BREAKing Through – A Look at Red Flash / Blue Impact

By: Ryan Moorhouse · Posted Posted onOct 9, 2015 at 9:24 PM · 0 Comments

Hello again PokeBeach! It’s nice to be back. For those of you not aware of who I am or didn’t check out my first article, let me fix that! I’m a Sixth Form student in the U.K. Studying Computing, Mathematics, and Geography for A Level. I started playing Pokemon in 2010 after playing at a HGSS Undaunted Pre-Release in Florida. Fast forward two years and I was able to win U.K. Nationals in Seniors with an [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zekrom” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW24″ c=”name”][/card] deck. I traveled to Hawaii for the World Championships, hooking me on the game. Over the years I’ve met countless friends through the game and have improved my play. I placed 13th at the 2014 World Championships with [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. My favorite Pokemon is Yveltal, but I am also pretty fond of Victini!

For this article, I’m going to look into the new BREAKthrough set that was recently released in Japan as the two separate sets called Red Flash and Blue Impact. Since the set is a whopping 162 cards, I’m going to be mainly looking at Red Flash and some of the stronger cards in Blue Impact in this article. Just before all that though, let’s have a look at the results from week one of Regionals in the U.S.

U.S. Regionals Week One

Arizona

• 1st: Israel Sosa –  [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Archeops” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]
• 2nd: Jonathan Paranada – [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]
• 3rd: Elijah Covitz – [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]
  
• 4th: Zander Bennett – [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]
• 5th: Tyler Ninomura – [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]
  
• 6th: James Deley – [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]
• 7th: Sammy Sosa –  [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Archeops” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]
  
• 8th: Brandon Smiley – Vileplume / [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card]
  

Texas

[cardimg name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] builds were able to shine with Israel Sosa picking up a win in AZ with [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], including strong counter-cards such as Hex Maniac and [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] to gain advantages against speed-based decks that rely heavily on Item cards. Overall, Yveltal-EX builds grabbed a total five spots across both Arizona and Texas’ Top 8, showing it’s definitely a force to be reckoned with. [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] may not have been able to win one of the two Regionals, but got a total of six spots in the two Top 8, solidifying its place in the format. Interesting techs were included in the decks, such as [card name=”Kyogre-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], which takes double KOs on low HP Basics such as Combee and [card name=”Eevee” set=”Furious Fists” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card]. This tech was played to capitalize on the Vespiquen / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] hype that came out of early Expanded tournaments from around the globe, swinging the matchup to Blastoise’s favor. Even Smash Turn has a use against Night March builds, being able to OHKO a [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and switch into a non-EX or into a [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] to wall the next attack.

Some interesting placements included Michael Pramawat’s win in Texas with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. Pramawat was the only person in both Regionals to get a Seismitoad-EX build into Top 8, going with one of the more consistent Toad-based options that was able to make the finals of the World Championships this year. The extra damage from a [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] line aided against Yveltal-EX and Night March builds, while also providing an advantage against the other hyped Seismitoad-EX builds that played Giratina-EX. A different “turbo” deck idea that got fourth place in Arizona was Zander Bennett’s [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] deck that only played two draw-based Supporter cards ([card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]) with four counts of powerful Item draw cards like [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to get the fastest OHKO possible. Finally, two Vileplume decks made it into the two Top 8’s, both paired with [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card].

What to Expect in Week Two

Heading into week two, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] /  [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] are still huge forces to be reckoned with, so expect to see a good amount of both builds still sitting near the top. Counter plays such as [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] paired with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] and / or Hex Maniac should start to appear, while other people might take to some of the more interesting decks that placed in week one, such as the Vileplume builds. Vespiquen / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] should see a decline in play due to the top two decks being able to counter the build, but expect [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] to still see moderate play after its win in Texas. Finally, Night March was only able to get a single spot in both Top 8’s, and has problems versus Blastoise builds which run [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] to take extra Prizes on low-HP Night Marchers, and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds that utilize [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and Seismitoad-EX to slow down and keep pace with the speed-based deck. Night March should still have a slight showing in week two, but having problems with the top decks at the moment really hurts its chances.

In the U.K., our Regionals start on November 7th and are in the Standard format, with six Regionals taking place. The half of the Regionals we play alongside all of U.S. Cities will include BREAKthrough in the format, making it vital to know the different aspects of cards being released in the new set. To start, I’m going to look at the new mechanics coming out of the set.

New Mechanics

BREAK Evolution

BREAK Evolution rule

A BREAK Pokemon retains the attacks, Abilities, Weakness, Resistance, and Retreat Cost of its previous Evolution.

[cardimg name=”Luxray GL” set=”Rising Rivals” no=”9″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]I’m sure Luxray is a Stage 2…[/cardimg]

All the way back in 2007, Diamond & Pearl (the set) was released in the U.S., containing a new mechanic where a Pokemon can “Level Up” in the Active spot and gain extra HP, different Weaknesses / Resistances, new attacks, and new Poke-Powers / Poke-Bodies (essentially the same thing as Abilities) while also keeping the previous attacks of the pre-Evolution. At the start of the era, the cards were underwhelming and had little use outside of decks that focused around the non-LV.X counterpart, and since LV.X’s didn’t count as a different Pokemon, they took up a slot that might be better used for the non-LV.X. However, this all changed when Pokemon SP were released, making it much easier to Level Up these Basics. LV.X’s like [card name=”Luxray GL LV.X” set=”Rising Rivals” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garchomp C LV.X” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] began to dominate and LV. X’s were commonplace to see on a player’s field.

So, what does this have to do with BREAK Evolution? BREAK cards almost resemble the LV.X concept by evolving from the previous Pokemon, retaining the attacks, Abilities, Weakness, Resistance, and Retreat Cost of its previous Evolution, but gaining extra HP and a new, stronger attack or Ability. Finally, maybe Evolution cards can finally find a focused role in the format without the help of Trainers such as [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]! However, our format contains Pokemon-EX that need little setup and can be played down instantly with little effort, and the new BREAK cards need to match or be stronger than these easy-to-play Basics to make it worth all the effort of Evolution. Unfortunately the majority of BREAK Evolutions we have at the moment are lacking in power, making the effort of evolving to Stage 2 and even going to the third Stage feels wasted just to gain a mediocre attack or Ability. At the moment BREAK Evolution is like the early era of LV. X or even the first Mega Evolutions, where a new mechanic needs some sort of boost like Spirit Links or Basic Pokemon to Level Up from to really get them at the forefront of the format. There are, however, some interesting BREAK’s that might have a small impact on the metagame once BREAKthrough is released, which I will look over later!

Parallel Cards

Another new “concept” (not really a mechanic) is the introduction of cards that have dual effects. For example, Giovanni’s Plans has the option of either drawing until you have five cards in your hand OR doing an extra 20 damage to the opponents Active Pokemon. I like the concept of choosing what is best for the situation, and combined with recycling cards like [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] gives you even more options throughout a game.

Now it’s time to look into what’s going to have some sort of impact on the format once BREAKthrough is released, in both Standard and Expanded. Since both formats differ drastically, some cards may have little use in Expanded but really change the metagame for Standard or vice versa. I’m going to break (pun intended) each card I believe has some sort of potential in both the Standard and Expanded format, alongside each Pokemon-EX and BREAK card in the set I see being played at some point. BREAKthrough will contain an astounding 160+ cards, six BREAK cards, eight Pokemon-EX, and 20 new Trainer cards. Let’s check em out!

[premium]

Red Flash & Blue Impact

Chesnaught / Chesnaught BREAK

Chesnaught – Grass – HP160
Stage 2 – Evolves from Quilladin

[G][C][C] Horn Piercing Lariat: 60+ damage. If your opponent’s Active Pokemon has any damage counters on it, this attack does 60 more damage.

[G][G][C][C] Eternal Press: 100 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, damage done to this Pokemon by your opponent’s Pokemon attacks is reduced by 20.

Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 4

Chesnaught BREAK – Grass – HP190
BREAK Evolution – Evolves from Chesnaught

Chesnaught BREAK retains the attacks, Abilities, Weakness, Resistance, and Retreat Cost of its previous Evolution.

[G][G][C][C] Tough Hammer: 160 damage. Do 30 damage to this Pokemon. This attack does 30 damage to one of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance when damaging the Bench.)

What better way of starting than with a BREAK Evolution! Chesnaught has the Grass type, meaning it gets use of Forest of Giant Plants, evolving from its pre-Evolutions straight away, which is always a plus. 160 HP is nothing to scoff at, however, both attacks on Chesnaught feel mediocre. The main reason to even consider Chesnaught is its BREAK card, which beefs its HP into EX status and gives it the Tough Hammer attack. Forest of Giant Plants makes getting a quick Chesnaught BREAK a real possibility, and having a 190 HP non-EX staring down your opponent seems pretty appealing. Tough Hammer with a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] can OHKO non-Mega EX’s and get some cheap snipe damage onto the Bench, but the massive four-cost attack really hinders its use, while also reducing Chesnaught BREAK’s HP down to its original 160 with the 30 damage recoil.

Standard

Chesnaught and its BREAK could have some small showing in Standard paired with Forest of Giant Plants and an Energy accelerator like [card name=”Sceptile” set=”Primal Clash” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] or the new Vivillion, however, a Stage 2 and a “Stage 3” seems extremely inconsistent to get up and running.

Expanded

In Expanded poor Chesnaught doesn’t really have a chance versus speedy decks like [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card], while Energy removal decks like [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX means Chesnaught has little chance of getting off constant attacks.

Vivillon

Vivillon – Grass – HP120
Stage 2 – Evolves from Spewpa

Ability: Energy Color
You can only use this Ability once during your turn (before you attack). Flip a coin. If heads, search your deck for a basic Energy card and attach it to 1 of your Pokemon. Shuffle your deck afterwards.

[G][C][C] Sleep Powder: 60 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokemon is now Asleep.

Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1

Vivillon is a 120 HP Grass type with an interesting Ability. Being a Grass type means that Vivillon can be put into play turn one via Forest of Giant Plants, making it one of the fastest accelerations in the game. A flip on its Ability makes this Pokemon risky to use, but has a huge benefit if you can get Vivillon out early. A one Retreat Cost also doesn’t harm, making it easy to retreat the accelerator Pokemon, and the attack isn’t half bad either. Sleep Powder does 60 and could stall your opponent for a turn via sleep.

Standard

Vivillon in Standard could be paired with a whole range of attackers, such as the new M Mewtwo-EX Y that gets 30 more damage for each Energy attached to itself, or something like Sceptile-EX that can get accelerated to two Grass Energy quickly and use the already needed Forest of Giant Plants to get Ariados into play to maximize Unseen Claw’s damage. Even Machamp-EX could gain some traction using Vivillon, giving it a quick and consistent Energy acceleration to power Crazy Hammer, and Ariados is also easy to play down with Forest of Giant Plants to get the all important Special Condition to maximize Machamp’s attack.

Expanded

In Expanded the same options apply that are in Standard, but Vivillon would have some trouble against anti-Evolution decks such as [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], and still might not be able to accelerate fast enough versus speed decks like Night March or [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] to get a favorable position in the game.

Simisage / Simisear / Simipour

Simisage – Grass – HP90
Stage 1 – Evolves from Pansage

[C] Fire Toss: Put 3 [R] Energy from your discard pile into your hand.

[C][C] Hand Sling: 10x damage. This attack does 10 damage times the number of cards in your hand.

Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1

Simisear – Fire – HP90
Stage 1 – Evolves from Pansear

[C] Water Toss: Put 3 [W] Energy from your discard pile into your hand.

[C][C] Hand Sling: 10x damage. This attack does 10 damage times the number of cards in your hand.

Weakness: Water (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 1

Simipour – Water – HP90
Stage 1 – Evolves from Panpour

[C] Green Toss: Put 3 [G] Energy from your discard pile into your hand.

[C][C] Hand Sling: 10x damage. This attack does 10 damage times the number of cards in your hand.

Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 1

[cardimg name=”Simipour” set=”XY” no=”38″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]I’m better now, I promise![/cardimg]

I’ve lumped these Pokemon together as they are identical, bar type and what Energy they get back. The main attack to look at is Hand Sling. This attack may seem pretty “bleh” at the start, but when considering typing these monkeys could really pack a punch as a tech. For example, attaching a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], then using a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] makes any of the elemental monkeys hit for 180 with Weakness, OHKO’ing most non Mega EX’s.

Standard

If Grass type Pokemon such as Sceptile-EX are causing you some problems, adding in a Simisear could make a quick tech to gain an advantage in the matchup. Water-weak Pokemon like [card name=”Camerupt-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] may find a place in the Standard format, which could cause problems for EX decks that can’t withstand the constant barrage of OHKO’s. Adding in a Simipour creates a non-EX attacker for the deck that can return the KO on Camerupt-EX, forcing your opponent to remove it from play. Finally, Simisage could deal with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], which locks Item cards in your hand anyways, making your choice of playing Item cards and increasing Simisage’s damage a lot easier.

Expanded

Expanded is even bigger than Standard, with multiple elemental-weak Pokemon such as [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW61″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], though lacking many Fire-weak Pokemon for Simipour to thrive on. Hand sizes can be increased to crazy sizes with cards such as [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], making it easier to hit for OHKO’s on Mega Evolutions with Weakness.

Empoleon

Empoleon – Water – HP140
Stage 2 – Evolves from Prinplup

Ability: Noble Power
As long as this Pokemon is in play, your Basic Pokemon’s attacks do 20 more damage to the Active Pokemon.

[W][C] Hydro Splash: 70 damage.

Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2

Empoleon is a 140 HP Water type that can be targeted by the one and only [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], hurling it straight into battle as long as your hand is empty. Noble Power gives your Basic Pokemon +20 damage to the Active, which alongside Archie’s Ace in the Hole makes Empoleon an interesting option to try.

Standard

Empoleon pairs well with Pokemon that do little damage but strong effects, or Pokemon that might end up being just that chip of damage short of a OHKO. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] could benefit from Empoleon, now hitting for 70 alongside a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. In Standard there is little damage manipulation, so turning a 4HKO on EX’s into a 3HKO really speeds up this disputation-based deck. A Seismitoad build could go turbo and focus on getting out multiple Empoleon to get Seismitoad-EX’s attack up to 90 damage with a Muscle Band, hitting for 2HKO’s on EX’s and keeps up the Item lock!

Another deck that could take advantage is Night March, where the build can sometimes be missing that 20 damage each turn for big OHKO’s on Mega Evolutions or EX’s. Adding in Empoleon and [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] can give that boost and also offset bad prizing of any Night March attackers, which can really put you on the back foot from the get-go.

Expanded

Expanded really opens up more options for the Emperor Pokemon. Empoleon could, just like Standard, pair with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. However, now [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card]  get Quaking Punch up to 100 along with inflicting Poison onto the opponents Active, really maxing out the damage a Seismitoad-EX could do. Night March also gets the same benefit, but with [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] also gaining the extra 20, meaning Versatile combined with [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] can copy attacks such as Quaking Punch for 70 or Hammerhead for 70 and 30 to the Bench.

The Worlds-winning [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”custom”]Archie’s[/card] [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] build could even chuck a single Empoleon to play down with Archie’s Ace in the Hole after the initial Blastoise, meaning [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] needs one less Water Energy to hit for big KO’s. Something sneaky is using Empoleon with [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], making it easier to hit 80 HP Pokemon, or, if we include Muscle Band into the equation, hitting for 100 doesn’t seem too Farfetch’d. Yveltal builds in Expanded could tech Empoleon and Archie’s Ace in the Hole], just like [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] was, which could boost [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]’s Evil Ball by 20 to hit OHKO’s or get [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”]Yveltal’s[/card] chip damage up to 50.

Magnezone / Magnemite

[cardimg name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Where have I seen this one before…?[/cardimg]

Magnemite – Lightning – HP60
Basic Pokemon

Ability: Glittering Guidance
This Pokemon’s Retreat Cost is [C] less for each Magnemite on your Bench.

[C][C] Glittering Ball: 20 damage.

Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: Metal (-20)
Retreat Cost: 1

Magnezone – Lightning – HP140
Stage 2 – Evolves from Magneton

Ability: Magnet Circuit
As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), you may attach a [L] Energy from your hand to 1 of your Pokemon.

[L][L][C] Thunder Blast: 100 damage. Discard a [L] Energy attached to this Pokemon

Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: Metal (-20)
Retreat: 3

Starting off with Magnemite, Magenzone’s pre-Evolution has a pretty neat Ability that might seem small, but really increases the potential of Magnezone. Glittering Guidance means that benching a second Magnemite gives the Active free Retreat, making Magnemite much more mobile. Opening a Magnemite makes it quite easy to find a second and then retreat into a more desirable Pokemon.

Skipping past the nothing-to-note Magneton, Magnezone is a 140 HP Stage 2 with a three retreat and the Weakness to Fighting. A quick read of its Magnet Circuit Ability reminds us of the usual Energy-dumping Pokemon like [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Emboar” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”27″ c=”name”][/card], which have both seen serious play in their time. Thunder Blast isn’t too bad either, hitting for 100 and discarding a Lighting Energy, which can take OHKO’s on Lightning-weak Pokemon.

Standard

Magnezone’s main way of getting into play is via its Basic and [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], as there isn’t any “Lt. Surge’s Electric Hat Trick” to get Magnezone out like [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] can in Expanded. Due to this, Magnezone doesn’t want to see any Item lock, which in Standard is slightly on the decline, bar the disruptive [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX builds and the occasional Vileplume. Getting a constant steam of Energy might be a problem without [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], so high counts of [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Primal Clash” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] and a couple of the re-released Fisherman won’t go a miss.

Pairing Magnezone with the new Raikou that has [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”custom”]Keldeo-EX’s[/card] Secret Sword attack but for Lightning Energy seems like a great pairing as a non-EX Pokemon, but without Superior Energy Retrieval support, getting big OHKO’s might be troublesome. Another new option is the M Mewtwo-EX Y, which has the Psychic Infinity attack with base damage of 10 and plus 30 damage for each Energy attached to itself (and the opponent’s Active), so alongside [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], getting a total of six Energy between both Active Pokemon hits for 190, OHKO’ing the majority of non-Mega EX’s, and since the attack has “infinite” damage potential, attaching one more Energy gets OHKO’s on opposing Mega Evolutions. Setting up both a Stage 2 and a Mega Evolution could be inconsistent, which dampens the potential pairing slightly. Giratina-EX’s Renegade Pulse could also cause some problems, but since Giratina needs a massive four Energy to use Chaos Wheel, finding a Hex Maniac and 2 Energy shouldn’t be too hard.

Expanded

Magnezone in Expanded feels outclassed by both [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card], which has better support and a more diverse range of Pokemon to Deluge onto, and [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], which doesn’t require any Energy retrieval and a dependence on [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] to get itself into play. Item lock is also at the forefront of the Expanded format right now in the form of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX after winning the Würzburg Arena Cup in September, and doesn’t look to be going away any time soon.

Raikou

[cardimg name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Can’t quite put my finger on it…[/cardimg]

Raikou – Lightning – HP120
Basic Pokemon

Ability: Shining Body
If there are any [L] Energy attached to this Pokemon, any damage done to this Pokemon is reduced by 20.

[C][C][C] Thunder Lance: 50+ damage. This attack does 20 more damage for each [L] Energy attached to this Pokemon.

Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: Metal (-20)
Retreat: 1

Raikou is a Basic 120 HP Lightning type which has a niche Ability in Shining Body, which makes it just a bit harder to OHKO Raikou and also lowers the amount of damage from any Bench snipe attacks. Thunder Lance, as said in the Magnezone section, is a Lightning type copy of [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”]Keldeo-EX’s[/card] Secret Sword, which is extremely strong attack on a Basic Pokemon that has Lighting type acceleration. A single Retreat Cost is nice to see compared to the Weakness to Fighting, making it very easy for opposing Fighting types to OHKO.

Standard

As said before, pairing Raikou with a Magnezone build could prove strong, but the need for constant, high amounts of Energy to use Thunder Lance might cause some problems without proper Energy retrieval cards. Raikou might make a good non-EX attacker for [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] decks, but feels outclassed by Regice.

Expanded

In Expanded, the best pairing for Raikou would be as a non-EX attacker for [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] decks, outclassing most other non-EX partners for the build.

Mewtwo EX Red Flash / Mewtwo EX Blue Impact

Mewtwo-EX – Psychic – HP170
Basic Pokemon

[P] Blast Ball: 30x damage. Does 30 damage times the number of [P] Energy attached to this Pokemon.

[P][P][C] Damage Exchange: Switch the number of damage counters on this Pokemon with your opponent’s Active Pokemon.

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

Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2

Mewtwo-EX – Psychic – HP170
Basic Pokemon

[C][C] Photon Wave: 30 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, any damage done to this Pokemon by attacks is reduced by 30 damage.

[P][P][C][C] Psycho Burn: 120 damage.

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

Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2

Let’s begin on the four different Mewtwo in this set (including the secret rares there are ten different Mewtwo cards in total!) with the two Basic EX’s. I’m not going to look at these in the different format,s but compare the two to see which is the best partner for the Mega Evolutions (mainly in Standard, as [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”from”][/card] is still lurking in Expanded). Both are 170 HP Psychic types with two Retreat Cost and Weakness to itself (not this again).

Red Flash’s Mewtwo-EX has the attack Blast Ball, which could be useful early game or if you need to get some quick damage on opposing Psychic-weak Pokemon. Damage Exchange costs a hefty two Psychic and one Colorless to swap damage with your opponent’s Active Pokemon, which could fully heal your Mewtwo-EX, but may be unusable at time, as your opponent may have a good deal of damage on their Active Pokemon already that you don’t want to swap onto your Mewtwo.

The Mewtwo-EX from Blue Impact’s first attack is a nice opener to absorb early damage before you can Mega Evolve. Psycho Burn for two Psychic and two Colorless does a low 120 damage is a poor attacking option. Both Mewtwo-EX are pretty mediocre and typical of most pre-Mega Evolutions, but the one you use depends on what Energy type you opt to play. If you use Psychic Energy, Red Flash’s Mewtwo-EX would be the best option, as Blast Ball can come in handy as a quick and cheap attack, and can be used against opposing Mewtwo-EX to hit for Weakness. Without Psychic Energy, Blue Impact’s Mewtwo-EX is the way to go, as it has a usable attack that could come in handy to absorb damage or get the final bit of extra damage for a KO.

[cardimg name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]PCL decided an upgrade was in order.[/cardimg]

M-Mewtwo EX (Y) Red Flash

M Mewtwo-EX – Psychic – HP210

Mega Evolution – Evolves from Mewtwo-EX

When 1 of your Pokemon become a Mega Evolution, your turn ends.

[C][C] Psychic Infinity: 10+ damage. This attack does 10 damage plus 30 more damage for each Energy attached to each player’s Pokemon both player’s Active Pokemon. This attack’s damage isn’t affected by Weakness.

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

Weakness: Psychic x2
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2

The Y Mega Evolution of Mewtwo from Red Flash gains 40 HP upon Evolving and retrains its two Retreat Cost and Psychic Weakness. When Pokemon named M Mewtwo’s attack, they decided it was just too strong to be a ‘Ball’ attack like X Ball or Evil Ball, so they decided to go off trend and show its infinite damage potential. Psychic Infinity has a base of 10 and gains 30 more damage for each Energy attached to both Active Pokemon, and the attack’s damage isn’t affected by Weakness. Mewtwo’s Mega Evolution really had a trend to follow after 2012’s [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], and Pokemon Card Laboratory didn’t disappoint! Luckily we don’t have to endure Mega Mewtwo wars this time, which would have been even more devastating to watch. With six Energy between both Active Pokemon, the base damage is a total of 190, so M Mewtwo-EX definitely wants some sort of acceleration to get the maximum amount of damage.

Standard

Pairing M Mewtwo-EX with Magnezone is an option talked about in that section, and is definitely a strong choice as a partner. Another option is the new Vivillon combined with Forest of Giant Plants to get quick acceleration on a flip, but would need multiple Vivillon on the Bench to have the acceleration M Mewtwo needs. M Mewtwo-EX could work as a sole deck without Energy acceleration, just using [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] and other backup attackers like Lugia-EX to deal out the damage.

Expanded

In Expanded M Mewtwo-EX gets to use its predecessor [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] as a pre-Evolution, giving the deck access to X Ball as a fast option to deal damage. Straight [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds could also add in a small line of M Mewtwo-EX to have an extra attacker with higher HP, stronger Energy-based attack, and different typing, alongside only needing a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] to use Psychic Infinity. In speed decks such as [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card], M Mewtwo is outclassed by easy-to-play Basics such as [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card], which can churn out the same amount of damage without the hassle of Mega Evolution. [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] is something M Mewtwo-EX decks need to watch out for in Expanded, making it much harder to play a deck based around the Pokemon.

M-Mewtwo EX (X) Blue Impact

M Mewtwo-EX – Psychic – HP230
Mega Evolution – Evolves from Mewtwo-EX

When 1 of your Pokemon become a Mega Evolution, your turn ends.

[P][F][F][C] Vanishing Strike: 150+ damage. If there is a Stadium in play, this attack does 50 more damage. This attack’s damage isn’t affected by Resistance or any other effects on the Defending Pokemon.

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

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

The X Mega Evolution of Mewtwo gains a huge 60 HP upon Mega Evolution, however, also increases the Retreat Cost up to three, making it much harder to get out of the Active spot. Vanishing Strike has a massive four Energy cost, and needing one of the most complicated Energy combinations with one Psychic, two Fighting, and one Colorless Energy. This means the attack’s gotta be even better than attacks like Gaia Volcano, right? Doing a no clause 200 damage seems impressive, but for such a complex Energy cost feels lacking. M Mewtwo-EX is also unable to use boosting cards such as [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] to get OHKO’s on Pokemon with HP higher than 200, like [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] is able to.

Standard / Expanded

M Mewtwo-EX’s Energy cost, need for Mega Evolution, and lack of support makes it unusable in both formats at the moment. The best acceleration would be multiple [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], but getting all this consistently just for a [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] to Night March M Mewtwo-EX to oblivion makes it really hard to justify playing this Pokemon over another high Energy attacker such as [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card].

Marowak / Marowak BREAK

Marowak – Fighting – HP100
Stage 1 – Evolves from Cubone

[F] Snipe: Choose 1 of your opponent’s Pokemon. This attack does 30 damage to that Pokemon (don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokemon).

[F][C] Bone Windmill: 60 damage. If your opponent’s Active Pokemon is a Pokemon-EX, switch this Pokemon with 1 of your Benched Pokemon.

Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1

Marowak BREAK – Fighting – HP140

BREAK Evolution

Marowak BREAK retains the attacks, Abilities, Weakness, Resistance, and Retreat Cost of its previous Evolution.

[F][C] Bone Revenge: 20+ damage. This attack does 40 more damage for each Prize card your opponent has taken.

Marowak is a 100 HP Fighting type (giving Marowak all the Fighting boosts) with a low one retreat and a Weakness to Grass. Snipe has the same effect as [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]’s Skill Dive, but for a Fighting Energy, giving Marowak a nice single Energy option to chip away at any Benched threats or finish off a Pokemon that’s just retreated. Since Snipe can hit the Active, boosting cards like [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] can really add up the damage to even hit for OHKO’s on Fighting-weak Pokemon. Bone Windmill is reminiscent of  [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card]’s Spinning Turn, but unfortunately only being able to switch versus EX’s really hurts the viability of Marowak.

[cardimg name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]

Marowak BREAK gains 40 HP upon Evolution, and gains an extra attack in the form of Bone Revenge. Bone Revenge gets an extra 40 damage every time your opponent takes a Prize card, meaning by the time you’re four Prizes down, Marowak BREAK is hitting for 180 damage, enough to OHKO most non-Mega EX’s.

Standard

Marowak alongside its Fighting support can hit some serious numbers with Bone Windmill in Standard, while at the same time switching into a wall card like [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. Since Marowak is a Stage 1, it can take advantage of the Ancient Origins Eeveelutions like Flareon and Jolteon as well, giving it a good range of Weaknesses to hit for. Setting up Marowak shouldn’t be too hard using [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], which can also search out utility attackers such as [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] or even utility Items to disrupt your opponent like [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. Finally, evolving into Marowak BREAK acts like [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card]’s Wreck, giving Marowak a strong finisher attack near the end of the game and also giving it a boost in HP.

However, Marowak and its BREAK Evolution have some problems with speed, HP, and Energy cost in Standard. Needing two Energy just to use Bone Windmill means getting a constant stream could be hard, even with cards such as [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] helping along the way. If Marowak ends up going against a deck with lower counts of EX’s, leaving itself in the Active after using Bone Windmill makes it much harder to keep a stream of attackers going if they’re being KO’d every turn due to the low 100 HP. Against Mega Evolutions that haven’t got a Weakness to Marowak or the respective Eeveelutions, or if they have Weakness-removing cards such as [card name=”Altaria” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY46″ c=”name”][/card], the time it takes to KO Pokemon is much slower, making it easier to find [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to bring Marowak Active. Marowak and its BREAK Evolution have some of the most potential for play out of all the BREAK cards released so far, which will make it interesting to see if Marowak can make a mark in the format.

Expanded

Unfortunately for Marowak, [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] is still in the format and is far superior, needing only a single Energy to use Spinning Turn and a much stronger finishing attack that doesn’t require [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] to evolve. Spinning Turn also doesn’t require the opponent’s Active to be an EX, making it much easier to create a game-plan against different decks. Until Donphan leaves Expanded, Marowak won’t be seeing much play for a while.

Gallade

Gallade – Fighting – HP150
Stage 2 – Evolves from Kirlia

Ability: Premonition
Once during your turn (before your attack), you may look at the top 5 cards of your deck and put them back on top of your deck in any order.

[C][C] Sensing Blade: 60+ damage. If you played a Supporter card from your hand this turn, this attack does 70 more damage.

Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2

Gallade is a Fighting type Stage 2 with a high 150 HP, two Retreat Cost, and a single Ability and attack. Premonition acts as a single Pokédex every turn, letting you rearrange your top five cards in whatever order you want. Sensing Blade for a simple Double Colorless cost does 60 damage, but then is increased to 130 if you were able to play down a Supporter that turn. Gallade makes for a really strong [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] target, given its strong Ability and easy attack cost with high damage output. Most Fighting-type Pokemon need different Energy types to use their attacks, making it hard to splash these Pokemon types into decks to hit for Weakness, but with Gallade, it can be easily put into play, has only Colorless requirements, and a neat Ability, making it one of the best splashable Fighting types in both formats.

[cardimg name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]

Standard

Gallade fits well with decks that need to deal with cards like [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] or decks that already run [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] to give a strong non-EX attacker that only needs Double Colorless Energy to attack. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] builds that cannot deal with Lightning-type Pokemon very well, but have the speed-based engine perfect to run a Maxie’s / Gallade combination now have a strong option against a Lightning-based metagame, making them more prominent in Standard.

Decks in Standard right now don’t use Maxie’s for other Pokemon, so a deck based solely around Gallade could be interesting, either using Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick or a combination of [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], Gallade’s pre-Evolutions, and [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] to get Gallade into play. Alongside a mix of Double Colorless Energy and Fighting-type boosting cards like [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] can push Sensing Blade into OHKO range, while also being able to use [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] to trade very favorably against your opponent’s Pokemon. Pairing Gallade wouldn’t be too hard, fitting it with other Fighting attackers such as [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] that also take advantage of both the Fighting support and Focus Sash. If you opt to use the Korrina and pre-Evolution build then other search cards are needed, such as [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], since Ralts and Kirlia are Psychic type.

Expanded

In Expanded Gallade can pair with decks that already run [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card], such as [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], giving the deck a consistency boost and a single [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] attachment to get OHKO’s on EX’s such as [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], which causes problems for the Lightning-weak archetype. Night March builds also run the Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick engine, and lets you choose what you draw into (and discard) with speed cards like [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] via Gallade’s Premonition Ability. Having a strong secondary attacker on the field in case all of your Night March Pokemon are in the discard doesn’t hurt either. Just like in Standard, speed builds of [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] could play Maxie’s / Gallade to help out with its Lightning Weakness if [card name=”Altaria” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY46″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t helping enough.

Gallade’s Ability pairs well with [card name=”Ether” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], giving you a constant check on whether you can use [card name=”Ether” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] to get an extra Energy into play. [card name=”Ether” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] / Pokédex decks are long and forgotten now, but good pairings for Pokemon that have used this old combo are [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], which with Premonition can consistently get extra attachments, which Vir / Gen really needs to compete in a speed-based format. Gallade definitely has potential in both Standard and Expanded, adding another option alongside Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick] to choose from or even competing on its own.

Yveltal

Yveltal – Darkness – HP130
Basic Pokemon

Ability: Fright Night
As long as this Pokemon is your Active Pokemon, all Pokemon Tools have no effect.

[D][C][C] Jet Black Spear: 60 damage. Choose 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon-EX. This attack does 60 damage to it.

Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-20)
Retreat: 2

Yveltal’s Fright Night Ability is a version of [card name=”Banette” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”31″ c=”custom”]Banette’s[/card] Tool Concealment, needing Yveltal to be Active for Pokemon Tools to have no effect. Jet Black Spear for a Darkness and two Colorless does 60 to the Active and 60 to any Benched EX, letting Yveltal chip away at low-HP EX’s like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card].

Standard

[cardimg name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]

Yveltal’s main purpose would be to slow down decks that rely on Tools to get set up. Mega Evolution decks stand out for their need to use Spirit Links to evolve without losing a turn, so Yveltal could give you extra time to get ready for big attacks such as [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]’s Emerald Break or [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]’s Turbo Bolt. In Standard the main deck that could use Yveltal is [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds, which have drifted out of Standard at the moment due to speed decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and a heavier presence of [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], so adding Yveltal to potentially slow these decks down a turn could give you some more momentum throughout the match. Fright Night could also stall your opponent for a turn if they play the re-released [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] as a retreat option or are unable to get a KO without [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], making both Tools unusable while Yveltal is Active. Jet Black Spear isn’t too bad either, letting you 2HKO any [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench or just finishing off heavily damaged EX’s from previous attacks, while chipping away at whatever’s Active.

Expanded

In Expanded [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds have a bigger presence with the addition of [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] to boost damage, so just like in Standard, Yveltal could give you an extra turn, against Mega Evolution decks which is especially important if you were unable to get a solid turn one setup or you still need to set up [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] via [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card]. Jet Black Spear can be set up in one turn with [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], letting you get a surprise KO on a Benched EX or make it easier for [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]’s Evil Ball to get KO’s.

Mr. Mime

Mr. Mime – Fairy – HP70
Basic Pokemon

Ability: Bench Barrier
Prevent all damage done to your Benched Pokemon by attacks.

[Y][C] Juggling: 10x damage. Flip 4 coins. This attack does 10 damage times the number of heads.

Weakness: Metal (x2)
Resistance: Darkness (-20)
Retreat: 1

Mr. Mime is an updated reprint of [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”from”][/card], adding its new Fairy type, Metal Weakness, and a Resistance to Darkness. Bench Barrier comes back to Standard, while Mr. Mime’s new attack, Juggling, is slightly worse for a Fairy and Colorless to flip four coins and hope to hit 10-40 damage.

Standard

Mr. Mime is nice to see back in the format, but very little Pokemon do considerable damage to the Bench at the moment. [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]’s Skill Dive seems to be the main form of Bench snipe right now, so the only deck worth fitting Mr. Mime into is Vespiquen builds to help keep the 40 HP Combee alive before it evolves, plus having another Pokemon to discard if need be.

Expanded

In Expanded, as the [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”from”][/card] is still in format, you have two Mr. Mime to choose from! Mr. Mime has the benefit of a better attack, but a Psychic Weakness, while the new Mr. Mime has a weaker attack and a Metal Weakness. At the moment both Psychic and Metal are played at around the same rate, so the Mr. Mime you play depends on what you think is being played more in your metagame. Even something as small as Weakness could change the way a game plays out, so choosing the right Mr. Mime might make all the difference.

Dodrio

[cardimg name=”Dodrio” set=”Undaunted” no=”11″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]

Dodrio – Colorless – HP90
Stage 1 – Evolves from Doduo

Ability: Retreat Aid
When this Pokemon is on your Bench, your Active Pokemon’s Retreat Cost is [C][C] less.

[C][C][C] Fury Attack: 40x damage. Flip 3 coins. This attack does 40 damage times the number of heads.

Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-20)
Retreat: 1

Dodrio is a 90 HP Colorless Stage one Pokemon with a one Retreat, Lighting Weakness, and reprinted Ability. The aptly named Retreat Aid is an Ability Dodrio had back in the HGSS era and was used effectively in decks such as [card name=”Chandelure” set=”Noble Victories” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Undaunted” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], lowering the Active’s Retreat Cost by two.

Standard

Dodrio fits in decks like [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] that used to thrive off [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] for free retreat, but with Dodrio would gain the same benefits as [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] without the need for an Energy attachment, since the deck doesn’t usually run Pokemon with more than two retreat. Decks that switch the Active often would definitely benefit from reduced retreat, however, the main decks that use this strategy already have some sort of free retreat ([card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]) or have a better option ([card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] to retreat out the Dragon type [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]). [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] builds could use multiple Dodrio to retreat into alternative attackers with no Energy loss, but due to Dodrio being a Stage 1, playing multiple copies compared to just running the re-released [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] for retreating seems to be a poor choice. Vileplume decks now have problems retreating Vileplume when it gets pushed up to the Active, needing to use either [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] or manually attach two to three times, so including a 1-1 or 2-2 line of Dodrio could work well to reduce the amount of time Vileplume is stuck Active and also give the deck some more mobility to move its attackers under Item lock.

Expanded

Dodrio doesn’t seem to fit in most decks in Expanded at the moment, as most cards that need the retreating options have easier-to-use options like [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] or the [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] /  [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] combo, which also removes Special Conditions. However, just like in Standard, Vileplume builds could use Dodrio in thin lines due to the self-inflicted Item lock to make it easier to switch between attackers and get Vileplume back to the Bench if it was forced Active.

Octillery

Octillery – Water – HP90
Stage 1 – Evolves from Remoraid

Ability: Abyss Hand
Once during your turn (before your attack), you may draw cards until you have 5 cards in your hand.

[W][W][C] Hug: 40 damage. The Defending Pokemon can’t retreat during your opponent’s next turn.

Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2

Octillery is a Stage 1 Water type with a Grass Weakness, 90 HP, and an awesome Ability. Abyss Hand lets you draw one more card than [card name=”Electrode” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”33″ c=”custom”]Electrode’s[/card] Magnetic Draw and one less than [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”custom”]Shaymin-EX’s[/card] Set Up. Octillery can be played down using [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], making it easy to get a consistency-boosting card into play that gives you a strong draw option every turn without using a Supporter.

Standard

Octillery could make [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] a common sight in Standard as a way for many decks to get constant draw on each turn alongside using a powerful Supporter to either draw more cards or disrupt your opponent. For a deck to get Octillery consistently in play, it would require the use of speed cards, so some decks might be unable to fit Octillery / Archie’s Ace in the Hole into their strategy, while others could adapt to the speed-based engine. [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], Night March, and Vespiquen builds all have the option to fit in an Octillery / Archie’s Ace in the Hole line into the deck alongside [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and Item-draw cards, giving each deck a boost in draw if needed. Another way to get Octillery into play is to just manually evolve from Remoraid as a 1-1 or 2-2 line in decks that don’t want to run Archie’s Ace in the Hole, such as [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] builds.

Expanded

In Expanded Octillery has less use due to the better draw options, but as it still pairs well with [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] builds could run a single Octillery as another draw option throughout the game. Playing Octillery via manual Evolution in Expanded doesn’t seem like a good enough benefit, shown by the amount of play [card name=”Electrode” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is seeing at the moment, and even though drawing one extra card is a big deal, fitting in a consistent enough line isn’t worth it when there are much stronger and consistent draw options in the form of Supporters.

Zoroark / Zoroark BREAK

Zoroark – Darkness – HP100
Stage 1 – Evolves from Zorua

Ability: Impersonate
Once during your turn (before your attack), if this Pokemon is on your Bench, you may switch this Pokemon with your Active Pokemon.

[C][C] Mind Jack 10+ This attack does 10 damage plus 30 more damage for each Pokemon on your opponent’s Bench.

Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: Psychic (-20)
Retreat: 2

Zoroark BREAK – Darkness – HP140
BREAK Evolution

Zoroark BREAK retains the attacks, Abilities, Weakness, Resistance, and Retreat Cost of its previous Evolution.

[D] Foul Play: Choose 1 of your opponent’s Active Pokemon’s attacks and use it as this attack.

[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”Next Destinies” no=”102″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]

Starting with the Stage 1, 100 HP Dark-type Zoroark has both a strong attack and Ability. Impersonate is a carbon copy of [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”custom”]Keldeo-EX’s[/card] Rush In, while Mind Jack is an almost carbon copy of [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”]Absol’s[/card] Mind Jack attack. Zoroark is weak to Fighting and has a two Retreat Cost, which it keeps when it BREAK Evolves into Zoroark BREAK, gaining an extra 40 HP and a new attack. Foul Play is another copied attack, this time from its own previous [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW09″ c=”name”][/card] card, but now costing a Darkness Energy to use.

Standard

Zoroark partnered with the reprinted [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] fills a big gap in Standard after the rotation of [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card], giving the format a strong switching option that also removes Special Conditions. Zoroark is a Stage 1 Pokemon however, meaning it takes an extra turn to get into play compared to just benching Keldeo-EX and getting its Rush In Ability straight away. Trading in the extra turn to get Zoroark into play might be worth it though, as Mind Jack is a really strong attack for only a single [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], hitting for 160 if your opponent’s Bench is at five, or against decks that play [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] hits for 250 if your opponent’s Bench is at eight. Fitting Zoroark into [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] alongside Float Stone makes for a strong one Prize attacker that would swing the mirror matchup in your favor, and also gain the mobility M Rayquaza-EX has in Expanded. Zoroark also fits into [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds, helping massively with its poor M Rayquaza-EX matchup.

Zoroark BREAK could be used as a one-off alongside Zoroark in decks that use Darkness Energy, but at the moment there really isn’t any attacks in Standard that are worth copying, and the extra HP boost isn’t big enough to make it worth using the BREAK Evolution. The best use of Foul Play I could think of comes off a Japanese advertisement for BREAKthrough, where the player BREAK evolved Zoroark and then used [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] on a Hoopa-EX, copying its Hyperspace Fury attack to OHKO an [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] on the opponent’s Bench. Definitely niche!

Expanded

For Expanded, Zoroark could replace [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds as a counter option to [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] decks, but the need for evolving into Zoroark might not be worth it. Other than that, Zoroark is outclassed by Keldeo-EX in Expanded, with Keldeo-EX needing less setup to get into play.

Smeargle

Smeargle – Colorless – HP70
Basic Pokemon

Ability: Recoating
Once during your turn (before your attack), you may switch 1 Basic Energy card attached to your Active Pokemon with 1 different type of Basic Energy card in your discard pile.

[C][C] Slap: 30 damage.

Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1

Smeargle is a 70 HP Colorless Basic with a Weakness to Fighting, one retreat, a weak attack and interesting Ability. Recoating lets you choose one of your basic Energy attached to your Active and switch that Energy for another basic Energy in the discard with a different type each turn.

Standard

Having Smeargle in a deck alongside [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], and different types of basic Energy could create a new deck concept using attackers that hit for popular Weaknesses by attaching Energy to a Pokemon via’s Metal Links, sending it Active and then using Recoating to swap one or two of the Energy to the type you need to counter whatever your opponent has Active. Different Pokemon like Regice, Regirock, and Raikou that cover different and popular Weaknesses could be tried out to hit for OHKO’s on weak Pokemon, while also using classic Metal types like [card name=”Heatran” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] as backup.

Expanded

The same applies for Standard in Expanded with Smeargle, but would have a increased amount of Pokemon options, such as [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Sigilyph” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] to choose from.

Heavy Ball

[cardimg name=”Heavy Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”88″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]

Heavy Ball – Trainer
Item

Search your deck for a Pokemon with a Retreat Cost of 3 or more, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.

You may play as many Item cards as you like during your turn (before your attack).

Heavy Ball is a reprint that is already in Expanded, so I’ll just look over its impacts in Standard.

Standard

Since Heavy Ball has a limited amount of Pokemon to search for, the main deck in Standard that it could be used is [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX builds that could use Heavy Ball as a one-of to search out either of the two main attackers. Heavy Ball is definitely nice to have back in Standard though, as it adds to the Pokemon search options we have at the moment.

Assault Vest

Assault Vest – Trainer
Item

Pokemon Tool: Attach a Pokemon Tool to 1 of your Pokemon that doesn’t already have a Pokemon Tool attached to it.

The Pokemon this card is attached to takes 40 less damage from attacks of your opponent’s Pokemon that have any Special Energy cards attached.

You may play as many Item cards as you like during your turn (before your attack).

Assault Vest is a defensive Tool reducing the amount of damage from Pokemon with Special Energy attached by 40, which doubles the amount of damage [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] reduces as long as your opponent’s Active has Special Energy attached.

Standard

Assault Vest reduces attack damage from Pokemon like Vespiquen, [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], Night March, and [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] builds that all need to use Special Energy such as [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] to get fast and damage-efficient attacks. The problem with Assault Vest in Standard right now is what to use it in to have a maximum effect. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX seems to be a good candidate, where Assault Vest could lower opposing Quaking Punch attacks to just 10 damage (and that’s if your opponent finds a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]), make it harder for M Rayquaza-EX to take a OHKO, or make Pokemon with Strong Energy attached do minus 20 compared to plus 20. M Rayquaza-EX builds could play a single Assault Vest for the mirror match so that, if the opponent’s M Rayquaza-EX has a Double Colorless Energy attached, it cannot OHKO your M Rayquaza-EX, giving you the advantage. Assault Vest is a strong Tool and will definitely see play at some point throughout its time in the format.

Expanded

In Expanded [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds use [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to maximize Evil Ball’s damage output, so Assault Vest could fit in decks that need to have a counter to Yveltal-EX. Funnily enough, Yveltal-EX builds would be the most likely to play Assault Vest to help out in the mirror matchup, forcing the opponent to either use all basic Darkness Energy to get OHKO’s on opposing Yveltal-EX and over-extending one or two more Energy to take a Knock Out, or be unable to hit enough damage for a OHKO, all of which give you an upper hand in the matchup. Even an Assault Vest on [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] could cause big problems for your opponent, having to find multiple basic Energy compared to just attaching a Double Colorless Energy and using [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] to take a KO. Reducing attack damage from Vespiquen / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”custom”]Flareon’s[/card] revenge attacks, which Yveltal builds have problems with, is another benefit of running Assault Vest. Just like in Standard, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX builds can get some use from Assault Vest and still get extra damage via Hypnotoxic Laser while walling Pokemon with Special Energy attached.

Giovanni’s Plans

Giovanni’s Plans – Trainer
Supporter

When you play this card from your hand, choose 1 of the following 2 effects:

• Draw cards until you have 5 cards in your hand.
• Until the end of your turn, each of your Pokemon’s attacks do 20 more damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon (before applying Weakness and Resistance).

You may only play 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).

Giovanni’s Plans is a new “choice” Supporter that lets you choose between either drawing up to five or so an extra 20 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon that turn.

Standard

Adding Supporters to Standard is definitely something no one will complain about, and Giovanni’s Plans is a great addition that might take place of mediocre Supporters like [card name=”Shauna” set=”XY” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. Drawing up to five isn’t too impressive, but having the option to do an extra 20 (which is searchable via [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]) to get the final amounts to hit OHKO’s compensates for the smaller draw. Decks such as [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] or Vespiquen might want that extra 20 damage to hit for a OHKO, so having the option to use VS Seeker to get that damage is very strong.

Expanded

Giovanni’s Plans has less of an use due to the increased pool of Supporters, so drawing five doesn’t cut it compared to playing down something like a [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] for 10. Vespiquen / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] might still opt to use Giovanni’s Plans however, just to have the option to do an extra 20 to get a OHKO. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX builds could also benefit from a single Giovanni’s Plans to increase the damage output by 20, which could be enough to turn a 2HKO into a OHKO.

Burning Energy

Burning Energy – Special Energy

This card can only be attached to [R] Pokemon. This card provides [R] Energy only while this card is attached to a [R] Pokemon.

If this card is discarded by an effect of an attack of the [R] Pokemon this card is attached to, reattach this card to that Pokemon from your discard pile (after applying damage and effects from the attack).

(If this card is attached to anything other than a [R] Pokemon, discard this card.)

[cardimg name=”Camerupt-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”146″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]

Burning Energy is another type-based Energy card that can only be attached to Fire types, leaving only the Water type to not have its own Special Energy. Fire type Pokemon like to discard their attached Energy, for example, [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Camerupt-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card]. Burning Energy re-attaches itself to the Pokemon every time it’s discarded by the effects of attacks, giving Fire types another supporting card to mess around with.

Standard

The obvious pairing for Burning Energy in Standard is [card name=”Camerupt-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card], letting you use Explosive Jet for big OHKO’s, even being able to take out 220 HP Mega Evolutions for four Energy as long as you have a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached. After using Explosive Jet, you’re able to keep the Burning Energy that should have been discarded to use for the next attack, making it easy to keep Energy in play. Since Camerupt can discard Fire Energy from any Pokemon you have in play, A Team Magma Pokemon finally has a use! [card name=”Team Magma’s Camerupt” set=”Double Crisis” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card] helps stream Fire Energy for Camerupt-EX to discard. Camerupt-EX builds also have [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] to accelerate basic Fire Energy onto its attacker, speeding up the process. At the moment, the only other Fire types that could take advantage of Burning Energy in Standard is the mediocre M Houndoom-EX, and Camerupt-EX builds outclass with a higher damage output and easier set up.

Expanded

In Expanded, competitive Fire type decks that use Fire Energy are few and far between. [card name=”Camerupt-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] builds might have some sort of competitive play in Expanded, but would have huge problems with popular [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] builds, and non-EX decks like Night March should be able to outpace Camerupt-EX in Prize trades. [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] also shuts off the use of [card name=”Team Magma’s Camerupt” set=”Double Crisis” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card], causing even more problems.

Conclusion

I’ve covered the majority of interesting cards from BREAKthrough, but there are a few Trainers, Stadiums, and Pokemon from Blue Impact / Red Flash and the two BREAK decks released in Japan that I left out simply because this article is long enough as it is. However, Pre-Releases begin in a couple of weeks and start before my next article comes out, so I’ve included a list of cards I would try to pick up or trade for in this article to make sure you’re ready for the new format.

• Try to pick up as many Trainers, Supporters, Stadiums and the Special Energy from the set as possible. There are some strong cards in both Expanded and Standard that are new, and some reprints from sets forgotten that are worth picking up.

Some Pokemon to try and pick up are:

• Two-three Vivillion and its pre-Evolutions
• One Empoleon
• Three-four Magnezone and its pre-Evolutions (specifically Magnemite with the Glittering Guidance Ability)
• One Raikou
• One-Two Mega Mewtwo EX Y and either of its pre-Evolution EXs
• One-Two Gallade
• One Yveltal
• Two Dodrio and Doduo
• One Octillery
• Two Zoroark and either Zorua
• Two-Three Smeargle

Phew, thanks for reading another crazy long article! I hope you enjoyed the review, and if anyone has any ideas I’ve missed, any cool combos that come out from BREAKthrough, or want to ask me about any new / old format decks, make sure to tell us. I wish everyone who’s playing in Regionals good luck and make sure to have fun along the way. See you guys later!

-Ryan Moorhouse

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