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This type represents Pokémon who are Grass, Bug, or Poison types in the game. The Bug Pokémon have similar weaknesses while most of the early Grass Pokémon also had Poison as a secondary type. The TCG Grass Pokémon usually feature attacks that cause Special Conditions (Sleep, Paralysis, Confusion, and most often Poison).
Common Weakness: Fire (for original Grass or Bug types) or Psychic (for original Poison types)
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Example: Tangela
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HP: 50 Retreat Cost: 2 Weakness: Fire Resistance: None
For a Basic Pokémon that doesn't evolve, Tangela has very low HP, but that's to be expected for its lack of rarity.
Bind (1G1C): 20
This is a better-than-average basic attack. The damage is good for the cost and it has the bonus of possible Paralysis. It takes two-turns to set up, but it should hold its own for a while.
Poisonpowder (3G): 20
Automatic Poison is wonderful to have in an attack and the high Energy cost is easier to swallow with the additional 20 Damage. Hopefully your Tangela survives long enough to use this attack.
Strategies Against Tangela
Apart from the strong Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pokémon, Magmar, Charmander, and Ponyta can take it out in one hit early in the game, and most others will have it gone in less than 3 turns, as long as you watch out for the Paralysis and Poison.
Final Grade: Tangela provides great support for any Grass deck, and is easily the best of the Basic Grass Pokémon. It's biggest setback is its HP, meaning fights will be short. Just don't rely on it completely or else the deck could fall apart. C
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Only Pokémon who are Fire types in the games are represented as a TCG Fire. Their gimmick is the common requirement to discard Fire Energy after using a Fire-based attack (representing the Energy being "burned up"). This means powerful attacks will always have to be replenished to be used effectively.
Common Weakness: Water
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Example: Magmar
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HP: 50 Retreat Cost: 2 Weakness: Water Resistance: None
As with Tangela, the major point of concern is the 50 HP, especially since it should be able to old its own in a higher caliber fight with its strong attacks.
Fire Punch (2F): 30
This is a great starting attack, causing a lot of damage at in the early metagame. It's also nice to use as a fallback between Flamethrower attacks, ensuing that Magmar isn't immediately crippled by the discarded Energy.
Flamethrower (2F1C): 50
If you manage to keep Magmar alive this long, this can be a wonderful heavy hitter. But make sure you always have Fire Energy at the ready so you can at least use Fire Punch afterwards. Otherwise, you could take out one opponent quickly and then be a sitting duck for whatever replaces it.
Strategies Against Magmar:
Nearly any Water Pokémon will make short work of Magmar, but Staryu and Poliwag especially only need the first two turns to wipe him out. Just don't let it build any Energy and you should be fine.
Final Grade: Magmar should be able to hold its own in a Haymaker-style battle, but there are too many threats once the bulky Evolution cards come out to play. As Fire deck support, it takes away Energy from other Pokémon who will be needing it more (unless you stick with Fire Punch). C
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Water and Ice types from the games get folded into one general Water category (since most of them are part Water type anyway, and Jynx can be a Psychic Pokémon). Water Pokémon tend to be the strongest during Base Set, with attacks that only build in power as the player adds extra Water Energy.
Common Weakness: Lightning or Grass
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HP: 90 Retreat Cost: 3 Weakness: Grass Resistance: None
At 90 HP, Poliwrath is a little fragile for a Stage 2 Pokémon, but it can hold its own with the average Stage 2 opponent.
Water Gun (2W1C): 30+
Here is where the standard Water attack comes into play. With an additional two Water Energy, Poliwrath can deliver 50 damage at once. It makes sense for the standard 10 Damage per 1 Energy ratio, so the slow build may not be entirely worth the payoff. Unless there is a Blastoise on the bench...
Whirlpool (2W2C): 40
This is one of the best attacks in the Base Set. Not only does the damage match the Energy Cost, but you get to set the opponent back a step everytime you use this attack, preventing them from getting strong enough to overtake you. Unless you're up against a Blastoise or Venusaur deck, this will be devastating for any opponent. Also, the partial Colorless Energy cost means that Poliwrath can fit nicely into many dual-typed decks as well.
Strategies Against Poliwrath
As I said before, a Blastoise deck could certainly hold its own against Whirlpool's power and a Venusaur deck would just massacre Poliwrath. Since Venusaur's Energy Trans can constantly move Grass Energy around the field, it will always be ready to take Poliwrath and its family out with its Grass buddies.
Poliwhirl Overview
HP: 60 Retreat Cost: 1 Weakness: Grass Resistance: None
Poliwhirl is a great Stage 1 fighter. It's quick and bulky compared to other Stage 1 Pokémon, meaning it can be great support for a Water deck. Amnesia can cripple an opponent by taking out one of its attacks (which is useful when stalling). Since a Pokémon is usually only fighting with one attack prepared anyway, Poliwhirl has effectively removed many early threats. Doubleslap is a bit more standard, but it has the potential to deal 60 damage, which is nothing to scoff at. C+
Poliwag Overview
HP: 40 Retreat Cost: 1 Weakness: Grass Resistance: None
Poliwag isn't quite as impressive as its evolved forms. It has basic stats and while Water Gun has the ability to deal 30 damage, Poliwag may not survive long enough to reach that potential. Evolve it quickly, if you can. D-
Final Grade: If the Base Set weren't so chock full of great Water Pokémon, Poliwrath would be a common and formidable threat. It would probably get overshadowed in a Blastoise deck (even though having a Blastoise on hand would be helpful to set Poliwrath up quickly). But if you want to give Poliwrath a spin, you will find that it is a great participant in dual-typed decks, thanks to its Energy requirments. B+
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Even though the category only incorporates Electric-type Pokémon, the name is changed to Lightning. Lightning Pokémon seem to have the worst gimmick in that their Electric-based attacks cause themselves harm in addition to their opponent. Also, many of their attacks can cause Paralysis.
Common Weakness: Fighting
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HP: 60 Retreat Cost: 1 Weakness: Fighting Resistance: None
Magneton has a very small amount of HP. It is as if it is encouraging you to sacrifice it.
Thunder Wave (2L1C): 30
This is a very basic Lightning attack, dealing average damage and, potentially, Paralysis. But since Magneton’s other attack removes it from combat, you’ll have to rely on Thunder Wave to get you through your battles.
Self Destruct (2L2C): 80
This attack causes much devastation. Not only does it deal 80 Damage, but it also hits every other Pokémon in play with 20 Damage. The downside is that you can only use it once. Since your opponent receives a prize if you knock yourself out, you should only use it if they have many prizes to spare, if you are down to your last prize (since you’ll win first), or if you can take out multiple enemies. Definitely do not use it if it’ll take out any of your other Pokémon or if it’ll clearly result in you losing the game. Basing a deck around Magneton will be a poor choice.
Strategies Against Magneton
Aside from waiting for it to take itself out, you’ll want to stick with Fighting Pokémon. Hitmonchan and Diglett can take it down in one fell swoop, which would be ideal. You don’t want to give it the opportunity to use Self Destruct. Also, Dugtrio and Onix have the bonus of being able to with stand the blow.
Magnemite Overview
HP: 40 Retreat Cost: 1 Weakness: Fighting Resistance: None
Magnemite is basically a baby Magneton. It has weaker versions of Thunder Wave and Self Destruct. However, Magnemite fares a little better, in that it has a normal amount of HP for a Basic Pokémon, so it can really do some damage early. D+
Final Grade: The problem with Magneton and its junior is that their most powerful attacks knock them out. Use with caution. C+
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Psychic combines both Psychic and Ghost types into one magical category. Like a combination of Water and Grass types, Psychic types rely on damage multipliers and Special Conditions (usually Sleep and Confusion). The higher amounts of damage are usually based on the conditions of the opponent (like number of Energy cards or damage counters they have on them).
Common Weakness: Psychic (for original Psychic types) or None (for original Ghost types)
Common Resistance: Fighting (for original Ghost types)
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Example: Jynx
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HP: 70 Retreat Cost: 2 Weakness: Psychic Reistance: None
Now that's more like it! 70 HP is a great place to start with a Basic Pokémon without evolutions. It will be a while before Jynx goes down.
Doubleslap (1P): 10x
Unlike Tangela and Magmar, Jynx can start fighting right away! Yes, there is the possibility that its coin flips won't land on heads, but at least there is a chance! But basically this attack is here to stall until Jynx is strong enough for Meditate.
Meditate (2P1C): 20+
"10 more damage for each damage counter." That means, on a completely healthy opponent, Jynx would deliver 20 damage on the first turn, 40 damage on the next turn, and (if they are still alive) 60 damage on the final turn! Nothing will survive after that...except for Colorless types, which will only be able to go down if another Pokémon has damaged them by 20 hit points first. Still, those are few and far between, right?
Strategies Against Jynx
Yeah, unfortunately for many Psychic types, a single Rattata can out last them all, thanks to Psychic resistance. Perhaps this is a way to tone down the Psychic powerhouses from the games. This is why it's always a good idea to have some Colorless Pokémon on the support team to deal with any threats like this. If you don't have any, make sure you have plenty of healing cards. Also, Haunter is a great Psychic type that can take down fellow Psychics due to its lack of resistance.
Final Grade: This is another fine addition to the Haymaker decks as it can protect threats against Hitmonchan (and take out other Jynxes). While it probably couldn't carry a whole deck, it will hold its own for a long time. B
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Rock, Ground, and Fighting all become Fighting in the TCG. I would have gone for a more earthy representative due those first two types, so much so that I'll refer to them as "R" for Rock in shorthand. (Other sites may use "R" for FiRe to distinguish the two. Don't get confused.) Fighting types don't seem to have much of a gimmick other than high attack power for low energy cost and a high number of Hit Points (for those Rocks with high defense). This makes them tied with Water types for the best type in the Base Set.
Common Weakness: Psychic (for original Fighting types) or Grass (for original Rock or Ground types)
Common Resistance: Lightning (for original Ground types)
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HP: 100 Retreat Cost: 3 Weakness: Psychic Resistance: None
Machamp has the typical defense statistics of a Stage 2 Pokémon, which is great.
Pokémon Power: Strikes Back
Machamp will deliver 10 Damage whenever it is attacked, which is just a nice little bonus that may prevent your opponent from attacking, especially if they can only dish out small amounts of Damage. This allows Machamp to potentially dish out 100 extra points of Damage.
Seismic Toss (3R1C): 60
60 Damage is quite powerful, especially since there is no added drawback (like discarding Energy or damaging yourself). Also, one of the Energy Cards required can be of any type, which increases the chances of Machamp dishing out this attack in any type of deck.
Strategies Against Machamp
If you want to avoid the Damage produced by Strikes Back, your best bet is to hit with as many high-powered attacks as you can. Once again, Haunter will be a valuable asset when choosing Psychic types. Not only can it take Machamp down in one shot, but also it will prevent Strikes Back from taking effect. Plus, it is resistant to Seismic Toss. In fact, no other Pokémon will be better than Haunter in this situation, so follow its lead by copying its attributes with your other Pokémon.
Machoke Overview
HP: 80 Retreat Cost: 3 Weakness: Psychic Resistance: None
80 HP is great for a Stage 1 Pokémon, in theory. Of course, it needs this to survive its attacks. Machoke starts with Karate Chop, being the only Pokémon so far that has an attack that features a minus sign. 50 Damage is the ideal for this attack, but chances of you getting to use it to its fullest potential are slim. It will probably have some Damage left over from being a Machop, so already the attack is weakened. Even if you start with a healthy Machoke, it won’t last that way after one round. This will definitely be the case if you plan to use Submission. Like Seismic Toss, it delivers 60 Damage, but for the price of 20 Damage to oneself. Eventually, you’ll find Machoke in the precarious position of not wanting to use Submission and not being able to use Karate Chop. This unfortunate juxtaposition prevents Machoke from being able to stand on its own. Plus, the high Retreat Cost hinders Machoke greatly. C-
Machop Overview
HP: 50 Retreat Cost: 1 Weakness: Psychic Resistance: None
Machop is basically an underpowered Hitmonchan. It also possesses the ability to quickly deal 20 Damage with Low Kick. This plus its higher-than-average HP of 50 makes Machop the best Basic Pokémon that is part of a three-stage evolution. Although you’d be better of using Hitmonchan to support a Fighting deck, Machop is a great fighter for the beginning of any battle. D+
Final Grade: Machamp is the first powerful Pokémon Card that many players encountered, thanks to it being the star of the Starter Deck. Its family is solid, in that they have powerful attacks and high HP so that they last long on the battlefield. A-
Here's a Sample Machamp Deck!
4 – Machamp
2 – Machoke
4 – Machop
2 – Dugtrio
3 – Diglett
4 – Electabuzz
3 – Pokémon Breeder
4 – Super Potion
4 – Energy Retrieval
2 – Professor Oak
2 – Pokémon Trader
3 – Bill
17 – Fighting Energy
6 – Lightning Energy
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The oddest category of the bunch encapsulates Normal, Flying, and Dragon types. Probably based on the idea that Normal is the default type and its Pokémon can learn a variety of moves, Colorless Energy means that any type of Energy can fulfill its cost. Conversely, an Energy Card that is Colorless Energy based will only apply to Colorless Energy attack costs (as opposed to being useable for every type). Since all Flying types are dual-types, Flying can easily blend in with the neutral Colorless. And since there are only three Dragons (and two in Base Set), they get the Colorless treatment as well. Because there is such a large variety, we get a lot of wild cards, gimmick cards, and plain old average cards in this batch of Pokémon.
Common Weakness: Fighting (for original Normal types), Lightning (for original Flying types), or None (for original Dragon types)
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HP: 60 Retreat Cost: 1 Weakness: Fighting Resistance: Psychic
Here is another solid Stage 1 Pokémon. With a speedy retreat cost and a Resistance, Raticate plays very well defensively.
Bite (1C): 20
No surprises here. 20 damage for only one Energy? Sounds like a good deal to me.
Super Fang (3C): ?
Ah, let's stop and put our math skills to use, kids! Like in the games, Super Fang deals damage equal to half of the opponent's remaining HP. But since the TCG only deals in multiples of 10, you must round up to the nearest 10. So once an opponent is at 40 HP, you'd might as well use Bite to take you home. It's great for getting a lot of HP out of the way at first, but eventually, you'll have to use Bite twice to finish the job.
Strategies Against Raticate
Get your Fighting Pokémon out there. As with Magneton, Hitmonchan and Diglett are your best bets. Also, a Machop can nip a pesky Rattata problem in the bud. Just keep your Psychic Pokémon away because they'll never be able to do any damage.
Rattata Overview
HP: 30 Retreat Cost: 0 Weakness: Fighting Resistance: Psychic
For a weakling, Rattata is great! It may not last beyond two rounds but it starts hitting hard right away. Like Raticate, Rattata also knows Bite for the same attack cost and damage. And, as we said, unless it's up against a Haunter, Rattata can just start mowing down Psychic types if the opponent isn't careful. It won't hold up in the deep metagame, but it is one of the best opening round players. D+
Final Grade: Raticate is surprisingly strong for a "common" Pokémon, and would benefit nearly any deck it finds itself on (but it can't hold its own deck at all). C+
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Trainers
Trainers are an essential part of any Pokémon deck. While many of them can shake up the game with strange effects, the best ones are those that get you to your goals as quickly as possible. Usually that's setting up your strongest attackers, but there are also some neat combos that can unfold when used in tandem. The following cards are the most basic staples of any deck.
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Bill: There's nothing that beats the joy of drawing cards in a Pokémon game. Each draw strengthens your hand, so getting to draw 2 at once! I have never seen a deck without a Bill in it because its so useful to get to the cards you want. A
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Energy Removal: Perhaps only slightly more fun than drawing cards is setting your opponent's back a turn by removing Energy. Since only one Energy card can be attached per turn, a well-timed Energy Removal can ruin many a plan. They aren't seen in as many decks as they should be. A-
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Gust of Wind: Sometimes, you find yourself facing a much stronger opponent than you anticipated. Or maybe you see a weakling on an opponent's bench ready to go down in one hit. In those cases, a little Gust of Wind can ensure an easy victory. But sometimes its better to focus on your own stength than your opponent's weakness. B |
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Potion: Keep your fighter kicking just a little bit longer with a Potion! It comes in stronger varieties, though. B |
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Switch: The alternate tactic for when a Gust of Wind might be used. Instead of switching an opponent's Pokémon, you switch your own which is only useful when you aren't prepared to pay the Retreat Cost. Sometimes that's needed when you've got a better Pokémon on the bench, or a slow attacker is just getting pummeled. But I'd rather use Gust of Wind, if given the choice. B |
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