Water Pokémon Master

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All regular cards from S9 Star Birth have been revealed on the official Japanese Pokemon TCG website! The set releases in Japan next Friday.
The secret rare cards will be revealed by next week — stay tuned!
We expect the cards from this set will join those from Start Deck 100 to become part of Brilliant Stars, which releases internationally on February 25th.
S9 ‘Star Birth’ Cards


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LightYearLiam

Avatar by LYNX3000
Member
Overall this looks amazing and there's a lot to love. There's definitely a lot which contributes to single prizer viability, which is really good for me because I enjoy them more than V decks. But while I'm glad a form of Choice Band and Bench Barrier are back, I think it would be much better if Discerning Band(?) only worked on non-Rule Box Pokemon and Manaphy only protected non-Rule Box Pokemon. I don't really like spread/sniping just being unilaterally "shut down", that's not really very fun and interactive for me. But this is still better than no bench protection.
 

Macke

Master of deckbuilding
Member
Ultra ball, research and boss reprint, lumineon, choice belt, manaphy, charizard vmax and that’s just the beginning!

This is the best set since… since… well since long before Guardians Rising, but maybe ever?
 

Flygonite

Meta/budget player
Member
So they reprinted a bunch of staple effects in a good number of Pokemon in this and Start Deck 100. Now we have Trade (In Liepard), Abyssal Hand (in Bibarel), Wonder Tag (in Lumineon), Bench Barrier (in Manaphy) and even Giratina-EX Chaos Wheel (Whimsicott VStar) and other fun effects like Bee Revenge (Wormadam) and Tool Drop (Pachirisu) with a viable tool holder (Honchkrow V), and even the dreaded Junk Hunt (Floatzel). They also throw in Choice Band for good measure.

We also get some staples for Fire and single prize decks. This is easily the best set of the last few years. Arceus V, Lumineon V and Double Turbo would have probably been enough, but the last few cards just drive the point home that they want a new meta in place. Now it remains to be seen which decks will rise to the top and if Mew VMax can be dethroned now that single prize decks are much, much more powerful.

The fact that my boy Flygon got such a powerful card is beautiful too. I'm gonna try a variant with Arceus once it drops in PTCGO. A total OHKO machine, and it doesn't require to use your V star power to OHKO every VMax in format.
 
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PlatinumDude

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I remember when DarkIntegralGaming would give nicknames to the draw support/consistency Pokemon: Sushi Master for Breakpoint Octillery, Banana Master for Sun/Moon Oranguru, and Coconut Master for Tapu Lele GX. I'm thinking "Beaver Master" for Bibarel, since it's a direct clone of Octillery.
 

GymLdrJesse

Twitter/X @JessePrker
Advanced Member
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Hot take but I think Brilliant Stars might be THE most influential set (competitively) we've ever had in the history of the game. Only time will tell but It has a TON of both strong new cards and reprints.
 

WillyCharizard

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Finally Mew is back but its still so vulnerable to Inteleon snipes which is a shame especially with stuff like Medicham being there with Urshifu being one of the most painful bench hitters right now

Roseaness backup is incredible, finally a way to get back special energys, stadiums, tools and even Pokemons, ordinary rod on steroids, quite...
 

hervul

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Kinda boring set. Only a couple of cards are worthy. My top 6:
6. Honchkrow (for Expanded)
5. Collapse Stadium
4. Raichu V
3. Torterra (+Grotle)
2. Arceus VStar
1. Bibarel
 

N's Rhyperior

Aspiring Trainer
Exeggcute/Exeggutor - 2-2 Geodudes
Shrromish/Breloom - 2-2 Geodudes
Tropius - who gives a toss for Confusion? 3
Turtwig/Grotle/Torterra - make sure that some G stage 1s to pair with is viable and consistent. 2/4/4 Geodudes
Burmy/Wormadam/Mothim - I kinda like this Wormadam. but 30 Pokemon to KO a VMax is too much. 3/4-5 (each), 2 Geodudes
Shaymin V/VStar - I don't like the VStar Power, but Revenge Blast is worth trying. 3/3-4
Charizard V/VStar - AA Charizard V with Venusaur! Charizard VStar is madness ... if you can T1 that energy. 3/4-5
Magmar/Magmortar, Electabuzz/Electivire - I said this thing previously. 3/3-4 Geodudes, 3/3-4 Geodudes
Moltres - same thing on Hoopa and Zapdos. You know what happen to them previously. 4-5
Chimchar/Monferno/Infernape - sadly, you are not even KOing a Crobat without any extra help. Out of 5 cards, expect to do 160. Uncommon for you to hit 240. At the end of the day, it's still Stage 2. 2/2/3 Geodudes
Lapras - if this thing can Revenge KO, I would consider it. 110 is still not good damage, even with Paralysis. 3
Corphish/Crawdaunt - Weird for me to see a non-Dark type Crawdaunt. 1/2
Piplup/Prinplup/Empoleon - Empoleon is a must-have in a 59-card deck. 2/2/4-5 Geodudes
Buizel/Floazel - we still don't have cards that make a control deck anyway. So whatever. 3/4
Lumineon V - no comment. 5 Geodudes
Manaphy - I guess a viable counter to Inteleon then. 5 Geodudes
Cubchoo/Beartic - Star Birth is a Gen 8 set with no Gen 8 Pokemon in. weird. 2/2
Raichu V - Electric Blacephalon and significantly better than Boltund T1. Although, knowing the history of Flaaffy decks recently, who knows that this Raichu can make Flaaffy decks viable. 4-5 Geodudes
Shinx/Luxio/Luxray - 2/2/3-4
Pachirisu - KO Crobat. 3
Clefairy/Clefable - I won't be risking flipping 3 coins for 1 Pokemon. 3/3
Baltoy/Claydol - the energy tho. 3/3
Duskull/Dusclops/Dusknoir - still a Stage 2, BTW. Even with nice ability. Can't be combined with Spectral Breach Dusknoir tho. 3/3/4
Chimecho - how about recovering those Special Energy? anyways to do that? 3
Whimsicott V/VSTAR - After you use that VSTAR Power, what happens to 3 excess energy? I can consider some energy accel for P types, but... that main concern tho. Also, the locking effect is pretty weak and it affects some decks, plus the inability to KO a Crobat without aid. 2/4
Sigilyph - same thing as Clefable. Can't risk flipping 3 coins to search out 1 card. In Sigilyph's terms, it's energy. I rather use Cresselia instead. 2 Geodudes
Nosepass/Probopass - ehh. 2/2
Riolu/Lucario - 3/4 Geodudes
Throh, Sawk - ehh. 1/1
Golett/Golurk - what if your hand got Marnie'd? 2/3
Grimer/Muk - even Dragalge FLF was better than tht. 3/3
Sneasel/Weavile - imagine how the first atk will be played out? 2/3
Honchkrow V - 4 tools? Nice. 3 energy to 130? Not nice. You need a Moltres to do that thrice. . Your opponent reveals their hands, and your turn ends. Not Nice. 3-4 Geodudes
Spiritomb - not the best Spiritomb we got. 3 Geodudes
Heatran - nice try, Heatran. you need 2 energy and a tool to KO a frikin Crobat. 3-4
Klink/Klang/Klinklang - don't need that. I rather have a Basic who has this ability. 3/3/3
Flygon V - Even with expensive Attack Costs, KOing a VMAX is very worth it. 4-5
Gible/Gabite/Garchomp - ehhh. 3/3/2-3
Farfetch'd - too weak to KO even a Crobat. 2-3
Castform - ehh. 2 Geodudes
Starly/Staravia/Staraptor - ehh. too expensive 2/2/2-3 Geodudes
Bidoof/Bibarel - Marvelous card with a Marvelous artwork that I know someone is a fan of. 3/5
Arceus V/VSTAR - 3/5
Minccino/Cinccino - ehh. 2/2-3 Geodudes
Tornadus - Hawlucha wasn't good, so does this one. 3
Fresh Water Set - good
Ultra Ball - good thing I keep this in my setlist.
Choice Belt - extra damage is always good. 5 Geodudes
Pot Helmet - single-prized gets KOed anyway. 3
Kindler - good fir R decks. 4
Cynthia's Aspiration - 5 Geodudes. Better than Bruno
Cheren's Care - C decks loved this. 4-5
Roseanne's Backup - what a wacky recovery! 5 Geodudes
Prof's Research and Boss' Orders - not regretting it. But, I'll keep the Barry.
Collapsed Stadium - Sudowoodo as a Stadium. 5
Magma Basin - not good as Welder, but that's the best we could have. 4-5
Double Turbo Energy - 5
 

ShinxieDim

bbbbbbbbbbbbbb
Member
wha- Bench Barrier is back, on a Manaphy! You'd think they would have hyped that up more.

I'm glad it's not a holo, makes it easier to pull from packs
 

MagnaDrake

Aspiring Trainer
Member
The other VStars doesn't look as busted as Arceus is and I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Looking forward to pair with with Flygon for the absolute jank though!
 

pikal

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I really think everyone is underestimating charizard VSTAR. A 280 hp 2 prizer, doing that much damage. Plus the possible support with magma basin, melony, or some other energy acceleration that gets discovered.
 
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