Zoroark GX/Weavile - The Most Competitive Deck from Ultra Prism

With the 2018 St. Louis Regional Championships for the Pokemon TCG taking place this past weekend, it was a surprise to me that the most competitive and most popular deck using Ultra Prism cards was a deck built around Zoroark GX from Shining Legends and Weavile from Ultra Prism. With so many competitive cards in the set, including Glaceon GX, Dusk Mane Necrozma GX, and Leafeon GX, it was a shock that a card I didn't even consider when the set was first released was the card included in lots of winning decks. Now, this may change in the future, since a card like Weavile is easier to fit into existing decks than building a new deck around a powerful Pokemon like Dusk Mane Necrozma GX, but I can certainly see why this Weavile card is so good.

Right now in the 2018 Standard Format the two most powerful decks would be Gardevoir GX/Zoroark GX, and Buzzwole GX/Lycanroc GX, I think this deck including Weavile is already a close 3rd. All you have to do is take a look at these decks and it is no wonder why Weavile is so good, Gardevoir GX, Zoroark GX, and Lycanroc GX all depend on Abilities, same goes for Tapu Lele GX, so a majority of the time most Pokemon in play are cards with Abilities and GX or EX cards, by multiplying 50 damage times the number of your opponent's Pokemon that have Abilities, this card can one hit knock out pretty much anything out there, add a Choice Band to this card and it can easily do 180 damage per turn for only one Energy card. The best thing about this card is that it only allows your opponent to take one Prize card if it is knocked out.

Both Zoroark GX and Weavile are weak to Fighting type Pokemon, which is a big disadvantage, but you can add something like Zoroark from BREAKthrough with its Stand In Ability to quickly knock out a Pokemon that is set up, plus, if you keep Zoroark GX and Weavile on the Bench until you're ready to attack, Buzzwole GX can only do 30 damage to them. So, if you are looking to build a somewhat budget friendly deck, I would highly recommend taking a look at these two cards, Weavile is only a couple of dollars online, and Zoroark GX can be bought directly from a sealed product if you like.

Zoroark GX is the main Pokemon in a deck like this, the reason Zoroark GX is so popular is because it both has a great Ability and a powerful move. Trade, its Ability, allows you to draw two cards every turn, all you have to do is discard one card from your hand.  Riotous Beating is its best move, allowing you to attack for one Double Colorless Energy, and if you have a full Bench, allowing you to do 120 damage per turn. Add in the fact that Zoroark GX has a high HP, and you can see why this card is so popular, other than being weak to Fighting type Pokemon, it is perfect, quick on the attack, allows you to draw cards every turn, and packs a major wallop! Plus, if you're building a solely Darkness type deck, it is possible to use Trickster GX too.

Both Sneasel and Weavile are available in Ultra Prism. One thing I like about Sneasel is that it has 70 HP, so if you are forced to put it into the Active Pokemon spot to start the game, it can last a turn without getting knocked out, plus, it needs 3 attacks by Buzzwole GX on the Bench to get knocked out. And if the chips fall correctly, you can really set back your opponent if you can use Sneaky Smash and remove an Energy they put into play. Weavile doesn't have an above average HP by any means, but it does have two moves that both only require one Energy card to use. In a deck like this one, with Zoroark GX, you're going to be using 4 Double Colorless Energy and the rest Darkness Energy, so either move on this card shouldn't be a problem to use. Evil Admonition is the move to use on Weavile as it does 50 damage times the number of your opponent's Pokemon that have Abilities on them. Early in a game, you could easily knock out the defending Pokemon by doing only 100 damage. Even if Weavile is knocked out, your opponent only gets one Prize card, and using something like Rescue Stretcher, you can get both cards back into your deck. I think it will be very advantageous in the future to have powerful attackers in your deck that only count as one Prize card when knocked out. Icy Wind isn't a terrible move either, as it can put the defending Pokemon to Sleep and give you more time to set up your Pokemon.

Overall, I would highly recommend at least testing out a deck built around Zoroark GX and Weavile, like I said, this is a cheaper deck to build and it is a deck that can still win battles and do very well! I look forward to reviewing some Ultra Prism decks on my channel, and this deck will certainly be one of them.

Future Value of Ultra Prism?

With the rumors swirling about Ultra Prism being out of print and the fact that it is such a good set for the competitive Pokemon TCG, I have been getting lots of questions about what I think will happen to this set in the future. What will happen to individual cards in this set, as well as sealed products, and what is the recommended route to complete the set.

First off, I still haven't seen anything official about this set being out of print, most on social media agree that there may be a lull in printing to fix Cyrus Prism Star, but there is no way the set is just plain out of print, plus, even if it is out of print, lots of retailers online are selling booster boxes and cards for very reasonable prices. Just today on YouTube I did post a video on how much each individual secret rare and ultra rare from this set is worth, this gives a good outline of the more valuable cards in the set and which cards are more desirable for the TCG at this point in time.

Prices for cards in a new set usually follow the same pattern, prices are very high any time before the official release date, shortly after release date, all cards drop in price, then a couple of weeks after, cards that are good in the TCG and in high demand go back up in value, and those not good in the TCG, continue to drop. If you're looking to complete a set as soon as possible, never buy sealed products, just buy the cards individually. I personally like to purchase 2 booster boxes of the set then purchase individual cards. If you're tight on money, or just want to collect a set the cheapest way possible, wait until a set is out of the Standard Format, that is usually 2 to 3 years after a set is released, at that point, the cards will lose their demand, supply will increase, and prices will drop. I personally have put $1,000 into Ultra Prism to complete the set. With so many secret rares, this set will always be expensive to complete, but I could see it costing $200 to complete instead of $500 if you're just buying singles, a couple of years down the road compared to now.

While this set is new, booster boxes should remain around $90 to $100, for the next 2 or 3 years boxes should stay around this price range, about 5 years from now is when the price will jump to several hundred. I would compare this set to Guardians Rising, there are lots of good Trainer cards in this set as well as Pokemon GX. Similar to N and Professor Sycamore, I am sure Cynthia will be reprinted in future sets, meaning Cynthia from this set will remain playable after Ultra Prism is rotated out, so it is always a good idea obtaining sealed products of Ultra Prism, as Cynthia will always be worth $4+.

Long term, I think this is a set worth investing in. Most sets that are worth more down the road, I'm talking sealed products, contain either lots of Legendary Pokemon or starters from a specific Generation of Pokemon. Ultra Prism features both of these things, Legendary Pokemon including Ultra Beasts, plus lots of 4th Generation Pokemon, which is when I think lots of collectors, like myself, starting collecting again, so this Generation of Pokemon holds a special place in people's hearts, therefore increasing demand because of the nostalgia of the set.

If you are looking to buy cards from this set for building a deck, always purchase the regular GX form of a Pokemon, it is always cheapest. Most times, if you wait a couple of months, the Full Art and Rainbow Rare forms of the cards drop a little. Also, remember that Solgaleo GX and Lunala GX are reprinted from Sun & Moon Base Set, so there is no reason to go out and buy the gold-colored ones in this set. For the time being, Glaceon, Dusk Mane Necrozma, and Leafeon would be the best GX cards in this set and the most expensive Pokemon to buy. Overall, Cynthia is easily the best card in the set, but if you're deck building, the uncommon Cynthia does exactly the same as the Full Art, just with less style.

So to end this article, if you're just getting into the Pokemon TCG, I would highly recommend this set, if you want to complete this set, wait a couple of years until prices go down, and if you are a sealed product collector, this is one to collect, no reason to think this set won't be worth it in the future!

Why does it cost so much to collect Pokemon cards?

Although Ultra Prism has only been out for a week, I've already invested $1,000 into the set. Why is it so expensive to collect Pokemon cards? For me, the goal is to always complete newly released sets as quickly as possible, merely for the satisfaction of completing the set. What I do is I buy 2 sealed booster boxes, and all other sealed products released, like Elite Trainer Boxes and blister packs, then I finish the set by buying singles. I am happy to say that I have already completed the Ultra Prism set, but it seems like with each new set in the Pokemon TCG, I have to spend more and more money! Between sealed products and singles, I spent around $1,000. There is no possible way that children or those not working full time can afford to complete sets like this! While I enjoy collecting large sets like Ultra Prism, with 173 total cards, I would be much happier if Pokemon removed GX Rainbow Rares from sets, or, if they made several regular GX in a set, then only made a few cards available as GX Full Art or GX Rainbow Rare. Of course, I could save a lot of money if I waited until sets like this were out of the Standard Format, but it isn't as fun to collect when the set is older.

As I'm getting more and more involved in the competitive TCG, my goal to collect as many cards as possible is decreasing, I would much rather just buy the cards I need for a deck individually, or only buy booster boxes to get what I need. While it is a cool feeling going to a retail store and picking up all of the collection boxes or blister packs in stock, most times, the promo cards included in these products are either reprints from regular sets, or just aren't that good in the TCG. That got me thinking, I wonder what other collectors and players of the Pokemon TCG do to complete a set or to get cards they need, do they open sealed products, or do they just buy what they need individually.

My motto when it comes to buying singles cards is to check several online retailers as well as eBay and TCGPlayer to find the cheapest prices I can for each individual card, since I'm not sending my cards in to get graded, I don't necessarily need to see the exact condition of the card I'm buying, just having the near-mint designation is fine. While most retailers change their prices daily to stay competitive, I still find it best to search around, it is almost a guarantee that no one site will have the cheapest prices for every card you're looking for.

So this brings me to my question, what do you spend to maintain your Pokemon card collecting hobby? Do you try and complete sets when you're collecting, do you just buy your favorite Pokemon, or do you solely collect the cards you need for a certain deck? Lately I've been playing the online game a ton, mainly because the cards are cheaper to purchase, and you can quickly re-use the same card in multiple decks without having to build the deck again. For a hobby that seems to get more expensive with every new set, I'm all about trying to be frugal and save where I can, but still enjoy the hobby I've been doing since I was a kid.

Is Pokemon TCG Ultra Prism really OUT OF PRINT?

If you've been reading any Pokemon TCG related sites lately, or follow those involved on social media, there have been lots of rumors of Ultra Prism going out of print. This news is very shocking, considering it was just released a week ago! While I can't find any official news out there, my best guess would be that the Pokemon company will not be printing any additional booster boxes until the Cyrus Prism Star card is fixed, once it is fixed, booster boxes will be printed like normal. With that being said, many suppliers and retailers out there are still selling Ultra Prism products.

There are also rumors out there that printing of Ultra Prism booster boxes will be stopped for good, to increase demand of the "Collection" boxes that sit on shelves and never seem to sell that include Ultra Prism packs. While this may be a good idea, to make a larger profit on current products, I can't imagine with such a popular set like Ultra Prism, that they will stop printing booster boxes.

As far as prices go, I was one of the consumers who went out and bought another booster box of Ultra Prism as soon as I heard the rumors, I bought my box for $84.95 from eBay, now that same seller is listing the booster box as out of print and charging $109.95. While there may be some merit to buying a booster box at this price, you can still find several retailers online, like Troll and Toad, selling their boxes for $89.95.

To summarize, if Ultra Prism is truly going to be out of print until March, prices of both sealed products and singles should rise, in the short term, but don't panic, either try and find these cards at reasonable prices, or just wait a few weeks and get the newer print of Ultra Prism, with the correct Cyrus Prism Star.

Cyrus Prism Star, error version.

If you know any official news on this subject, please let me know! Right now, I'm trying to collect as many Cyrus Prism Star cards as possible, but who knows which one will be more popular! And a reminder, just because you see a rumor like this online, don't automatically believe it!

Ultra Prism - The Most Popular Decks

Dusk Mane Necrozma GX Deck

With Ultra Prism being a newly released set in the Pokemon TCG, there are lots of players testing cards from the set on the Pokemon TCG online. It seems like two decks have been used the most, a Dusk Mane Necrozma GX deck, and a Glaceon GX deck. In my opinion, the Dusk Mane Necrozma GX deck is a superior deck, especially since it can take down Gardevoir GX and any deck with Alolan Ninetales very easily. Glaceon GX is usually paired with Zoroark GX, this is more of a two hit knock out deck, but Glaceon GX does shut down Abilities of EX and GX cards of your opponents when Glaceon is in the Active Pokemon spot.

Most decks built around Dusk Mane Necrozma GX also use Solgaleo Prism Star and Magnezone. Both Solgaleo and Magnezone from Ultra Prism help accelerate Metal Energy into play, plus, the way Energy cards are accelerated can't be stopped by something like Glaceon GX. This deck is certainly a one hit knock out deck, since Dusk Mane Necrozma GX can do at least 220 damage when attacking. This deck does go through a lot of Energy cards, but Mt. Coronet from Ultra Prism can help retrieve Energy from the discard pile, putting them into your hand, plus you can add things like Energy Recyler to get more Energy cards back into your deck. Dusk Mane Necrozma is overpowered, 100%, since its GX move can do 250 damage with no consequences. You can also use Solgaleo Prism Star as a primary attacker, since it can do 160 damage, and a card with 160 HP is a lot to try and knock out and only get 1 prize card. So essentially with this deck, if you are looking for massive power, this is a deck to consider building.

Cards featured in a Glaceon GX deck.

Glaceon GX was one of the most hyped cards in a long time, now that the card is released, many are doubting how good it will be. Like I mentioned above, any deck with Glaceon GX is mainly a two hit knock out deck, since Glaceon GX can only normally do 90 damage per turn. However, if you do need to knock out something, Glaceon's GX move does do massive damage, if the defending Pokemon already has some damage on it. Most Glaceon GX decks I've faced so far include Zoroark GX. Zoroark GX is used for its Ability from the Bench, allowing you to draw two cards, but also for its Riotous Beating move, which does 120 damage per turn. I've seen both Alolan Ninetales from Burning Shadows in Glaceon GX decks, since its Ability prevents all effects of attacks from GX and EX Pokemon, and I've seen Alolan Ninetales GX used in Glaceon GX decks, Alolan Ninetales GX can do more damage when attacking, 160, and it can do 50 damage to any Pokemon in play, allowing Glaceon to use its GX attack more effectively.

So for now, the two most popular decks from Ultra Prism would be decks based around Dusk Mane Necrozma GX and Glaceon GX, both decks certainly are good, but going forward, I expect Dusk Mane Necrozma to be much more popular. I will be reviewing versions of both decks on my YouTube channel in the near future.

Prism Star Cards - Pokemon TCG

All 6 Prism Star cards from the Ultra Prism set.

The newest set in the Pokemon TCG, Ultra Prism, was highly anticipated by competitive players of the TCG, Prism Star cards were one of those reasons. Prism Star cards are more powerful Pokemon, Trainers, and Special Energy cards. When deck building, you can't use more than 1 copy of a Prism Star card with the same name, and when a Prism Star card is normally discarded, it goes to the Lost Zone instead. There are a total of 6 Prism Star cards in the Ultra Prism set. These cards come in the reverse holo slot of the pack and on average, are 2 to 3 per booster box, it is possible to get both a Star Prism card and an ultra rare or secret rare in the same pack. For being more powerful, value wise, these cards aren't worth much, at least not yet, you're looking at $6 or less per card. I would assume Prism Star cards will be in the next several Sun and Moon series sets, similar to how BREAK cards were in the final XY series of sets.

Taking a look at the 6 different Prism Star cards, and I have obtained all 6 from my openings already, there are two that I really like, Solgaleo, and Cyrus, and both can be used in the same Metal type deck. Solgaleo is my favorite Prism Star cards for a couple of reasons, first, it does have a very high HP, which could be 200, with a Fighting Fury Belt attached to it, making it a tank of a card to take down and only get 1 prize card. Second, if you're facing something like Glaceon GX, and your EX and GX Pokemon's Abilities are disabled, you can still use this card's Radiant Star move to quickly attach Energy, probably to Dusk Mane Necrozma GX from this set. Plus, you can do 160+ damage with this card, you just need four Energy cards on it first. With the popularity of Zoroark GX, and its need to have a full Bench to do 120 damage with Riotous Beating, this can greatly increase the number of Energy cards you're able to attach with Solgaleo. So again, Solgaleo Prism Star is my favorite Prism Star in the set, I like its high HP, and both of its moves, especially if Glaceon GX becomes popular, this card doesn't rely on an Ability and it isn't a GX or EX card, so it works perfectly to accelerate Metal type Energy into play. Plus, Metal type Pokemon have a huge advantage over Fairy type decks, Sylveon GX and Gardevoir GX in particular.

My second favorite Prism Star in this set would be Cyrus. It is important to note that the Cyrus pictured above and all of the Cyrus Prism Star cards printed so far have an error in the description of what the card does. Currently, the card says "You can't play this card if you don't have any Water or Metal Pokemon in play", the correct version should say something like "You can't play this card if you don't have a Water or Metal Pokemon in your Active Pokemon spot". Regardless, if you're building a Water or Metal type deck, this card is beyond useful, quickly removing up to 4 of your opponent's Pokemon in play. This card can remove Pokemon that have Abilities that are used on the Bench, or, if your opponent already has a lot of Energy on their Benched Pokemon, it can ruin their strategy of getting lots of Energy into play quickly. The two Prism Star cards from this set I like most can certainly be used together in a deck, just make sure to use Solgaleo first, then Cyrus, otherwise, Solgaleo won't be able to add many Energy to your Pokemon if your opponent doesn't have many Pokemon in play. You could also use Cyrus with Glaceon GX, although it may backfire. More than likely if your opponent has played a couple of Tapu Lele GX, they will decide to remove them from play when you lay down Cyrus, but, if you have Glaceon GX in the Active Pokemon spot, when they get Tapu Lele GX back into their hand, they won't be able to utilize its Ability, Wonder Tag and grab a supporter when putting it on their Bench. This Cyrus card also weakens Zoroark GX, as it reduces the number of Benched Pokemon in play, having its attack go from 120 to only 40.

As far as the other Prism Star cards go, I was really excited about Super Boost Energy when it was first released in Japan, but the more I look at it, the more I think it won't be used. Sure, providing 4 Energy at once is very helpful, but I can't think of many decks that I've built where I have three Stage 2 Pokemon set up at the same time, and if I do, I probably have plenty of Energy in play already. Plus, Stage 2 Pokemon that are useful, like Vikavolt, Metagross GX, Gardevoir GX, and Decidueye GX, all either accelerate Energy attachment, or, they are only used from the Bench, so having 4 Energy cards at once isn't that important. The only deck I could see getting lucky with Super Boost Energy would be Gardevoir, since you may have two Gardevoir GX set up at once plus a Gallade, by laying down a Super Boost Energy, it would do 120 more damage when attacking with Gardevoir GX. And if you do have three Stage 2 Pokemon in play, and let's say they are close to being knocked out, you can slap a Super Boost Energy on Tapu Lele and do at least 80 damage, 110 damage with a Choice Band, in one quick move.

Lunala Prism Star is very similar to Solgaleo Prism Star, having an identical first move, in this case allowing you to attach up to 6 Psychic Energy cards from your discard pile to your Pokemon in one turn. The second move on this card, has lots of potential, since it can do 20 damage times the number of all Energy in play, so if you are facing a Gardevoir GX deck, it can do major damage. I would still prefer building a Metal type deck, using Solgaleo Prism Star and Dusk Mane Necrozma GX, just because Dusk Mane Necrozma is guaranteed to do 220 damage per turn, and Gardevoir GX is weak to Metal type Pokemon, but if you have any high attack cost Psychic Pokemon, Lunala Prism Star is a must!

Darkrai Prism Star and Giratina Prism Star are easily the poorest cards of the 6, both Pokemon are similar, with their Ability allowing you to move two Darkness or Psychic Energy from your hand to that specific Pokemon when it is put onto the Bench. So unlike the first move on Lunala and Solgaleo, the Abilities on these two cards only apply to Darkrai and Giratina. Both Darkrai and Giratina can do major damage when attacking, 120 and 160, but for the amount of Energy cards required, and the fact the you need Energy cards in your hand in order to use their Abilities, neither card is worth using when deck building. Between these two cards, Darkrai is the better one.

Personally, I have now opened around 150 booster packs of Ultra Prism and have lots of openings to post to YouTube very soon. I am currently working on reviewing a Zoroark GX and Golisopod GX deck, but hope to get to building a Metal type deck with Solgaleo Prism Star, very soon!

Shopping for Ultra Prism Pokemon Cards

Ultra Prism at Target

As many know, yesterday, February 2nd, 2018, was the official release date of Ultra Prism. The goal on my channel is to always open products as soon as they are released. When Crimson Invasion was released, I did a shopping video where I went to my local Walmart and showed everything they had in stock, plus purchased everything that was new, that video was well received, so I headed to Mankato, Minnesota, about an hour away from where I live, in hopes of recording the Ultra Prism selection at several different stores there, unfortunately, several hours later, I am writing this blog post instead of uploading a shopping video to YouTube.

I took a vacation day from working to head to Mankato to hit up all of the stores in search of Ultra Prism, I figured in a town of 50,000+, at least one store would have the set in stock. After a full day of searching, only one store had Ultra Prism in stock, and even then, it wasn't a full selection. In the picture at the beginning of this post, you can see the selection of Ultra Prism that was at Target, they had the theme decks, individual booster packs, each of the 3-pack blisters, and unfortunately had already sold out of the Elite Trainer Boxes. I was still hopeful, thinking the toys section would be stocked up with Ultra Prism, I went back to that section, and it was pretty much empty, the newest set back there being Burning Shadows, I was so disappointed! I actually preordered the theme decks, both Elite Trainer Boxes, and the 3-pack blisters, so I was really only in search for the 1-pack blisters and the Collector's Album, and Target didn't have these in stock at all.

Next up, in the mall where Target is located is a GameStop, I had a lot of success with Pokemon cards during the Clearance Sale there, so I figured they would have at least some Ultra Prism products in stock and for sale, but no luck at all!

GameStop

They had some Crimson Invasion products as well as lots of older Sun & Moon Base Set booster packs, I think they should have just sold those during their clearance sale! I can see why the Elite Trainer Boxes were gone at Target so fast, if no where else was selling the set.

All hope wasn't lost shopping in the River Hills Mall, on the other end of the mall was a Barnes and Noble store, I had been there several times, and every time I was there, my book was always in stock, of course the one day I have my video camera with me, my book is gone! Oh well, I'm glad someone purchased it, I hope they're enjoying it. Barnes and Noble usually does have a nice sealed product assortment, so I stopped to look, no

Barnes and Noble

Ultra Prism products here either.  Knowing that Shopko is always behind stocking new Pokemon cards, and that the Walmart located here never has a good selection of Pokemon cards, that ended my hunt for Ultra Prism.

The day wasn't all terrible, I did have a wonderful time with my fiance, we ate at Olive Garden, and she bought! We did some shopping in the mall, and relaxed in the massage chairs and watched the people for awhile. If you've been following me on Twitter, you know my fiance bought me two Parakeets as an early Christmas present, unfortunately Daisy fell ill and passed away, so we used the time in Mankato to go to the three pet stores and find a new bird. After lots of searching we purchased a beautiful white and blue/gray/purple female that is very friendly, without any training she hopped on my finger and even sat on my shoulder, her name is Priscilla.

My new Parakeet, Priscilla.

I did head to the local Walmart when I got back into town, they did have Ultra Prism in stock, but it looked like the card section was in the middle of being stocked, there were theme decks, Elite Trainer Boxes, and individual packs, but no blister packs. The hope is to head to Walmart Saturday night and record a shopping video for YouTube. If you have any suggestions for me in that particular video, let me know.

Ultra Prism at Walmart

Pokemon TCG Ultra Prism - My Initial Thoughts

Today, February 2nd, 2018 is the official release date of the 77th expansion set in the Pokemon TCG, Ultra Prism. Although today is the official release date, I've already personally opened around 100 booster packs. Below, you'll find my initial thoughts on the new set...

Wow, this is one large set! With 173 total cards in Ultra Prism, this will not be an easy set for the wallet, this may be the first set in quite some time where I have to sell my duplicates in order to afford all of the ultra rares and secret rares in the set. Also, this is the first new set released where I can honestly say I have a good understanding of the current format and can jump right into building decks for the 2018 Standard Format with cards from the set. So the collector in me, and the competitive player are really pleased overall with the set, there are so many good cards in this set!

As a collector I can't wait to pull 1 of the 2 gold-colored GX Full Art Secret Rare cards, Lunala and Solgaleo. I've watched lots of openings and have been told that these cards are hard to come by, we're talking about less than 1 in 5 booster boxes, these cards may be the next Gold Star cards, we'll just have to see if they continue to appear in Forbidden Light and other future sets. I was lucky enough to pull a golden Solgaleo GX in my Japanese GX Battle Boost booster box, so I hope I don't have to end up buying each card individually in this set! I also like that 3 Ultra Beasts, Pheromosa, Xurkitree, and Celesteela are available as GX Full Art and GX Rainbow Rare cards in this set, after having regular GX forms, as Black Star Promos, in the Ultra Beasts GX Premium Collection Boxes.

Solgaleo Prism Star 89/156

I also really like the Prism Star cards in this set, they come in the reverse holo slot of the pack and are very appealing to the eye, with a black border that really stands out. I am assuming these cards will be in lots of decks in the future, although only 1 copy of the same Prism Star card can be used in a deck. The last thing I like about Ultra Prism, when it comes to collecting would be that the set includes lots of 4th Generation Pokemon, Pokemon featured in the Diamond and Pearl series of games and sets, I personally started on YouTube back in 2008, right in the heart of the 4th Generation, so this particular Generation is certainly special to me.


As someone fully involved with the competitive side of Pokemon cards right now, the best card in the set is easily Cynthia, both the uncommon Trainer and the Full Art. Instead of having to discard your hand with Professor Sycamore, or refreshing your opponent's hand with N, Cynthia allows you to shuffle your hand into your deck and draw 6 cards without touching your opponent's hand. Without Ultra Prism being legal in the Standard Format, it is hard to test what decks work best,

Glaceon GX 39/156

but there is lots of hype around Glaceon GX and its Ability which prevents all Abilities on GX and EX cards from working, it is unfortunate Glaceon has to be in the Active Pokemon spot for this to work, and things like Garbodor's Ability, or any Pokemon that isn't an EX or GX, will continue working just fine, but this card definitely has potential. I would say the first deck I plan on reviewing in this set would be a Metal type deck with Dusk Mane Necrozma GX, Solgaleo Prism Star, Magnezone, and Mt. Coronet, this deck can do major damage when attacking, we're talking 220+, and it accelerates Energy into play with both Magnezone and Solgaleo, plus it can easily take down any Fairy type deck out there, i.e. Gardevoir GX.

Dusk Mane Necrozma GX 90/156

So to summarize, I really like Ultra Prism, at least so far, the pull rates are excellent, you're looking at 8-9 Ultra Rares, Secret Rares, and Prism Star cards per booster box, and right now, there are lots of valuable cards in the set, with Cynthia Full Art and the golden GX cards leading the way. I will certainly be opening both Elite Trainer Boxes, and all of the blister packs very soon on my channel. I would like to wish everyone the best of luck with their openings, I hope you're able to pull exactly what you're looking for from your packs!

I am hoping to get away from writing the daily card reviews on my blog that I've been writing for so many years, instead the hope is to write more articles like these a few times a week. I hope to write more strategic and advanced articles on my blog, ones geared mainly towards the Standard Format of the competitive TCG. If you have any suggestions for me, feel free to contact me or leave a comment. Also, if you'd like to battle me on the online TCG, my name there is primetimepkmn.

Porygon2 -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:
Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Porygon2 from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card set.  Porygon2 is a Stage 1, Colorless type Pokemon card, with a HP of 80.  It has a x2 weakness to Fighting type Pokemon, no resistance type, and a one Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability but it does have two moves.  The first move on this card is called Calculate, for one Colorless Energy card, this move allows you to look at the top 6 cards of your deck and put them back in any order.  The second move on this card is called Beam, for three Colorless Energy cards, this move does 40 damage.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Porygon2 is a Stage 1 Pokemon card, you'll first have to get Porygon into play (I reviewed Porygon from this set yesterday) and then evolve Porygon into Porygon2.  Porygon does have a Stage 2 evolution in Porygon-Z, which I'll be reviewing tomorrow, that you'll probably want to use with this Pokemon line but since I haven't reviewed that card yet, the strategy below will act like Porygon2 is the final evolution in this line.  So if you read my review of Porygon, you'll know that I thought it was a below average Basic Pokemon card overall.  The card did have lots of positives, like a solid HP, two moves both requiring one Energy to use, and a low retreat cost.  But, like most Basic Pokemon with two evolution forms, there isn't much of a reason to use a card like this on its own.  So knowing this about Porygon and looking at this Porygon2 card, this card is similar to Porygon in that you don't want to use this card for its move that does damage but for its move that manipulates cards in play, this time it lets you re-arrange the top 6 cards of your deck.  This move can be used with something like Mallow or Zoroark GX, where you are then able to draw additional cards your next turn and since you can re-arrange your deck, you can get the cards you really need.  Also, this move lets you peek at your deck to see if something like a Max Elixir will work or not.  Of course, during your opponent's next turn they can use Supporter N and make you shuffle your deck, nullifying Porygon2's attack.  So unless you really want to be able to re-arrange the top 6 cards of your deck, don't use this card without Porygon-Z.  Plus, you can always use Gallade from the BREAKthrough set to re-arrange the top 5 cards of your deck every turn using its Ability.

Pokemon Card Rating:  
I would give this card a 1 out of 5 rating.  In my opinion this is a well below average Stage 1 Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  While it may be useful to be able to re-arrange the top 6 cards of your deck, this is an easy thing for your opponent to erase with something like Supporter N, add to this the fact Porygon2 has a low HP and a weak attacking move, and there really isn't any reason to use Porygon or Porygon2 in a deck, I would give these two cards a 1 out of 5 rating, look elsewhere.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Porygon2 from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Porygon's Stage 2 evolution in Porygon-Z, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
At what level does Porygon evolve into Porygon2?
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.

Porygon -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:

Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Porygon from the Burning Shadows set.  Porygon is a Basic, Colorless type Pokemon card with a HP of 60.  It has a x2 weakness to Fighting type Pokemon, no resistance type, and a one Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability but it does have two moves.  The first move on this card is called Code Check, for one Colorless Energy card, this move allows you to look at one of your opponent's face-down Prize cards.  The second move on this card is called Beam, for one Colorless Energy card, this move does 10 damage.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Porygon is a Basic Pokemon card with a Stage 1 evolution in Porygon2, and a Stage 2 evolution in Porygon-Z, which I'll be reviewing the next couple of days, you'll more than likely want to use some of those Pokemon with this card, however, since I have not reviewed any of those cards yet, I will just act like Porygon does not have any evolution forms and that it will be used on its own.  On its own, unless you find it really important to be able to see one of your opponent's Prize cards, I would pass on using this line without any of Porygon's evolution forms.  This card should work perfectly fine as a Basic starter type Pokemon to start a game, but you never want to use a Pokemon with only 60 HP for long in the Active Pokemon spot.  Since this card is a Colorless type deck, it can be used in any deck.  Like I mentioned, the main reason you want to use this card, other than getting to Porygon-Z, would be to see one of your opponent's Prize cards, by  doing this, you can achieve some clarity on your opponent's strategy, plus, you know which exact Prize cards you looked at, so you'll know what Prize card your opponent gets into their hand when they knock out a Pokemon.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 2 out of 5 rating.  In my opinion, this is a below average Basic Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  Similar to some of the other Basic Pokemon that I've been reviewing lately, there is nothing really wrong with this card, it just isn't usable in the Active Pokemon spot for long.  This card does have a solid HP, low retreat cost, and two quick attacking moves.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Porygon from the Burning Shadows Pokemon card set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Porygon's Stage 1 evolution in Porygon2, which is also from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
True or False? Porygon is one of my top 10 favorite Pokemon.
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.

Persian -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:
Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Persian from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Persian is a Stage 1, Colorless type Pokemon card, with a HP of 90. It has a x2 weakness to Fighting type Pokemon, no resistance type, and a one Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability but it does have two moves.  The first move on this card is called Screech, for one Colorless Energy card, this move makes it so that during your next turn, the defending Pokemon takes 60 more damage from attacks.  The second move on this card is called Slash, for one Colorless Energy card, this move does 40 damage.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Persian is a Stage 1 Pokemon card, you'll first have to get Meowth into play (I reviewed Meowth from this set yesterday) and then evolve Meowth into Persian.  If you read yesterday's review of Meowth, you'll know that I thought it was an average Basic Pokemon card overall.  The card had a solid HP, and one quick-attacking move, that did 10 damage plus had the potential to Paralyze the defending Pokemon.  So knowing this about Meowth from the set and looking at this Persian card, this line is intriguing from a deck building perspective.  You can either put one Energy card on Persian, use Screech one turn and Slash the second to do 100 damage in two turns, or, you could attach a Float Stone to this card or Guzma it out the turn after using Screech, and essentially do 60 more damage with any of your Pokemon's moves.  If you retreat this card after using Screech, most Pokemon GX should be able to knock out every Pokemon possible in that Active Pokemon spot in one turn.  Personally, I haven't seen this line being too popular, but this is a decent card in my opinion, and if you're looking to build a budget-friendly deck, certainly give this card a look.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 3 out of 5 rating.  In my opinion, this is an average Stage 1 Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  This card really doesn't have any negatives, I like that it can be used in any type deck and do damage for only one Energy card.  Like I mentioned above, this is a good attacker in a budget-friendly deck.  Combined with Meowth from yesterday, I would give this line a 4 out of 5 rating.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Persian from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Persian, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
At what level does Meowth evolve into Persian?
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.

Meowth -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:

Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Meowth from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Meowth is a Basic, Colorless type Pokemon card with a HP of 60.  It has a x2 weakness to Fighting type Pokemon, no resistance type, and a one Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability and it only has one move.  The only move on this card is called Fake Out, for one Colorless Energy card, this move does 10 damage, plus, if you get a heads when flipping a coin, the defending Pokemon is Paralyzed.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Meowth is a Basic Pokemon card with a Stage 1 evolution in Persian, which I'll be reviewing tomorrow, you'll more than likely want to use this card with that Pokemon.  However, since I haven't reviewed that card yet, I'll just act as though I plan on using this card without its evolution.  So, on its own, you never really want to use anything with such a low HP and a low attack.  But, if you are building a Colorless type deck or if you're using Persian in your deck, this is a very good card to use, since it can attack for one Energy, and if used early in games, can prevent your opponent from attacking, giving you more time to get your Benched Pokemon set up.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 3 out of 5 rating.  So in my opinion, on its own, without considering Persian, this is an average to slightly below average Basic Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  Like I mentioned above, this card shouldn't be used on its own often, but as a Basic Pokemon that has a Stage 1 evolution, this is certainly a solid one, with an average HP, and a move that both does damage and has the potential to inflict a Special Condition.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Meowth from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Meowth's Stage 1 evolution in Persian, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
True or False? Every Meowth card in the English TCG is a Colorless type.
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Zygarde -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:

Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Zygarde from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Zygarde is a Basic, Dragon type Pokemon card with a HP of 150.  Zygarde has a x2 weakness to Fairy type Pokemon, no resistance type, and a four Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability but it does have two moves.  The first move on this card is called Land Crush, for three Colorless Energy cards, this move does 80 damage.  The second move on this card is called Core Enforcer, for four Energy cards, one each of Darkness and Fairy, and two Colorless, this move does 150 damage, however you must discard both a Darkness Energy and Fairy Energy attached to Zygarde after attacking.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Zygarde is a Basic Pokemon card with no evolution forms, you'll only have to use this card in a deck if you want to use Zygarde.  With this being said, because there isn't such a thing as a Basic Dragon type Energy in the TCG, you'll have to include this card in a dual type deck featuring Darkness and Fairy type Pokemon if you want to be able to use both attacks on this card.  While both moves can do a fair amount of damage, both are slow to set up, and in my opinion, it doesn't make much sense to include this card in a deck.  Add to the fact this card is slow to set up and has an extremely high retreat cost, there really is no reason to use this card in a deck.  If I were to ever use this card in a deck, I would only use its Land Crush move since I wouldn't have to discard Energy after attacking, and the move requires three Colorless Energy, so I don't have to worry about getting specific Energy into my hand.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 2 out of 5 rating.  In my opinion, this is a below average Basic Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  Like I stated above, I would not use this card in a deck, but as far as a Basic Pokemon that isn't an EX or GX, this card does have a high HP and two somewhat powerful moves, it is just too slow to set up and too costly to retreat to warrant serious use in a deck.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Zygarde from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Meowth, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
How many total Dragon type Pokemon cards are there in the Burning Shadows set?
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.

Noivern GX -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:
Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Noivern GX from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Noivern GX is a Stage 1, Dragon type Pokemon card, with a HP of 200.  It has a x2 weakness to Fairy type Pokemon, no resistance type, and a free retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability, but it does have three different moves, two regular moves and one GX move.  The first move on this card is called Distort, for two Energy cards, one each of Darkness and Colorless, this move does 50 damage, plus it makes it so your opponent is unable to play any Item cards from their hand during their next turn.  Sonic Volume is the second move on this card, for three Energy cards, one each of Psychic, Darkness, and Metal, this move does 120 damage, plus it makes it so your opponent is unable to play any Special Energy cards from their hand during their next turn.  The GX attack on this card is called Boomburst GX, for three Energy cards, one each of Psychic, Darkness, and Colorless, this move does 50 damage to each of your opponent's Pokemon.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, first off, the way a Pokemon GX works is that it is used instead of a regular Noivern card, so you do not need to first play Noivern and then evolve it into Noivern GX, instead you can evolve Noibat directly into Noivern GX.  In play, only one GX move can be used during the entire game, and once a Pokemon GX is knocked out, two prize cards are taken instead of one.  There is a Noibat card in this set, but I haven't reviewed it yet, it is a Colorless type Pokemon.  Just looking at this Noivern GX card, the first thing you'll want to note is that it requires two distinct Energy types to attack, Darkness and Psychic, so if you are building that type of deck, there is certainly merit for including this card.  I like how the first two moves on this card not only do a fair amount of damage, but do something more, preventing your opponent from attaching Special Energy cards or using Item cards can really hinder them, making it that much easier to win the battle.  With Zoroark GX so popular and its Riotous Beating move requiring a full Bench, this card's GX attack can do 300 total damage, which is pretty amazing.  So if you're building a dual type deck, Psychic and Darkness, or building a spread attack type deck, this card is certainly one to consider.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 3 out of 5 rating.  In my opinion this is an average Stage 1 Pokemon GX card from the Burning Shadows set.  Like I mentioned above, if placed in the right type of deck, this card is pretty versatile, being able to do a good amount of damage, to your opponent's Active Pokemon and their Benched Pokemon, as well as inflicting other conditions on your opponent making them unable to set up their deck.  So while this card isn't that great, it is certainly a card to consider when deck building.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Noivern GX from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Zygarde, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
True or False? Noivern GX Rainbow Rare was the first GX Rainbow Rare I pulled in a Burning Shadows pack.
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.

Shiinotic -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:
Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Shiinotic from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Shiinotic is a Stage 1, Fairy type Pokemon card, with a HP of 100. It has a x2 weakness to Metal type Pokemon, a -20 resistance to Darkness type Pokemon, and a two Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability but it does have two moves.  The first move on this card is called Strength Sap, for two Energy cards, one each of Fairy and Colorless, this move does 30 damage, plus it allows you to heal 30 damage times the number of Energy attached to your opponent's Active Pokemon.  The second move on this card is called Sleep Pulse, for three Energy cards, one Fairy and two Colorless, this move does 60 damage, plus it puts the defending Pokemon to Sleep.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Shiinotic is a Stage 1 Pokemon card, you'll first have to get Morelull into play (I reviewed Morelull from this set yesterday) and then evolve Morelull into Shiinotic.  If you read yesterday's review of Morelull, you'll know that I thought it was a below average Basic Pokemon overall.  Although the card had a solid HP, a low retreat cost, and could attack for only one Colorless Energy card, it just wasn't that great since it had only one move that could do a total of 10 damage.  So knowing this about Morelull and looking at this Shiinotic card, you could certainly start the game with Morelull in the Active Pokemon spot, do 10 damage when attacking, then evolve it your next turn.  The only reason to use this line in a deck would be if you have another Pokemon that benefits if the defending Pokemon is Asleep, that way you could use Sleep Pulse and then retreat Shiinotic.  Strength Sap is an intriguing move, but with only 100 damage to start, it is a pretty easy knock out in one move.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 2 out of 5 rating.  In my opinion, this is a below average Stage 1 Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  While there is nothing really that bad about this card, it just isn't one that I can highly recommend, there really isn't anything on the card that is that great, neither move does above average damage, and sure the first move heals damage and the second inflicts a Special Condition, but with only 100 HP and the amount of Energy required to attack, I would rather look elsewhere.  Overall I would give Morelull and Shiinotic combined the same rating I gave each card individually, 2 out of 5.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Shiinotic from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Noivern GX, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
At what level does Morelull evolve into Shiinotic?
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.

Morelull -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:

Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Morelull from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Morelull is a Basic, Fairy type Pokemon card with a HP of 60.  It has a x2 weakness to Metal type Pokemon, a -20 resistance to Darkness type Pokemon, and a one Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability and it only has one move.  The only move on this card is called Ram, for one Colorless Energy card, this move does 10 damage.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Morelull is a Basic Pokemon card with a Stage 1 evolution in Shiinotic, which I'll be reviewing tomorrow, you'll more than likely want to use this card with that Pokemon.  However, since I haven't reviewed that card yet, I'll just act as though I plan on using this card without its evolution.  So, on its own, there is really no reason to use this card in a deck.  I say this because even though the card has a solid HP and low retreat cost, it is very limited in what it can do when attacking, only having one move that does 10 damage.  I do like that this card fits into any type deck since its attack requires a Colorless Energy card.  This card may work well to start the total line of Morelull and Shiinotic, but this card should certainly not be used on its own.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 2 out of 5 rating.  So in my opinion, on its own, without considering Shiinotic, this is a below average Basic Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  Although a good start to get to Shiinotic, you never want a Pokemon in the Active Pokemon spot that can only do a maximum of 10 damage per turn.  Certainly look elsewhere if you're building a Fairy type deck.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Morelull from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Morelull's Stage 1 evolution in Shiinotic, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
In the Pokemon games, what two types is Morelull?
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Ribombee -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:
Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Ribombee from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Ribombee is a Stage 1, Fairy type Pokemon card, with a HP of 70. It has a x2 weakness to Metal type Pokemon, a -20 resistance to Darkness type Pokemon, and a one Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card's Ability is called Honey Gather, it says once per turn, you may search your deck for up to 2 Basic Energy cards and put them into your hand.  Besides the Ability, this card has just one move called Pollen Shot, for one Colorless Energy card, this move does 20 damage.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Ribombee is a Stage 1 Pokemon card, you'll first have to get Cutiefly into play (I reviewed Cutiefly from this set yesterday) and then evolve Cutiefly into Ribombee.  If you read yesterday's review of Cutiefly, you'll know that I thought it was a well below average Basic Pokemon card overall, mainly due to the fact it only had a HP of 30.  I did like how the card had a free retreat cost, but it couldn't be in the Active Pokemon spot long before getting knocked out.  So knowing this about Cutiefly and looking at this Ribombee card, the first thing that stands out is how well this card may work with Gardevoir GX from this set, you can use Ribombee's Ability to get 2 Fairy Energy cards into your hand, then use Gardevoir GX's Ability to attach Fairy Energy from your hand to one of your Pokemon, essentially, this is a way to guarantee that you can use Gardevoir's Ability each and every turn.  Other than the Ability, which is very useful, there is no reason to use this card in a deck because it has such a low HP and a somewhat weak move.  So if you're building a deck, I could see using a 1-1 line of this family, you could use Guzma with Cutiefly the first turn, then the second turn, evolve it so you can always make sure to have Energy in your hand.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 2 out of 5 rating.  In my opinion, this is a below average Stage 1 Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  Like I mentioned, outside of this card's Ability, which is excellent, this card is very poor overall, with a low HP and a weak move.  Although not heavily used, this Pokemon line can certainly be used when deck building, to aid something like Gardevoir GX and attaching Energy from your hand to your Pokemon.  Even though both Pokemon received below average ratings individually, I am going to give the two cards a 3 out of 5 combined rating, just because the line goes from free retreat cost to useful Ability.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Ribombee from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Morelull, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
True or False?  Every English set to include Ribombee has included Ribombee as a Fairy type Pokemon.
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.

Cutiefly -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:

Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Cutiefly from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Cutiefly is a Basic, Fairy type Pokemon card with a HP of 30.  It has a x2 weakness to Metal type Pokemon, a -20 resistance to Darkness type Pokemon, and a free retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability and it only has one move.  The only move on this card is called Fairy Wind, for one Colorless Energy card, this move does 10 damage.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Cutiefly is a Basic Pokemon card with a Stage 1 evolution in Ribombee, which I'll be reviewing tomorrow, you'll more than likely want to use this card with that Pokemon.  However, since I haven't reviewed that card yet, I'll just act as though I plan on using this card without its evolution.  So, on its own, the only reason to use this card in a deck is for its free retreat cost, that way you can Guzma this card into the Active Pokemon spot and retreat it for free, you don't have to worry about using a Float Stone Trainer or discarding Energy.  With that being said, with such a low HP, it is very risky playing this card in a deck, since it is so easily knocked out.  So overall, although the free retreat cost is nice, I would only choose to use Cutiefly if the plan is to use Ribombee in the deck as well, that way you can use Cutiefly for a limited time before evolving it.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 1 out of 5 rating.  So in my opinion, on its own, without considering Ribombee, this is a well below average Basic Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  Like I mentioned above, you're never going to want to use a card in your deck with such a low HP, as it is so easy to knock out, most times just with a Pokemon that spreads a little damage around.  So again, this card is nice for its free retreat cost, but that is it.  Certainly look elsewhere if you're building a Fairy type deck and looking for a Basic Pokemon.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Cutiefly from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Cutiefly's Stage 1 evolution in Ribombee, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
At what level does Cutiefly evolve into Ribombee?
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.

Diancie -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:

Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Diancie from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Diancie is a Basic, Fairy type Pokemon card with a HP of 90.  Diancie has a x2 weakness to Metal type Pokemon, a -20 resistance to Darkness type Pokemon, and a one Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card does not have an Ability but it does have two moves.  The first move on this card is called Sparkling Wish, for one Fairy Energy card, this move allows you to search your deck for a Pokemon that evolves from one of your Pokemon and put that Pokemon onto your Pokemon in play to evolve it.  The second move on this card is called Diamond Storm, for two Energy cards, one each of Fairy and Colorless, this move does 30 damage, plus it heals 30 damage from each of your Fairy type Pokemon.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, since Diancie is a Basic Pokemon card with no evolution forms, you'll only have to use this card in a deck if you want to use Diancie.  With this being said, this card works best in Fairy type decks, mainly due to the fact Diamond Storm only heals Fairy type Pokemon.  This card can certainly work in a Gardevoir GX deck, since you can use Sparkling Wish to help get to Gardevoir GX, then put Diancie back on the Bench and when several of your Pokemon have damage on them, you can use Diamond Storm and heal potentially all of your Pokemon at once.  If you're building a deck with mainly Basic Pokemon or a deck with more than just a couple of other type Pokemon, I would not use this card, but this card is popular in the TCG, and is a recommended card to use.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 4 out of 5 rating.  In my opinion, this is a very good Basic Pokemon card from the Burning Shadows set.  Other than not being able to do more than 30 damage when attacking, this card really doesn't have any weaknesses.  The card has a low retreat cost, two great moves, one that helps evolve your Pokemon, and the other than does damage and heals damage at the same time, so again, if you're building a Fairy type deck, I would highly recommend playing this card.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Diancie from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Cutiefly, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
How many total Fairy type Pokemon cards are there in the Burning Shadows set?
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.

Gardevoir GX -- Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Review

Pokemon Card Overview:
Today's Pokemon Card Review is of Gardevoir GX from the Burning Shadows Pokemon Card Set.  Gardevoir GX is a Stage 2, Fairy type Pokemon card, with a HP of 230.  It has a x2 weakness to Metal type Pokemon, a -20 resistance to Darkness type Pokemon, and a two Colorless Energy card retreat cost.  This card's Ability is called Secret Spring, it says that once per turn, you may attach a Fairy Energy card from your hand to one of your Pokemon.  Besides the Ability, this card has two moves, one regular move and one GX move.  Infinite Force is the name of this card's first move, for one Fairy Energy card, this move does 30 damage times the number of Energy attached to both Active Pokemon.  The GX move on this card is called Twilight GX and for one Fairy Energy card, it allows you to shuffle 10 cards from your discard pile back into your deck.

Pokemon Card Strategy:
So as far as strategy goes, first off, the way a Pokemon GX works is that it is used instead of a regular Gardevoir card, so if you have Kirlia in play, you evolve that Pokemon directly into Gardevoir GX.  In play, only one GX move can be used during the entire game, and once a Pokemon GX is knocked out, two prize cards are taken instead of one.  Since Gardevoir GX is a Stage 2 Pokemon, you'll first have to get Ralts into play and then more than likely evolve it into Kirlia before being able to use Gardevoir GX.  Both of those Pokemon are in this set, neither are that great, but they are good enough to use with this line.  Before I get into strategy too much, this card is pretty amazing, and I've built a deck based around Gardevoir GX and reviewed it on my channel.  Ideally, this card is paired with Sylveon GX, that way you can use Sylveon's Magical Ribbon move to get three cards you want into your hand, usually some combination of Rare Candy and Gardevoir GX, therefore letting you jump over Kirlia, and potentially getting Gardevoir set up during your 2nd turn.  The more Gardevoir GX you have set up the better, since you then can attach more Energy per turn.  In my deck, I use 4 Double Colorless Energy, so I can then attach 1 Double Colorless Energy and then 2 Fairy Energy cards each turn to Gardevoir GX if I have one in the Active Pokemon spot and one on the Bench.  Just four total Energy cards can do 120 damage, plus, with two Gardevoir GX set up, you can then Guzma a Pokemon that has a lot of Energy on it, into the Active Pokemon spot and do much more damage, plus you can add a Choice Band Trainer to Gardevoir GX to do even more damage.  The only downfall with Gardevoir GX is it is weak to Metal type Pokemon, and there should be lots of Solgaleo decks out there with Ultra Prism being released in February, combining Metagross GX and Solgaleo Prism Star to take down Gardevoir GX.  But with that being said, any deck with Gardevoir GX is one of the better decks for the 2018 Standard Format.  Gardevoir's GX attack does come in handy too, although you're mainly going to use this card move its Infinite Force move, if you burn through cards in your deck trying to find Energy, you can then use Twilight GX and refresh your deck, or, if you're close to losing by running out of cards, Twilight GX comes to the rescue.

Pokemon Card Rating:
I would give this card a 5 out of 5 rating.  In my opinion, this is easily one of the best Pokemon GX cards in the 2018 Standard Format.  Not only does this card have a very high HP, which makes it hard to take down in one turn, but it has an extremely powerful move, that does major damage when attacking, and is quick to attack, taking advantage of a loaded up defending Pokemon.  So, if you're looking for some power, definitely consider building a deck around both Gardevoir GX and Sylveon GX.  Combining all the Pokemon in this family into one, I would give Ralts, Kirlia, and Gardevoir GX from this set a 4 out of 5 rating.

Tomorrow's Pokemon Card:
So thanks for reading today's Pokemon card review of Gardevoir GX from the Burning Shadows set, stay tuned for tomorrow's card review of Diancie, which is from this same set.  Make sure to check below for the Free Pokemon TCG Online Codes!

Free Pokemon TCG Online Code Cards:
Today's Quiz for a Pokemon TCG Online Code Card --
In the Gardevoir GX deck review video that I did on my channel, how many Gardevoir GX did I use?
Please respond with the correct answer and a link to your YouTube channel. 24 hours from now I will be randomly selecting a correct response to my question and sending a private message to this person with a free code on YouTube.