One Hit KO

Hello to all the Team Omar readers.  This is your buddy Pikkdogs with what I hope will become a new column here at teamomar.com.

A couple of weeks ago I asked Ed if I could start writing more on Team Omar and he said sure.  After a little bit of discussion we came up with this article.  If you guys like these articles, each week or so I will pick three cards and run a review of these cards.  The first card will be a staple card (catering to the new player), the second will be a card that I think is under-rated, and the third card will be a card from an upcoming set.  Hopefully you guys will like this article, and write your own mini-reviews of these cards.  So lets start the reviewing.

Card #1– Cyrus’s Conspiracy PT

Card Description– The first card I will be reviewing is the staple card, “Cyrus’s Conspiracy.”  This card was released in the first Platinum set, and the metagame was never the same.  “Cyrus’s Conspiracy” is a supporter card that allows you to search your deck for another supporter card, a basic energy card, and a trainer card that has Team Galactics Invention” in its name.  It has seen great success in the SP deck “LuxChomp” that has dominated the States and Regional Tournaments.

Explanation-SP decks have some of the worst draw power in the format (only using 2 uxies and no Claydols), but because of Cyrus’s Conspiracy, SP decks are one of the fastest decks around.  Most people use this card to grab another “Cyrus’s Conspiracy”, a basic energy card that they need to attack, and a tool card like “SP Radar” or “Energy Gain.”  In one action they are now ready to attack.

Final Rating- 9.5/10.  This card is amazing and makes SP decks the best in format.  The card is not quite broken, but the format would not be the same without it.

Card #2-Bench Shield AR

Card Description– One of the most underrated cards in the format is “Bench Shield” from the Arceus set.  The card is a tool, and when it is attached to a benched Pokemon that Pokemon cannot be damaged by attacks.  A Pokemon with a Bench Shield equipped can still be effected by attacks that place damage counters, like Gengar SFs “Shadown Room.”

Card Explanation-I include this card in all most all of my decks to give me a better matchup against Garchomp C.  In the popular LuxChomp deck, the LuxChomp player will use Garchomp C’s attack “Dragon Rush” to knock out a benched Claydol or Uxie in one hit.  But, if you attach a”Bench Shield” to your Claydol, Garchomp C will not be able to knock out your Claydol, and you will be able to use Claydol to set your deck up.  This card is also helpful against other decks, like Blastcatty or the so called “secret” sablelock deck.

Rating-  7.5. The card has tremendous upside, but if you are not able to draw into it early it may become a dead card later on.  It also is useless in certain matchups, such as against Gyarados, Donphan, Jumpluff, and Shuppet.

Card #3- Blastoise Unleashed

Card Description– Blastoise will be the card that everyone receives as a pre-release card at the upcoming Pre-Release Tournaments.  I think this is the best pre-release card that we have seen in recent times.  Blastoise has 130 HP, is a water pokemon, is weak to lightning, and has a retreat cost of three.  Those stats aren’t that good, but his attack makes up for it.  “Hydro-Launcher” has a cost of WWCC and does 100 damage to any of your opponent’s Pokemon.  It also has a Poke-Power called “Wash Out.”  This allows you to move any number of water energy cards from your bench Pokemon to your active.

Card Explanation– As mentioned early, the basic stats of this card are rather poor.  A lightning weakness will allow Luxray Gl Lv.x to knockout Blastoise in one hit, and a high retreat cost is never good.  Likewise, “Wash Out” seems to be rather useless, I am sure that it could be effective in certain situations, but it is not likely.  But where this card shines is its attack “Hydro Launcher.”  This attack will do 100 damage to any of your opponent’s Pokemon.  This means you can knock out almost any Pokemon on your opponents bench, including Claydol.  Blastoise Unleashed has a perfect partner in Feraligatr Prime.  Feraligatr Prime has the “Raindance” Poke-Body that allows you to attach as many Water energies as you would like to your Water Pokemon.  If you would to get both a Blastoise and a Feraligatr prime by turn 2 or 3 you could load up Blastoise that same turn, and be attacking for 100 to any Pokemon.  Raindance” lets you load up Blastoise very quickly and reattach the energies you just returned to your hand.  This Blastoise would also be a good tech in the Blastcatty tech.

Rating– 7.5-As mentioned this card has some terrible stats, but a good attack and some good cards to pair with it.  It is by no means a game changing card, but it could spawn some decent tier 2 or 3 decks.

Category: Pikks Three | Tags: Bench Shield, Blastoise Unleashed, Cyrus's Conspiracy