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One Keyring To Rule Them All
The year is 2023. Due to the delayed rotation, the Pokemon metaverse is in flames – Lugia VSTAR and Mew VMAX dominate the landscape, with Lost Box decks picking off any remaining resistance with sneering Sableyes and cackling Cramorants. The new hope that was Crown Zenith vanished beneath the mass of Genesect V and Amazing Raikou/Yveltal, making the competitive play arena a dreary, monochrome place of the same decks over and over again. (What about Scarlet & Violet ? Oh...)
But wait! There is good news! A new challenger rises in the East, a promise of changing times that will stop these three metagod-decks in their tracks, and its name is… Klefki? Seriously?
Histrionics aside, things have been getting pretty darn dull in the Pokemon world. Crown Zenith is just a twinkly memory. It did have some nice cards, but was mostly style over substance and did nothing to slow down the Lugia VSTAR juggernaut, which had been around since Silver Tempest was release back in… November? Wow. That was an age ago. The curious thing is that Lugia VSTAR should have never happened – all the special energy and Amazing Pokemon that made Lugia VSTAR and Archeops a match made in meta heaven should have been cycled out in September. As should have Scoop Up Net, which made Lost Box decks sing like birds and Comfey work significantly better than it should have done.
Mew VMAX was always and is still brokenly good, and another reason to hate Fusion (Garbage) Strike.
The time has now come though for those early Sword and Shield sets to be rotated: farewell, Sword and Shield, Rebel Clash, Darkness Ablaze and Vivid Voltage! Adieu Champion’s Path and Shining Fates! So long, Marnie – don’t let the door bump you in the butt on the way out. This takes with it a whole lotta staples like the aforementioned Marnie, Scoop-up Net and Crobat V, but also clears out most of the cards that Lugia VSTAR depends on.
Sucks to be you, Lugia VSTAR.
The rotation is not just about my personal schadenfreude though, because it means that we finally get our hands on a completely (well, almost) new set with lots of newey newness that will ring that changes across the board. Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for… Scarlet & Violet!
Y Viva Paldea…
Scarlet & Violet is the first set to feature Pokemon from Paldea, the ninth generation of Pokemon (Hisuian forms are ancient versions of other generations, so don’t count). Paldea, in the same way that Galar was loosely based on the UK, is loosely based on Spain, and the new Pokemon from there exhibit a certain Spanish flair – Scovillain is based on chillies, Smoliv on olives and fidough on a dog made out of uncooked bread. Whatever. There are also paradox pokemon from the past and future, including a robot elephant. Whatever. You also ride/fly/float around on a dinosaur motorbike. Whatever. Look, if you’re expecting things to make sense and be a realistic, go and play an 18XX, okay?
Scarlet & Violet is a bit of a sizeable beast, being a combination of Japan’s Scarlet AND Violet sets; 198 standard cards and 60 gallery and secret rare cards. Yes, I said gallery – it’s back! Getting two chances at shiny glory was so popular in the last six sets that Pokemon have decided to keep the second slot. But that’s not all we’ve got. We’ve got more; a lot more.
Don’t Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round The Pokemon Card…
The first thing you will notice about the new set is… the price. Yes, they’ve gone up, but hasn’t everything? The next thing you will notice (everyone is noticing this) is that the packaging material seems to be of a higher quality – I don’t know how this will reflect on how biodegradable the packaging is, but it feels less flimsy than previous packs. I am pretty sure that you don’t really care about the packaging though. You do? Well, good for you. More interesting though are the contents.
There are still ten cards per pack; there is still one energy card per pack; there is still a code card per pack. These things remain the same, but there is much that has changed;
First, the code card. Time was when a white card meant ‘possible-hit city’. Then, when Pokemon Live went… live, a black bordered card brought hope to all. Now… the colour of the card is irrelevant. White border, black border, it all gives you the same chance. Some well-known Pokemon youtubers have found this confusing, but it’s very simple to understand – every pack has hit potential.
Now, let’s look at the new cards themselves. Notice anything different? Is that a new colouring? Yes, the infamous yellow border has gone, replaced by the more stylish silver that Japanese cards have been sporting forever. The card stock also feels somewhat heavier and the finish is matt rather than the silky finish found in previous sets – that reminds me, I really need to get that American Psycho game reviewed. Some might say this makes them feel less authentic, but I think it makes them more… playable? Let’s just say that the finish may divide the critics, but the silver border is a welcome change.
This is all very nice, but hardly incandescent stuff. The real fire comes when you go through the cards. There are four commons; there are three uncommons. Then, there are now two reverse hollows, one of which can be one of the aforementioned gallery cards, and one rare – which will be a holo card AT LEAST. YES! No more non-holo rares, which would be an uncommon if they were in a Japanese set! You might say that this will de-value holo cards, but look at it this way – now everyone gets not one, not two but three shinies, and who could be uncheered by shinies?
Tell Me More About These Shinies…
Well, if you insist.
The prime Shinies of the Sword and Shield were the V cards, including VMAX and VSTAR. These came in half art, full art, rainbow and sometimes gold format. Battle Styles introduced a new format for the rare, the alternative art, an even rarer rare. Brilliant stars brought us the trainer gallery, which featured alt art versions of V and non-V cards in the reverse holo slot (Astral Radiance also introduced Radiant Pokemon in this slot too). So, what has stayed, what has gone?
First off, it’s time to say farewell to the V card – so long, and thanks for all the salt. That’s not to say that V cards will vanish overnight, oh no – we’ll have those in the standard for at least another two years. What we are getting instead though, is the return of the ‘ex’ card – that’s ‘ex’, not ‘EX’, because there is a difference. EX cards, like V cards, came as basics, regardless of whether they were evolution Pokemon or not – you could, for instance, play Charizard EX to your bench without the rigmarole of evolving it through Charmander and Charmeleon.
This Is An Ex Pokemon…
The thing is, I liked the rigmarole – it added an element of risk to building a powerful deck because the most powerful Pokemon evolved from some of the weakest Pokemon – Magikarp and Gyarados, anyone? ‘ex’ Pokemon need to evolve for them to be played, so yeah, you might pull a Gyarados but you still need a Magikarp to play it. This should hopefully ease back on the break neck speed that decks have run at recently.
But not all ex’s are created equal. In line with the Switch game, there are Terastalised Pokemon, which are… not much different at the moment, I suppose. The only thing differentiating them from regular ex Pokemon is that they cannot be damaged whilst on the bench. Other than that… yeah.
ex cards, like V cards, will also come in different formats – we will see full arts, alt arts and gold cards but NO RAINBOW RARES. This probably won’t come as a shock to most, and I don’t think many will shed tears over this as… they were not that popular. We are so over the rainbow.
Radiant Pokemon, at the moment, will not be returning, but seeing as we have seen Prism cards and Radiant cards come and go, it is likely that we will see some new re-iteration in the future. Watch this space…
Shout Out To My Ex…
Look at me, I got side-tracked again! This review is about the Build and Battle Stadium, which is a great way to get hold of the new set, but I can’t help but give you an overview of some of the good cards that will be coming in Scarlet & Violet.
You can’t really talk about Scarlet & Violet without mentioning Miraidon and Koraidon (the flying dino-bike-skis I mentioned earlier), and here they both get an ex card; and a full art; and an alt art; and a gold card. Though Miraidon is possibly the better of the two (possibly? Ha!), they both have a decent attack (220 for three energy) and a decent ability. Koraidon allows you to attach two fighting energy from your discard pile to your fighting Pokemon, then ends your turn; Miraidon allows you to search for two basic lightning Pokemon from your deck and put them on your bench. Lightning decks may be getting good again.
There are also some very nice stage one and stage two pokemon getting the ex treatment. First, a couple of new kids on the block, Spidops and Oinkologne. Spidops has and attack that does 90 damage plus 30 for every energy in the opposing Pokemon’s retreat cost. It also has an ability that increases the retreat cost of your opponent’s Pokemon by one energy. This ability is stackable. Cue carnage. Oinkologne is just a big boi – it has 260 HP and for a single energy does 10 + 30 damage for each of your opponent’s Pokemon. Cheap as chips and twice as filthy.
There are also some welcome returners – Banette and Gardevoir. Everyone’s favourite haunted sock monkey returns with a familiar upsetting attack, Poltergeist, where your opponent reveals their hand and you do 60 damage for each trainer card in it. For two energy. Yikes. But for a single psychic energy, Everlasting Darkness, your opponent takes 30 damage and can’t play any item cards in their following turn. Double Yikes.
Gardevoir deserves a paragraph of its own though, because it really is rather blimping good. It has a whopping 310 HP, has a three energy attack that does 190 damage, but these are just side dishes to the main course. Gardevoir’s ability allows you to attach a psychic energy to your psychic pokemon from your discard pile and put 20 damage on it – as many times as you like! Dust off my Mewtwo VSTAR/Gardevoir/Galade deck, it’s time to go hunting Lugias!
There are only 12 ex’s in all, but remember: this is just the beginning. And Pokemon, if you are reading this: how about a Wailord ex with say… 400 HP? That would be… just great…
Revavroom For Improvement
So there are big bois, and stage 2 Pokemon are biiiig, but there are some very nice cards that are not so big. Considering that every pack now contains a holo, there are actually some very nice holo, common and uncommon cards.
Looking at the holos first, there are quite a few of note – in particular Revavroom, Kelfki, Hawlucha and, because it’s me, Dondoza. Hey, it’s a big fish, what did you expect?
Revavroom could potentially do for Scarlet & Violet what Bibarel did for Brilliant Stars – provide an amazing draw engine for little cost (Revavroom is the engine Pokemon – get it?). The attack is too expensive and sketchy to say the least (one metal, three colourless for 90 damage, with an extra 90 on a coin flip – meh) but the ability… discard an energy and draw up to a hand of six. This would go rather well with… well, lots: Magma Basin, Gardevoir, Melony – you get the idea. This has ‘staple’ written all over it.
Now, we have to talk about Klefki. Klefki is one of those Pokemon that can either be great or utterly pointless. The fact that I’m even mentioning it suggests that this one is the latter. Very much the latter. Because Klefki has an ability that, when it sits in the active, will turn off all other basic Pokemon abilities. Comfey? Gone. Cramorant? History. Genesect V? Aw, what a shame. I’m not saying that the answer to Lost Box and Mew VMAX is Klefki, but it is certainly is showing your working.
Hawlucha gets a mention because, though its attack is immemorable, its ability is unforgettable – when played from your hand, put 10 damage on two of your opponent’s Pokemon. It’s a Galarian Zig-a-zig-ah! but even better. Don’t Nest Ball it though.
And finally, the big fin-ish – Dondoza. It has 160 HP, big for a basic, and has an attack for two water and two colourless that does 120, which is not really very good. But for two colourless, the King Cod can do 50 damage for every Tatsugiri in the discard pile (Tatsugiri itself has an attack that allows you to search your deck for two water energy and attach them to one of your benched Pokemon, which is pretty good in itself. That’s potentially 200 damage for two energy on a single prize Pokemon. Could this be the new Wailord? No, but it looks like the big boi’s got a buddy…
If You Can’t Be A Great Player, Be A Great Supporter…
The rotation, as mentioned earlier, has seen the demise of some great cards, but when one door closes, you can always smash a hole through the wall.
The biggest losses for most players has been Quick Ball, Marnie and Scoop Up Net – all three of them get replacements of sorts. Quick Ball is replaced by that old favourite Nest Ball, which puts basic Pokemon straight onto your bench – this means that any abilities of Pokemon that get played from the hand… just don’t happen (see Hawlucha). Marnie is replaced by Judge, which has never gone away but just wasn’t as good as Marnie – each player shuffles their hand into their deck and draws four. Finally, Scoop Up Net is replaced by Penny – a Trainer, so you can only play one a turn – which allows you to return a basic Pokemon and all cards attached into your hands. Not really the same, but not disastrous and Lost Box? You’re just gonna have to work harder…
There are some new trainer cards that are just great and will make certain decks really shine (I’m looking at you, the million electric decks on PTCG Live). First up, a couple of new Supporters, Miriam and Arven. Miriam follows the trend of ‘do something, draw three’, which we have seen with Melony and Avery, only here this supporter allows you to shuffle up to five Pokemon from your discard pile into your deck and draw three – great for those single prize decks that will take a lot of collateral damage. Arven allows you to search your deck for one item and one tool (please note: from Scarlet & Violet onwards, items and tools are different things. You’re welcome). It has a hint of Skyla to it (search your deck for a trainer) but definitely has more potential and will work in absolutely every deck (well, almost every). I could also mention Youngster here, which is the same as Shauna (shuffle hand, draw five), but we still have Shauna, so I won’t.
Oh, I did.
There are some nice items and tools too – Vitality Band returns to add 10 to your attacks, Rare Candy is… Rare Candy, Switch gets a new artwork, but we also get some nice newy newness: Defiance Band adds 30 damage if you are down on prize cards; Rocky Breastplate reduces attacks to Fighting Pokemon by 30. But the best item by far is Electric Generator, a card that will raise electric decks back into the meta: look at the top five cards and attach up to two electric energy you find to your benched Pokemon. This is stupidly good, and will revitalise my Pachurisu/Raichu deck. If I can draw any.
There are also a couple of nice stadiums too, and I mean nice for everyone, not just one or the other player. First up is Mezagoza, which allows each player on their turn to search for a Pokemon in their deck on the flip of a coin. Not consistent, but when it works, it works. Then there is Beach Court. We all miss Float Stone (never coming back) and Air Balloon (never coming back), but Beach Court reduces all Basic Pokemon’s retreat cost by one. Okay, Lost Box players – happy now?
Weren’t You Doing A Review Of The Build & Battle Stadium Box?
Oh yes. Apologies – I got distracted. Again.
The Build and Battle Stadium (B&BS) box is essentially a pre-release event for two that you can play at home. Each player gets a pre-release box, which contains a 40-card deck that can be played out of the wrap and four extra boosters to tweak your deck (in Pokemon, you usually have a 60-card deck with six prize cards, but in pre-release you only have 40 cards and 4 prize cards). The box also contains damage dice, a flipping dice and status counters (poisoned and burned) and three more booster packs – this differs from pre-release events where each player receives three boosters – which is one less than previous B&BS boxes. This may result in fall-outs if two of you have clubbed together to buy a box, but I can sure you can work it out like rational individuals.
What is nice to see in the new B&BS box is that each pre-built deck has a card that gives a brief synopsis of how that individual deck works and why certain cards are there. For Poke-veterans, this may not be needed but for acolytes it will certainly be appreciated.
As for the boosters? Well, you never know what you are going to get… but as mentioned earlier you will get two reverse holos and a holo card at least. Regardless of this, the pulls in Scarlet & Violet do seem better than previous sets… well, those before Crown Zenith at least. The curious thing is that you are more likely to get some ‘heat’ from the second reverse holo slot, what has previously been the Trainer or Galarian Gallery collection, and believe me, there are some beautiful cards there (I am still holding out for the alt art Dondoza). May the pulls be forever in your favour.
To sum up, I have said this before and I will say this again: the B&BS box is a great bridging product between your basic Battle Decks and the professional League Battle Decks. For beginners, they are a great way to begin with building your own decks; for the seasoned player they are a great way to obtain a lot of boosters in one and get a lot of evolution lines of the new set (don’t sleep on that Revavroom, y’hear?); for the collector, you get two promo cards that won’t be available anywhere else and the potential for more shinies. Everyone is a winner, and if I can get my Spidops and Toxicroak ex deck to work, I might be one too.