The Top Ten Cards from XY

Back on the road!

Hello there bicyclists!! It's been quite a while since my last post! School has taken a much bigger toll than I would have hoped but I want to get back into the swing if things-and what better way to do so than to cover the newest set to be hitting the Pokemon TCG-XY! (And I'll even be revisting a deck of mine that I absolutely love that slightly inspired this blog so be on the lookout for that!)

After getting a huge chunk if preliminary scans the set is already shaping up to be the next big shake-up in our format (so soon? Yep, and I thought the first turn rules were crazy enough!)

Without further ago here are what I take as the top 10 cards to watch out for in the new upcoming XY set!

10) Greninja

The awesome ninja frog comes out from the shadows as a top ten card to watch for with a neat ability and a decent attack. Normally the popular opinion on stage 2's is that they aren't as powerful as basics (a this has been up until this point a predominantly big basic format) but first turn rules and catcher nerf have given Stage 2s breathing room once again (as seen by an astounding resurgence of Empoleon decks). 

Greninja comes with a unique damage placing ability that bypasses Mr.Mimes bench blocking abilities after discarding one Water Energy. Being a water type with a somewhat healthy 130 HP, his second attack, for [W] deals 50 damage regardless of weakness an resistance. 

9) Gourgeist

We now have a Stage 1 that makes Dusknoir playable outside of Empire and the occasional Flygon or Cradily decks. It's low costing attacks place damage much like Greninja and its second attack functions like Raticates and puts pokemon in range of a Virbankless laser KO. Sitting at 100 HP it does have a rather disturbing weakness to Dark which hopefully won't be as common due to Fairy types running around. Evo Soda makes getting this and any other stage 1's out ridiculously easy ad with the amount of draw power we now have access to, I can see this card being played, especially since its attacks are so low costing.

8) Aromatisse

So why does the freaky parrot on two spindly legs get a mention? It's entrance as one of the first batch of Fairy Pokemon is unique in and of itself but the ability is akin to Hydreigon. Alot of Fairy nonsense is bound to ensue when this little bird hits the field.

7)Basic Yvetal/Xerneas

Originally I was going to cover Roller Skates in this slot but when these two were released I felt that these two should be slotted into my top ten as well.

Basic Xerneas (not the EX version of course) for ONE fairy Energy selects 2 Benched Pokemon, allows you to search for 2 Fairy Energy from the deck and attach one Y energy to each then shuffle. Combined with Aromatisse in a more Fairy centric deck and youre suddenly powering up Yvetal EX out of nearly nowhere after 2 turns (once via Xerneas and second turn via manual attachment or through things like Professor's Letter)

Basic Yvetal is a slightly more nerfed version but allows you to attach from the discard like Dark Patch without the dark type restriction and deals 30 damage in the process.

6) Professors Letter

Move over Energy Search meet the sweet whispered nothings of Professor Hot Dad-er, I mean Sycamore. Instead of netting you one Basic Energy, this card fetches 2-whic is rediculous in decks using Emboar and Blastoise. But it also has it's merits in a deck that runs multiple types of Basic Energy so we might start seeing more of those anti-meta decks that do so.

5) Trevenant

Alot of people are very familiar with the Gothgor decks of last format. Well, item lock as an ability is back-but time it only affects your opponent! This, in tandem with Goth's old partner in crime makes the deck annoying to play against especially if you don't have Keldeo/Float Stone, or Virizion EX. Even without getting the most out of locking your opponent out for the whole game, not having access to Item cards hurts.

4) Cassius
 Super Scoop Up and Scoop Up Cyclone have always been a hit and miss one being a flip the other an ACE Spec. Now XY has delivered another "scooping up" option in the form of a Supporter *look of disapproval* It looks kind of bad on paper but as a one-of inclusion, I think it might be just the perfect clutch card to get yourself out of bad situations.

3) Emolga EX

So maybe the card designers are just on this Emolga kick from Legendary Treasures or they just can't stop making flying squirrel FAs. Whatever the case may be someone in there decided that it would be a good idea to make a slightly nerfed Victini EX that can retreat after attacking with no retreat cost to boot. Really? The nerf of course comes from it being a 110 HP EX with a crippling weakness to other flying squirrels like it (electric) and the attack only attaches a lone electric energy but I have a good feeling we'll be seeing more of this little guy very soon.

2) Yvetal EX

So. A Dark type.

Yay Darkrai Partner.

Weak to Electric, Resists fighting.

Annoying, but kind of neat?

It's first attack [D][C] is Mewtwos X-Ball + 20 extra damage and its second attack is a tornadous Energy Wheel attack for [D][D][C] 

Ok That's just not ok. Not ok at all.

Why would you come out with something this good?? I mean yeah Emolga takes this guy to the stars with a relatively easy to charge attack. But his synergy with any build of Darkrai is jut absurd. Even if they manage to load up a Mewtwo on this guy, his energy moving attack forces Mewtwo to commit more energy for the KO.

Definitely a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming format alongside Baby/Basic Yvetal

1) Evolutionary Soda-
This. This right here just made running Stage 1's and 2's viable again-even multiple ones at that. its like a Ball search and a Rare Candy all rolled into one (of course without the stage skipping). Decks/cards that have now become dangerously on the radar again through this (and other XY cards) include-

Tooldrop/box, Flareon box, Empire, Gothgor/Treegor (Trevenant/Accelgor), Gourgeist, Garbodor variants-and pretty much anything that runs Stage 1's.



Honorable Mentions-

Heavy Charm/ Muscle Band

I think these deserve a slot together. Eviolite and Dark Claw but for everything including basics? It's the right move from decentralizing the meta moving it away from big basics. Yes, Tool Scrapper is

still around, but tools are still going to be a huge part of our meta. All decks will benefit from this inclusion, especially Tool Drop. Maybe we'll still see an unhealthy EX meta or maybe we won't, but if the preview of XY has anything to say, it looks like they're taking a step back and trying to give gifts back to the Stage 1's and 2's of the game.

Roller Skates

 Flip for draw seems bad on paper, but given that people are still using Catchers and Enhanced Hammers, I think this card will defiantly find its way into decks. Being a non-supporter draw is not half bad either.


I can't wait for the next upcoming set it's sure to create a noticeable power shift in the meta and bring diversity back into the format!

Bicycle Away!
Kalyst