Tyrantrum EX: Playable

TheWhiskaz_

TheWhiskaz_

Friendly Neighborhood Hunter
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Now that we have the text of Tyrantrum-EX, I'd like to post my thoughts on the card:

Tyrantrum-EX - Dragon - HP180
Basic Pokemon

Ability: Tyrant Fang
Damage from this Pokemon's attacks isn't affected by any effects on your opponent's Active Pokemon.

[F][M][M][C] Dragon Impact: 190 damage. Discard 3 Energy attached to this Pokemon.

When a Pokemon-EX has been Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.

Weakness: Fairy (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3

Looking at the card it's....rather meh. Yes, its ability lets it bypass Safeguard and Intimidating Mane and its attack deals a massive 190 damage, but it's held back by having to discard 3 energy with each use, and a retreat cost of 3 doesn't help it much either. Also, that 190 damage will knock out all non-mega EXs, but most of the mega EXs will survive one hit from this card, with the only exceptions to this being Manectric and Gardevoir, which can be OHKO'd if Tyrantrum-EX has a Muscle Band attached. But what do you think? Will we see it used a bit, or are its drawbacks so significant that it just won't be used that much?
 
RE: Tyrantrum-EX: Usable?

How I wish it was :/ You could use Double Dragon energy with it to mitigate the massive energy cost, but you've still got to discard 3 Energy whenever you attack, meaning you only get a turn of use out of it.

You could put it with Bronzong and maybe Rainbow Energy, but 3 Retreat cost + 3 discard from the attack means you can't attack then retreat like you can with Dialga-EX. Even with Hydreigon in play, you're still discarding your last energy to retreat- and if it's the Fighting, you can't get that back on with Bronzong.

If decks with multiple evolutions were playable, it'd be fun to play Eelektross (PCL), Magma Camerupt (DCR) and Bronzong- accelerate energy from the discard with the last two, then just Energy Connect it up to Tyrantrum with Eelektross' ability. Ideal bench would be Eelektross - Magmarupt - Bronzong - Bronzong - Tyrantrum, and you could essentially just stream energy every turn. Ah, I can dream.


Edit: Though now I think about it, you could just drop a DDE on it and then use Bronzong for the others, meaning you only need to run Metal basic energy in your deck, then discard the DDE and a Metal. Strategy kind of falls apart against non-EXs though.
 
RE: Tyrantrum-EX: Usable?

It might have a place in the future expanded format, where you have level balls and Tropical Beach/Skyarrow Bridge to help speed things up, as well as Altaria to help against Megas.
 
Discarding three energy is just too hefty in this format. The attack cost is also a bit awkward, and running DDE would greatly cut the consistency of Metal decks, as this is the only Pokemon able to use it. While it would be possible to construct a deck solely around Tyrantrum-EX, it would greatly reduce the versatility of the deck, as Metal prides itself on a variety of attackers and a great wall (Aegislash). The Ability intrigues me though. Being able to bypass all effects with an attack that does 190 is appetizing, even if it will come short of a KO on Mega Rayquaza and the Primals. Virbank / Laser would make it here, but now we're getting into clunky territory, and both Groudon and Rayquaza can OHKO it easily. I just don't see a consistent way to build a deck around this.
 
I like the card but I think it will be hard to play. I think it could be a 1 of in metal decks that dont have M Aggron in them as a Pyroar, Sigilyph, and Suicune counter. The problem is how much damage you are wasting when attacking one of those pokemon. If the attack was 3 energy for like 140 and if the retreat cost was only 2 this card would be so much better.

It could also be used in Aromatisse's Dragons decks for the same reasons but with free retreat because of the fairy garden.
 
Hmmm, yeah I could see it as a one-of in Aromadragons to get over walls. Discarding a Rainbow and DDE is throwing away a lot of resources, but at least you've taken care of the Pyroar/safeguarder.

Until they play another one...
 
Honestly, I really like it. And no not as a 1 or 2 of in Metal, but as it's own deck. Kind of like Blastoise/Black Kyurem but with Bronzong/Tyrantrum. Plus, Tyrantrum is arguably better that Black Kyurem because it's ability shuts off walls like Pyroar and Suicune. Also, Keldeo can use the switching effect.
 
Ms Hugo said:
Hmmm, yeah I could see it as a one-of in Aromadragons to get over walls. Discarding a Rainbow and DDE is throwing away a lot of resources, but at least you've taken care of the Pyroar/safeguarder.

Until they play another one...
Click to expand...

Nope, Hydriegon EX would already take that spot, sporting a shred attack that only needs a muscle band to KO suicune or sigilyph (pyroar really is dead).

As for Tyrantrum EX, I think Bronzong/Tyrantrum will be a good deck. Discarding 3 energy isn't a great cost, but RayEels lived off of that idea, and was pretty popular. Plus we have DDE, something RayEels lacked. No need to tech in Stage 1 or additional shred pokemon opens up lots of deck room. Metal decks usually already run at least 2 DCE already, so swap them out for DDE at no cost. Additionally, or alternatively, run a few token fighting energy, and the rest metal, and then you can tech in Aegislash EX, Cobalion EX, Heatran or Dialga EX (Aggron takes too much space). Heck if you run DDE throw in Hydreigon EX to take Keldeo's space once it rotates, which makes retreating Tyrantrum EX after attacking better (or at least equivalent) than retreating Dialga EX.

Only weakness in format would be Fairy, but luckily Tyrantrum can KO Gardevoir/M-Gardevoir EX in one hit.
 
Snyder005 said:
Only weakness in format would be Fairy, but luckily Tyrantrum can KO Gardevoir/M-Gardevoir EX in one hit.
Click to expand...

Also remember you're playing a Metal deck, even if you only have a few attackers, a few can go a long way, especially if you've got Heatran swinging for 200, Dialga going for 240, or Aegislash for 240 (MB).
 
Honestly, I really like this card.
I remember when people washed over the new Dialga EX as 'unplayable' as 170 Damage max wont kill EXs or megas above 180 HP and needs a 3 energy attachment to do its big attack. Tyrantrum is similar, but honestly I think he's better.
So with a muscle band, he OHKOs: Mega Manectric EX, Mega Garevoir EX, Yveltal EX, Mewtwo EX, etc.
The fighting energy makes it seem unplayable, but I see him being a new 'main focus' of metal decks...190 damage is just too good to pass up. If you replace the DCE and the Dialga EXs with Fighting/DDE and Tyrantrum EXs I think the deck is solid.
Also, while 3 energy is less efficient than Dialga's Full Metal Impact, with Keldeo still in the format and a 4-4 line of bronzong, I think you can consistently get 190/210 damage on the board.

I also want to point out how awesome this ability is. It goes through hard charm! Imagine going up against a Toad with a hard charm...well it doesn't matter...'tyrant fang' goes right through it!!!
 
Snyder005 said:
As for Tyrantrum EX, I think Bronzong/Tyrantrum will be a good deck. Discarding 3 energy isn't a great cost, but RayEels lived off of that idea, and was pretty popular. Plus we have DDE, something RayEels lacked. No need to tech in Stage 1 or additional shred pokemon opens up lots of deck room. Metal decks usually already run at least 2 DCE already, so swap them out for DDE at no cost. Additionally, or alternatively, run a few token fighting energy, and the rest metal, and then you can tech in Aegislash EX, Cobalion EX, Heatran or Dialga EX (Aggron takes too much space). Heck if you run DDE throw in Hydreigon EX to take Keldeo's space once it rotates, which makes retreating Tyrantrum EX after attacking better (or at least equivalent) than retreating Dialga EX.
Click to expand...

RayEels had a one retreat cost and Skyarrow Bridge AND Keldeo Float Stone to deal with retreating. After Keldeo rotates, the only way this deck can deal with retreating is with Hydreigon, but iirc, that still means Tyrantrum has a one retreat cost, which is definitely better than three, but you're retreating your last Energy off, and you have to put all four of them back on to continue attacking. My first thoughts of the card were "Oh a slightly better Dialga". That 20 extra damage is big, but of course therr are trade-offs, and now, the more I think about those trade-offs, the more I'd rather stick with Dialga. Being able to get around Safeguarders is cool and all, but Cobalion already does that job just fine.
 
@ Mora, Cobalion will rotate out so you will have NO alternative to counter Pyroar. You could do Excadril but that has the same weaknesses as all Metal Pokemon...
 
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