Japan's XY9 Set: 'Rage of the Broken Sky,' New 'Battle Strengthening Sets'

crowfeather4

R.I.P. Night March
Member
Greninja XY + Greninja Break
2 Energy = 90 Dmg without an attack

2 Greninja XY + 2 Greninja Break
4 Energy (Not so bad with energy retrieval) = OHKO any non-mega ex (except a big whale that shall not be named). Tired of that pesky Yveltal, Kill it. Manectric screwing you over? Get rid of it without attacking.
 

Hellcat

Outlaw Trainer
Member
manaphy water u doing.

/shot.

But rly, why did Manaphy get an EX? There are plenty of other great pokemon that could have gotten an EX but noooo. Gotta throw the lame water baby in to make folks mad. It really doesn't even seem that good. I mean, sure retreating is great but switches are really just as good.
 

RealSlim

Dragons Breeder
Member
manaphy water u doing.

/shot.

But rly, why did Manaphy get an EX? There are plenty of other great pokemon that could have gotten an EX but noooo. Gotta throw the lame water baby in to make folks mad. It really doesn't even seem that good. I mean, sure retreating is great but switches are really just as good.

Lol you don't know what you are saying, free retreat was the only reason Darkrai EX was so freakin' OP back in the days...

If you play TCG competitively, you know that free retreat is lethal
 

RealSlim

Dragons Breeder
Member
That's not exactly true. Dark Spear was really really really good back then.
Darkrai's main utilization was as bench sitter, ensuring free retreat. Of course, Dark Spear could be used as a last resort, but it was not it's main business, for sure.
 

poke4trade

Raising Ash
Member
Kyogre just got a bit more dangerous to Pokemon that can't one shot him. Also, decks that rely on rainbow energy will like manphy too.
 

Camoclone

TCG Articles Head
Member
Darkrai's main utilization was as bench sitter, ensuring free retreat. Of course, Dark Spear could be used as a last resort, but it was not it's main business, for sure.
That was later after Yveltal-EX was released. Before then Darkrai-EX was actually the main attacker. Check out the worlds decks from that format.
 

OVERGRO

Pokemon is lyfe.
Member
I'm I the only one thinking of using a Target Whistle? That Zubat or Joltik just sitting in the discard pile? Target whistle and snipe.

With Greninja BREAK and 2 Greninja XY, it gets even better -- 3 energy discards snag you a Shaymin EX kill. Then you can Target Whistle and do it again. And if you manage a third target whistle... GG. 9 energy discards, 2-5 items (not including the ones you used to dig for the frogs).

Edit: The above goes for Manaphy EX too (assuming neither of the EXs are holding FSBs)!
 

RealSlim

Dragons Breeder
Member
That was later after Yveltal-EX was released. Before then Darkrai-EX was actually the main attacker. Check out the worlds decks from that format.
Oh, I know very well the worlds deck from that format, thank you, but sure, I was talking about the XY-on format, not about the prehistory. But apart from that, we were talking about the power of the free retreat, and Darkrai EX had to thank its ability, because its attack alone was nothing special!
 
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Professor Palutena

The Queen
Member
Woah, Frogadier is awesome for Greninja. Wally/Evosoda a Froakie turn 1, attach Water energy. Suddenly 4 Frogadier. Turns Greninja into a Stage 1 Pokemon equivalent, which makes Greninja BREAK easier to put into play.
 

MarshalBry

Aspiring Trainer
Member
So is Manaphy EX part of XY9? I thought we had confirmation the only EXs were (M/) Scizor EX and (M/) Gyarados EX
 

Peter's Lucario

Lucario BREAK
Member
Keep forgetting Manaphy is a legendary lol. I feel like the Greninja BREAK artwork has to much going on but i'll still be adding it to my collection.
 

Doomdesirer

Stardoom warrior
Member
Greninja break is op version of greninja xy, the damage for greninja needs to be updated, and the fire energy is not horrible. I use it with pyroar.
 

Otaku

The wise fool?
Member
what more can you ask for from a middle evo tbh?

A lot, actually.

1) More HP

2) An Ability, preferably one that triggers upon Evolving from hand

3) A worthwhile attack, though not one meant to be the focus of the deck

In the TCG, lower Stages of Evolution hit the field and have to contend with non-Evolving Basics (usually not encountered until later in the video games) as well as Pokémon-EX that are huge and hit hard; unlike in the video games where something comparable only happens if you want to challenge yourself or get careless. Evolution happens during battle in the TCG and has to happen over and over again... so it makes more sense to "front load" Hit Point scores, having lower Stages clock in higher because all across the board Evolving Pokémon need to be able to take more damage than they do in the video games.

Now, the new one is way better than any previous Frogadier and than most Evolving Stage 1 Pokémon, but if the Stage 2 form clocks in at say 130, then give Frogadier 100 HP (enough that it might even survive a hit!), change the attack to an Ability that Evolves your Froakie in play and only triggers once, when you Evolve one of your Pokémon in play into said Frogadier. Give him an attack that either finishes your set-up or allows it to act as a cleaner/spare attacker Preferably also make Froakie a "contributor" to the line as well. Suddenly your guy that takes three cards and two turns to get into play has the benefits spread throughout the entire line so that if it gets taken down early, it isn't a total loss and that final Stage doesn't have to be as insanely strong to compete with a non-Evolving big, Basic Pokémon.

We can't play a BREAK Evolution with Archie's Ace in the Hole, but we can still do that with Frogadier and/or Greninja; gotta wonder if Froakie will be worth it at all. Even Frogadier isn't a guarantee; get three more 70 HP guys that are easy Prizes if you don't get them Evolved ASAP while also giving up a Prize (because the Active, attacking Frogadier is a gonner) or... just suck it up and build a deck that can spam Archie's Ace in the Hole assuming it is worth having multiple Greninja?
 
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LordKieta

Owner of Violet CIty
Member
I'm really let down by all these Eeveelutions EXes... Except Jolteon. Jolteon shows a lot of promise

And Clemont is better than using Fisherman in Magnezone decks.
 

Jessie Mulay

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Wow all these EXs. Really like how they look.

Golem-EX is interesting.

I'm a little mad Clemont probably won't get a Full Art
 
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