In ten days i will be attending the prerelease for Next Destinies and i cant even begin to describe how excited for this set i am. The set has so many good cards in even if you dont mention the EX Pokemon, which will be so much easier to get then before as they are being printed in a regular and full art card. However the real question I have is will they make as big of an impact on the game as they did during thier last run.
The EX Pokemon enter a format with another already popular gimmick set of pokemon still running loose, The Prime Pokemon. As well we are in a format of heavy hp hard hitting basics, so can the EX Pokemon dominate the format or are we in a format better equipped to deal with these powerhouses.
Here is a list of all the potential EX Pokemon we will be recieving in Next Destinies and list some cards that are already in our meta that you can use to counter them
Kyurem EX – Water – HP180
Basic Pokemon
[W][C][C] Freezing Wing: 60 damage. Choose 1 Special Energy attached to the opponent’s Active Pokemon, and discard it.
[W][W][C][C] Hail Blizzard: 120 damage. This Pokemon can’t use Hail Blizzard during your next turn.
Pokemon EX Rule: When Pokemon EX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Steel (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3
Counter Cards: Cobalion, Scizor Prime, Steelix Prime
Groudon EX – Fighting – HP180
Basic Pokemon
[F][C] Trample: 20 damage. This attack also does 10 damage to each of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance when damaging the Bench.)
[F][F][C] Giant Claw: 80 damage. At the time of dealing damage, if the opponent’s Active Pokemon already has 2 or more damage counters on it, this attack does an additional 40 damage.
Pokemon EX Rule: When Pokemon EX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Water (x2)
Resistance: Lightning (-20)
Retreat: 4
Counter Cards: Kyurem, Feraligatr Prime, Blastoise, Suicune/Entei Legend
Regigigas EX – Colorless – HP180
Basic Pokemon
[C][C][C] Giga Power: 60 damage. You may do an additional 20 damage. If you do, this Pokemon also does 20 damage to itself.
[C][C][C][C] Raging Hammer: Does 50 damage plus an additional 10 damage times the number of damage counters on this Pokemon.
Pokemon EX Rule: When Pokemon EX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 4
Counter Cards: Terrakion, Donphan Prime, Machamp Prime, Landorus
Mewtwo EX – Psychic – HP170
Basic Pokemon
[C][C] EX Ball: Does 20 damage times the number of Energy attached to each player’s Active Pokemon.
[P][P][C] Psycho Drive: 120 damage. Choose 1 Energy attached to this Pokemon and discard it.
Pokemon EX Rule: When Pokemon EX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Counter Cards: Cobalion (with at least 1 special metal and eviolite Psycho Drive will only do 70), Chandelure, Gothitelle (which will possibly see more play with Gardevoir). and Mew Prime( depending on the situation and whats in your lost zone) Dexoys/Rayquaza Legend
Kyogre EX – Water – HP170
Basic Pokemon
[W][C] Smash Turn: 30 damage. You may switch this Pokemon with one of your Benched Pokemon.
[W][W][C] Dual Splash: Choose 2 of your opponent’s Pokemon, and do 50 damage to each of them. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance when damaging the Bench.)
Pokemon EX Rule: When Pokemon EX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 4
Counter Cards: Zekrom, Magnezone Prime, Thundurus, Lantern Prime, Entei/Raikou Legend
Shaymin EX – Grass – HP110
Basic Pokemon
[G] Synthesis: Choose 1 Grass Energy card from your deck and attach it to one of your Pokemon. Shuffle your deck afterward.
[G][C] Revenge Burst: Does 30 damage plus an additional 30 damage times the number of Prize cards your opponent has already taken.
Pokemon EX Rule: When Pokemon EX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-20)
Retreat: 1
Counter Cards: Reshiram, Emboar, Suicune/Entei Legend, Typholsion Prime, Victini (V-Create)
Reshiram EX – Fire – HP180
Basic Pokemon
[R][C][C] Shining Claw: 50 damage. Flip a coin, if heads this attack does an additional 30 damage.
[R][R][C][C] Brave Fire: 150 damage. Flip a coin, if tails this Pokemon also does 50 damage to itself.
Pokemon EX Rule: When Pokemon EX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Water (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3
Counter Cards: Kyurem, Feraligatr Prime, Blastoise, Suicune/Entei Legend
Zekrom EX – Lightning – HP180
Basic Pokemon
[L][C][C] Shining Claw: 50 damage. Flip a coin, if heads this attack does an additional 30 damage.
[L][L][C][C] Strong Volt: 150 damage. Choose 2 Energy attached to this Pokemon and discard them.
Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3
Pokemon EX Rule: When Pokemon EX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Counter Cards: Terrakion, Donphan Prime, Machamp Prime, Landorus
Now those are just some of the cards that can counter the Ex threat, most of which are already run in some of the most popular decks already in play (Chandelure/Vileplume,ZPST,Eelzone,6 Corners,CaKE,Reshipholsion,KyuremGatr, and many more). Also I will mention that for 4 energy Magnezone Prime will one shot every EX Pokemon except Groudon(which i dont expect to see as much play as the others.
So while we get ready for the return of a once dominating Pokemon theme, I feel we are ona much more level playing field this time around (I played in the last EX format and every deck had them). Pokemon Primes, our heavy hp hard hitting basics, and some of the more decent Pokemon Legend cards can all KO them in 1-2 attacks. While these cards are very powerful and will find thier way into many decks (as replacements perhaps for their non EX counterparts) I don't really see them being that impactful on the meta, of course I could be wrong.
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