, especially when you don't have a Pokemon in your deck that has a free retreat. It's first attack, Tail Slap, is flippy with a relatively low damage output, but it does only require one Colorless energy, so it can be used in certain situations early game. Its second attack, Do The Wave, is what makes players use this card, and Double Colorless Energy gives Cinccino speed that is hard to come by in this format.
How does Cinccino Help/Work in this Format?
Cinccino's speed can get it hitting for 100 damage on the second on the second turn, and fortunately, filling a Bench with Pokemon isn't too hard in this format, so dealing early-game pressure can be quite easy. One of Cinccino's uses is pairing up with Kingdra Prime to score KOs on Pokemon that Cinccino could not regularly do itself (without added effects). With one Spray Splash from Kingdra, Cinccino is able to OHKO Yanmega Prime, Tornadus, and Thundurus (without any added effects), as well as any other Pokemon that have 110 HP. With 2 Spray Splashes, Cinccino can OHKO any 120 HP Pokemon, and so on. Cinccino works with Samurott BW, Bouffalant BW, other Stage 1 Pokemon, such as Donphan Prime, Yanmega Prime, and Zoroark BW, due to the easiness to set them up.
Because Cinccino only requires a Double Colorless Energy (or simply two regular Energy) to begin attacking, it can be paired with almost any Pokemon to deal quick and easy damage. Cinccino is able to abuse Pokemon Catcher and KO Basics that are in its KO range if the Bench is not yet filled. Pokemon Collector is an obvious must in this deck, as Cinccino relies on a full Bench to hit for 100 damage on the second turn. If all goes correctly, Cinccino can pressure your opponent enough during early game to give you a win.
How would you rate this card?
Cinccino is just a really decent card all around. Its first attack isn't too flashy, but that doesn't hold it back in this format, as Do The Wave has been shown to pose a threat. It's HP is just right, and it's Retreat Cost is pretty nice. Due to the decrease in popularity of Donphan Prime, Cinccino doesn't have to worry about a Weakness holding it back. Every card has its faults, however, and Cinccino is not an exception. Cinccino does have a damage cap (without Kingdra), and because of the existence of Dragons in this format, Cinccino isn't likely to survive long. Cinccino needs a full Bench to hit for a lot of damage, and with Kyurem in this format, it can score multiple KOs at once, putting Cinccino at a disadvantage when it comes to re-benching Benched Pokemon. Cinccino is a nice card when it comes down to it, however, and I think Cinccino deserves a 7.5/10.
How about those art fans out there? How's the artwork?
Kagemaru Himeno couldn't have done a better job with Cinccino. The flowers in the background have a similar design to another card Kagemaru designed, Audino EP. If you lok closely, Cinccino simply looks like a Minccino with a coat of white fur, which makes it look elegnant and "sophisticated," but some just call it adorable. And I must admit, I am one of them who call Cinccino adorable. Cinccino gets a 9/10.
And now for our final card, it's Professor Juniper!
A First Look at Professor Juniper
Due to Professor Juniper being a Supporter card, it has no HP, Retreat Cost, Weakness, or Resistance. Professor Juniper is almost an exact reprint of Base Set Professor Oak, except Professor Oak used to be a Trainer in the Base Set days, which meant you could play it as many times as you liked. Professor Juniper, however, is different, and it can only be played once per turn. However, this slight drawback didn't stop Professor Juniper from showing up in a variety of decks in this format.
How does Professor Juniper Help/Work in this Format?
Professor Juniper provides a great source of draw power for when a deck really needs it. Discarding your entire hand seems like a terrible idea, but some decks do rely on it. One deck in particular, TyRam, uses Professor Juniper to get Fire Energies in the discard pile so you can then use Typhlosion Prime's Afterburner Poke-Power to grab that discarded Fire Energy, giving TyRam an edge early game, while also providing some raw draw power. A new deck that sprung up, Eelzone (or EMT, Eelektrik NV/Magnezone Prime/Thundurus EP), uses Professor Juniper to discard the Electric Energies so Eelektrik can grab them late with Dynamotor. Although Juniper is not the top priority for Eelzone, it definitely helps when you need that Energy in the discard.
As mentioned before, a drawback to Juniper is that you have to discard your entire hand once you play it, so a tip would be to always play down any Pluspowers, Pokemon Catchers, Eviolites/Defenders, and any cards that would benefit you that turn before playing Juniper. The less of a hand you have before you discard, the better. Using Junk Arm is also a wise choice to re-use a Pokemon Catcher or something of the sort before you discard your hand. Since you are discarding your hand anyway, why not use as many cards as you can before you play Juniper? Once you discard your hand, you have a new 7-card hand, which is more than decent if you need a few components in your hand to make a play happen.
How would you rate this card?
Juniper is a staple in almost every deck, and although Sage's Training does outclass Juniper in the opinions of some TCG players, Juniper is a card that can always be used in a deck for more raw draw power. Whether the focus in a match is to discard Energy in the hand or not, Juniper is a card that comes with risks that are worth taking to get a potentially better hand. 7 cards is nothing to scoff at, especially when you have a large amount of cards still left in the deck, which makes Juniper an excellent deck miller. Overall, I give Juniper a 7.5/10 for its usefulness, but a discarding of the hand even once can be detrimental for a player using it if Juniper is played incorrectly or at the wrong time.
How about those art fans out there? How's the artwork?
It's not too flashy, to be honest. Juniper's house is in the background, and it may be just me, but the trees in the background seem outlined differently than the rest of the picture. Juniper looks like she is saluting to somebody or covering her face from the sun, but either way, it isn't too stunning. I would give Juniper a 2/10 overall. Don't disappoint me again, Ken Sugimori (and you didn't - the N artwork, if I may say, was quite good).
I really hope everyone enjoyed this edition. I put a lot of work into this, and I made sure I didn't forget everything. LMK if I did, and please tell me if I have improved or not. I'd like a lot of different opinions so I can improve, and my spelling and grammar is not perfect, so if you see a mistake, please notify me. Thanks again, and vote in the poll, please! (BTW, if you comment, please tell me if you liked the idea of centering everything).
[/sand=The Yoshi] -Celebi23
