Empty Pot
a new beginning...
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- 14
- Years
- Age 28
- North America
- Seen Aug 5, 2023
Hey guys, just came back to PC seeing that I'm actually actively playing something Pokemon related again! About 2-3 years back I got into PTCG and its slowly became more of an addiction. So with the brief history I gave into PTCG, I decided I wanted to come give tips and pointers about the TCG and sets to come. I bring you, all that you need to know about Burning Shadows, the 3rd set from the Sun&Moon line.
Burning Shadow releases more GX cards for play, showing EXs are not going to come back for a very long time, if ever depending how healthy PTCG finds GX for the gameplay. Half of the GXs in this set seem to be Basic Staged Legendary Pokemon, which don't seem like they will have much play in the meta at this current time, and the other half are Stage 1 and Stage 2 GXs.
This set is also most notable for the reprints that will be keeping many Items in this new Rotation,
including bringing some fan favorites back from the grave.
POKEMON
Gardevoir GX
Ability: Secret Spring - Once during your turn (before your attack), you may attach a Fairy Energy card from your hand to 1 of your Pokémon.
(Y) Infinite Force 30x - This attack does 30 damage times the amount of Energy attached to both Active Pokémon.
(Y) Twilight GX - Shuffle 10 cards from your discard pile into your deck.
If you thought you were done seeing that Tier 2 M Gardevoir or XerGard, now you get to see Gardevoir again, but more potentially a Tier 1 suspect. Let's talk about it's ability Secret Spring. This ability is so scary with the thought of being able to play 4 energies at almost any time on your Gardevoir, and then dropping Infinite Force for an easy KO if equipped with or even without a Choice Band. Pairing this up with its GX move Twilight, you dont have to worry about most Hammer decks even wasting your Fairy energy. It is of course a Stage 2, so you can run Rare Candies if you're low on item count. This is one of the GXs you will see most of the set more then likely.
Necromaza GX
Ability: Light's End - Prevent all damage done to this Pokémon by attacks from Colorless Pokémon.
(C)(C)(C) Prismatic Burst 10+ - Discard all Psychic Energy from this Pokémon. This attack does 60 more damage for each card you discarded in this way.
(C)(C)(C) Back Ray GX - This attack does 100 damage to each of your opponent's Pokémon-GX and Pokémon-EX. This damage isn't affected by Weakness or Resistance.
So to keep GXs and EXs as balance as they can this Rotation, PTCG gave us this crazy floodgate control of a card. This is going to keep all players from flooding the field or they could have terrible consequences. Starting with the ability Light's End, this thing can't be touched by anything Colorless. No you're not going to counter it with your Tauros, not your Drampa, no. No colorless. It's also unique to add that Necromaza is Psychic, making it so if the opponent has a benched Necromaza, it will still take damage from you playing your own Necromaza's GX move. Its a great "colorless" gx that seems to be a huge staple card, much like Lele and Shaymin were. At least 1 in a good majority of decks will be a must.
Ho-Oh GX
(F)(C)(C) Sacred Fire - This attack does 50 damage to 1 of your opponent's Pokémon. (Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
(F)(F)(F)(C) Phoenix Burn 180 - This Pokémon can't use Phoenix Burn during your next turn.
(F)(C)(C) Eternal Light GX - Put 3 in any combination of Fire Pokémon-GX or Pokémon-EX from your discard pile to your Bench.
Is your Volcanion deck seeming to just get trampled more then usual? Did your opponent shut you out early game with Garbodor's ability and after taking it out you know you could come back if you had one more Volc? Say no more! Ho-Oh GX has came to save the day for all of you Volcanion players! Sacred Fire is one of those situational moves you can use to take out any bench support or weak retreated Pokemon right out. Great to pair up after dropping Necromaza's GX move I must add. Phoenix Burn is almost an instant 210 with Choice. Oh and your Volcs are in your discard? You can just GX move all 3 from the discard to your bench! This thing is just spicy, prepare for more Volcanion players.
Trainers
Wicke
Each player shuffles their hand into their deck and draws a new hand of the same number of cards.
Not a whole lot to talk about it this Rotation. More then likely N will be replaced with Wicke next Rotation so be prepared for the most beautiful card in the game to become mandatory after a long while. At that point of time, this card will be the beezkneez.
Guzma
Switch your opponent's Active Pokemon with 1 of their Benched Pokemon. Then, switch your Active Pokemon with 1 of your Benched Pokemon.
ITS YA BOIIII. Who would have thought Guzma would have actually been one of the most useful trainers in the S&M line. He's a supporter version of Escape Rope, which we needed direly with Lysandre being taken of this Rotation. No Vileplume, you don't get to keep locking my deck.
Kiawe
Search your deck for 4 [R] Energy and attach them to 1 of your Pokemon. Then, shuffle your deck. Your turn ends.
Back to obsessing over how great Volcanions looking this Rotation. This card I love and hate at the same time. The whole "this card is so good you can't attack" clause is nice, but at the same time, could just stab you in the back. Regardless, this is nuts.
Super Scoop Up
Flip a coin. If heads, return 1 of your Pokémon and all cards attached to it to your hand.
ITS BACK!!!!!! If you played earlier expansions, you don't need any explanation why I and many others are excited. For you new guys in the TCG, have you ever wanted to play Lele, then just pick it back up to use whenever? With a coin flip, thats what this card does.
Theres a bunch of cards I didn't want to touch on, either it not effecting the meta game to serious, or because we still aren't 100% if were getting everything Japan did out of this set. This is my first actual guide so feedback is always nice. I plan to be editing this up and making it more official once I learn forum post coding. But until then I hope this helps some players know the newest hot thangs dropping in August. I do want to continue doing this with more set and releasing some guides on helping in the PTCG, so any tips for myself would be great.
Burning Shadow releases more GX cards for play, showing EXs are not going to come back for a very long time, if ever depending how healthy PTCG finds GX for the gameplay. Half of the GXs in this set seem to be Basic Staged Legendary Pokemon, which don't seem like they will have much play in the meta at this current time, and the other half are Stage 1 and Stage 2 GXs.
This set is also most notable for the reprints that will be keeping many Items in this new Rotation,
including bringing some fan favorites back from the grave.
POKEMON
Gardevoir GX
Ability: Secret Spring - Once during your turn (before your attack), you may attach a Fairy Energy card from your hand to 1 of your Pokémon.
(Y) Infinite Force 30x - This attack does 30 damage times the amount of Energy attached to both Active Pokémon.
(Y) Twilight GX - Shuffle 10 cards from your discard pile into your deck.
If you thought you were done seeing that Tier 2 M Gardevoir or XerGard, now you get to see Gardevoir again, but more potentially a Tier 1 suspect. Let's talk about it's ability Secret Spring. This ability is so scary with the thought of being able to play 4 energies at almost any time on your Gardevoir, and then dropping Infinite Force for an easy KO if equipped with or even without a Choice Band. Pairing this up with its GX move Twilight, you dont have to worry about most Hammer decks even wasting your Fairy energy. It is of course a Stage 2, so you can run Rare Candies if you're low on item count. This is one of the GXs you will see most of the set more then likely.
Necromaza GX
Ability: Light's End - Prevent all damage done to this Pokémon by attacks from Colorless Pokémon.
(C)(C)(C) Prismatic Burst 10+ - Discard all Psychic Energy from this Pokémon. This attack does 60 more damage for each card you discarded in this way.
(C)(C)(C) Back Ray GX - This attack does 100 damage to each of your opponent's Pokémon-GX and Pokémon-EX. This damage isn't affected by Weakness or Resistance.
So to keep GXs and EXs as balance as they can this Rotation, PTCG gave us this crazy floodgate control of a card. This is going to keep all players from flooding the field or they could have terrible consequences. Starting with the ability Light's End, this thing can't be touched by anything Colorless. No you're not going to counter it with your Tauros, not your Drampa, no. No colorless. It's also unique to add that Necromaza is Psychic, making it so if the opponent has a benched Necromaza, it will still take damage from you playing your own Necromaza's GX move. Its a great "colorless" gx that seems to be a huge staple card, much like Lele and Shaymin were. At least 1 in a good majority of decks will be a must.
Ho-Oh GX
(F)(C)(C) Sacred Fire - This attack does 50 damage to 1 of your opponent's Pokémon. (Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
(F)(F)(F)(C) Phoenix Burn 180 - This Pokémon can't use Phoenix Burn during your next turn.
(F)(C)(C) Eternal Light GX - Put 3 in any combination of Fire Pokémon-GX or Pokémon-EX from your discard pile to your Bench.
Is your Volcanion deck seeming to just get trampled more then usual? Did your opponent shut you out early game with Garbodor's ability and after taking it out you know you could come back if you had one more Volc? Say no more! Ho-Oh GX has came to save the day for all of you Volcanion players! Sacred Fire is one of those situational moves you can use to take out any bench support or weak retreated Pokemon right out. Great to pair up after dropping Necromaza's GX move I must add. Phoenix Burn is almost an instant 210 with Choice. Oh and your Volcs are in your discard? You can just GX move all 3 from the discard to your bench! This thing is just spicy, prepare for more Volcanion players.
Trainers
Wicke
Each player shuffles their hand into their deck and draws a new hand of the same number of cards.
Not a whole lot to talk about it this Rotation. More then likely N will be replaced with Wicke next Rotation so be prepared for the most beautiful card in the game to become mandatory after a long while. At that point of time, this card will be the beezkneez.
Guzma
Switch your opponent's Active Pokemon with 1 of their Benched Pokemon. Then, switch your Active Pokemon with 1 of your Benched Pokemon.
ITS YA BOIIII. Who would have thought Guzma would have actually been one of the most useful trainers in the S&M line. He's a supporter version of Escape Rope, which we needed direly with Lysandre being taken of this Rotation. No Vileplume, you don't get to keep locking my deck.
Kiawe
Search your deck for 4 [R] Energy and attach them to 1 of your Pokemon. Then, shuffle your deck. Your turn ends.
Back to obsessing over how great Volcanions looking this Rotation. This card I love and hate at the same time. The whole "this card is so good you can't attack" clause is nice, but at the same time, could just stab you in the back. Regardless, this is nuts.
Super Scoop Up
Flip a coin. If heads, return 1 of your Pokémon and all cards attached to it to your hand.
ITS BACK!!!!!! If you played earlier expansions, you don't need any explanation why I and many others are excited. For you new guys in the TCG, have you ever wanted to play Lele, then just pick it back up to use whenever? With a coin flip, thats what this card does.
Theres a bunch of cards I didn't want to touch on, either it not effecting the meta game to serious, or because we still aren't 100% if were getting everything Japan did out of this set. This is my first actual guide so feedback is always nice. I plan to be editing this up and making it more official once I learn forum post coding. But until then I hope this helps some players know the newest hot thangs dropping in August. I do want to continue doing this with more set and releasing some guides on helping in the PTCG, so any tips for myself would be great.
