Hey everyone! I've decided I want to try a little something; that is, review five cards from a set, and show their potential usefulness. These cards aren't exactly the best cards in the format, but maybe someone will see the use in them. And the set today is:
So for Noble Victories, I'll be reviewing five cards in the set that could possibly be used as small techs, or even as their own deck!
Let's see the first card.
A First Look at Leavanny
So, first off, we have Leavanny, a Stage 2 Grass type Pokemon with 120 HP, which isn't horrible for a Stage 2 Pokemon, but there is always a desire for more HP on it. It's attack, Leaf Cutter, is pretty awful, only being able to hit for as high as 80 damage without any added effects (eg. Pluspower and Eviolite) and as low as 40 damage (without the same added effects). Of course, you could always use Victini NV to manipulate the flippiness of the attack, but even so, the damage output on Leavanny is pretty low. It suffers from Reshiram and other Fire type attackers due to its weakness, and its Retreat Cost of 2 can be more detrimental than one might think. So how is Leavanny even worth mentioning at all? Its Ability, Leaf Tailor, should answer that question.
How Does Leavanny Help/Work in this Format?
A variety of Pokemon in this format suffer from bad weaknesses that leave them vulnerable to the top decks in the format, and because of it, they are usually not played. Leavanny's Leaf Tailor can fix this problem with Leaf Tailor, by cancelling out all of the Weaknesses of your Pokemon. There is a catch, though, and it is that the Pokemon must have an Energy card attached to it in order for it to have no Weakness. This means that you probably won't want to run this with a card such as Yanmega Prime (unless you run Rescue Energy), but it can definitely help out a large number of Pokemon.
Let's take Mew Prime for an example. Mew Prime has a Psychic weakness, which means it is weak to the popular Gothitelle. With Leavanny in play (or in the LZ - need some clarification on this if it works in the LZ), Mew Prime has no Weakness, making it more difficult for Gothitelle to KO Mew. This way, the Mews can stay alive for much longer in decks like Mewbox.
We can take this situation with Mew vs. Gothitelle and turn it around, using Leavanny in Gothitelle. With Leavanny in the deck, it can now prevent Gothitelle from being OHKO'd by Mew in most situations, and almost guarantees Gothitelle an auto-win against Mew, due to the fact that Mew cannot OHKO Gothitelle.
How would you rate this card?
I'm going to give this card a 4/10, and I might be a little generous here. The only decks Leavanny really succeeds in are Mew (w/ Vileplume) and Gothitelle (basically, any Item Lock variant - it could even work in googlebox, preventing Zekrom from OHKOing SEL). Other than that, Leavanny is extreme Catcher bait to any deck that sees it coming (once they see a Sewaddle, there's not much left of a surprise), and Reshiram slaughters it. Being a Stage 2, it can take a while to set up, so you would have to beef up the Rare Candy line for Leavanny.
What about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
I'm really not a fan of the 5ban Graphics artwork, but I must say, Leavanny is one of the better 5ban Graphics artworks IMO. Leavanny really fits in with the surrounding (where as in many other 5ban artworks all you see is a colored background - Here's an example. Overall, I give this a 3/5, due to Leavanny being extremely adorable in the picture (and it's not bland like other artwork I see from 5ban).
Next, we have Victini. No, not the flippy Victini, the Cinccino-like Victini!
A First Look at Victini
Victini is the only Victini printed so far with 70 HP, whereas all the the other Victini have only 60 HP. 70 HP isn't too bad for a Basic, but it also means you should expect some quick KO's on Victini. A Water Weakness is expected from a Victini that is Fire-typed, however, the occasional Samurott and Blastoise will run Victini over. The 1 Retreat Cost isn't something to cringe about, so if for some reason a Victini is Catchered but not KO'd, you have an easier time retreating. With only one attack, it is obviously a card that serves one purpose only, and that would lie in its attack, V-Create.
How does Victini Help/Work in this Format?
The only attack Victini has is V-Create, and it has potential to hit for 100 damage T2. The energy requirement, only needing a Fire and a Colorless energy, can hit for 100 damage. Just like Leavanny's Ability had a catch, Victini has a catch as well, and the catch is that the attack fails if the Bench is not full. The real question relates to how easy it is to get a full Bench of Pokemon, which would then tell you how reliable Victini is.
Victini has a good partner to use, though, and that would be Cinccino BW. Like Victini, Cinccino has the ability to hit for 100 damage T2, and the reason they work together is because Cinccino can work even if the Bench is not full. Victini by itself is risky to use because of the reliability on a full Bench to begin attacking, even though you can use Pichu HGSS to fill the Bench immediately. Cinccino, on the other hand, can hit for some damage even if the Bench is not full, and is DCE-compatible. This gives the deck two options on who to attack with.
In a situation where the Bench is completely full, Victini is the superior option, due to its ability to swarm as a Basic. If you can get out a Cinccino with a DCE on it, it is probably better to use in a situation where you can only get out 3-4 Pokemon on the Bench. However, this is how they work so well together, because you can attack with either of them under any circumstance, and they both serve as secondary attackers to eachother.
How would you rate this card?
I'm going to rate this card a 3/10, and it is because Victini only really works with a deck that focuses on swarming the deck with Basic Pokemon. Victini has okay versatility and is not always the first option to tech into a deck, but Victini can always find a way to be used, which I'm guessing is what TPCi is striving for at this point.
What about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
I'm not positive why, but Naoki Saito always seems to please me. Victini isn't exactly popping out of the card like a LV. X, but it looks like the V on Victini is emanating sound waves. I like it, TBH, and I would rate this artwork a 3.5/5.
Now it's time to review our third card.
A First Look at Seismitoad
Seismitoad is a Stage 2 Pokemon with an impressive 140 HP. It has an excellent Weakness to Grass-type Pokemon, which is great because other than Yanmega Prime, there are not many competitive Grass type Pokemon in the metagame. However, it has a rather ugly Retreat Cost of 3, which can get it into trouble if it has no energy on it. Fortunately, Seismitoad's first attack is DCE-compatible, so you can turn a Catchered Seismitoad into one that can start attacking. It has two attacks, Round and Hyper Voice, one of which is DCE-compatible, and Hyper Voice does a measly 70 damage for 3 energy. Although its second attack is less desirable to use, its first attack makes up for it.
How does Seismitoad Help/Work in this Format?
Seismitoad's first attack, Round, can be serious trouble for many top Pokemon in this format. It's pre-evolution, Palpitoad NV, also has the Round attack, but its Basic Stage, Tympole NV, does not have the attack Round, unfortunately. There is also another card that knows the move Round, but is not released in the U.S. yet, and that card is Wigglytuff from Hail Blizzard. Here is a translation for Wigglytuff:
Wigglytuff, being a Stage 1 Pokemon, can be set up fast, and gives Seismitoad more power (however, like Tympole, Wigglytuff's pre-evolution Jigglypuff does not have the move Round). The more Pokemon with Round in play, the more damage Seismitoad can inflict, and with no added effects in play (eg. Pluspower and Defender), Seismitoad can hit for 180 damage. This makes Seismitoad extremely viable against the EXs coming in our next TCG set, "Next Destinies."
The thing that will make or break Seismitoad is how many Pokemon in the future will come with the move Round. Even with Wigglytuff, Seismitoad still has problems with setting up the entire field with Pokemon that know Round. Some TCG players hope that some Basic Pokemon in the future will come out with the move Round to save Seismitoad's potential.
How would you rate this card?
I cannot give an accurate rating of this card, due to the fact that Wigglytuff has not been released in the U.S. yet, so you won't really know how well Seismitoad can perform until Wigglytuff is released. At this time, I would probably rate Seismitoad a 3/10 because of Tympole being Catcher bait and Seismitoad's max damage output at 120 (for now), but Seismitoad can only get better at this point. Or can it? (and this is why I cannot rate this card accurately)
How about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
Masakazu Fukuda (I think that's how you spell it) can definitely bring some good art to the table at times, but I just don't see anything in this artwork. Seismitoad's presence is pretty bland, and the background isn't too special. I would probably rate this artwork a 1.5/5.
Now for our fourth card, it's Cofagrigus!
A First Look at Cofagrigus
Cofagrigus is a Stage 1 Pokemon with 90 HP, which isn't terrible, but you could always wish for more on it. A Darkness Weakness is pretty good, since there aren't many good Dark-type attackers out there other than Zoroark BW. Its Retreat Cost of 2, like Leavanny, can be more detrimental than one might think, but then again, it isn't too bad for a Stage 1. It's attack, Ambush, is okay, and can possibly hit for 60 for 2 energy, 10 damage short of KOing Gothitelle EP. However, its real use is in its Ability, Durable Body.
How Does Cofagrigus Help/Work in this Format?
Cofagrigus's Ability, Durable Body, can be used to possibly survive an attack from an opponent. You can use Reuniclus BW to move off the damage from Cofagrigus if it survives the attack, and so it could be teched into google.dek. You can also choose not to use Reuniclus at all and just use Cofagrigus by itself, and possibly with the other Cofagrigus to move off the damage to make for a surprising KO. Although Ambush is not a great attack, you can still use it to hit Gothitelle for a possible 120 damage, but you still won't get the OHKO.
How would you rate this card?
I would probably rate this card a 2/10, and this would be because Cofagrigus is risky to use, due to a 50% chance of failing with Durable Body. Its damage output is low, and it doesn't show itself as much of a threat. It can still be used in a tough situation, though, and a 1-1 line can be simple to tech.
How about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
I personally really enjoy this artwork. The hands of Cofagrigus are very shadow-like, and its eyes give off a ferocious and creepy glare. Shin Nagasawa never fails to impress me, and I would rate this a 3.5/5.
And now, for our last card, it's Druddigon!
A First Look at Druddigon
Druddigon is the only Basic Pokemon out of the five cards reviewed, and boasts an impressive 100 HP for a Basic Pokemon. Druddigon has no Weakness, which is the best kind of Weakness in the format, and has a Retreat Cost of 2, which is in the middle for Retreat Costs; not too bad, but it can be trouble. Its attack, Clutch, hits for 60 damage for 3 Colorless Energy, which isn't too shabby because of the effect that prevents the Defending Pokemon from retreating. As a Basic Pokemon, Druddigon can also abuse Eviolite, theoretically boosting its HP to 120, which lets it survive a few more attacks. Finally, its Ability, Rough Skin, can make your opponent think twice before attacking Druddigon.
How does Druddigon Help/Work in this Format?
Druddigon can work really nicely with Rocky Helmet from NV. With a Rocky Helmet equipped to Druddigon, you are suddenly inflicting 40 damage every time Druddigon takes damage. This can make Pokemon in KO range of Druddigon the next turn, so Rocky Helmet is an obvious choice to combo with Druddigon. Druddigon can somewhat work as a Gothitelle counter with its Ability, but many players prefer to use Rocky Helmet, due to it being easier to tech. Clutch can also be used to lock the opponent and score KOs after many turns, and can cause trouble to an unsuspecting opponent.
How would you rate this card?
I would probably rate Druddigon a 3/10, because Rocky Helmet outclasses Druddigon as a tech card, and its Energy cost is a little high in order to do 60 damage and prevent retreating. Druddigon is definitely a cool card to use, but because of the popularity the Dragons (Reshiam, Zekrom, and possibly Kyurem) have been receiving, this card probably will not see much play.
How about those art fans out there? How's the artwork?
Again, Masakazu Fukuda can have some really nice cards, and this one is probably in-between. Druddigon definitely has an initimidating presence, but the background is a little blurry IMO, so I would rate this a 2.5/5.
I hope everyone really enjoyed this review. I know some of these cards don't seem too great, but I love trying to find a use for everything I can find in a card, and hopefully this made some of you think of these cards as more than binder stuffing. Please comment/criticize, and thank you for reading! : )
So for Noble Victories, I'll be reviewing five cards in the set that could possibly be used as small techs, or even as their own deck!
Let's see the first card.
A First Look at Leavanny
So, first off, we have Leavanny, a Stage 2 Grass type Pokemon with 120 HP, which isn't horrible for a Stage 2 Pokemon, but there is always a desire for more HP on it. It's attack, Leaf Cutter, is pretty awful, only being able to hit for as high as 80 damage without any added effects (eg. Pluspower and Eviolite) and as low as 40 damage (without the same added effects). Of course, you could always use Victini NV to manipulate the flippiness of the attack, but even so, the damage output on Leavanny is pretty low. It suffers from Reshiram and other Fire type attackers due to its weakness, and its Retreat Cost of 2 can be more detrimental than one might think. So how is Leavanny even worth mentioning at all? Its Ability, Leaf Tailor, should answer that question.
How Does Leavanny Help/Work in this Format?
A variety of Pokemon in this format suffer from bad weaknesses that leave them vulnerable to the top decks in the format, and because of it, they are usually not played. Leavanny's Leaf Tailor can fix this problem with Leaf Tailor, by cancelling out all of the Weaknesses of your Pokemon. There is a catch, though, and it is that the Pokemon must have an Energy card attached to it in order for it to have no Weakness. This means that you probably won't want to run this with a card such as Yanmega Prime (unless you run Rescue Energy), but it can definitely help out a large number of Pokemon.
Let's take Mew Prime for an example. Mew Prime has a Psychic weakness, which means it is weak to the popular Gothitelle. With Leavanny in play (or in the LZ - need some clarification on this if it works in the LZ), Mew Prime has no Weakness, making it more difficult for Gothitelle to KO Mew. This way, the Mews can stay alive for much longer in decks like Mewbox.
We can take this situation with Mew vs. Gothitelle and turn it around, using Leavanny in Gothitelle. With Leavanny in the deck, it can now prevent Gothitelle from being OHKO'd by Mew in most situations, and almost guarantees Gothitelle an auto-win against Mew, due to the fact that Mew cannot OHKO Gothitelle.
How would you rate this card?
I'm going to give this card a 4/10, and I might be a little generous here. The only decks Leavanny really succeeds in are Mew (w/ Vileplume) and Gothitelle (basically, any Item Lock variant - it could even work in googlebox, preventing Zekrom from OHKOing SEL). Other than that, Leavanny is extreme Catcher bait to any deck that sees it coming (once they see a Sewaddle, there's not much left of a surprise), and Reshiram slaughters it. Being a Stage 2, it can take a while to set up, so you would have to beef up the Rare Candy line for Leavanny.
What about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
I'm really not a fan of the 5ban Graphics artwork, but I must say, Leavanny is one of the better 5ban Graphics artworks IMO. Leavanny really fits in with the surrounding (where as in many other 5ban artworks all you see is a colored background - Here's an example. Overall, I give this a 3/5, due to Leavanny being extremely adorable in the picture (and it's not bland like other artwork I see from 5ban).
Next, we have Victini. No, not the flippy Victini, the Cinccino-like Victini!
A First Look at Victini
Victini is the only Victini printed so far with 70 HP, whereas all the the other Victini have only 60 HP. 70 HP isn't too bad for a Basic, but it also means you should expect some quick KO's on Victini. A Water Weakness is expected from a Victini that is Fire-typed, however, the occasional Samurott and Blastoise will run Victini over. The 1 Retreat Cost isn't something to cringe about, so if for some reason a Victini is Catchered but not KO'd, you have an easier time retreating. With only one attack, it is obviously a card that serves one purpose only, and that would lie in its attack, V-Create.
How does Victini Help/Work in this Format?
The only attack Victini has is V-Create, and it has potential to hit for 100 damage T2. The energy requirement, only needing a Fire and a Colorless energy, can hit for 100 damage. Just like Leavanny's Ability had a catch, Victini has a catch as well, and the catch is that the attack fails if the Bench is not full. The real question relates to how easy it is to get a full Bench of Pokemon, which would then tell you how reliable Victini is.
Victini has a good partner to use, though, and that would be Cinccino BW. Like Victini, Cinccino has the ability to hit for 100 damage T2, and the reason they work together is because Cinccino can work even if the Bench is not full. Victini by itself is risky to use because of the reliability on a full Bench to begin attacking, even though you can use Pichu HGSS to fill the Bench immediately. Cinccino, on the other hand, can hit for some damage even if the Bench is not full, and is DCE-compatible. This gives the deck two options on who to attack with.
In a situation where the Bench is completely full, Victini is the superior option, due to its ability to swarm as a Basic. If you can get out a Cinccino with a DCE on it, it is probably better to use in a situation where you can only get out 3-4 Pokemon on the Bench. However, this is how they work so well together, because you can attack with either of them under any circumstance, and they both serve as secondary attackers to eachother.
How would you rate this card?
I'm going to rate this card a 3/10, and it is because Victini only really works with a deck that focuses on swarming the deck with Basic Pokemon. Victini has okay versatility and is not always the first option to tech into a deck, but Victini can always find a way to be used, which I'm guessing is what TPCi is striving for at this point.
What about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
I'm not positive why, but Naoki Saito always seems to please me. Victini isn't exactly popping out of the card like a LV. X, but it looks like the V on Victini is emanating sound waves. I like it, TBH, and I would rate this artwork a 3.5/5.
Now it's time to review our third card.
A First Look at Seismitoad
Seismitoad is a Stage 2 Pokemon with an impressive 140 HP. It has an excellent Weakness to Grass-type Pokemon, which is great because other than Yanmega Prime, there are not many competitive Grass type Pokemon in the metagame. However, it has a rather ugly Retreat Cost of 3, which can get it into trouble if it has no energy on it. Fortunately, Seismitoad's first attack is DCE-compatible, so you can turn a Catchered Seismitoad into one that can start attacking. It has two attacks, Round and Hyper Voice, one of which is DCE-compatible, and Hyper Voice does a measly 70 damage for 3 energy. Although its second attack is less desirable to use, its first attack makes up for it.
How does Seismitoad Help/Work in this Format?
Seismitoad's first attack, Round, can be serious trouble for many top Pokemon in this format. It's pre-evolution, Palpitoad NV, also has the Round attack, but its Basic Stage, Tympole NV, does not have the attack Round, unfortunately. There is also another card that knows the move Round, but is not released in the U.S. yet, and that card is Wigglytuff from Hail Blizzard. Here is a translation for Wigglytuff:
Code:
Wigglytuff – Colorless – HP90
Stage 1 – Evolves from Jigglypuff
[C][C] Round: Does 20 damage times the number of your Pokemon in play with a Round attack.
[C][C][C] Hypno Wave: 60 damage. Flip a coin, if heads the opponent’s Active Pokemon is now Asleep.
Weakness: Fighting (X2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2Wigglytuff, being a Stage 1 Pokemon, can be set up fast, and gives Seismitoad more power (however, like Tympole, Wigglytuff's pre-evolution Jigglypuff does not have the move Round). The more Pokemon with Round in play, the more damage Seismitoad can inflict, and with no added effects in play (eg. Pluspower and Defender), Seismitoad can hit for 180 damage. This makes Seismitoad extremely viable against the EXs coming in our next TCG set, "Next Destinies."
The thing that will make or break Seismitoad is how many Pokemon in the future will come with the move Round. Even with Wigglytuff, Seismitoad still has problems with setting up the entire field with Pokemon that know Round. Some TCG players hope that some Basic Pokemon in the future will come out with the move Round to save Seismitoad's potential.
How would you rate this card?
I cannot give an accurate rating of this card, due to the fact that Wigglytuff has not been released in the U.S. yet, so you won't really know how well Seismitoad can perform until Wigglytuff is released. At this time, I would probably rate Seismitoad a 3/10 because of Tympole being Catcher bait and Seismitoad's max damage output at 120 (for now), but Seismitoad can only get better at this point. Or can it? (and this is why I cannot rate this card accurately)
How about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
Masakazu Fukuda (I think that's how you spell it) can definitely bring some good art to the table at times, but I just don't see anything in this artwork. Seismitoad's presence is pretty bland, and the background isn't too special. I would probably rate this artwork a 1.5/5.
Now for our fourth card, it's Cofagrigus!
A First Look at Cofagrigus
Cofagrigus is a Stage 1 Pokemon with 90 HP, which isn't terrible, but you could always wish for more on it. A Darkness Weakness is pretty good, since there aren't many good Dark-type attackers out there other than Zoroark BW. Its Retreat Cost of 2, like Leavanny, can be more detrimental than one might think, but then again, it isn't too bad for a Stage 1. It's attack, Ambush, is okay, and can possibly hit for 60 for 2 energy, 10 damage short of KOing Gothitelle EP. However, its real use is in its Ability, Durable Body.
How Does Cofagrigus Help/Work in this Format?
Cofagrigus's Ability, Durable Body, can be used to possibly survive an attack from an opponent. You can use Reuniclus BW to move off the damage from Cofagrigus if it survives the attack, and so it could be teched into google.dek. You can also choose not to use Reuniclus at all and just use Cofagrigus by itself, and possibly with the other Cofagrigus to move off the damage to make for a surprising KO. Although Ambush is not a great attack, you can still use it to hit Gothitelle for a possible 120 damage, but you still won't get the OHKO.
How would you rate this card?
I would probably rate this card a 2/10, and this would be because Cofagrigus is risky to use, due to a 50% chance of failing with Durable Body. Its damage output is low, and it doesn't show itself as much of a threat. It can still be used in a tough situation, though, and a 1-1 line can be simple to tech.
How about those art fans out there? How do you like the artwork?
I personally really enjoy this artwork. The hands of Cofagrigus are very shadow-like, and its eyes give off a ferocious and creepy glare. Shin Nagasawa never fails to impress me, and I would rate this a 3.5/5.
And now, for our last card, it's Druddigon!
A First Look at Druddigon
Druddigon is the only Basic Pokemon out of the five cards reviewed, and boasts an impressive 100 HP for a Basic Pokemon. Druddigon has no Weakness, which is the best kind of Weakness in the format, and has a Retreat Cost of 2, which is in the middle for Retreat Costs; not too bad, but it can be trouble. Its attack, Clutch, hits for 60 damage for 3 Colorless Energy, which isn't too shabby because of the effect that prevents the Defending Pokemon from retreating. As a Basic Pokemon, Druddigon can also abuse Eviolite, theoretically boosting its HP to 120, which lets it survive a few more attacks. Finally, its Ability, Rough Skin, can make your opponent think twice before attacking Druddigon.
How does Druddigon Help/Work in this Format?
Druddigon can work really nicely with Rocky Helmet from NV. With a Rocky Helmet equipped to Druddigon, you are suddenly inflicting 40 damage every time Druddigon takes damage. This can make Pokemon in KO range of Druddigon the next turn, so Rocky Helmet is an obvious choice to combo with Druddigon. Druddigon can somewhat work as a Gothitelle counter with its Ability, but many players prefer to use Rocky Helmet, due to it being easier to tech. Clutch can also be used to lock the opponent and score KOs after many turns, and can cause trouble to an unsuspecting opponent.
How would you rate this card?
I would probably rate Druddigon a 3/10, because Rocky Helmet outclasses Druddigon as a tech card, and its Energy cost is a little high in order to do 60 damage and prevent retreating. Druddigon is definitely a cool card to use, but because of the popularity the Dragons (Reshiam, Zekrom, and possibly Kyurem) have been receiving, this card probably will not see much play.
How about those art fans out there? How's the artwork?
Again, Masakazu Fukuda can have some really nice cards, and this one is probably in-between. Druddigon definitely has an initimidating presence, but the background is a little blurry IMO, so I would rate this a 2.5/5.
I hope everyone really enjoyed this review. I know some of these cards don't seem too great, but I love trying to find a use for everything I can find in a card, and hopefully this made some of you think of these cards as more than binder stuffing. Please comment/criticize, and thank you for reading! : )
