TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX Revealed — “Pikachu & Zekrom-GX!’
It was just announced at Worlds that a new Pokemon-GX mechanic is coming to the TCG: “TAG TEAM” Pokemon-GX cards!
Pikachu & Zekrom-GX – Lightning – HP240
Basic Pokemon (TAG TEAM)[L][L][L] Full Blitz: 150 damage. Search your deck for up to 3 [L] Energy cards and attach them to 1 of your Pokemon. Then, shuffle your deck.
[L][L][L]+ Tag Bolt GX: 200 damage. If this Pokemon has at least 3 extra [L] Energy attached to it (in addition to this attack’s cost), this attack does 170 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokemon.) (You can’t use more than 1 GX attack in a game.)
When your TAG TEAM is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 3 Prize cards.
Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: Metal (-20)
Retreat: 3
A “TAG TEAM” Pokemon-GX will feature two Pokemon of the same type joining forces on one card! They will have higher HP and stronger attacks than usual, so you’ll have to forfeit three Prize cards if yours is Knocked Out!
The one above features a new mechanic in the Energy cost of the GX attack — a “+” sign — which means its GX attack can have a secondary effect if you have additional Energy attached. It’s unknown if this will be a unique feature to the GX attacks of TAG TEAM Pokemon or if this is coming to other cards as well.
The “+” lets players easily see that the attack has a massive secondary effect if more Energy are attached. In the case of Pikachu & Zekrom-GX, if you just have just [L][L][L] attached, the attack does 200 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon. But if you have at least [L][L][L][L][L][L] attached, it’ll do 200 damage to their Active plus 170 damage to 1 of their Benched Pokemon.
TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX have a slightly updated card design when compared to GX cards, featuring two yellow corners and a “TAG TEAM” logo in the top left corner of the artwork. Maybe they’ll have a different holo design as well?
This is the first time since the LEGEND cards in HS – Triumphant that a Pokemon card in a set features more than one Pokemon. However, unlike the LEGEND cards, these cards aren’t split into two different cards and can feature non-Legendary Pokemon. Cards with multiple Pokemon on it have recently been featured on promos in Premium Collections, such as the “Forces of Nature-GX Premium Collection,” however they have all been gimmicky jumbo cards and therefore aren’t legal for tournaments.
Pikachu & Zekrom-GX are card #33/181, which means our English February set will have 181 cards. Despite the release of Let’s Go in November and its focus on Kanto Pokemon, it seems the TCG will still feature Pokemon from other regions in its first Let’s Go-era set.