Forbidden Light Lite — A Quick Set Synopsis
[cardimg name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Forbidden Light is less than two weeks old, but it’s already generating a lot of buzz. No, not “buzz” as in “[card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card],” but everything else: new search cards, new heavy hitters, and a slew of new Energy accelerators.
Today, I’ll be going through the whole Forbidden Light set, give solid analysis of each major card, and do it all while keeping the discussion as brief as possible!
The Expendables
Every set has its share of bad cards, so please note that not every card in Forbidden Light will be included in this review. I put a lot of thought into which cards should be omitted from this article and almost wrote brief explanations for each. However, for best use of your time, let’s generalize the cuts with three categories:
- 1. The card is too weak
- 2. The card lacks a special niche/is inferior to an existing card
- 3. The card is a pre-evolution*
*Notable pre-evolutions with interesting values include [card name=”Froakie” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Poipole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card].
Category 1 should be fairly straightforward, barring a massive decrease in card power in the next two years. Category 2 and 3 cards mostly depend on older or present cards, so with the right metagame shift, they could become much better. We will not talk about those cards because for the next two to three months, they are irrelevant.
If you think I left off an important card, be sure to leave a comment on this article’s forum thread!
The Review
Alolan Exeggutor
We’ve seen cards in the past that require you to play a bunch of different Energy types, but [card name=”Alolan Exeggutor” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the first in recent memory that require those Energy cards to be discarded. Tropical Shake is an extremely efficient attack, thanks to its cheap cost and relatively straightforward condition of five different basic Energy cards. However, due to metagame concerns like [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], I’m struggling to ask myself why we need to go to all the trouble of setting up Tropical Shake when we could just use [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] and it’s Riotous Beating attack for the same amount of damage.
Abomasnow
In theory, [card name=”Abomasnow” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability is cool. What’s not to love about Energy acceleration? Unfortunately, this is only a one-time use, so it’s hard for me to get excited about this as opposed to [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], which we will discuss later.
Pheromosa
With all the hype surrounding [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and Buzzwole, it’s easy to sleep on nearly every other Ultra Beast in this set. But [card name=”Pheromosa” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] is a great game closer, especially when most of the game’s most influential cards would be Knocked Out by a 180 damage White Ray, especially when it can deal 210 damage with [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. It doesn’t have a neat place in a particular concept yet, but Pheromosa could serve as part of a “Beast Box” utility deck. It could also serve as a superb secondary attacker in a [card name=”Venusaur” set=”Shining Legends” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] deck.
Alolan Marowak
The heart of this card’s usefulness is Limbo Limbo, an excellent Energy acceleration attack. Since the card says that you may attach any two basic Energy cards from your deck, [card name=”Alolan Marowak” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] serves a helpful role for orphaned Dragon-type attackers. Also, another useful option in an Alolan Marowak deck is to run it alongside [card name=”Marowak” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], which can one-shot a Zoroark-GX with Choice Band and [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card].
Delphox
Being able to inflict a Special Condition is a good Ability, but it rarely deserves consideration when [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] have better damage inflicting Abilities. Like these other Stage 2 Pokemon, you could slip a small [card name=”Delphox” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] line along with [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] into a Zoroark-GX list and be done, but unfortunately you will rarely be dealing the quantity of damage with your free Burn as you would with Wind Shuriken or Feather Arrow. On the other hand, you could just throw this new Delphox into a [card name=”Delphox BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] deck. Its inclusion requires almost zero new space investment and means a free two damage counters every turn. So why not run it?
Pyroar
Unnerve is a great Ability to have in formats where [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] reign, but its merits as an offensive attacker are somewhat limited. Because [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] is not a Basic Pokemon, [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]’s Steam Up can’t be used to enhance the damage output on Pyroar, meaning that in most instances you will be stuck dealing 140 with [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] in play. Usually this isn’t enough damage, and with the effect of Lysandre Labs factored in, Choice Band will be worthless.
Greninja-GX and Frogadier
[cardimg name=”Greninja-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”24″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
If these Abilities look familiar, it’s because we’ve seen them already on [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] from several sets back. Last season, Decidueye-GX coupled with [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] made these sort of one-time use Abilities obsolete due to how fast you could start piling on damage, but now I can see a stronger argument to run [card name=”Greninja-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] over Decidueye-GX. For starters, you don’t have as much incentive to clog your lists with Rare Candy because a slower evolution through [card name=”Frogadier” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] at least puts damage into play. Additionally, Greninja-GX has a powerful GX attack that counters pesky Ability-locking Pokemon like [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Finally, the benefits of Decidueye-GX’s Feather Arrow over a long game are less significant in the current format because there are no effective ways to lock down opponents like there was with [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. For those reasons, I am excited about the potential for Greninja-GX as a partner with Zoroark-GX. I’m not ready to make any bold claims about the card outside of that idea, but there’s certainly promise in it.
Aurorus
Frost Wall is a neat niche move that can disrupt most decks in the current Standard format, which are Evolution-based. But everyone and their mother uses [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], a Basic Pokemon, in their decks. I considered omitting this card, but because “prevent all damage” attacks like this one can be so game-clinching, I want it on your radar. That way when the metagame has shifted or Tapu Lele-GX has rotated, [card name=”Aurorus” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] could roar back and win a tournament.
Volcanion Prism Star
If [card name=”Palkia-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] can be the star of a Standard format “Water Box” variety deck, then [card name=”Volcanion Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] can be the lovable sidekick. Its Ability and attack both provide efficient ways to disrupt your opponent and exchange Prizes efficiently with the likes of Buzzwole-GX and Zoroark-GX. In Expanded, Volcanion Prism Star makes for a great inclusion to [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”custom”]Archie’s[/card] [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”custom”]Blastoise[/card] decks, since the mechanics of the deck mean that it has fewer turns to switch out an opponent’s Pokemon than most archetypes.
[premium]
Magnezone
This could be one of the first cards that, while superior to a previously released [card name=”Magnezone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], it is an inferior choice until rotation. This is because the two-Energy Retreat Cost on this new Magnezone prevents it from being fetched by [card name=”Heavy Ball” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], meaning that its 140 HP cousin is for the time being a wiser choice. However, once the format rotates in a few months, this Magnezone will be your only option if you would like to attach as many Lightning Energy as you want each turn. Should you play this over [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] though? Right now, I don’t think so.
Rotom
Rotomotor-themed decks from Ultra Prism were held back due to not having Psychic-type or Fighting-type attackers. However, with this alternate-type reprint, you now have an answer for [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]! Similar to its [card name=”Rotom” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”50″ c=”custom”]Lightning-type cousin[/card] from Ultra Prism, [card name=”Rotom” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is a frail card, but swinging for zero Energy for 240 damage against the format’s most fearsome Fighting-type Pokemon is a game changer. Don’t be surprised if a well-designed Rotom deck emerges from obscurity to the top tables.
Mesprit
Like Rotom, [card name=”Mesprit” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] provides a new way to enhance a poor Buzzwole-GX matchup. However, Mesprit and [card name=”Uxie” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] can be splashed into any deck running [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], and requires fewer cards to function than the Rotomotor-reliant Rotom. The real question we should ask ourselves then is if a Mesprit / Uxie combo is a superior Buzzwole-GX counter to running a single copy of [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. The answer to this depends on the deck, but at the moment I believe that decks capable of making Mesprit work should strongly consider including it. Unlike Mew-EX, you aren’t giving up two Prize cards, and unlike Mewtwo, you don’t have to wait for Buzzwole-GX Energy attachments to get out of control. Aside from Buzzwole-GX countering, Silence Wave is a decent but unnecessary Ability, so you can choose not to play the [card name=”Azelf” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card]. Uxie is only worth playing to boost Mesprit’s damage output.
Azelf
Psychic Abduction is an extremely nifty way to reduce the explosive second turn of a player who just used [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s a highly conditional attack and ends up being generally less effective than just Knocking Out one of the little Basics using [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] and a Double Colorless Energy.
Malamar
[cardimg name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Psychic Recharge makes Malamar one of the top three cards in the set. I feel like the obvious combo with [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] will be a great deck as you can hit high damage counts very quickly. Your options for Malamar extend to every Psychic or Colorless attacker in the game. Consider at least these two alternatives:
- [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM58″ c=”name”][/card]. Photon Geyser is a strictly superior big damage attack, but Prismatic Burst doesn’t require drawing into a Metal Energy. Black Ray GX is yet another good spread attack, but more conditional than Ultra Necrozma-GX and sets up a field of [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] for Miraculous Shine from [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card].
- [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]: While not offensively superior to the other Necrozma cards, Invasion makes juggling attackers much easier. Moon’s Eclipse GX also places a lot of pressure on your opponent, as their primary attacker won’t get Knocked Out until at least the next turn.
Hoopa
Fetching two Item cards from your deck with Hyperspace Ring may not look like a big deal at first, but I want to put this card on your radar because it is an excellent consistency crutch for Stage 2 decks. A simple use of Hyperspace Ring means you’ll instantly have a Rare Candy and an Item that can fetch a Stage 2 Pokemon on turn two! I’m not sure yet which decks utilizing [card name=”Unit Energy LPM” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] will benefit the most from this card, though.
Naganadel-GX
This card is certainly worth our time thanks to Beast Raid and Stinger GX. In a dedicated Naganadel-GX deck, we’ll be running an above-average number of Ultra Beasts to get as close to maximum damage, 120, as possible. This means that Naganadel-GX will be the perfect centerpiece for that “Beast Box” concept I mentioned earlier!
Garchomp
The only thing its Dragon-type cousin from Ultra Prism was missing was a surefire way to Knock Out Zoroark-GX. Now that this card has been printed as a Fighting-type, it’s an instant inclusion and might even be the overall superior choice to its Dragon-type predecessor. While I am skeptical about the success of Garchomp / [card name=”Lucario” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] competing in a metagame that’s less centered around Zoroark-GX, we can’t ignore that simply having the option to run a mixed Fighting / Dragon deck is a massive upgrade.
Toxicroak
The sole gimmick of Toxicroak is to revenge-KO opponents after a Psychic-type Pokemon has been Knocked Out. That’s a highly conditional set of events for relatively low payoff, but I could see Toxicroak being a cool new addition to [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card].
Barbaracle
Speaking of gimmicks, Barbaracle’s requirement of seven cards in the hand for instant Paralysis is not too hard to achieve, especially with Zoroark-GX and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] in the format. My concern is being able to pull off the Paralysis lock reliably, especially when a helpful partner like [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] requires playing several cards from your hand.
Zygarde
While I already used this idea and example in my previous article; Zygarde, when combined with Mew or Mew-EX makes for an excellent direct counter to Buzzwole-GX in the mirror match, swinging for a clean 180 when copied by Mew. From that article:
“…60 damage for a single [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] against Ultra Beasts will not break the metagame and its Earth Aura Ability makes it only worse. If you pair this card with [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] as well as [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], you can copy Zygarde’s Peacemaker attack to deal a whopping 180 to opposing [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]!”
Zygarde-GX and Bonnie
The whole gimmick of this deck is to keep reusing Judgment-GX, but I’m not buying it. First, it requires a lot of Energy just to start attacking at all. Second, losing even a single piece to your combo means you could miss a Judgment-GX and get quickly revenge-KOed. Finally, spending your Supporter on [card name=”Bonnie” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] makes it harder to draw into more cards to set up a second [card name=”Zygarde-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] in case your first falls.
Diancie Prism Star
[card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is an immediate upgrade from [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] and is an instant inclusion in any Fighting-type deck already using Regirock-EX.
Buzzwole
While starting with [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] can be awkward at times, Sledgehammer is one of the most threatening single-Energy attacks in the game’s history. This card is a vital addition to not only every Buzzwole-GX list, but every Beast Box deck too.
Yveltal-GX
[cardimg name=”Yveltal-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”79″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Absorb Life and Evil Sonic are two mediocre, uninteresting attacks. That said, Death Count GX, all by itself, makes this worth including as a one-of copy. Despite suggesting that [card name=”Greninja-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] has a chance to overtake Decidueye-GX, Yveltal-GX helps the latter stay relevant in a big way. A few Feather Arrows are practically free Prizes without attacking, and Death Count-GX is an extremely cheap path to two Prizes on a GX, so there’s little more you need to fill into your game plan in order to secure victory. Ironically, Yveltal-GX is a poor fit in traditional Dark decks, and might not even be the GX attack of choice where [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dead End GX makes more sense.
Florges
Thought [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] decks were annoying? Now add a 1-0-1 Florges into the equation and the most annoying deck in the Standard format now has access to potentially unlimited Items! I don’t have to tell you how good extra [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] can be, so the only question is if the time it takes to get those extra Items is worth including this line in addition to, or in place of, the 1-0-1 [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] that’s now a staple.
One idea I’ve thought of is running a thin Florges line in a Zoroark-GX deck for the same effect. Naturally having access to multiple Trade a turn makes Wonder Gift an exponentially more useful Ability simply because you’ll get more chances to abuse those extra double Puzzle of Time plays.
Ultra Necrozma-GX
It’s not even a debate whether Ultra Necrozma-GX has amazing numbers. It has above-average HP for a Pokemon-GX, one of the strongest-hitting attacks in the game, and a nifty GX attack that can close out games. Our concern here is the ideal way to play it, which ideally includes at least two along with [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. I particularly like the Malamar with Beast Ring combo, which was discussed above, but I can see certain Beast Box decks utilizing Max Elixir with Beast Ring as well.
Arceus Prism Star
This Pokemon manages to be bulky and Colorless, yet extremely limited to the number of decks you can use it in. Trinity Star only lets you search for Energy with Lightning, Grass, and Water-type Pokemon in play, meaning this card makes sense in little more than [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. You could also run the core of a Vikavolt deck without the Vikavolt line, allowing Arceus and Max Elixir to become your Energy acceleration.
Beast Ring
[cardimg name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Sometimes, Pokemon prints good cards, and other times Pokemon prints cards so powerful, you just shake your head and ask yourself, “what were they thinking?” For me, Beast Ring is in the second category. Should you ever run fewer than four copies of Beast Ring when using Ultra Beasts? In Malamar / Ultra Necrozma-GX decks, you’d probably be fine with just two or three copies to iron out your search for Metal Energy. But for any deck where your sole method of Energy acceleration is Beast Ring itself, or Beast Ring and Max Elixir, you really want a play set; otherwise you will inevitably fail to draw into it.
Crasher Wake
Do you like how [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] lets you set up your top cards for the next turn? Why not just search them out and put them directly in your hand with [card name=”Crasher Wake” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]? The idea is to run Crasher Wake in Water decks, but one experiment I’m working on is splashing Crasher Wake, [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] into decks that normally don’t run Water. The theory is to enhance the consistency of a deck that can afford investing the space in these extra cards.
Diantha
This card is a great addition to any Fairy deck, but it’s particularly significant when run with either Sylveon-GX or Gardevoir-GX. Sylveon has a ton of synergy with this Supporter because getting back cards is always good in a resource-denial deck, and Gardevoir-GX loves having a way to replace a Knocked Out Gardevoir-GX immediately. Given the different goals of these decks, a single Diantha makes sense in Sylveon-GX, while two copies could be pretty great in Gardevoir-GX.
Eneporter
[card name=”Eneporter” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] moves Special Energy; [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] discards them. What’s the difference? Although we’ve been accustomed to prefer discarding Special Energy, the reality is that cards like [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and Puzzle of Time keep the opponent’s [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] in circulation. The advantage of Eneporter is that, as long as your opponent has a useless Pokemon in play, you can move the Special Energy to that Pokemon, effectively taking that card out of circulation. This disrupts the opponent more than Enhanced Hammer, but only if the Pokemon you move the Special Energy to is incapable of attacking. I would therefore consider Eneporter over Enhanced Hammer, but not before thinking really hard about which matchups I hope to win by including either card in my deck.
Lysandre Prism Star
Since the effect of [card name=”Lysandre Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] increases with the number of fire Pokemon you have in play, for Standard this card is most at home in either [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Salazzle-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]. However, where Lysandre Prism Star shines the most is in Expanded. In a format plagued by infinite loop combos, Puzzle of Time spam, and absurd amounts of recovery; the best thing you could ask for is a card to stop those combos for good. Lysandre Prism Star doesn’t spell certain doom for those decks, but knocking off even two Double Colorless or Puzzle of Time is certainly a game changer.
Lysandre Labs
At first, [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] seems like a really cool Stadium card, and in fact has some obscure uses in Expanded such as neutralizing the Tools on a [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. But with [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] as a staple in both formats, it’s hard to justify using a Stadium that neutralizes Tools when you could simply discard the Tool. It’s especially hard to justify Lysandre Labs over another Field Blower when [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] remains a popular card in both formats.
Metal Frying Pan
The game designers took note of [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] being pretty mediocre, and came back at us with a card that does what Weakness Policy does and reduces a healthy amount of damage. Also, show [card name=”Metal Frying Pan” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] to a person who doesn’t play Pokemon. Chances are high they’ll laugh pretty hard!
Mysterious Treasure
[cardimg name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
So long as [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] remains in the format, [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] will be the next big Item card in the same vein as [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card]. A universally helpful search card such as this one is precisely what players need going into a high-attendance, high-stakes event like the North American International Championship. Remember, there are many more cards you can fetch with this other than Tapu Lele-GX. So far I’m finding that the more Pokemon in your deck you can search out with Mysterious Treasure, the better overall your experience will be with this card. Again we return to Malamar decks, which love the discard yet also need to put several Pokemon into play at once.
Ultra Recon Squad
At the moment, our draw cards are actually pretty good. Even in Ultra Beast-themed decks, we’d rather keep our Ultra Beasts to put into play rather than discard them with [card name=”Ultra Recon Squad” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. That said, discarding two Pokemon for a clean six cards is a great deal, so maybe a copy is warranted.
Ultra Space
In Beast Box decks, run a couple [card name=”Ultra Space” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]; in [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], stick to [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]!
Beast Energy Prism Star
Run [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] in every deck that uses at least three Ultra Beasts. Don’t stop running four [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] in Buzzwole-GX. Incredible card!
Unit Energy FDY
Having a Special Energy limited only to Fairy-, Darkness-, and Fighting-type is awkward as these attackers rarely have much synergy with each other. At least [card name=”Unit Energy FDY” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] opens up the potential for specialty single-Energy attackers like [card name=”Yveltal-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] a bit, especially for the long term.
Early Impressions and Conclusion
I will admit to you that my testing has only begun, and that the only thing I know is that I don’t know how this set will turn out. Nevertheless, I’d like to provide some early impressions before we conclude today’s article:
- 1. Ultra Beasts have too much support, and will result in at least one broken new deck.
- 2. Malamar is a new deck that is extremely well-positioned to succeed amongst the pre-existing archetypes.
- 3. For the first time in ages, almost every type gets at least one meaningful boost from the same set.
- 4. Pre-existing decks with Buzzwole-GX remain great; pre-existing [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks will need to make serious adjustments to stay competitive.
And that’s just the start of our analysis. Don’t stop thinking about the new cards, and as always, feel free to discuss it in the Subscribers’ Hideout!
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