Card of the Day: Base Set Charizard

Charizard #4 (Base Set)

HP:  120   Retreat Cost:  3   Weakness:  Water   Resistance:  Fighting

It has the highest HP and a resistance, so it’s understandable that it has a high retreat cost.  However, if you have the power to fuel a retreat cost, you can destroy whatever is forcing you to retreat.   But if you don’t have the energy, your Charizard will unfortunately be caught in the line of fire and you’ll lose your powerful weapon.

Pokémon Power:  Energy Burn

Without this power, Charizard would still be pretty fierce, but with the ability to turn any Energy Card into Fire Energy makes Charizard amazing.  You could hypothetically put Charizard in any type deck and it could still fight, since Charmeleon and Charmander each have an attack that doesn’t require Fire Energy.

Fire Spin (4F):  100

Fire Pokémon in Base Set are known for their powerful attacks that require you to discard Energy Cards.  Giving up two for 100 Damage is a fair price, and thanks to Energy Burn, you can discard whatever you want.  Double Colorless Energy Cards help provide quick ammunition for this attack.

Strategies Against Charizard

Water Pokémon are your best bet against Charizard.  If you manage to build your Blastoise first, Charizard will present no threat.  If you don’t have Water on your side, your best bet is to use Energy Removal to eliminate Charizard’s power.  Chansey is the only other Pokémon that can withstand a Fire Spin, so if you manage to get a little bit of damage in before Chansey comes out, Double-Edge will come in handy.  Whatever you do, pray you don’t have mostly Grass or Fighting Pokémon in your deck.

Charmeleon Overview

HP: 80   Weakness: Water   Resistance: None   Retreat Cost: 1

Once Charmander has evolved, it is only a matter of time until Charizard is coming thanks to Charmeleon’s high HP. It can stick around for a long time on its own, dealing adequate damage with Slash or heavy damage with Flamethrower. However, the discarding of Fire Energy will slow Charmeleon down a bit. Still, you could easily get by with only using Charmeleon to support your Fire deck, as long as you have plenty of Energy Retrievals. C+

Charmander Overview

HP: 50   Weakness: Water   Resistance: None   Retreat Cost: 1

Charmander has high HP for a Basic Pokémon that evolves twice, which makes it ideal for early combat. Scratch is pitiful, dealing only 10 Damage, so if there is no Fire Energy in your deck, you are severely hindered. Ember is much better, but again, it’s not fun to discard Energy so early in the game. Taking hits is the best job for an early game Charmander. On its own, it won’t support a Fire deck very well; only use it if you plan to evolve it. D

Sample Charizard Deck

Charizard's best friend is Venusaur.  By combining Venusaur’s Energy Trans with Charizard’s Energy Burn, Charizard can have an endless supply of ammo. All of the Grass Energy that gets transported to Charizard will become Fire Energy. If Blastoise’s Rain Dance didn’t only apply to Water Pokémon, the starter trio would be a force to be reckoned with.

2 – Charizard
3 – Charmeleon
4 – Charmander
2 – Venusaur
3 – Ivysaur
4 – Bulbasaur
3 – Magmar
3 – Doduo
2 – Pokemon Trader
2 – Bill
4 – Energy Retrieval
4 – Double Colorless Energy
10 – Fire Energy
14 – Grass Energy

Final Grade: A+

Charizard is famously powerful and unstoppable. It takes a while to set up, but once it is prepared, it can decimate entire decks. It is the focus of whatever deck it is in.  Everyone loved it when it came out for good reason.

Card of the Day: Base Set Nidoking

Nidoking #11 (Base Set)

HP:  90   Retreat Cost:  3   Weakness:  Psychic   Resistance:  None

Nidoking has average stats.  Nidoking has average stats.  Nidoking has average stats.  Nidoking has average stats.

Thrash (1G2C):  30+

Nidoking has an average attack that could possibly do extra damage to the opponent or it can hit him instead.  So the extra effects cancel each other out and this is another average moment.  At least it isn't like the games where Thrash confuses the user, because that would be devastating in the TCG.

Toxic (3G):  20

Hey, here's a good attack!  Poison is already a good status ailment, but double Poison is a much quicker killer.  After two turns, most Pokémon will be out of commission.  Only the other Stage 2 Pokémon can last longer.  So, Toxic probably won't be the most reliable attack during the endgame, but it can pick off a lot of weaklings during the middle of the battle.

Strategies Against Nidoking

Since Grass Pokémon are usually weak to Fire, Nidoking can be a little surprising if you're unprepared.  Fortunately, a lot of Fire Pokémon hit hard and could take down Nidoking in one or two hits, but usually you'll want Haunter or Jynx to get your hits in.  Chansey can also withstand a lot of Toxic's effects.

Nidorino Overview

HP:  60   Retreat Cost:  1   Weakness:  Psychic   Resistance:  None

Nidorino is relatively better than Nidoking, and if it weren't for its average HP, it could carry a deck on its own.  Double Kick is pretty standard with a chance of 60 damage at the flip of two coins, but Horn Drill is where Nidorino shines.  With a well-timed Double Colorless Energy, Nidorino could be stomping down opponents left and right.  It's similar to fellow uncommon Stage 1 cards like Dewgong and Arcanine and is able to support any full or half-Grass deck.  B-

Nidoran Overview

HP:  40   Retreat Cost:  1   Weakness:  Psychic   Resistance:  None

If you're lucky, Nidoran can be an early beast.  It can KO several Basic Pokémon on the first turn, and cause significant damage to the rest.  Of course you run the risk of Horn Hazard not working, but it's not as if Nidoran will be your only Pokémon.  Obviously, you should evolve him quickly, but maybe you'll luck out on those early turns.  D+

Sample Nidoking Deck

I went with Grass/Psychic this time around.  Haunter is a great ally to Nidoking. Not only can it defend against other Psychic types, it can keep your opponents asleep while you poison them with Toxic. Poison is special in that it can be used in conjunction with any other Special Conditions. Paralysis only lasts one turn, but Confusion and Sleep can last for multiple turns. Confusion and Poison is another nice combination, but with 20 points of Damage every turn, Toxic will be fine slowly draining a sleeping opponent. Also, Haunter has a small Retreat Cost, so it can get in and out quickly.

2 - Nidoking

3 - Nidorino

4 - Nidoran

3 - Haunter

4 - Gastly

4 - Tangela

2 - Computer Search

3 - Super Potion

4 - Energy Retrieval

2 - Professor Oak

2 - Pokémon Trader

4 - Bill

11 - Grass Energy

8 - Psychic Energy

4 - Double Colorless Energy

Final Grade: B+

Venusaur may overshadow Nidoking, but it is still a strong Grass contender. His deadly Toxic attack is a force to be reckoned with.  If you want to use it for support or as a main, it shall do just fine.

Card of the Day: Base Set Beedrill

Beedrill #17 (Base Set)

HP:  80   Retreat Cost:  0   Weakness:  Fire   Resistance:  Fighting

80 HP is a little low for a Stage 2 Pokémon (considering it doesn't gain health through evolution), but a Resistance and no Retreat Cost are wonderful additions that help balance the creature.  (Apparently, the designers saw the wings and assumed Beedrill gets the standard Resistance that all Flying-types receive.  I'm not complaining.)

Twineedle (3C):  30x

This is Beedrill's standard attack.  Nothing special, outside of the Colorless cost, which means that Beedrill can assist in non-Grass decks.  And the chance of hitting 60 damage is nice, but I would stick with the more reliable Poison Sting.

Poison Sting (3G):  40

40 for 3 Energy is already a good deal, but the possibility for Poison makes this attack even better.  I once foun myself in possession of 4 Beedrills, and I realized that I could cause so much havoc just by Poison Stinging all of my opponents.  One Beedrill alone may not do the trick, but multiple working together can be a nightmare.

Strategies Against Beedrill

Take out the Weedles as soon as you can.  Kakuna will not fall down easily, and once Beedrill is in play, make sure you have some Full Heals on hand.  Fortunately, the weak HP means a Basic or Stage 1 Fire Pokémon like Charmeleon or Magmar can take it down.  But you have to make sure that you strike it down in own fell swoop, because it can retreat without penalty if it is in danger.  Unfortunately, not many non-Fire types can consistently deliver 80 damage points.

Kakuna Overview

HP:  80   Retreat Cost:  2   Weakness:  Fire   Resistance:  None

Kakuna's primary goal is to stall until Beedrill is available.  With a whopping (for a Stage 1 Pokémon) 80 HP and Stiffen, which can prevent damage, Kakuna can hold on for a long time.  Poisonpowder is just a weaker version of Beedrill's Poison Sting, but at least it can ensure that your opponent is taking damage while Stiffen is guarding Kakuna.  Kakuna is a well-oiled machine and staller for any Grass deck.  C+

Weedle Overview

HP:  40   Retreat Cost:  1   Weakness:  Fire   Resistance:  None

Weedle is the Beedrill's weak spot.  It can set up an early Poisoning with Poison Sting, but it won't last beyond 3 rounds.  Among the Basics it will be encountering early on, it is one of the weakest choices.  Better keep it on the bench until it is ready.  D-

Sample Beedrill Deck

You'll want many Beedrills attacking in full force.  In order to stall and protect the Weeles, I've enlisted some Seels and Staryus.  The Staryus can take out weak Fire Pokémon while the Seels are mini-walls.  And Dewgong is a powerhouse unto itself.  But with up to 4 Beedrills flying, they will experience little hassle.

4 - Beedrill

4 - Kakuna

4 - Weedle

2 - Starmie

3 - Staryu

2 - Dewgong

3 - Seel

4 - Bill

3 - Pokémon Trader

4 - Energy Removal

3 - Professor Oak

12 - Grass Energy

8 - Water Energy

4 - Double Colorless Energy

Final Grade: B+

As much as I enjoy Beedrill, I must admit that there are stronger Pokémon out there.  If you use the Poison well and time your Retreats perfectly, then Beedrill can be an annoying battler to come up against.  The weak Weedle is really the only thing holding this back from "A" territory for me, though.  Give Beedrill a try.  It's worth it.

Card of the Day: Base Set Venusaur

Venusaur #15 (Base Set)

HP:  100   Retreat Cost:  2   Weakness:  Fire   Resistance:  None

100 HP is great, but a Retreat Cost of 2 on a Stage 2 Pokémon?  That's impressive, especially considering how bulky Venusaur is as well as his versatile special power.

Pokémon Power:  Energy Trans

The evolved forms of the three starters each have a unique ability related to their specific Energy Type.  Venusaur can move any Grass Energy among the player's Pokémon in play.  This means, he can protect energy from being lost by moving them to a stable Pokémon, or, as is often the case, he can move all of the necessary Energy cards to the attacking Pokémon, satisfying their full attack costs (you know, if they require Grass or Colorless).  Many combos can be used with this method, including fueling Charizard's Energy Burn, or stripping a Pokémon of it's energy that would normally be discarded with a Scoop Up or Pokémon Center.

Solarbeam (4G):  60

60 damage without any drawbacks on a 4 Energy attack is wonderful, and with Energy Trans, there is very little chance that Venusaur would not be able to use this attack.  He can easily smash a Poliwrath, Gyarados, or a Dugtrio in one blow, but most of the other likely opponents will withstand at least one of these attacks.

Strategies Against Venusaur

Fire is your friend.  Charizard, Ninetales, and Arcanine will all be able to take a hit (and take Venusaur down in one fell swoop).  Even a lowly Magmar can manage a win.  But otherwise, you had better hope you aren't weak against Grass.

Ivysaur Overview:

HP:  60   Retreat Cost:  1   Weakness:  Fire   Resistance:  None

The best strategy to use would be a Poisonpowder attack first, followed by Vine Whip repeatedly.  This makes Ivysaur a slightly better version of Tangela, as long as you're willing to wait for an evolution.  The Colorless Energy cost for Vine Whip implies that Ivsaur could provide adequate support for a dual-typed deck that can't bother waiting for it to evolve into Venusaur.  I could see it supporting a Beedrill or Nidoking quite well.  C+

Bulbasaur Overview:

HP:  40   Retreat Cost:  1   Weakness:  Fire   Resistance:  None

Waiting for two Energy cards to build the first attack is not great, especially when there is only 40 HP to play with.  Leech Seed at least has the bonus of healing Bulbasaur slowly, buying it some time.  But, unless your opponent is only attacking with 10 damage at a time, the extra health won't be much of a factor.  It's safer on the bench.  D

Sample Venusaur Deck

To aptly play your Venusaur, you'll want enough Pokémon that will benefit from the multiple Grass Energy's floating around.  With Ivysaur, Tangela, and Beedrill, there will be a nonstop barrage of Poison.  And several Scoop Ups and Pokémon Centers can ensure your Pokémon stay healthy without suffering the Energy payment.  And the Chansey can stall if there are any Fire opponents.

2 - Venusaur

3 - Ivysaur

4 - Bulbasaur

4 - Tangela

2 - Beedrill

2 - Kakuna

4 - Weedle

2 - Chansey

4 - Scoop Up

4 - Pokémon Center

4 - Bill

3 - Pokémon Breeder

2 - Professor Oak

20 - Grass Energy

Final Grade: A

Venusaur is rightfully one of the strongest powerhouses in the Base Set.  Energy Trans can be helpful in so many decks that it almost seems like a broken power.  Fortunately, Base Set is filled with broken cards, so playing with Venusaur can still provide an adequate challenge at times.  But wait until you see what Charizard and Blastoise are up to.

Base Set

Bulbapedia Article (All images borrowed from Bulbapedia)

The success of the games was soon followed by the Pokémon Trading Card Game, which helped the Pokémon world dominate playgrounds across the world.  At this point Wizards of the Coast had been doing very well in the TCG department with Magic: The Gathering but Pokémon proved that it could hold its own with the TCG giant.

It all started with the Base Set, designed to introduce players new to the TCG world to the basics of playing and collecting.  The system set in place was fairly simple to pickup and has remained virtually unchanged for the past 17 years.

Before I analyze all of the cards in the set, let us look at the starter and intermediate decks provided to players.  Japanese customers were treated to a box of 60 random cards, which provided 5 of each Energy, , , , and .  The American decks were fixed and set up to be immediately playable, with 60 cards that could be split into two half-decks and a "bonus" Machamp card which could be substituted into the dec.  (Officially, only 60 cards are allowed per playable deck.)  For each American deck, I shall supply the deck list along with the cards I'd remove in red and the cards I'd add in green to strengthen the decks (while retaining the theme).  A good deck balance has about 20 Pokémon (10 Basic, 6 Stage 1, 4 Stage 2), 15 Trainers, and 25 Energy, although obviously the numbers can fluctuate depending on the strategy used.  And you'll never want only 1 of any card.

Starter Deck (Japanese) 1 Holographic Rare 1 Non-Holographic Rare 8 Uncommon 20 Common 5 Grass Energy 5 Fire Energy 5 Water Energy 5 Lightning Energy 5 Psychic Energy 5 Fighting Energy Booster Packs 1 Rare 3 Uncommon 5 Common 2 Non Special Energy

2-Player Starter Set (American) 4 Machop 2 Machoke 1 Machamp +1 Machamp 4 Charmander 2 Charmeleon +2 Charizard 2 Rattata +1 Rattata +2 Raticate 1 Bill +2 Bill 1 Energy Retrieval +2 Energy Retrieval 2 Potion 2 Switch +3 Pokémon Breeder +2 Professor Oak 12 Fighting Energy 8 Fire Energy +4 Double Colorless Energy -3 Diglett -4 Ponyta -1 Growlithe -1 Dratini -1 Energy Removal -1 Gust of Wind -1 Pokédex -2 Fighting Energy -6 Fire Energy

Overgrowth 4 Bulbasaur 2 Ivysaur +2 Venusaur 4 Weedle 2 Kakuna 1 Beedrill +1 Beedrill 2 Magikarp +1 Magikarp 1 Gyarados +1 Gyarados 2 Bill +2 Bill 2 Gust of Wind 2 Super Potion +3 Pokémon Breeder +2 Professor Oak +2 Computer Search 12 Grass Energy 12 Water Energy -4 Staryu -3 Starmie -1 Potion -2 Switch -4 Grass Energy

Zap! 4 Pikachu +3 Raichu +3 Electabuzz 3 Gastly +1 Gastly 2 Haunter +1 Haunter 1 Mewtwo +2 Mewtwo 2 Bill +2 Bill 1 Computer Search +2 Computer Search 1 Defender +2 Defender 2 Gust of Wind 1 Super Potion +3 Super Potion 12 Lightning Energy 12 Psychic Energy -4 Psychic Energy -3 Magnemite -3 Abra -1 Kadabra -2 Drowzee -2 Jynx -1 Potion -1 Professor Oak -2 Switch

Brushfire 4 Charmander 2 Charmeleon +2 Charizard 2 Vulpix +1 Vulpix 1 Ninetales +1 Ninetales 4 Nidoran +2 Nidorino +2 Nidoking 2 Energy Retrieval +1 Energy Retrieval 1 Lass +1 Lass +3 Pokémon Breeder +2 Computer Search +3 Bill 12 Fire Energy 10 Grass Energy +4 Double Colorless Energy -2 Growlithe -1 Arcanine -4 Weedle -2 Tangela -1 Energy Removal -1 Gust of Wind -1 PlusPower -3 Potion -1 Switch - 6 Fire Energy

Blackout 4 Squirtle 2 Wartortle +3 Blastoise +3 Seel +2 Dewgong 3 Onix 1 Hitmonchan +3 Hitmonchan 4 Energy Removal 1 PlusPower +2 PlusPower 1 Professor Oak +1 Professor Oak 1 Super Energy Removal +1 Super Energy Removal +2 Pokémon Breeder +2 Computer Search 12 Fighting Energy 12 Water Energy -3 Sandshrew -4 Machop -2 Machoke -3 Staryu -2 Farfetch'd -1 Gust of Wind -4 Fighting Energy

These decks, with these modifications, shall give players a basic sense of how to play the game.  For an in-depth analysis of each card, please consult the following list (UPDATED WEEKLY):

1. Alakazam 2. Blastoise 3. Chansey 4. Charizard 5. Clefairy 6. Gyarados 7. Hitmonchan 8. Machamp 9. Magneton 10. Mewtwo 11. Nidoking 12. Ninetales 13. Poliwrath 14. Raichu 15. Venusaur 16. Zapdos 17. Beedrill 18. Dragonair 19. Dugtrio 20. Electabuzz 21. Electrode 22. Pidgeotto 23. Arcanine 24. Charmeleon 25. Dewgong 26. Dratini

27. Farfetch'd 28. Growlithe 29. Haunter 30. Ivysaur 31. Jynx 32. Kadabra 33. Kakuna 34. Machoke 35. Magikarp 36. Magmar 37. Nidorino 38. Poliwhirl 39. Porygon 40. Raticate 41. Seel 42. Wartortle 43. Abra 44. Bulbasaur 45. Caterpie 46. Charmander 47. Diglett 48. Doduo 49. Drowzee 50. Gastly 51. Koffing 52. Machop

53. Magnemite 54. Metapod 55. Nidoran 56. Onix 57. Pidgey 58. Pikachu 59. Poliwag 60. Ponyta 61. Rattata 62. Sandshrew 63. Squirtle 64. Starmie 65. Staryu 66. Tangela 67. Voltorb 68. Vulpix 69. Weedle 70. Clefairy Doll 71. Computer Search 72. Devolution Spray 73. Impostor Prof. Oak 74. Item Finder 75. Lass 76. Pokémon Breeder 77. Pokémon Trader 78. Scoop Up

79. Super Energy Removal 80. Defender 81. Energy Retrieval 82. Full Heal 83. Maintenance 84. PlusPower 85. Pokémon Center 86. Pokémon Flute 87. Pokédex 88. Professor Oak 89. Revive 90. Super Potion 91. Bill 92. Energy Removal 93. Gust of Wind 94. Potion 95. Switch 96. Double Colorless Energy 97. Fighting Energy 98. Fire Energy 99. Grass Energy 100. Lightning Energy 101. Psychic Energy 102. Water Energy

The Base Set was a wonderful introduction to the series, and although a few of the cards may have broken the game, it set the standard for exciting battles, glorious art, and a sense of community.