The Evolution Revolution — How Evolutions Changes the Game
While the excitement of opening Charizard, Pikachu, and Mewtwo again may still be strong with the Evolution expansion, now is the perfect time to discuss the most important aspect about this set: its contributions to new deck ideas! There is an incredible amount of variety in Evolutions, from the retro upgrades to the re-releases of recent cards, and while I’m not at all convinced it will be the game changer we were hoping it would be, Evolutions is the best generation-ending set in years.
I enjoy making super-thorough reviews of most cards in a set when it comes out. This article will be no different, but today we are focusing only on the strongest and most controversial cards, most likely to some impact your upcoming tournaments.
Some sets completely reshape the landscape of the game: Roaring Skies changed how fast we play the game, and BREAKthrough as well as BREAKpoint formed the backbone of the metagame since release. Other sets, however, function mostly in a support role, enhancing the overall flavor of the format rather than reshaping it.
Evolutions is in the latter category. While nothing it adds fundamentally transforms the game as we know it, all the cards add a mix of additions to new decks, decks that stand on their own, and even a couple cards that can go into anything.
The Stage 2 Pokemon
Beedrill
One of the most unique cards in this set is [card name=”Beedrill” set=”Evolutions” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card]. Historically, it’s been difficult across all formats to get three or four Stage 2 Pokemon into play all at once, and that’s no different in the current Standard and Expanded formats. All the same, [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] makes doing so relatively easier for Grass decks, which works in favor of Beedrill.
[decklist name=”BeeMewsing” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Weedle” set=”Primal Clash” no=”1″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Beedrill” set=”Evolutions” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Kakuna” set=”Evolutions” no=”6″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Weedle” set=”Primal Clash” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Noble Victories” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]10x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
The idea is pretty simple. Kill what you can in play with Swarming Sting, even if that’s nothing but [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. To get out a quicker Swarming Sting, as well as keep your [card name=”Beedrill” set=”Evolutions” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] from being at risk constantly, I’ve added [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] to lead your attacks. I’ve also added a single [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] to set up interesting scenarios where you lock a support Pokemon into the Active position, and then use that time to set up attackers. Worst-case scenario, you force the opponent to use a switching Supporter like [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card].
[cardimg name=”Beedrill” set=”Evolutions” no=”7″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
As for the Tool choice, I settled on [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] in Standard because the deck’s main hurdles are Mega Pokemon outside the range of Beedrill’s snipes. If you force a Mega Pokemon to charge into a Bursting Balloon, you open up possibilities that might not have existed earlier. A 3HKO, for example, may turn into a 2HKO, and a two-shot into a one-shot. It’s normal Bursting Balloon logic, but this deck uniquely depends on that sort of math to win games.
While this build serves as a skeleton for both formats, I’d argue that it has the potential to be much stronger in Expanded. For one, there’s actually a good [card name=”Beedrill” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”3″ c=”from”][/card] you can tech into the deck. Additionally, decks with low-HP basics as well as decks with a sea of prominent Grass-weak Water Pokemon make Expanded fertile ground fro Swarming Stings to be lethal. You may need a way to answer [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] when it shuts off your Evolutions, but I want to see this card flourish in both formats, not just Standard.
Charizard in Expanded
This updated [card name=”Charizard” set=”Evolutions” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] is giving me flashbacks to when I first started playing as a kid… in a bad way. The fatal flaw of nearly every Charizard card is that it has a cool, flashy attack in exchange for a steep cost. In this particular Standard format, there are very few ways to charge up Charizard with ease; however, Expanded yet again opens up possibilities for Charizard that don’t exist in Standard, much like with Beedrill. Additionally, the heart of Charizard being a more viable card than other attackers rests in using the Energy Burn Ability to make all your Energy count as the Fire type but you can’t do that if a [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] stays in play!
How could Charizard be played in Expanded? I see [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] as a potential path to making Charizard work, as well as a [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] build focusing exclusively on Charizard. In either version, [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] should be incredibly helpful in not only getting you up to paying the initial four-Energy cost, but allow you to sustain a barrage of 200 damage Fire Spins.
Unfortunately, like any other flashy card, I think there are better substitutes for Charizard in [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] as well as [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]-focused builds. One such option is [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Evolutions” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card].
Poliwrath
[card name=”Poliwrath” set=”Evolutions” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] is a perfect example of a card which is extremely powerful on paper, but is overshadowed by the cards surrounding it. 100 for a single Water is incredible, but when [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] does almost as much for the same cost, has free Retreat, has a slew of support effects, and has a BREAK Evolution, Poliwrath begins to look pretty lame.
You could try playing Poliwrath with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and a mix of [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] as an alternative to running Greninja. Go blow-for-blow with pretty much every deck in the format, while occasionally enjoying a matchup where you can tank defensively, as well as the occasional blowout versus Volcanion. Or, if you have less patience for a new deck, and more patience for a more obvious outcome, you could wait until Greninja rotates, allowing Poliwrath to come into its own as one of the only remaining efficient non-EX Water attacker. A single Water Energy for 100 is good, people! It’s only a question of it’s outclassed at any one particular time or not.
The Stage 1 Pokemon
Zapdos
Remember when I said we’d be discussing a better alternative to attacking with [card name=”Charizard” set=”Evolutions” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]? Well, here we are, a Basic non-EX capable of Knocking Out almost every Pokemon-EX in the game. [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Evolutions” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] gives Eelektrik a more offensive element which [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] did not, but with no Weakness, actually works well with the defensive capabilities of the deck. Listed below is a variant of Eels which incorporates Zapdos, and even adds a couple things to make it the attacker the deck needed.
[decklist name=”Eelektrik/Zapdos” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″][pokemon amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Tynamo” set=”Noble Victories” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Evolutions” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Noble Victories” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
[premium]
Ninetales BREAK
Ninetales BREAK is a bit of a pain to get out, but is a powerful finisher. It also helps that you can spend a decent chunk of the early-mid game KOing small targets and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] with the regular [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Evolutions” no=”15″ c=”from”][/card]. It also doesn’t hurt that with [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card], you can one-shot any normal Pokemon-EX as well as the 210 HP Mega Pokemon, which tend to be among the most playable ([card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]).
[decklist name=”Ninetales” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Vulpix” set=”Primal Clash” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”17″]2x [card name=”Ninetales BREAK” set=”Evolutions” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Evolutions” no=”15″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Vulpix” set=”Primal Clash” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Noble Victories” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This is a different take on Fire as you know it, focusing on a slower game than the explosive type of early game [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] is famous for. That trade ends up being in exchange for a greater damage potential on top of a non-EX Prize exchange. It also results in a slightly shakier setup, since you’re effectively building a Stage 2 with 140 HP rather than a 180 HP behemoth Basic.
[card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card], as mentioned above, is there to help you get up to 210 damage, which is huge against [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. But another option both to get up to big damage as well as to make the deck feel more like traditional Volcanion is simply to run a couple [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]. I would keep at least one of the [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”][/card] if you did that though, because [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] on top of [card name=”Ninetales BREAK” set=”Evolutions” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card]’s Explosive Fireball is a nice surprise move.
Why no [card name=”Burning Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card]? Put simply, its benefits don’t outweigh the problems you have in diminishing your Max Elixir probabilities, as well as the “enhanced” vulnerability via [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and other Special Energy hate.
Arcanine
I won’t be making a deck with [card name=”Arcanine” set=”Evolutions” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] for a while, but I just wanted to let you know that it has some great potential. In a world with [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], it’s a pretty miserable Fire attacker, since it’s outclassed by so much; however, in a Standard format without Blacksmith, Arcanine could make for a great transitional attacker. I also want to see a Standard Format revival of [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] in the form of Arcanine BREAK.
As ludicrous as it sounds, I want to try an Arcanine BREAK / [card name=”Ninetales BREAK” set=”Evolutions” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] deck more than anything. Too bad it won’t be legal until sometime in January or February!
Starmie
One of my favorite support cards in the set is [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], which is yet another complete overhaul from its Base Set counterpart. While Energy counts in most decks is low, Starmie gives Volcanion a real two-for-one benefit by simultaneously putting Fire into the discard and getting Fire back. It can also find a home in Archie’s [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded, not as a thick line, but as a tech to help inch your way through bulky opponents.
[cardimg name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
What about [card name=”Starmie BREAK” set=”Evolutions” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], shouldn’t it be good? Unfortunately, Starmie BREAK’s 100 damage to only opposing BREAK Pokemon is a threat which is easily outplayed. Thinking about any deck in any format, you’ll almost never see more than two BREAK Pokemon on either player’s side of the field.
Electrode
[card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] with Buzzap Thunder is a lot more conditional than its Base Set cousin, Electrode with Buzzap. Losing a Prize for two Lightning Energy can be incredible, but it’s significantly weaker by virtue of being attachable only to Lightning Pokemon.
I won’t pretend like I have tested this card even close to as much as I should, that’s why I won’t be posting any deck lists with it, and why I’ll task another author with that goal. But I do want to explore Electrode in the abstract, especially its implications in Standard.
This Electrode being legal in the same format as [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] (read, both Standard and Expanded) should be a cause for concern. It’s now very easy for a player to create a quick early game “Buzzap Lock,” utilizing Electrode, N, and an Ability-locking effect such as [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. You can also add in a hand disruption like [card name=”Glameow” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], and you may have a lethal lock deck on your hands. The key though is in getting a good attacker at its center, as it would be with any Electrode-oriented deck.
Your attacking options are super-slim in Standard. Seriously just go look at the scans of all Lightning-type Pokemon in Standard, and you’ll see a very small number of Lightning Pokemon which can’t just use [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] in the first place; and wouldn’t be better relying on [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] in place of it. That boils down to [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Evolutions” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Stunfisk” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card].
You get a few more attacking options in Expanded, such as Zekrom and [card name=”Raikou-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card]. Note that you have ways to expand your list of attackers capable of abusing Electrode outside of playing Expanded. The first is [card name=”Jolteon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], which, by turning all of your Stage 1 Pokemon into Lightning types, greatly increases your options for deck building around Buzzap Thunder. Another more obscure option is to run the other Electrode as an auxiliary attacker: Buzzap Thunder the [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”from”][/card] onto the [card name=”Electrode” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”22″ c=”from”][/card], which will then move the Special Energy Electrode onto anything on your Bench.
The Basic Pokemon
Mewtwo
The #RenewedTwo is a great splash, tech attacker that can help an otherwise poor matchup against [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. Psychic also assists in keeping expensive attackers in check such as [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], or in setting up 2HKOs against threats like Volcanion.
So far, I’ve found it to have a really nice home in Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Not only does the deck already run [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], it also requires [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]’s assistance for all of the above reasons. It also gives you the added bonus of an additional attacker type and Weakness type. Lightning poses a much bigger threat to Yveltal than Psychic, so any logical, viable attacker that could at least not have the Lightning type as its Weakness helps.
Mewtwo-EX
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that for as long as [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is legal, this [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] will remain overshadowed by its Damage Changing cousin. That’s not to say Energy Absorption lacks the potential to be a great attack, it has potential, but only makes sense as a superior option to utilizing Damage Change if you need a constant source for self-sustained Energy, or a way to get out “really” quick [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] attachments. This mostly makes sense in the Expanded format, where [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] still exist as semi-viable stall threats. In Standard, it makes decidedly less sense, but it could be splashed as a single-copy tech into your Mewtwo deck.
Mew
[cardimg name=”Mew” set=”Evolutions” no=”53″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Neutral Shield can either be incredible or horrid depending on your matchups in a given tournament. In the current format, that requires not only dodging all the untouchable Ability disruption cards ([card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]); it also requires hitting the right matchups, which won’t run simple ways to Knock Out a [card name=”Mew” set=”Evolutions” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. You therefore might be well served to pay close attention to the success of Basic Pokemon-focused decks, and slip this in when attacking Basics are less commonly used.
More likely than not however, Mew will be a trustworthy assistant in those few precious matchups where shutting down an Evolution line, means stopping the opposing deck entirely.
Rattata
Who would’ve thought that a [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] had the chance to be one of the most influential cards to come out of this expansion? But hey, that is actually a really common trend worth paying attention to in the Pokemon Trading Card Game: the card creators’ desire to make lesser-recognized Pokemon good in their own right. And right now, there are no simpler ways to discard Tools from an opponent’s Pokemon than Mischievous Fang. Its value is limited by not being able to discard Tools from Benched Pokemon, but for slowing down Mega Pokemon at the right time, or more practically preventing a [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] from creating a dent on your primary attacker, Rattata makes a difference.
By far, the best, easiest deck to include this guy in is a [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] build. You’ll not only discard the opponent’s Tool, but prevent Rattata from remaining a Bench liability by discarding it for Despair Ray. It is also uniquely helpful to Gardevoir in that it is normally very difficult for Despair Ray to OHKO a high health Pokemon-EX with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].
Dragonite-EX
My main work in progress as far as re-imagining deck engines, which will continue for the foreseeable future, is to optimize a turbo deck list using [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card]. In Standard, Dragonite-EX will mostly be helpful in the early game to grab back Unown for low gains, and in the late game to grab back [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] you may have lost to Knock Outs or discarded under the burden of a [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. In Expanded, it looks mostly the same, but can now play some tricks with [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to find Shaymin-EX ever so slightly sooner, or to otherwise function as a roundabout [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Fates Collide” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], searching for two Basics specifically by discarding what you want.
The Mega Pokemon
I’ve purposely saved the Mega discussion until the end of the Pokemon section because I think it’s important to see these cards in the same bunch. Despite their advantages and disadvantages as individual cards being extremely different, they are united in the simple fact that there is a bunch of previously untapped potential by virtue of there being no Spirit Links at their time of release. Now that their potential has been untapped, and they’ve been re-released, it’s worth examining how each stands a chance at influencing the format.
Venusaur
[card name=”M Venusaur-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card] was a card always waiting to become viable, and now may finally be its time. As the National and World Championship-winning [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] showed us, automatic Paralysis is an extremely powerful effect – more so in Standard, which has fewer viable switching options than Expanded. It’s unfortunate that [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] picked up increased usage during the last few weeks, and will likely remain played for the foreseeable future, but it’s not enough by itself to stop M Venusaur-EX.
I’ve tried and struggled profoundly with a M Venusaur-EX / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] concept. With many concepts I find myself working through making a list count exactly 60, even though there are about 66 cards I’d want; however, Venusaur / Vileplume feels and in practice is a deck that would be happier if there were no card limit at all. Vileplume engines are burdensome on deck space, as are Item-based Energy acceleration (for example, [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]). I’d love to run both together, but it’s just not doable without making both aspects worse!
If Vileplume is indeed how you’d like to run the deck, know that Item-lock combined with [card name=”M Venusaur-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card]’s hefty cost can work okay. Unfortunately, you would more often treat the M Venusaur-EX and its accompanying Spirit Link as a secondary inclusion. In fact, you might not want to include the Spirit Links at all due to the presence of [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and the uselessness of [card name=”Venusaur Spirit Link” set=”Evolutions” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] under Vileplume’s Item-lock.
At my current point in testing I’ve settled on is a more streamlined variant, focusing on M Venusaur-EX with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and no Item-lock.
[decklist name=”Turbo Venusaur” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Venusaur-EX” set=”XY” no=”2″][pokemon amt=”14″]3x [card name=”M Venusaur-EX” set=”XY” no=”2″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Venusaur-EX” set=”Generations” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Venusaur-EX” set=”XY” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”M Venusaur-EX” set=”Generations” no=”2″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]11x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card]1x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
I run a split on the Basic Venusaur-EX because both serve unique attacking functions in case you’re too slow to get out the Mega. The main star, however, is the [card name=”M Venusaur-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card] and the Mega alone, backed up with an engine not too different from what you’d play in a [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] list.
Charizard
By Charizard, I mean all of the Mega Charizard. In Standard, the most promising idea is a list structured similarly to the above, but with the [card name=”M Charizard-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] from Generations as your star attacker. Heat Typhoon is the only easy-to-pay attack among all of the Mega Charizard, and demands only a modest amount of luck not to fail you. [card name=”M Charizard-EX” set=”Generations” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] from Evolutions, and previously Flashfire, can also make for a decent attacker option in Expanded, jugging [card name=”Charizard Spirit Link” set=”Evolutions” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] along with [card name=”Protection Cube” set=”Flashfire” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] to both enjoy the benefit of a smooth evolution while at the same time avoiding the terrible recoil damage.
Come to think of it, Expanded is just a much better home for Mega Charizard in general. [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] lets you entirely avoid playing [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] if you don’t want to, and you even get [card name=”M Charizard-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”69″ c=”from”][/card] to use if you wish.
Blastoise
[cardimg name=”M Blastoise-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”102″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The simplest, easiest attacker to make work among all of these newly “viable” – in other words, not unplayable – Mega Pokemon is [card name=”M Blastoise-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], previously from XY and re-released in Evolutions. Unlike when the card was first released, you now have [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Blastoise Spirit Link” set=”Evolutions” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] to speed up Blastoise, and I think it’d really benefit you to run all three. In fact, you could further simplify the above template used in Venusaur by cutting [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], running a [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], and then finagling the fine points at your own discretion to fit the Mega Turbo to make for a very, very fast Blastoise deck.
How does it stand up? Despite a very similar attack, [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]’s Night Spear being the essence of multiple World Championship-winning decks due to its efficient damage output to multiple Pokemon, Blastoise struggles to a field which just brushes off said Bench damage. Healing is still not particularly common, but numerous soft workaround methods such as using [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to discard your own Benched Pokemon can work wonders against Hydro Bombard swarms.
Overall Impressions about Mega Pokemon
My initial research and testing shows that the Mega Pokemon are not all that good at the moment. Even with Spirit Links, they are slow, awkward to fit everything you need, and demand an incredible amount of resources just to win. Their lack of playability lines up with a hypothesis I’ve had for building any deck: if an attacker demands over 10% of your whole deck just to function, then its playability approaches zero. [card name=”M Charizard-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Venusaur-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card] along with their respective Spirit Link demand a minimum of seven cards just to get out and running! Perhaps that’s the simple reason for why Blastoise has the most potential. There are less moving pieces you need to line up all at once, and so even if you miss one or two it isn’t that hard to catch up again. It’s for this same reason why I virtually omitted discussion of the Stage 2 BREAK Pokemon in this set, which take just as many cards and for an even worse payoff than the Mega Pokemon!
Ultimately, there is just enough potential here not to remove the Mega Pokemon off your radar, especially if something drastic comes up in the Sun and Moon expansions to strengthen the three types. However, there’s not enough potential to justify messing around with these decks too much.
The Trainers
Finally, let’s take a short look at the new contributions which the set’s Trainers give us. Several of these cards’ uses are already well-documented, and so I won’t go into detail about those. However, I will go into some discussion about which reprints and new cards stand to bring something new to either format.
Maintenance
[card name=”Maintenance” set=”Evolutions” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] was legal as recently as Furious Fists, but it rarely saw play back then because in practice Maintenance is horrible draw power! Although it promises the potential to give you a fresh, new card, you are both shuffling in two, as well as playing the Maintenance itself in order to get that card. Do the “arithmetic” in a crude sense, and you’re trading three cards for one, a net loss of two.
However, Maintenance’s newfound utility is in making [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] playable in the Standard format. Neither card will be as good as they were with [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], but a reasonable engine can appear as follows:
- 2 or 3 [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]
- 4 [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card]
- 1 or 2 [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] (optional and potentially excessive)
- 2 targets for [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]
- 2 or 3 [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]
- 4 [card name=”Maintenance” set=”Evolutions” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]
- 4 [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]
- 4 [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]
- 4 [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]
- 4 [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]
- 4 [card name=”Pokédex” set=”Evolutions” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] (optional)
Fill in the Energy, the other Supporters, and some utility Items and Stadiums for a complete Standard deck focused on your turbo Mega Pokemon or Stage 2 attacker.
Professor Oak’s Hint
[cardimg name=”Professor Oak’s Hint” set=”Evolutions” no=”84″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
In so many words, this card is a dud. As long as either [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] exist in the same format, [card name=”Professor Oak’s Hint” set=”Evolutions” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] will not be nearly as useful as it could be, because discarding a few resources is rarely more harmful than obligatorily ending your turn! There’s also an unfortunate catch-22 in the card. The main purpose behind using a Professor Oak’s Hint in place of the other “Professors” is to preserve resources but the more resources you need to preserve, the fewer cards you’ll draw, which ultimately leads to wasted turns. The card is even less useful in Expanded because [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card] serves the exact same function, but perpetually. That goes back to a theme of deck building which I touched on earlier. The more spaces used on a card, the better the effect needs to be. Tropical Beach may give your opponent a few free cards at your own expense, but in the face of Professor Oak’s Hint, you are taking that disadvantage in exchange for a potentially game-long Supporter effect which can be played in combination with Professor Sycamore or Professor Juniper.
Brock’s Guts
In the very fast tempo of both the current Expanded and Standard formats, it’s difficult for most decks to find a safe moment to play [card name=”Brock’s Grit” set=”Evolutions” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and grab back stuff without slowing themselves down too badly. However, there are two types of decks which do well to play a copy of Brock’s Guts: builds with lots of consistent Pokemon draw power, such as [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] or a high [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] count; and some [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] lock decks.
Here Comes Team Rocket!
[card name=”Here Comes Team Rocket! ” set=”Evolutions” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]suffers from not only the same tempo issue as [card name=”Brock’s Grit” set=”Evolutions” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], but from an even simpler, deadlier problem: [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] is still legal, and is much, much better! Like many other cards throughout the game’s history though, I’d at least be aware of its existence for next format, when Town Map will have rotated. Until that point, however, this card is just as bad as the other secret rare cards in Evolutions.
Conclusion
The impact of Evolutions on deck ideas as well as deck engines is exactly what it says in the name: an evolution of previous ideas, but nothing particularly new. I wouldn’t be so quick to place all or even most of its cards into the unplayable stack, in fact, there are lots of new ideas working to find their niches in the Standard and Expanded formats. Evolutions may not bring as much change as most of the expansions have during the XY block, but it is definitely the most surprising end to a generation set block in years.
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