Dragons Exalted Prereleases have started up today and continue next weekend, bringing another variety of new cards into our meta. This set brings a good number of great Pokemon and decks that will surely dictate how the falls BW-On format will look.
While this set lacks on the Trainer aspect of the game bringing a measly 4 trainers. Luckily for us these Trainers aren't that bad actually and most of these will see play in some decks.
Tool Scrapper – Trainer-Item
Choose up to 2 Pokemon Tool cards attached to Pokemon in play (both yours and your opponents) and discard them
You can use any number of Trainer cards during your turn.
Of the four Trainers we get this set Tool Scrapper will see the most play in the new format. So many decks run some form of Pokemon Tool whether it be Eviolite, Rocky Helmet, EXP Share, or Dark Claw. Being able to get rid of any two tools on the field is a amazing play especially if your just 20 damage short of knocking out a Pokemon equipped with Eviolite.
Rescue Scarf- Item
Pokemon Tool: Attach a Pokemon Tool to one of your Pokemon to use it. You can only attach 1 card to 1 Pokemon, and it remains attached.
If the Pokemon that this card is attached to is Knocked Out by damage from an attack, put that Pokemon back into your hand. (Discard all cards attached to that Pokemon.)
You can use any number of Goods cards during your turn.
Rescue Energy was a great card in the last format, providing you a fast easy way to get high stage support cards back onto the field easily. This great ability is back in Rescue Scarf, a Pokemon Tool that works the same way the energy did, giving you the ability to return a Stage 2 Pokemon and all its previous forms back to your hand when its Knocked Out. This is enables you to keep your attackers hitting hard and fast (have multiple Prinplups on the field to evolve the turn after your active Empoleon dies). Rescue Scarf is also great to attach to support Pokemon such as Altaria, Gabite and Eelektrik so when they are dragged out and killed you can get them right back on the field.
Devolution Spray – Trainer
Choose one of your Evolved Pokemon, then remove the top evolution card from that Pokemon. Return that Evolution card to your hand. (The Devolved Pokemon cannot evolve this turn.)
You can use any number of Trainer cards during your turn.
Devolution Spray makes its way back into the TCG after a long hiatus and now it can be better then ever. Coming into play powers(abilities) have been the key to winning games throughout the years (Uxie's Setup). However having these abilities on stage 1 or higher Pokemon can be very annoying. Devolution Spray fixes all of this by allowing you to pick those Evolution's back up to your hand and reuse those amazing Abilities again (such as this sets Ninetales). There is a deck that i wanna talk about soon that will make amazing use of this card so stay tuned.
Big Cloak – Tool
Pokemon Tool: Attach a Pokemon Tool to one of your Pokemon to use it. You can only attach 1 card to 1 Pokemon, and it remains attached.
The maximum HP of the Pokemon this card is attached to increases by 20.
You can use any number of Trainers per turn
Last on the list is Big Cloak, a Pokemon Tool that many Stage 1 and Stage 2 might want to consider taking for a Spin. Eviolite and this card have much in common, being that both give you more HP in some fashion, Eviolite lets you take less damage and Big Cloak gives you more HP. The upside to Big Cloak is that it doesnt have to be attached to a Basic Pokemon, giving hard hitting Stage 2 Pokemon more time to wreck your opponents field.
Thats all the trainers from this set, which kind of sad but oh well. Now for the Pokemon i am just gonna name off some of them as there are far to many to mention in one sitting. So for this blog i will only look at some of the interesting tech cards.
Garbodor - Psychic - HP100
Stage 1 - Evolves from Trubbish
Ability: GarboToxin
As long as this Pokemon has a Pokemon Tool card attached to it, ignore all Abilities printed on any cards in either player's field, hand, or discard pile (excluding any GarboToxins).
[P][P][C] Sludge Toss: 60 damage.
Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3
Your only going to be playing this card for Garbotoxin, as shutting down abilities like Dynamotor, Dragon Call and Fight Song is amazing just remember this will also shut down your abilities too.
Ninetales – Fire – HP90
Stage 1 – Evolves from Vulpix
Ability: Bright Look
You can use this ability 1 time, when you play this card from your hand to Evolve a Pokemon. Choose 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon and switch it with his or her Active Pokemon.
[R] Cursed Flame: 20+ damage. Does 50 more damage for each Special Condition on the Defending Pokemon.
Weakness: Water (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Ladies and Gentleman its the return of Luxray GL Lv.X............'s Bright Look. Ninetales brings back a old favourite for seasoned players and a decent attack to go with it. I can see this card teching into Entei decks to allow for quick knock outs and if your opponent is burned or any other form of Special Condition then your doing some serious damage with this card.
Emolga – Lightning – HP70
Basic Pokemon
[C] Call for Family: Search your deck for two Basic Pokemon and put them onto your Bench. Shuffle your deck afterwards.
[L] Static Shock: 20 damage.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-20)
Retreat: 0
Colorless Call for Family and a free retreat make Emolga the starter of choice in the new format.
Sigilyph – Psychic – HP90
Basic Pokemon
Ability: Safeguard
Prevent all effects of attacks, including damage, done to Sigilyph by your opponent’s Pokemon-EX.
[P][C][C] Psychic: 50+ damage. Does 10 more damage for each Energy card attached to the Defending Pokemon.
Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Sigilyph has seen some play in Japan (even teched into the winning Battle Carnival deck) for its ability to hit Mewtwo EX for potential massive damage and not face the Legendary Pokemon's fury if its not Knocked out. Safeguard in a format without the ability to Junk Arm for Pokemon Catcher whenever is a solid play as the chances of your opponent being able to disrupt your Safeguard is lowered greatly.
Roserade – Grass – HP90
Stage 1 – Evolves from Roselia
Ability: Le Parfum
You may use this Ability once during your turn, when you play Roserade from your hand to evolve one of your Pokemon. Search your deck for any one card and put it in your hand. Shuffle your deck afterwards.
[G][C] Tighten: 30+ damage. Flip 1 coin. If heads, this attack does 30 damage plus 20 more damage, and the Defending Pokemon is now Paralysed.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: Water (-20)
Retreat: 1
This is the last tech card from this set I wanna talk about and it has tons of potential. This card reminds me very much of Quick Search Pidgeot from Fire Red Leaf Green in the EX series block. The ability to search for any card in your deck is massive and while unfortunately this is a coming into play power cards like Super Scoop Up and Devolution Spray help make this a possibility every turn.
This is just the tip of the iceberg and through out the week, work willing i will be posting blogs on the big Pokemon from this set as well as the EX Pokemon.
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