'Charisma of the Wrecked Sky,' Japan's SM7 Set Announced!

Hoenn kinda got shafted lol, thematically anyway. Kyogre and Groudon are genuinely terrible (+ not GXs) and Archie, Maxie, and Wallace don't even get cards. But Wallace's daughter does? I'm sure my large, wet child Kyogre will get a GX one day but [Voldemort I confess myself dissapointed gif].

At least the starters are all playable and we've got some killer (if extraordinarily random) trainers, as well as the foundations of a potentially AMAZING Dragonbox.
 
I'm still salty that Deoxys isn't getting an Ultra rare/prism card, but it's nice to see all four forms back in action after all these years! I'm actually holding out hope that speed form Deoxys gets a GX or prism in SM 7A since that set will be based around speedy pokemon :D but yeah, overall content.
 
Deoxys speed is the fastest pokemon and it doesnt even have free retreat? smh... Also i like the deoxys attack formes attack, might be a good counter t buzzwole post rotation.
 
I hate to say It But that Wailord has me interest 220hp on a stage 1 basic that has to the highest for a basic in the card game.

Wailord is not a basic, it is a stage 1 evolution! (its pre-evolution Wailmer is basic)
 
Interesting Trainers. Rainbow brush is a Smeargle BKT in item form. Might help A-Execuggotor cheese decks

Crisis Potion, could be an interesting way to heal your potion. You keep your energy, but can only heal below a very narrow range.

Hustle Belt is the sort of tool that basically punishes you opponent for not taking a knockout. at the very least, it opens your pokemon to deliver one last hurrah. Also, Night March Joltik might have just gained huge boost lol
joltik is nice, however it said it wont work on pokemon with no damage counter, i thinking this is better for expanded, maybe force damage counters with frozen city, or rainbow energies. useful if your pokemon has less than 30 damage, and isnt knocked out by 1 attack from opponnent. what else can put damage counters on your pokemon to make it less than 30hp? I can see this being used for gimmicky pokemon like feebas rainbow energy+hustle belt+victinis.
@DKQuagmire: Not even close to being yanmega prime, or the breakpoint one. those cards ignore attack cost if it has the same amount of cards as opponents. extrasensory is about as good with any pokemon with extrasensory.
 
Latios potential 300 damage! Is the shifty gx attack a win situation if opponent has no bench Pokemon?
Very disappointed in Kyogre, too bad it is not playable.
 
Just when I thought this set was done giving us amazing GX pokemon it comes through and delivers Shiftry. Shiftry is easily one of my favorite pokemon and the card is really good. My wallet might not like this set but definitely the most hyped I've been about sun and moon so far.
 
  • Treecko/Grovyle/Sceptile - if you are facing a UB focused deck, this is a better one. That is basically a Virizion-EX which the effect is good but you need a G energy present. 2,3/3/4
  • Seedot/Nuzleaf/Shiftry - only good with 1 Judge, 3 Copycat. Stage 2 also bit hurt on this card. 2,2/2/3
  • Surskit/Masquerain - ehh. 2/2
  • Illumise/Volbeat - ehh. 2-3/2-3
  • Tropius - I don't see it intersting. 2-3 Geodudes
  • Dhelmise - Good non-GX atkr that hits a right number. Hitting for weakness, a 250-HP, Grass-weak mon is going down. 3 Geodudes
  • Torchic/Combusken/Blaziken - play the 70 HP Torchic with Live Coal, play the 80 HP Combusken with Natural Cure, play a split of Blaziken and the GX. Spammable 210 dmg is possible. 3,3/1/4
  • Torkoal - ehhh. 2-3 Geodudes
  • Baile Oricorio - Ehhh. 2 Geodudes
  • Mudkip/Marshtomp/Swampert - Good ability, good deck on its own, but as a tech is more doubtful. 2,3/2/4
  • Wailmer/Wailord - first non-GX mon that has 220 HP. Yeay! 2-3/2-3
  • Clamperl/Huntail/Gorebyss - even though Clamperl got the Evo Adv., Huntail and Gorebyss doesn't capture my attention. 3/3/3
  • Luvdisc - what makes it interesting? You can't use a Lele for that for the T1 Supporter. 2-3 Geodudes just use Dunsparce. Its rare to full bench in turn 1.
  • Regice - What for, Regice? Its rare for people to play Stadiums in their unless Shrine will be heavily played. The atk also was terrible. 3 Geodudes
  • Kyogre - Okay. 3 Geodudes
  • Electrike/Manectric - Okay. Good on L decks, if we don't have "if you second..." effect like Talonflame. 2/4
  • Plusle/Minun - in a theme deck or a PR deck, Ok, I'll take it. 2/2
  • Pom-pom Oricorio - Is the first atk applies to yours as well? Well, we have Machoke and Sky Pillar (its basically Mountain Ring). Don't expect this thing in competitive. 2-3 Geodudes
  • Spoink/Grumpig - ehh. If you face Buzzwole in a mirror match, it'll get OHKO? Ehh. 2/1-2
  • Shuppet/Banette - I don't see it interesting. 2/3
  • Deoxys - among these Deoxys forms, Atk form is the best. Its EVO Mewtwo with 1 fewer RC. 4/3/2
  • Meditite/Medicham - the atk is good if the conditions were met. Just let yourself hit by Jet Punch twice without buffs. 2/2-3
  • Baltoy/Claydol - So you need to use 1 Steven's Decision and dump the rest just to do base 160? That is the dumbest thing I heard. Unless you play Metagross, but come on! A Stage 1, Stage 2, and playing two types of energy without the Unit Nrg support? Since when? 3/3
  • Regirock - So a Hammer Arm that costs FFC can do 100+30+20= 150 and KOs Zoroark. I'll take it. I don't include Strong Energy because it got rotated a month after this release. 3-4 Geodudes
  • Groudon - Boring. Its a nerfed ver. Of Gaia Volcano. Seriously. 3 Geodudes
  • Beldum/Metang/Metagross - play a split of Beldums for free retreat and extra bulk, respectively. Metagross is extremely good in Metagross GX decks. With the atk that hits the right numbers, 60+10 means KOs Evolving Basics, 120+10+30=160 means KOing Metal-weak mon with an ease. Plus, you can spam with Steven's Decision to search cards is so so good. Plus, 170 HP, OMG! I'm done. 4,4/2/5
  • Registeel - Gardevoir slaya! 3-4 Geodudes
  • Celesteela - good mid-game atkr. 4-5 Geodudes
  • Jirachi * - This card still sees play. You only play Gladion not for picking Jirachi up, play Gladion to ensure that Jirachi is prized. But it may distort the prize order. 3-4 Geodudes
  • Kartana - MM is hard to pull in the early game. But 130 in the early game, why not? 3 Geodudes
  • Swablu/Altaria-GX - play Y energy for EX/GX immunity. 2/4
  • Bagon/Shelgon/Salamence - I wish the Pokémon with the good ability has a good atk. 3,3/3/3
  • Stakataka-GX - Although its atks aren't impressive, play 1-2 of these in a Beast Box deck. 3 Geodudes
  • Latias*/ Latios* - both of them functions in different ways. Latias is good on Rayquaza, Latios is good on Dragonite. 5/5
  • Rayquaza-GX - Everything on Rayquaza is good. 5 Geodudes
  • Wingull/Pelipper - *Insert Pelipper cry* 2/2
  • Whismur/Loudred/Exploud - really?! I love the Whismur's artwork 2,2/2/2
  • Skitty/Delcatty - Good ability, bad for bench space. I hate those type of abilities that activates when evolved or placed on bench will gonna rot in play, unless it has a decent atk. 2/4
  • Kecleon - This caught my atention. Ultra Necrozma often plays P and M and unit LPM is the secondary option to fill UN's AC. Maybe tech one of these and can OHKO Ho-oh, Buzzwole, Glaceon for weakness. 3-4 Geodudes
  • Crisis Potion - this card's effect is so in crisis (pun intended). 3 Geodudes
  • Rainbow Brush - I only see on decks playing 2 types of energy namely Vikavolt and Ultra Necrozma. And also plays DCE. 3 Geodudes
  • Hustle Belt - Choice Band x2 but it activates if you have 30 HP less. If you have 130, 150 HP, and survives a std dmg, use this. I only see this thing better is Joltik in Expanded. Joltik has already 30 HP and with Hustle Belt, Night March can do a lot. 4 Geodudes
  • Steven's Decision - Good T1 Supporter, if you play a Metagross deck, this makes it better. 5 Geodudes
  • Hau - Nice Artwork
  • Fisherman - Saved by rotation
  • Tate and Liza - we need draw support. 5 Geodudes
  • Lisia - in a deck that plays more than 1 Prism Stars, this is a thing. 3 Geodudes
  • Commandment Shrine - Okay since most decks play GXs. 4 Geodudes
  • Sky Pillar - Its Mountain Ring, period. 2-3 Geodudes
 
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Alright, I already love this set so much, I can already see some budget fun to play decks. Thanks to Commandment Shrine I can finally hit those magic numbers more and more with Passimian. Thanks rotation for letting Parallel City go from standard... inb4 reprint.
 
Wait does this mean... Full Art Fisherman?? I wish it was the same character as the XY Fisherman, and not this thicc old man, but I'm still excited.
 
Tate and liza is complete trash. just play cynthia and dawn wings necrozma to get both effects at once without using a supporter for the turn.

We lose float stone, so Dawn Wings can't really do that without discarding energy too. Also, shuffle-draw 5 is essentially our second best draw support, after Cynthia, post-rotation.
 
Pokemon:
Sceptile - Nothing changes my initial assessment, has some conceptually good stuff going for it, but the damage simply doesn't scale fast enough for a stage 2.

Shiftry - With both Judge and Copycat around, Shiftry looks to be a pretty decent stage 2. Will probably make use of filler items like order pads, acro bikes, ect for maximum flexibility with hand count. Do I think it will take the game by storm? No, but it will be playable.

Masquerain - Cute but I don't see much point with better, less conditional special energy hate around. Is one of those cards that could definitely find a niche somewhere down the line though.

Volbeat/Illuminise - This is actually better than people are giving it credit for, mixed with SM Lurantis you can do some pretty good damage for 1 energy on a 1 prize basic. Without Float Stone around retreating in general will be harder, so confusion will be more valuable.

Blaziken - Nothing changes my general outlook on this card. It's pretty decent in conjunction with Babyken but you need a lot of stage 2s in play to make it work, it will be hard to maintain your position on the board when both your attacker and accelerator are using the same basic, you'll suffer dearly from torchics being prized.

Torkoal - This is an interesting card in conjunction with Magcargo for getting a ton of fire energy on the field, I don't really know what you'd use it with though, I think Kiawe/Turt is the better engine for Ho-oh-GX but I see what they're doing here.

Swampert - The Mudkip makes Swampert slightly better than I thought it would be since it gives you the ability to potentially pull water energy out of your deck if you move second, in preparation for a t2 Crasher Wake, which is an excellent way to get a Swampert in play on t2.

Wailord - Extremely high HP for a stage 1 card, but I don't see much of a niche for it, you can't really play pure mill stall in standard by the time we get it, and in expanded there are generally better cards for the role.

Manectric - Would have been neat if it searched the deck for energy or if it was costed as C instead of L.

Plusle - Not likely to see competitive play, but the draw attack is pretty good for kitchen table play.

Oricorio L - Would have been better at C cost. Lightning is in a pretty poor place so long as Buzzwole is sitting at such high usage.

Grumpig - The condition is very easy to achieve, if this attack were on a basic it'd probably be the new psychic tech. Could still be a cute joke deck if we get something to boost psychic damage, 80 is just a little too low right now imo.

Deoxys - In conjunction with the promo, malamar and mysterious treasure, I see the makings of a pretty solid budget deck, depending on promo availability.

Medicham - designed for expanded, still probably not great there, there are better fighting options imo.

Claydol - Funny card, I guess they're trying to push a deck like they did with Lukechomp. It's actually pretty solid in expanded I think considering the number of ways fighting can boost damage.

Metagross - Decent, you 2HKO most things with a choice band and get really good search power through Steven, high HP for a non-GX, 1 turn damage feels a little too low though and you're vulnerable to things like being Guzma'd out of active and losing your buff, or Salamence'd.

Celesteela - Will be a one of in any metal deck. Being able to hit 190 with band and a metal energy is extremely good, even if you only get to do it once in a game.

Stakataka - Not particularly impressive, might see play as a one of in other beast decks to screw with people trying to hit numbers

Altaria - Kind of reminiscent of Regice AOR/Jolteon-EX/Glaceon-EX. Those decks all kind of had problems with being able to turn up the pressure, but Altaria has Fight Song and Devoured Field to boost damage, and with those can 2HKO most of the meta. I think this is one of the stars of the set honestly.

Salamence - I think that Lance Prism, Salamence-GX and Salamence will form a 3 card tech in some decks next season, this combo is extremely powerful if you can get it off since you get a free Lysandre every turn with the full combination. Of course, this is a little problematic if one of these cards is prized. Neither Salamence is good enough to be used as an attacker in its own right imo.

Latias Prism - Why did it have to be basic N pokemon? Why not evolutions? Why does PCL constantly do things like this when they say they want to promote evolutions in the meta?

Latios Prism - Very good card in Altaria and Dragonite, whether either of those decks are good remains to be seen.

Rayquaza - I think it's worse than Bulu overall but will definitely be playable.

Delcatty - I think people underestimate how useful this effect could be for certain decks in a meta where we're going to have pretty slim pickings for consistency supporters.

Anything not mentioned is filler imo

Trainers:
Crisis Potion - solidly MEH card, I can't think of where it will prevent a 2HKO, extremely situational and has no use outside of that situation.

Acro Bike - We know that this is a good card, but it's less good in a garbodor meta. That it comes in this set is relevant because this set should survive 2019 rotation while Garbodor probably won't.

Rainbow Brush - I think this is actually a really neat card and not just for multi energy decks. For example, Noivern-GX has this issue where Noibat uses DCE for its attack but Noivern's attacks are DC and PDC, so attaching DCE then darkness is wasted energy. With this item you can conserve your special energy and reduce your vulnerability to Lele, for example

Hustle Belt - This is a good card for high damage, low HP basics, namely Joltik.

Tate and Liza - This is a solid card, it's always nice to be able to condense things together and we're running pretty slim on draw support options post rotation, so shuffle for 5 isn't nearly as bad as it was back in the era when discard and draw 7 was the golden standard.

Lisia - Only really does anything for Buzzwole right now.

Commandment Shrine - This is a pretty damn good card even for many EX/GX centric decks because it lets you just drop that extra 10 damage on the field you need to finish something off.

Sky Pillar - kind of a meh card, I can see it being used to block Black Rays against Necrozma decks, but it's dependent on your opponent not being able to field blower it or stadium donk it.

Steven - Extremely good card, probably the best t1 first move play for most decks in a post-brigette world
 
We lose float stone, so Dawn Wings can't really do that without discarding energy too. Also, shuffle-draw 5 is essentially our second best draw support, after Cynthia, post-rotation.
lillie for draw up to 6, hala for shuffle 7 if you used your GX
 
lillie for draw up to 6, hala for shuffle 7 if you used your GX
Both of which are situational to use.

Tate&Liza (which from now on I'm refering to as Taza to shorten it) is a consistent good draw card which makes Taza better then Lillie and Hala
 
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