(here's a link to the plasma storm scans http://pokebeach.com/2013/01/plasma-storm)
I figured I’d make a quick list of what I think are going to be the best, most impactful cards of the new plasma gale set. This is hardly an expert opinion from any big tourney winner, but I like to think I know more about this game than the average Joe. With that said, I recognize that a lot of this is just opinion and I will not deny that I am a little biased toward some card. With that said…
12. Bicycle
It’s not the best draw card. Bianca, Cheren, N, Juniper, and several new supporters outclass this. But those other cards have the disadvantage of being supporters. This card is unique in that it allows you to draw into supporters and still be able to play them on the same turn. Imagine top decking this with no hand, hoping to get that catcher you need to win the game, but only drawing into a hand of supporters. I’m sure it’s happened to anyone who’s played the game and it’s not fun. However, with bicycle you can play those supporters to get you exactly what you need. Of course, it’s not for every deck, but for decks that play their hand out real fast, this is a godsend.
11. Lucario
This one might get some disagreement. It’s a stage one who’s basic gets slaughtered by Mewtwo EX. In a format where basics rule, evolutions need to do something extraordinary to justify playing. Well I would argue being able to dish out 210damage is something extraordinary. Okay, your opponent needs to have taken 5 prizes, but the fact that you can hit those numbers for the cost of a fighting and DCE makes Lucario unique. And the thing is, even if your opponent hasn’t taken that many prizes, Lucario can still usually hit for above average amounts of damage. Just having one prize means lucario hits for 90, enough to OHKO Darkrai and 2HKO any other EX (barring eviolite or resistance). And speaking of EXs, Lucario’s ability means that it can be protected from your opponents EXs with the new team plasma Kling Klang. You just need the appropriate blend energy and you’re covered.
10. Plasma Rotom
This card is Eels new best friend. At first, it doesn’t look like much. 60HP and weakness to fighting means that Landorus EX (and many other things) will have no problem donking you. But the card has the perfect attack for eels deck that lets you put lightning energy in the discard pile while drawing some cards. In the past, we’ve had to rely on Ultra ball or Juniper to get the lightning energy in the discard pile we want in the discard pile, but there are times when that’s not the most practical play. If your hand is full of stuff you don’t want to discard, playing those cards is not beneficial to the deck. Fortunately, Rotom only needs one energy in hand (well two if you count the attachment) and you get three cards. This means you can play more level balls while still having the means to put energy in the discard pile.
Rotom also has a pretty strong attack that’s capable of dealing massive damage for a rather cheap cost. It’s especially handy on your first turn for a potential donk (the new colress machine makes this possible). It’s not the most reliable option, but considering most of the time pokemon such as rotom are not fighters, it’s nice to have an additional attacker to use once you’re set up.
9. Cobalion EX.
Cobalion is a just a solid card. It’s nothing exceptionally broken or game breaking like Mewtwo, Darkrai, or Keldeo, but it has enough going for it to make the list. Righteous edge is a very nice starting move. Special energy discard was always pretty good, but I think just got a whole lot better since anyone playing the plasma energy engine will be set back a turn. With 3 energy, steel bullet tears through everything, completely unaffected by the defensive abilities of sigilyph, Bouffalant, and the new Kling Klang. Speaking of which, Cobalion’s steel typing makes him the perfect partner for kling klang. While you tear through everything, your opponents most powerful attackers will be unable to touch Cobalion, making it the ideal tank card.
8. Scramble Switch
I wasn’t completely sold on this at first, but I hear this is pretty big in Japan. The play is to use it with team plasma Snorlax and surprise your opponent for big damage. I can see how this can be useful. It’s like a super energy switch and regular switch in one card. You can switch out and max potion while conserving your energy. If quad decks are still popular, this would be the ideal card for such decks. You can also use it with Ho OH EX to quickly get energy onto a pokemon that can take better advantage of the energy. The only problem is that it’s an ACE spec, so you can’t really plan your strategy around it, but for the decks that can use it, it can win you the game at the right time.
7. Plasma Lugia EX
This is another card I wasn’t sold on when I first heard about it. The ability to take two prizes seemed counterbalanced by the fact that the card couldn’t attack without discarding a specific special energy. Then I realized that the special energy has one of the easiest forms of acceleration. Since the attack is all colorless, that means you can also use DCE. Lugia EX + DCE + 2 colress machine = a potential first turn 120, which if it doesn’t win you the game right there, will likely get you two prizes thanks to Lugia’s ability (3 if they are crazy enough to play a weak EX like Victini). But it does more than just score potential donks, it makes it so that you can take two prizes off of any non EX. Unfortunately, this just hurts the chances of non EXs even more, since EX players have a way to shift the prize exchange in their favor. Though I don’t like what this spells for the metagame, the fact that Lugia can have this much impact earns this bird a spot on this list.
6. Colress
One of the things that were lacking in the format was a good shuffle and draw supporter. The best we currently have is N, which is a very good card, but when you’re ahead on prizes, this is the last thing you want to draw. Colress attempts to fix this, and for the most part it does a good job. Heck, he can get you up to 10 cards! That’s huge even by pokemon standards. Even if neither players bench is full, you can still get a reasonable hand size. However, despite the potential this card has, it’s a terrible card to draw into when you’re losing. If you’re down to your last pokemon, you depend on what you’re opponent has out. If your opponent only one or two bench pokemon (which is a real possibility), you’re only getting one or two cards. There are even times when this won’t get you any cards. For a supporter, that’s awful. I still think the card is a very good card that will be considered a staple in a lot of decks, but I don’t think it’s better than N or Juniper, on par, but not better.
5. Dowsing Machine
I don’t think I need to go into too much detail why this card is so good. Getting back that juniper, catcher, search card, or max potion at the right time can be exactly what you need win you the game. Like computer search, the card can be any card you need it to be, giving it a huge edge over other ACE specs. The big question is if it’s better than computer search. Computer search is better early game when your deck is full, but when you’re down to your last cards and your discard pile is full, dowsing machine will serve you much better. I think they’re both very good and you can’t go wrong playing either. The only downside is being an ACE spec and having a discard, but the utility it provides you more than makes up for it.
4. Hypnotoxic lazer.
At first glance, this doesn’t seem like anything special. Just poisoning with a chance to put them to sleep isn’t that great… as an attack. But as a trainer card that doesn’t give up your attack or power for the turn, this is near broken with endless combos. You can use this with BC Raticate to score a one hit knock out on anything (regardless of eviolite or protection powers). You can use it with DRG ninetails to power up hex flame. You can drag something active and set it up to die at the end of their turn (which is huge). But the most obvious combo is with the new Virbank City Gym, which basically adds 30 extra damage to your attack (whether it does damage or not) and then continues to deal 30 damage every turn unless they have a way to deal with it. To be able to do that with just a trainer is just ridiculous. You may be able to score knock outs without even attacking! Like catcher, this is the card I expect anyone on the receiving end of this item to be very unhappy.
3. Plasma Klink Klang.
In a format dominated by EXs, any card that’s immune to them is going to be impactful. Look at Sigilyph from Dragon’s Exalted. That’s just one card with a subpar attack, but players who use EXs as their main attackers need a way to deal with it, or they won’t be able to take prizes. But as annoying as Sigilyph is, Plasma Klink Klang is going to be 10 times more annoying. This is a card that gives immunity to all of your steel pokemon. Now steel pokemon have been a neglected type, but there are a few attackers who can take advantage of this power. Both Cobalions (EP and NV) and registeel EX (DGX) are pretty solid attackers and registeel EX. Even better, we get the new Cobalion EX (number 9 on this list) and a new Lucario (number 11) who can become steel with a steel energy (blend will do). It should also be noted that Plasma Klang protects itself from EXs. This will make it harder for an opponent to catcher you out and 1HKO you (not many non EXs can hit that hard). And that’s not even taking into account what you can do with the Black and White Kling Klang.
I think this is THE stage 2 of the set. Just like Blastoise made water pokemon a top tier deck, I expect plasma Kling to make steel huge. I would even go as far to say that this is the best stage 2 in the format. At the very least, I expect this to have a huge impact on how people play.
2. Colress Machine.
I don’t think I need to explain how good energy acceleration is. In such a fast format as this, anything that can power up huge attackers and allow you to hit your opponents before they even have a chance to set up is game breaking. Eels, Blastoise/Keldeo, Darkrai/Darkpatch, all great decks who benefit from energy acceleration. Colress Machine does just that, but unlike a lot of these examples, doesn’t require any complicated set up. You don’t need any stage 2s, you don’t need the energy in hand or discard pile, all you need is the colress machine in hand and a plasma pokemon to attach it to. Not only do you power them up faster, but many team plasma pokemon get attack boasts and other handy abilities from the energy.
Now there are limits to this. Plasma energy is just a colorless energy, which means you can’t power up attacks with specific energy requirements. It’s also a special energy that you can only run 4 of. If you used them all up or one of them is prizes, Colress Machine isn’t going to be very useful. But considering what a key part energy acceleration has in a lot of decks, and considering the ease at which you can use this, the pros of this card drastically outweigh those limits.
However, there is one card in this set that I think might have more impact than colress machine, and that card is…
Virbank City Gym
The big reason I put this here is because of it’s synergy with hypno laser. The two card combo can give you an additional 30 damage, which is going to change the format. Many pokemon don’t have any problem donking weak evolving basics on their own. Mewtwo kills anything with 40 HP or less and Tornadus can donk 60HP basics. But with this combo, anything with 70 or even 90 HP is at risk for an easy donk, just from that initial poison damage. And that’s not even going into the additional damage they’ll take if they don’t retreat out and the possibility of putting them asleep.
Of course, I could have easily put hypnolazer on the number one spot, but I think this is the card that really makes the combo deadly. Without this, hypno lazer would just be an alternative to plus power, only dealing 10 damage. It would still be good, but not as format changing. However, Virbank City Gym not only makes hypnolazer extremely scary, but it makes any card that poisons a much bigger threat. This gives way to many possible new deck ideas. The possibilities are endless.
And for some honorable mentions.
Plasma Frigate: No weakness is pretty huge and can make your plasma pokemon even harder to KO.
Plasma Crobat: Nice power and a nasty attack (especially with Virbank gym). It’s nothing game breaking, but it’s a solid card on it’s own. Plus you have free retreat, which is always a plus.
Black Kyurem EX: Anything that can hit for a guaranteed 200 is nothing to scoff at. It’s easy to power up with Blastoise (already a top tier card) and can use the blend energy to cover the lightning cost. This could be a good deck.
White Kyurem EX: Not as good as Black Kyurem, but still worth mentioning. White inferno can still do a lot of damage and you don’t have to discard energy (so you can save space on energy retrieval). You could even use it with the proper ACE spec to power it up even more.
Escape Rope: A nice multi purpose card, it gets your active out of harms way while forcing them to switch out. I don’t know if it will replace switch and it definitely won’t replace catcher, but it’s still an interesting card.
Manaphy: This almost made the top 12 (consider it the 13th spot). The energy acceleration is nice, but the real gem is final wish ability, which effectively pays for itself once knocked out. There’s a similar mechanic in yugioh that works out nice there so I’m sure it will be good in Pokemon too.
Ether: Not the most reliable energy accelerator, but it’s still energy acceleration so it deserves a mention.
So those are my opinions of the top cards in plasma storm. It's a pretty cool set even if it does making donking strategies easier (which I don't like). Please feel free to agree disagree or even make your own best list.
I figured I’d make a quick list of what I think are going to be the best, most impactful cards of the new plasma gale set. This is hardly an expert opinion from any big tourney winner, but I like to think I know more about this game than the average Joe. With that said, I recognize that a lot of this is just opinion and I will not deny that I am a little biased toward some card. With that said…
12. Bicycle
It’s not the best draw card. Bianca, Cheren, N, Juniper, and several new supporters outclass this. But those other cards have the disadvantage of being supporters. This card is unique in that it allows you to draw into supporters and still be able to play them on the same turn. Imagine top decking this with no hand, hoping to get that catcher you need to win the game, but only drawing into a hand of supporters. I’m sure it’s happened to anyone who’s played the game and it’s not fun. However, with bicycle you can play those supporters to get you exactly what you need. Of course, it’s not for every deck, but for decks that play their hand out real fast, this is a godsend.
11. Lucario
This one might get some disagreement. It’s a stage one who’s basic gets slaughtered by Mewtwo EX. In a format where basics rule, evolutions need to do something extraordinary to justify playing. Well I would argue being able to dish out 210damage is something extraordinary. Okay, your opponent needs to have taken 5 prizes, but the fact that you can hit those numbers for the cost of a fighting and DCE makes Lucario unique. And the thing is, even if your opponent hasn’t taken that many prizes, Lucario can still usually hit for above average amounts of damage. Just having one prize means lucario hits for 90, enough to OHKO Darkrai and 2HKO any other EX (barring eviolite or resistance). And speaking of EXs, Lucario’s ability means that it can be protected from your opponents EXs with the new team plasma Kling Klang. You just need the appropriate blend energy and you’re covered.
10. Plasma Rotom
This card is Eels new best friend. At first, it doesn’t look like much. 60HP and weakness to fighting means that Landorus EX (and many other things) will have no problem donking you. But the card has the perfect attack for eels deck that lets you put lightning energy in the discard pile while drawing some cards. In the past, we’ve had to rely on Ultra ball or Juniper to get the lightning energy in the discard pile we want in the discard pile, but there are times when that’s not the most practical play. If your hand is full of stuff you don’t want to discard, playing those cards is not beneficial to the deck. Fortunately, Rotom only needs one energy in hand (well two if you count the attachment) and you get three cards. This means you can play more level balls while still having the means to put energy in the discard pile.
Rotom also has a pretty strong attack that’s capable of dealing massive damage for a rather cheap cost. It’s especially handy on your first turn for a potential donk (the new colress machine makes this possible). It’s not the most reliable option, but considering most of the time pokemon such as rotom are not fighters, it’s nice to have an additional attacker to use once you’re set up.
9. Cobalion EX.
Cobalion is a just a solid card. It’s nothing exceptionally broken or game breaking like Mewtwo, Darkrai, or Keldeo, but it has enough going for it to make the list. Righteous edge is a very nice starting move. Special energy discard was always pretty good, but I think just got a whole lot better since anyone playing the plasma energy engine will be set back a turn. With 3 energy, steel bullet tears through everything, completely unaffected by the defensive abilities of sigilyph, Bouffalant, and the new Kling Klang. Speaking of which, Cobalion’s steel typing makes him the perfect partner for kling klang. While you tear through everything, your opponents most powerful attackers will be unable to touch Cobalion, making it the ideal tank card.
8. Scramble Switch
I wasn’t completely sold on this at first, but I hear this is pretty big in Japan. The play is to use it with team plasma Snorlax and surprise your opponent for big damage. I can see how this can be useful. It’s like a super energy switch and regular switch in one card. You can switch out and max potion while conserving your energy. If quad decks are still popular, this would be the ideal card for such decks. You can also use it with Ho OH EX to quickly get energy onto a pokemon that can take better advantage of the energy. The only problem is that it’s an ACE spec, so you can’t really plan your strategy around it, but for the decks that can use it, it can win you the game at the right time.
7. Plasma Lugia EX
This is another card I wasn’t sold on when I first heard about it. The ability to take two prizes seemed counterbalanced by the fact that the card couldn’t attack without discarding a specific special energy. Then I realized that the special energy has one of the easiest forms of acceleration. Since the attack is all colorless, that means you can also use DCE. Lugia EX + DCE + 2 colress machine = a potential first turn 120, which if it doesn’t win you the game right there, will likely get you two prizes thanks to Lugia’s ability (3 if they are crazy enough to play a weak EX like Victini). But it does more than just score potential donks, it makes it so that you can take two prizes off of any non EX. Unfortunately, this just hurts the chances of non EXs even more, since EX players have a way to shift the prize exchange in their favor. Though I don’t like what this spells for the metagame, the fact that Lugia can have this much impact earns this bird a spot on this list.
6. Colress
One of the things that were lacking in the format was a good shuffle and draw supporter. The best we currently have is N, which is a very good card, but when you’re ahead on prizes, this is the last thing you want to draw. Colress attempts to fix this, and for the most part it does a good job. Heck, he can get you up to 10 cards! That’s huge even by pokemon standards. Even if neither players bench is full, you can still get a reasonable hand size. However, despite the potential this card has, it’s a terrible card to draw into when you’re losing. If you’re down to your last pokemon, you depend on what you’re opponent has out. If your opponent only one or two bench pokemon (which is a real possibility), you’re only getting one or two cards. There are even times when this won’t get you any cards. For a supporter, that’s awful. I still think the card is a very good card that will be considered a staple in a lot of decks, but I don’t think it’s better than N or Juniper, on par, but not better.
5. Dowsing Machine
I don’t think I need to go into too much detail why this card is so good. Getting back that juniper, catcher, search card, or max potion at the right time can be exactly what you need win you the game. Like computer search, the card can be any card you need it to be, giving it a huge edge over other ACE specs. The big question is if it’s better than computer search. Computer search is better early game when your deck is full, but when you’re down to your last cards and your discard pile is full, dowsing machine will serve you much better. I think they’re both very good and you can’t go wrong playing either. The only downside is being an ACE spec and having a discard, but the utility it provides you more than makes up for it.
4. Hypnotoxic lazer.
At first glance, this doesn’t seem like anything special. Just poisoning with a chance to put them to sleep isn’t that great… as an attack. But as a trainer card that doesn’t give up your attack or power for the turn, this is near broken with endless combos. You can use this with BC Raticate to score a one hit knock out on anything (regardless of eviolite or protection powers). You can use it with DRG ninetails to power up hex flame. You can drag something active and set it up to die at the end of their turn (which is huge). But the most obvious combo is with the new Virbank City Gym, which basically adds 30 extra damage to your attack (whether it does damage or not) and then continues to deal 30 damage every turn unless they have a way to deal with it. To be able to do that with just a trainer is just ridiculous. You may be able to score knock outs without even attacking! Like catcher, this is the card I expect anyone on the receiving end of this item to be very unhappy.
3. Plasma Klink Klang.
In a format dominated by EXs, any card that’s immune to them is going to be impactful. Look at Sigilyph from Dragon’s Exalted. That’s just one card with a subpar attack, but players who use EXs as their main attackers need a way to deal with it, or they won’t be able to take prizes. But as annoying as Sigilyph is, Plasma Klink Klang is going to be 10 times more annoying. This is a card that gives immunity to all of your steel pokemon. Now steel pokemon have been a neglected type, but there are a few attackers who can take advantage of this power. Both Cobalions (EP and NV) and registeel EX (DGX) are pretty solid attackers and registeel EX. Even better, we get the new Cobalion EX (number 9 on this list) and a new Lucario (number 11) who can become steel with a steel energy (blend will do). It should also be noted that Plasma Klang protects itself from EXs. This will make it harder for an opponent to catcher you out and 1HKO you (not many non EXs can hit that hard). And that’s not even taking into account what you can do with the Black and White Kling Klang.
I think this is THE stage 2 of the set. Just like Blastoise made water pokemon a top tier deck, I expect plasma Kling to make steel huge. I would even go as far to say that this is the best stage 2 in the format. At the very least, I expect this to have a huge impact on how people play.
2. Colress Machine.
I don’t think I need to explain how good energy acceleration is. In such a fast format as this, anything that can power up huge attackers and allow you to hit your opponents before they even have a chance to set up is game breaking. Eels, Blastoise/Keldeo, Darkrai/Darkpatch, all great decks who benefit from energy acceleration. Colress Machine does just that, but unlike a lot of these examples, doesn’t require any complicated set up. You don’t need any stage 2s, you don’t need the energy in hand or discard pile, all you need is the colress machine in hand and a plasma pokemon to attach it to. Not only do you power them up faster, but many team plasma pokemon get attack boasts and other handy abilities from the energy.
Now there are limits to this. Plasma energy is just a colorless energy, which means you can’t power up attacks with specific energy requirements. It’s also a special energy that you can only run 4 of. If you used them all up or one of them is prizes, Colress Machine isn’t going to be very useful. But considering what a key part energy acceleration has in a lot of decks, and considering the ease at which you can use this, the pros of this card drastically outweigh those limits.
However, there is one card in this set that I think might have more impact than colress machine, and that card is…
Virbank City Gym
The big reason I put this here is because of it’s synergy with hypno laser. The two card combo can give you an additional 30 damage, which is going to change the format. Many pokemon don’t have any problem donking weak evolving basics on their own. Mewtwo kills anything with 40 HP or less and Tornadus can donk 60HP basics. But with this combo, anything with 70 or even 90 HP is at risk for an easy donk, just from that initial poison damage. And that’s not even going into the additional damage they’ll take if they don’t retreat out and the possibility of putting them asleep.
Of course, I could have easily put hypnolazer on the number one spot, but I think this is the card that really makes the combo deadly. Without this, hypno lazer would just be an alternative to plus power, only dealing 10 damage. It would still be good, but not as format changing. However, Virbank City Gym not only makes hypnolazer extremely scary, but it makes any card that poisons a much bigger threat. This gives way to many possible new deck ideas. The possibilities are endless.
And for some honorable mentions.
Plasma Frigate: No weakness is pretty huge and can make your plasma pokemon even harder to KO.
Plasma Crobat: Nice power and a nasty attack (especially with Virbank gym). It’s nothing game breaking, but it’s a solid card on it’s own. Plus you have free retreat, which is always a plus.
Black Kyurem EX: Anything that can hit for a guaranteed 200 is nothing to scoff at. It’s easy to power up with Blastoise (already a top tier card) and can use the blend energy to cover the lightning cost. This could be a good deck.
White Kyurem EX: Not as good as Black Kyurem, but still worth mentioning. White inferno can still do a lot of damage and you don’t have to discard energy (so you can save space on energy retrieval). You could even use it with the proper ACE spec to power it up even more.
Escape Rope: A nice multi purpose card, it gets your active out of harms way while forcing them to switch out. I don’t know if it will replace switch and it definitely won’t replace catcher, but it’s still an interesting card.
Manaphy: This almost made the top 12 (consider it the 13th spot). The energy acceleration is nice, but the real gem is final wish ability, which effectively pays for itself once knocked out. There’s a similar mechanic in yugioh that works out nice there so I’m sure it will be good in Pokemon too.
Ether: Not the most reliable energy accelerator, but it’s still energy acceleration so it deserves a mention.
So those are my opinions of the top cards in plasma storm. It's a pretty cool set even if it does making donking strategies easier (which I don't like). Please feel free to agree disagree or even make your own best list.
