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Otaku

The wise fool?
Member
Field Blower - Bye bye Garb! This is an improved version of Tool Scrapper.

I was watching a reviewer on Youtube (I can't remember if we are allowed to name names here...) who pointed out that Field Blower can help Garbodor by making it safe to attach the "wrong" Tool. It may not happen all the time, but I know I've gotten in trouble because I either had to waste a Fighting Fury Belt (or similarly inappropriate Tool) on Garbodor to trigger "Garbotoxin". Really bad when your opponent forces that Garbodor up front with Lysandre; s/he doesn't even need a OHKO if you don't have a Switch or the like handy.

There may also be an issue with, as they say, a false sense of safety. How many decks can afford to run four Field Blower? Garbodor players learned with its predecessor having to cope with Tool Scrapper and/or Startling Megaphone, pace Tool attachments. It has to be a "...and with that Float Stone discarded from Garbodor, "Irritating Pollen" from my Vileplume goes into effect." situations. If your deck really needs a particular Ability, Garbodor just needs to have one more Tool available than you do Field Blower cards.

Now, it isn't all doom and gloom (not even from me XD). A deck that really just needed to switch its Abilities back on at least once, those have some hope. For a lot of decks, though, expect the good to get better and the worse to grow weaker.
 

Shishigami

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Why do I feel that Abra, Kadabra and Alakazam will be the only Aloan region pokémon to be neglected from being printed?

:'(
Why can't all of this selfish conformity with ones narcissism stop? I think someone needs to talk to James Randi as soon as they can to show how much of a corrupt egotist the company has been manipultated around by.
 

MetalPharoah

Aspiring Trainer
Member
To imagine that this plus the last Strengthening Pack will be our 140+ Guardians Rising, and with around 24 secret rares @_@
 

MetalPharoah

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Yeah, I had that realisation too.

I tend to dislike large, bloated sets because the pool of decent cards are diluted by all the filler rares.

At least most of these cards are far from filler. Not much filler anyway, so far Sun and Moon gives us even playable commons and uncommons which is fantastic!
 

CrownXY

as brave as a talonflame
Member
I don't know if sophocles is revealed before or not but this is the first time I am seeing it.
Even though ultra ball does kinda the similar thing, but you must have a shaymin, and is an item card, sophocles seems like more than a decent supporter. Discarding 2 cards is not really trouble considering most decks need to throw one thing or the other every time .
 

Kietharr

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I think it's pretty meh as a draw supporter, I mean how often would you rather discard 2 to draw 4 than discard hand to draw 7? Especially with all of the item cards we have, it's so easy to play your hand down and get value out of every card before dropping Sycamore/Juniper. This thing only gets you one more draw than Hau/Tierno.

It will be decent after Sycamore is gone though.
 

KidWhoaCollects

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Does anyone know why the price of N full arts has spiked recently? Went from ~$70 to $90-$100. How long until it rotates out of Expanded? Do you think the price will drop once it rotates out? Thanks!
 

RiverShock

Aspiring Trainer
Member
There is no reason to use Sophocles over Hau. At all. Even in decks that can take advantage of the discard, it's still going to be dead far more often than it's going to be valuable.
 

JBlade3

Dark Pokemon Master
Member
There is no reason to use Sophocles over Hau. At all. Even in decks that can take advantage of the discard, it's still going to be dead far more often than it's going to be valuable.

Could be good in vespiquen variants. Would make for a meh discard engine. No reason to play it over a card like Psychic's third eye. Where you can discard a lot and draw for a lot at the same time.
 

Mr. Rhyperior

The Drill Pokemon. An evolve form of Rhydon.
Member
MY EVALUATIONS!
  • Sophocles - Sycamore says, "I'm better than you, Young Kid!" Well, discard 2 for 4 isn't good enough than discard Hand Cards for 7. When Syca is gone, This and Hala is the possible one. I just give 2 Geodudes for now.
 

MarshalBry

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Does anyone know why the price of N full arts has spiked recently? Went from ~$70 to $90-$100. How long until it rotates out of Expanded? Do you think the price will drop once it rotates out? Thanks!

N was in Fates Collide so I think it's here to stay in Expanded for a long time.
 

Gruffling

Aspiring Trainer
Member
"The exclusive cards will likely also be included in the next English set, Rising Guardians" You mean Guardians Rising. Bulu is most likely tinsclusive and npt getting alternate art in any set. At least it's easier to get, Bulu is my favourite Tapu.
 

postmodern_pinko

So postmodern
Member
Sophocles is translated slightly wrong. The actual text is "Kill your dad. Then, draw 4 cards. Also, you have uncomfortable feelings about you mom now good luck."
 

jessalakasam

Floette is love Floette is life
Member
Does anyone know why the price of N full arts has spiked recently? Went from ~$70 to $90-$100. How long until it rotates out of Expanded? Do you think the price will drop once it rotates out? Thanks!
Expanded never rotates, also, now that I think about it N never left standard so it may be here for a while
 

JBlade3

Dark Pokemon Master
Member
I just noticed that this new Tapu Koko is going to be the one thing that can very efficiently be throw in any deck and get a multi-man k.o. on a Magikarp deck.
 

JBlade3

Dark Pokemon Master
Member
So would Pokemon ranger stop Minior from knocking it'self out?

Or, you could go expanded, use fighting stadium, protection cube, and multiple strong energy to scare dark decks into submission. All you need is a garb to stop fright night from taking away the protection cubes effect. Dang! Now you got me thinking...

Not quite, TotoBoss: you're right about almost everything, including the final conclusion that Pokémon Ranger won't help Minior survive. Just in case there is something that can, I want to be precise for the sake of Master Shuckle.

"Cosmosplosion" has an effect that automatically KO's whatever uses the attack, instead of damaging or even placing damage counters upon that Pokémon. The specific timing is that Minior KO's itself by the end of Step F* of attacking (as opposed to after its attack). Doesn't change the basis of your reasoning, though; Pokémon Ranger removes all effects of attacks that currently reside on both players and their Pokémon, but Minior doesn't place an effect on either; it has an effect that is done and resolved during Step F.

If Master Shuckle is interested in a Minior that can survive Cosmosplosion, he'll need to find an effect that blocks the effects of attacks made by your own Pokémon.

*See page 20 of the Sun & Moon rulebook.


Thanks, that saved me about a week of deck building to only find out that the minior deck I was working on does not work as expected.
Thank you! :)
 
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MarshalBry

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Or, you could go expanded, use fighting stadium, protection cube, and multiple strong energy to scare dark decks into submission. All you need is a garb to stop fright night from taking away the protection cubes effect. Dang! Now you got me thinking...

Protection Cube doesn't protect Minior, it reads "Prevent all damage done to the Pokémon this card is attached to by attacks it uses." while Minior just knocks itself out (not doing damage to itself).
 
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