1/11 - COTD - Venusaur (Various Sets)

[Gokey Shuckle]

Rate & Review

Thanks to Water Pokemon Master from www.pokebeach.com for the scan.

 

[~Solarys~]

#1: OK power that allows you to move G energy away from someone that's about to get KOed, saves you discarding them, but DS Gardevoir's power works better as it's not restricted to 1 color only. The energy cost of the attack is too much of an overkill... 4 colored energy for only 60 isn't good...
5/10

#2: Worst of the 4... 90 HP without free retreat cost, useless first attack (Mewtwo/ex's one works much better), and who uses Wide Solarbeam for 4 colored energy when there is Wide Laser on Claydol and Registeel ex that costs 3?
3/10

#3: A better one of the 4. Good power to boost things like Dusclops ex and Crawdaunt ex that requires energy spamming, but the attack is too weak and costly.
6/10

#4: Pretty good IMO, only if you can get it out very quickly. Its first attack makes those 10 to 20 damage attacks useless, and its 30 x 3 attack is better than the 40 x 2 one, as you only have a 12.5% chance of wasting your turn, instead of 25%, and you have a better chance to do 60 or 90 (50% combined) for 3 energy.
6.5/10
8/10 - if you are good with coin flipping.

 

[Alter Ego]

Yay for never considering context with rates! =D

Top one

What can I say? It's a classic and definitely has the best illustration of the lot. HP is a solid 100 so it can actually pull its weight against non-fire decks, although the prefered place for this big lug is definitely the bench. As for the attack, 4 energy for 60 damage would be steep on its own, but with Energy Trans the cost basically becomes a moot as you'll usually have plenty of Grass energy attached around the place to Venusaur by the time you get it into play. When it's about to be KOed no worry...just move that energy elsewhere. Also, what Solarys quite handily forgot was a teensy-weensy little trainer card called Pokémon Center that works wonderfully with this card. As long as you have both Venusaur and at least one unharmed pokémon in play you can heal all the damaged ones without a cost by simply switching all the energy over to the uharmed pokémon then moving it back. Also, do remember that this was the time of the Sprout Oddish and Call For Family Bellsprout, so having this thing on your bench basically guaranteed a vicious swarm of ready-to-go Grass types with which to pummel your opponent into submission. Energy Trans also allows for distributing energies amongst pokémon so surprise KOs and Super Energy Removals won't hit as hard. Not quite as deadly as the base set Blastoise but definitely a worthwhile addition to any Grass deck. 8/10

Erika's Venusaur

A bit of mixed feelings on that one. Now on one hand it can charge up from nothing to full in two turns and really devastate your opponent's bench, but it doesn't really have the umph to stand up against active ones and the two retreat doesn't exactly encourage retreating. I have to say that this is a bit too weak considering the trouble it takes to get a second stage into play. 3/10

Number 3

Wtf is up with this art? Photographs for illustration is just...bleah. xP Anyway, Harvest Bounty is a cool power that will certainly come in handy, now throw in the Wild Growth Meganium too and we'll have one killer of a Grass deck. On it's own, the attack is a wee bit too expensive, though. Besides, Body Slam is just boring, wish they'd be a bit more original with these things. .___. 7/10

Last one

Yet another blind physical masher, I see. *Sigh* It's allright, I guess, but if I wanted a Grass pokémon with which to just pound down my opponent then I'd go for Sceptile. 5/10 good price/quality relation on the attacks but no support ability.

 

[Jaimes]

6.5/10
8/10 - if you are good with coin flipping.

No offence - but to raise a card by a whole 1.5 by being 'good with coin flipping' is pretty ridiculous. It's almost impossible to decided the outcome of an unbiased coin and even if you did run straight heads in a match - you would probably have your moves under close watch from the judge. ;)
It's all about using dice these days. Anyway..

Venucenter/ Venutrans decks have been a highly successful rogue since the introduction of Base Venusaur. Now there are a few spin offs and some downgrades but here we go:

Base Set Venusaur
Pretty standard HP and retreat. The weakness is a good bonus since there are very few [F] played in Unlimited.
The attack is quite costy for GGGG - but its power has an awesome ability to draw all the energies onto it. Unfortunately its very ERable.
The power is game breaking though. To move as many [G] per turn is absolutely crazy. Pokemon Nurse, Pokemon Centre, Scoop up, Chansey, Blissey .. There are so many combos for this power I probably can't name them all. It doesn't move things like DCE - however by Teching in the CG version - some attacks can be easily viable. 7.7/10

Erikas Venusaur
Growth is good with a decent hand and a Rare Candy. Low Hp, Expensive attack, small damage, Stage 2, limited benches and a Baby Start for you opponent mean this card isn't a major threat. 4/10

Venusaur Expedition Holo/Rare
Another Awesome POWER! Get hold of one of these and put it in any Venusaur deck. 2 Energy attachments a turn is great - even if they have to be on the active, simply Trans them off. It's like a mini Raindance. The attack is quite cost efficient - DCE and 2 transed on [G] as is the decent HP. 7.5/10

Venusaur Exp Rare
Nice Stats- the attacks are effective - but there are so many better options, I wouldn't bother with this card. 5.5/10


If you want to play a Venucenter deck I would suggest a good line like this:
4 Bulbasaur
2 Ivysaur
2 Venusaur EXP Holo
2/3 Venusaur Base/ ex
0/1 Venusaur CG

(With Rare candies obviously. There are zillions of Bulbasaurs and Ivysaurs in Unlimited as well- which is good since most have very decent attacks to pick from)

 

[~Solarys~]

For your information, you can actually control the outcome of a coin flip to some extent by practicing how much force you put into the flip for how many spins in the air.

This has been proved by physicists and statisticians, provided the coin you use is fair (i.e. head : tail = 50 : 50). That's why most of the so-called coin flipping in official sport matches are done by a computer to prevent human bias such as that.

I don't mean to start a lecture here but I know these things because I'm doing Statistics in university...

(I can get about 75 heads from 100 flips with a fair coin, and some people I know got up to 80+ heads.)

 

[Forci Stikane]

For your information, you can actually control the outcome of a coin flip to some extent by practicing how much force you put into the flip for how many spins in the air.

This has been proved by physicists and statisticians, provided the coin you use is fair (i.e. head : tail = 50 : 50). That's why most of the so-called coin flipping in official sport matches are done by a computer to prevent human bias such as that.

I don't mean to start a lecture here but I know these things because I'm doing Statistics in university...

(I can get about 75 heads from 100 flips with a fair coin, and some people I know got up to 80+ heads.)

One, I have tried that, so I know it's true. HOWEVER, that doesn't change the fact that it'll get you in trouble in an official match.

Two, I've also dealt with a computer program for coin flipping, and it is NOT 50-50. I'd actually say that the chances are about the same as if they were being flipped by someone who had (fairly limited) knowledge of how to influence the flip.

Three, it also doesn't change how it doesn't merit a 1.5-point change.

Anyway, as for the actual cards,...

Base Set: I STILL have my grass deck, and it used this thing (one of my tourney winners also used/uses a Venusaur, but it was/is the promo version...which I don't see here!). This thing works well in its element, so to speak, but gets creamed by sudden KOs. Add to the fact that it'll have 4 energy on it due to its attack and you get a major loss. It's almost necessary to leave on the bench, which puts it well below Blastoise. 6.5/10

Erika's: The only thing I have to say to this is that I wish they had made the split damage optional (like with SS Typhlosion EX).

E-Expedition 1: Yeah, this + Wild Growth Meganium = GG. But by itself...meh.

E-Expedition 2: ......No. Just no.