PokeCommunity Card of the Day (July 7th, 2011) - Haunter UD 35/102

[donavannj]

Welcome to PokeCommunity's (Un)Official Card of the Day series!

Basically, this is a series of threads where you rate a given card based on several factors, including how useful it is in various decks, which cards it combos well with, and its art. So, basically, you're rating all aspects of the card.

Card of the Day for July 7th, 2011 - Haunter 35/102 HS Triumphant Set

Spoiler:

(This pic is just being used to show the art. I can't find the power cable for our scanner here at the moment, otherwise I'd have used a scan)

Card details:

Spoiler:

Name: Haunter
Set: HS Triumphant
Collector's Number: 35/102
Rarity: Uncommon
Illustrator: Takashi Yamaguchi
Pokedex Entry: It stores some of the air it inahles in its internal flame pouch, which heats it to over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Type: Psychic
Evolution Stage: Stage 1
HP: 70
Ability: n/a
Poke-Power: n/a
Poke-Body: n/a
Attack 1: (1 Psychic) Sneaky Placement - Put 2 damage counters on 1 of your opponent's Pokemon.
Attack 2: (2 Colorless) Sleep Poison - The Defending Pokemon is now Asleep and Poisoned.
Weakness: Dark x2
Resistance: Colorless -20
Retreat Cost: 0

Some questions to get you started:
What decks is this useful in?
What cards does it combo well with?
What do you think about the card's capabilities?
What do you think about the card art?

Now get your rate on!

 

[SkySage2k9]

Sorry, but I gotta point out a typo... (Wrong 'dex entry...)

 

[donavannj]

Sorry, but I gotta point out a typo... (Wrong 'dex entry...)

I realized that after I put it up, but I was too lazy/tired to change that, and at this point, I don't have the card in front of me to change it, so I'll do it later.

As for the card, I think it's kinda bad. 70 HP on a Stage 1 is awfully horrendous in the current format, and it requires so much energy to do so little. Special conditions haven't been proven to be worth the energy costs in the current format yet. Art is still interesting, though. 4/10.

 

[Rocket_Executive]

It's ok for a middle evolution. If you are sending out haunter with no means to evolve it into gengar, you are in a pretty tight spot and some special conditions might actually turn the match around. Special conditions are certainly more relevant in this format than they were in SP, they can't just poketurn it all away anymore so if they get unlucky with that coin flip and stay asleep, you get a free turn to set up unless they have something like switch. Sneaky placement could potentially help you set up a better cursed drop when you do actually get the gengar out. If these stats were on a fully-evolved pokemon it would be atrociously bad, but these are ok seeing as haunter is really just the stepping-stone to gengar anyway.
7/10