One Hit KO

A big hello to all you OHKOers out there.  This is another continuation in my “Second Look at Each Set” series.  In these articles I go through the playable cards (the ones known and unknown) in each set, and make a case to play them, and a case not to play them.  Hopefully doing this will let you have a greater understanding of the limited card pool that the current modified format offers.

I apologize if these articles seem hurried or are a little messy.  Each article in this series takes a lot of time to put together, so I try to cut a few corners in order to get these articles out fairly quickly.  If you don”t understand something please leave it in the comment box and I will be happy to explain it to you.

Two housekeeping issues to take care of before we start the article.  The first is to tell you guys to watch the site in about a week or so.  I will be starting a raffle fairly soon and have an awesome grand prize to give away.  So stay tuned to hear the details of the contest.  The 2nd item is that I have decided that this series will have just one more article in it, an article looking at the cards in Call of Legends and the Promos that are currently legal.   I decided against doing a Black and White review because its still fresh in our minds.  If you guys would like to see me do a Black and White review, I can do that, just tell me so in the comment box. If we get a couple people who want to see it, then I will do it.    Anyway, on to the article.

I just want to reiterate something that I thought I made clear before, but I guess it needs to be said again.  Not all of the cards I talk about are great.  I am just talking about the ones that I think we should all be thinking about for rogue decks.  Most of these cards will never see play, but maybe one of them will be the card you are looking for.  So to be clear, I don’t endorse playing most of these cards now, we should just be aware of them.

Triumphant 

Triumphant is known as a set with awesome primes, great trainers, and little else.  It was released in November of 2010, and contained most of the cards from the Japanese set, “Clash at the Summit.”

The Popular Cards

1. Spiritomb

What it is– A hand refresher for your opponent.  His Poke-Power lets you force your opponent to shuffle his/her hand into the deck, and then draw 6 cards.  Its attack lets you pick a type, and then place 1 damage counter on each Pokemon that is the same type that you picked, it costs 1 psychic energy.

Why to play it-  You might ask why you would play something that helps refresh your opponents hand, but it works well in decks with Mismagius Cl and Gengar Prime.  If your opponent is trying to keep his/her hands free of certain cards, Spritomb can help change that.  Its basically a must play for those 2 decks.

Why not to play it-  Its a bummer to start with, and it can’t really attack or anything, and it only works in a few decks.

2.  Gengar Prime

What it is– Basically the best Pokemon that puts Pokemon in the Lost Zone.  He has 130 HP and 2 attacks.  The first puts as many Pokemon from your opponent’s hand to his/her Lost Zone, as you have Psychic energy attached.  The second attack lets you place 4 damage counters wherever you like on your opponent’s field, for PC.

Why to play it-  If you want to play a Lost World deck you must play this card.  You either play it the regular way, or you play it with Mew Prime.  Its a great card and can easily help you get the 6 Pokemon in the Lost Zone that you need.  Its not perfect, but with the right support, Gengar should help you clean up.

Why not to play it– Lost World decks are just too slow for the format.  The fact is that to win with a lost world deck, you have to Lost Zone 6 Pokemon, than wait a turn, and then win.  The decks right now are a little inconsistent and just  a turn or two too slow.

3. Machamp Prime

What it is– A main attacker.  Machamp is a 150 HP 3 retreat behemoth.  He can do 60 damage for FCC, you can also discard a Special Energy attached to the defending Pokemon.  His second attack does 100 damage for FFCC, it can also do 10 more damage for each Pokemon you have on the bench that has damage counters on it.  Its Poke-Power lets you switch Machamp with the active when you play him to evolve a Machop or Mahoke, this Power also lets Machamp get all the fighting energies on the active Pokemon.

Why to play it– It can do a lot of damage and can take a lot of damage.  He is paired in a popular deck with Donphan Prime, with Donphan working early game, and Machamp later game.  It is looked at as one of the top tier decks in the game.

Why not to play it– If the tag between Machamp and Donphan does not work well, you have a lot of trouble.  Plus, 150 HP is just enough to get OHKOed by Magnezone Prime for three energies.  Machamp’s attacks also take a lot of energy without guaranteeing an OHKO.

4. Mew Prime 

What it is– It’s a very versatile Pokemon, could be a starter, attacker, or recover Pokemon.  His Poke-Body lets it use the attacks of every Pokemon in the Lost Zone.  Most people pair Mew with Gengar Prime, while others pair Mew with attackers like Jumpluff and Crobat Prime.

Why to play it– Mew Prime makes a fairly quick deck.  Mew usually sets up a lot faster with a Gengar in the Lost Zone, than  a normal Gengar Prime does, and recovery is a lot easier.  Mew also makes Jumpluff decks go a lot faster.  Mew has low HP, but its only 30 less than Jumpluff.  There are also a lot of Pokemon like Relicanth and Mime Jr. that can help support Mew.

Why not to play it-  Right now Gengar Prime is a little slow, and Jumpluff is a little underpowered.  There may soon be a better pair for Mew, but for right now I would keep the Mew’s in the binder.

5.  Magnezone Prime

What it is-  Just one of the best main attackers in the format.  Its Poke-Power lets you draw until you have 6 cards in your hand.  Its attack lets you Lost Zone cards attached to any of your Pokemon, and do 50 for each energy you put in the Lost Zone.

Why to play it– When it gets together with Emboar BW, Magnezone becomes amazing.  Most people think that the Magneboar deck is close to being the BDIF right now.  It is not as slow as most people would think, and the deck is really consistent.  I think it could be the winner of U.S. Nationals.

Why not to play it– The only drawback is that a quick Donphan Prime will screw this deck up.  Beyond Donphan, you should be able to win almost every game if you have a great list and play it well.

6. Yanmega Prime

What it is– A secondary attacker.  It has  Poke-Body that lets you ignore energy costs for all attacks, if you and your opponent have an equal number of cards in hand.  It has two attacks, one that snipes for 40 and one that does 70 damage.

Why to play it-  A lot of people are throwing Yanmega into random decks like Donphan, Zekrom, and others.  All you need to do is an add an extra couple Judges and Copycats.  Yanmega can setup fast, and has a great sniping attack that can end the life of a Baby Pokemon.

Why not to play it– The format is all about OHKO’s, and Yanmega cannot do it.  Unless you can come up with a great combo with Yanmega, or have a great disruption deck; I think Yanmega will not take the next step towards greatness.

The Hidden Gems

1. Mamoswine

What it is– A main attacker that can possibly combine with Feraligatr Prime.  He can do 70 damage and spread 20 for WWCC.  One great thing is that he is weak to Metal, and not lightning.

Why to play it– This could be a decent combo with Feraligatr Prime.  Mamoswine has the big 140 HP that can stand up to Zekrom and Reshiram.  He can also OHKO Reshiram and Donphan Prime.  The spreading of 20 is great with so many people playing Baby Pokemon.  I think Mamoswine may be worth testing, if Magnezone Prime is not popular in your area.

Why not to play it-  Magnezone Prime, it will OHKO Mamoswine and can only by 2HKOed by Mamoswine.  It also requires 2 stage 2’s (unless you use Floatzel instead).

2. Porygon Z

What it is– An attacker or a tech card.  Its Poke-Power lets you flip a coin, and if heads put a trainer card from your discard pile to the top of your deck.   His attack does 80 damage for CCC. If Porygon Z has no Rainbow Energy on it, he does 20 damage to himself and confuses himself.

Why to play it– Getting trainer cards back from the discard pile is really useful.  It can help you re-use Junk Arm, or any other trainer that you want.  80 damage is decent, and can OHKO Rayquaza/Deoxys Legend.  I thought of maybe testing Porygon Z with tech cards like Hitmontop and Azumarill.

Why not to play it-  80 damage is not enough to OHKO anything, and OHKO’s are so important now.  Also, is it worth setting up a stage 2 for just getting trainers back from the discard?  Probably not.

3.  Solrock

What it is– Along with Lunatone, Solrock is a tech against healing decks.  His Poke-Body makes sure that your opponent cannot remove damage counters once both Pokemon are in play.  His attack does 20 damage for 1 fighting energy and makes the defending Pokemon flip if they want to attack next turn.

Why to play it-  If you see a lot of people playing Serperior in your area, Lunatone and Solrock will be nice to counter it.

Why not to play it– For now, for right now, nobody is playing Serperior or other Pokemon like Reuniclus.  So right now its a card that should not be played.

4. Ditto

What it is– A tech against decks like Cincinno and Jumpluff.  His Poke-Body does not let your opponent have more than 4 Pokemon on their bench.  His attack does 20 damage for one DCE.

Why to play it-  If Cincinno and Jumpluff are big in your area, Ditto is an excellent tech.  It also shuts down the Victini from the Red Collection.  It could be a good tech in the right situation.

Why not to play it-  It is better to tech against Reshiram, Zekrom, or Magnezone right now.  Unless Cincinno and Jumpluff are big in your area.

5. Bronzong

What it is– A legend getter.  His first attack lets you get both pieces of a Legend for just 1 energy.

Why to play it-  Without Bebe’s Search it is becoming a lot harder to get Legends out.  If you need to get a Legend out at all costs, Bronzong can do it.  Bronzong is splashable in all decks and is the only sure way to get a Legend out.

Why not to play it-  Playing Pokemon Communication and Junk Arm seems like a faster way to get Legends out.  I would only play Bronzong if you need to get Legends out under Trainer Lock.

6.  Magmortar

What it is– A milling Pokemon.  For 1 fire energy, his first attack lets you mill from your opponent’s deck a number of cards equal to the number of Fire Energies on Magmortar.  After the attack, you must flip a coin, if tails you must discard all energy attached to Magmortar.  His second attack does 60 damage and burns for FFC.

Why to play it-  Milling is always a really fun strategy.  You could play this in a Reshiboar deck.  You can attack with Reshiram and wait until the end of the game when your opponent has almost decked out (Professor Juniper forces many decks to almost deck out, and Magmortar can finish the job).  It could be a useful tech if played right.

Why not to play it-  Deck space is probably better used for other cards, especially since Magmortar might have to discard all energy attached to him.  Magmortar seems to be just an interesting card, for right now. 

7.  Wailord

What it is– A main attacker.  Wailord is a 180 HP Behemoth that can take a punch.  His second attack costs FFFC, and does 50 damage or 100 if Wailord has more remaining HP then the defending.  His first attack costs CC and lets you flip 2 coins, you can heal 3 damage counters for each heads.

Why to play it– 180 HP is the biggest in the format and is a great combo with Pokemon like Reuniclus, Feraligatr Prime, and Floatzel.  If you like tanking Pokemon, this is one of the biggest.

Why not to play it– I would love Wailord, if he was not weak to lighting, but he is.  This means he is an easy OHKO for Zekrom and Magnezone Prime, 2 of the most widely played Pokemon in the format.  Until there is some way to cancel a weakness, I would not play Wailord.

8.  Grumpig

What it is– A powerlocker.  For PC Grumpig can do 20 damage, and your opponent cannot use any Poke-Powers during his/her next turn.  His second attack costs PCC, and lets you flip a coin for each of your opponent’s benched Pokemon.  For each heads you get, you do 40 to the active Pokemon.

Why to play it-  No other Pokemon provides a power lock like Grumpig.  If you wanna relive the glory days of Gardevoir and Gallade, Grumpig might help you do it.  He can be used with Pokemon like Vileplume to make a fun and disrupting deck.

Why not to play it-  Power’s are not used that much any more.  Uxie is gone, and Emboar has an Ability.  Its jut not very useful right now.  I wouldn’t play it, even if the attack wasn’t far from lack luster.

9. Absol Prime

What it is– Either a secondary attacker or a main attacker.  His Poke-Body allows you to put 2 damage counters on any basic Pokemon that your opponent plays from his/her hand, as long as Absol is active.  His attack does 70 for DC, and requires you to Lost Zone a Pokemon from your hand.

Why to play it-  70 for DC is not terrible from a basic Pokemon.  The Poke-body is also good, it could make Absol a decent starter.  Absol could work in a disruption deck as a main attacker.

Why not to play it-  70 is not enough to put Absol on the same level as Reshiram, and disruption right now is just not good enough to put Absol on that same level.  Right now I would not play it, but keep it in mind.

10.  Celebi Prime

What it is– Kind of an energy accelerator.  As long as Celebi is active, you can attach a Grass energy from your hand to one of your Pokemon.  His attack costs GPC and does 30 damage, it also does not allow Celebi to be damaged by any Pokemon that is evolved.

Why to play it– This is a good Pokemon, energy acceleration is always nice and the ability to wall is great.  If you need to attach grass energies, Celebi is a good option.  If you are creative enough, perhaps you can make a cool Celebi deck.

Why not to play it– Celebi’s one retreat cost is actually pretty hefty.  Without Unown Q, it will be hard to use Celebi.  Also, there are not that many good Pokemon that use grass energies.

11. Darkrai/Cresselia Legend

What it is– An attacker, it can do 100 damage for DDCC.  You must also put 2 energies in the Lost Zone and if you knock out the defending, it and all cards attached to it go in the Lost Zone.  Its second attack costs P, and lets you move damage counters around as you want on your opponent’s field.

Why to play it-  I wouldn’t use the first attack, but the 2nd attack could work in a spread deck.  It could also work if you find that people are using a lot of benched Pokemon that have low HP.

Why not to play it-  Right now, there just is no reason to use this card.  It could work well in a Lost World deck, but it takes an awful lot of setup.

12. Dialga/Palkia Legend 

What it is– Kind of a weird tech card.  For WCC, its first attack lets you force one of your opponent’s Pokemon to return back to his/her hand with all cards that are attached to it.  Its second attack forces you to discard all metal energies to DPL, and then add the first 2 cards of your opponent’s deck to your opponent’s prize pile, the attack costs MMC.

Why to play it– The ability to add prizes is something amazing that only DPL can do.  It is a cool unique card that could work if you find the right situation.

Why not to play it– This format is all about OHKOs and its not about adding prizes.  Unless you find an awesome combo for DPL, I would not run it.

13. Victreebel

What it is– Kind of like a main attacker.  His Poke-Body adds CC to the retreat cost of every defending Pokemon.  His attack does 30 damage for GC and burns and poisons the defending, while healing 3 damage counters from Victreebel.

Why to play it– Its a great combo with Pokemon Reversal and Pokemon Catcher.  Just bring up something like Emboar, and slowly kill it with Victreebel.  It would take 6 energies to retreat and Emboar, which is a lot of energy, too much to get without a couple extra turns.  It could make a cool, fun, unique rogue deck.

Why not to play it– 110 HP is not a lot of HP for a stage 2, and can be easily OHKOed.  Also, bringing up Pokemon is not the best strategy right now.

14. Machamp

What it is– A secondary attack in a deck that runs Machamp Prime.  His first attack costs 1 fighting energy, and either does 40 damage or 60 damage and 20 to Machamp.  His second attack costs CCC and does 60 damage plus 10 more damage for each fighting energies attached to Machamp.

Why to play it– Machamp Prime has no cheap attacks, this Machamp does.  It can be good to hit for 60 for just 1 energy if your opponent has knocked out the Machamp Prime.

Why not to play it– It is not really a game changing card.  Machamp Prime is much better and hits harder.  It is not really a card that can change a matchup right now.  Keep it in mind, but I wouldn’t play it right now.

Trainers

After a recent comment I received on one of these articles, I decided that I should not leave out the popular trainers.  Although I will only do a normal review on the trainers that aren’t very popular but still could be played, I will list the trainers that receive a lot of play, the trainers are in no particular order.

Trainers That People Play.

1. Junk Arm
2. Seeker
3. Rescue Energy
4. Alph Lithograph 4.

Hidden Gems of the Trainer World

1. Blackbelt

What it is– If you have more prizes than your opponent, all your attacks do an extra 40 damage.

Why to play it-  It would be a great combo with Bouffalant, and can help you survive a prize race.  It is great for almost any deck.

Why not to play it-  If you get the card at the right time, Blackbelt is amazing.  But, you will rarely get it exactly where you want it.  Right now, Blackbelt is not a great play unless you have a way to search it out when needed.

2. Twins

What it is– When you have more prizes than your opponent’s you can search your deck for any 2 cards.

Why to play it-  Nothing else lets you search 2 cards from your deck, its a great effect.  If your deck is slow, play this card.

Why not to play it-  Speed decks are really good, and these decks usually will not need twins.  Also it is hard to find Twins when you actually need it, without it clogging your hand when you don’t.

That’s it for Triumphant, it looks like there will be just 1 more article, on CL and the promos.  Let me know what you think about these cards by putting your thoughts in the comment box.

So long and thanks for all the fish!

Category: Card Discussion | Tags: best card of Triumphant, HS: Triumphant, Triumphant