News Japan's December Sets: 'Ultra Sun' and 'Ultra Moon!'

Tytus

Expanded Best Format
Member
If coin flipping is how the meta is going to go then the victiny coin flip card will go up drastically in prices.
 

Tytus

Expanded Best Format
Member
And if You're playing expanded play life dew and tech a Neighlego Gx to make it a 9 prize game while trying to take out a 200 hp 1 prize pokemon
 

Tytus

Expanded Best Format
Member
Honestly, I think skipping out on Luxray altogether is the right choice here, especially if you're playing this as a tech. Just splash in a 2/2 line up to Luxio and choke your opponent for a little in the early game. You only lose 1 prize, forcing the 7 prize game anyway.

As already discussed in previous posts, Rare Candy defeats the purpose of Shining Celebi, and you really aren't playing Luxray as a main attacker here. You also have 2 easy KOs on your bench if you have both the Celebi and anything not yet a Luxray, not to mention really tight bench space as well.

I find this evolution line very interesting because it's the first line that I've seen where the stage 1 middle evolution is conditionally better than evolving up all the way, especially thanks to the Shinx.

I think there are 2 routes to take here.

Route 1 is to splash in a 2/2 or 3/3 line only up to Luxio into any other deck to prevent your opponent from getting set up early. The 30 damage is significant early game, and if you're against a Stage 2 deck, which you likely are nowadays, you can stop ultra balls and fast evolution rare candies. That's very significant for slowing your opponent down. 1 or 2 turns of Luxio while you get set up can be the game decider in a mirror match.

Route 2 is, as mentioned before, to go all the way into Luxray BREAK including Shining Celebi for item lock on a mathematically 200 HP 1 prize Pokemon as well as including Rayquaza from Guardian's Rising so that you have the option to snipe 150 or build up the energy for guaranteed 2 hit KOs with BREAK's attack, and maybe the occasional lucky cheeky OHKO. The main issue with this route is that you're even slower than Greninja BREAK since you don't have something as potent as water duplicates, and you are interested in having at least one Luxio as part of one of your evolution lines in order to make Shining Celebi worth it at all. You really have to have item lock in place to have an evolution line this slow get set up. Shinx's ability helps to mitigate this a bit, but the timing window of it is so specific that I wouldn't call it reliable.
if you play expanded play life dew and tech neighlego gx into your deck for a 9 prize game with your opponent trying to take 1 prize on a 200 hp pokemon
 

EarthwormZim

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Honestly, I think skipping out on Luxray altogether is the right choice here, especially if you're playing this as a tech. Just splash in a 2/2 line up to Luxio and choke your opponent for a little in the early game. You only lose 1 prize, forcing the 7 prize game anyway.

As already discussed in previous posts, Rare Candy defeats the purpose of Shining Celebi, and you really aren't playing Luxray as a main attacker here. You also have 2 easy KOs on your bench if you have both the Celebi and anything not yet a Luxray, not to mention really tight bench space as well.

I find this evolution line very interesting because it's the first line that I've seen where the stage 1 middle evolution is conditionally better than evolving up all the way, especially thanks to the Shinx.

I think there are 2 routes to take here.

Route 1 is to splash in a 2/2 or 3/3 line only up to Luxio into any other deck to prevent your opponent from getting set up early. The 30 damage is significant early game, and if you're against a Stage 2 deck, which you likely are nowadays, you can stop ultra balls and fast evolution rare candies. That's very significant for slowing your opponent down. 1 or 2 turns of Luxio while you get set up can be the game decider in a mirror match.

Route 2 is, as mentioned before, to go all the way into Luxray BREAK including Shining Celebi for item lock on a mathematically 200 HP 1 prize Pokemon as well as including Rayquaza from Guardian's Rising so that you have the option to snipe 150 or build up the energy for guaranteed 2 hit KOs with BREAK's attack, and maybe the occasional lucky cheeky OHKO. The main issue with this route is that you're even slower than Greninja BREAK since you don't have something as potent as water duplicates, and you are interested in having at least one Luxio as part of one of your evolution lines in order to make Shining Celebi worth it at all. You really have to have item lock in place to have an evolution line this slow get set up. Shinx's ability helps to mitigate this a bit, but the timing window of it is so specific that I wouldn't call it reliable.

I would argue that Machoke GRI is also conditionally better than any Machamp currently in standard :p, but I agree with your point (Granted Machoke is for the ability, not the attack). A 2-2 line seems to be the best way to use Luxio, but only time will tell I suppose.
 

TheRealBro..

...
Member
Recently her Pokémon look more reflecting, plastic-like than the background

Well put. And that's what I don't like that much about these cards compared to the artworks of the old days wit a more 'loosely drawn' style of the Pokemon in picture. Wish that would come back someday in a new set, and not like in Evolutions with the exact same cards reprinted. New artwork. Throw in a couple of Shining Pokemon as in it and you have a collector's dream!
 

Lanstar

The Cutest of Ladies
Member
I was thinking Metagross-GX, Raticate-GX or Sylveon-GX could work... Then again, knowing my luck, one piece could get prized, or simply discarded by Professor Sycamore. :/
 

Akiro

Aspiring Trainer
Member
  • Well raticate gx, decidueye gx and gardevoir gx gx's attack could get you discarded one but I don't think its worth the 4 deck slot IMO
 

Otaku

The wise fool?
Member
I'd like them to call the English card "Broken Clover". I get what they are going with by calling it "missing", but it's more like "Partial", "incomplete", etc. So why "broken"? It almost fits that theme and this is one of those effects that will probably either be junk or result in something be banned in Expanded about 5 years from now. XP

I mean, off the top of my head? Sableye (DEX) + Missing Clover + Puzzle of Time.
 
J

Juliacoolo

I suppose every set has to have a handful of cards like these. They could have made it more interesting, though. If it was only three pieces, it might be more realistic. Maybe it could have been a tool card that you could attach to your Pokemon so they don't have to stay in your hand all game. Or, perhaps it could be something like having all four in your discard pile allows both you and your opponent to draw a prize.
 

gumball51321

*thumbs up*
Member
I can see this being played in Zoroark because of the amount of extra space. Generally bad, but if you don't prize one, there you go. Actually, wait. SABLEYE.
 

EarthwormZim

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I can see this being played in Zoroark because of the amount of extra space. Generally bad, but if you don't prize one, there you go. Actually, wait. SABLEYE.

lol, yeah just do a Zoroark deck with Sableye, 4 clovers, 4 Puzzle of Time, 2-4 Gladion to unprize the clovers/puzzles, and Kartana GX. Just win by cheating prizes. Still terrible, but could be a meme deck.
 

FrostyLily

ニャンパス~ (she/her)
Member
4/10 It’s okay. Might be useful in some decks. I might use it to take up some space if I don’t know what to put in a deck, but not very useful.
 
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