Illustration Rares, Pidgeot ex, and More Revealed from “Ruler of the Black Flame!”

Why people are saying Geeta is bad? Sure it's not the best card ever, but giving up the opportunity to attack in exchange for energy acceleration is a pretty solid trade, especially in the early game. Klefki/Diancie stalling in the active is already a thing, so I don't see a reason why this card wouldn't be played in decks that have otherwise weak energy acceleration. Not to mention, a lot of "turn ending" abilities saw considerable play, like Intrepid Sword and Gormandize. Not being able to attack for a turn really isn't the end of the world.
 
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N's Rhyperior said:
Geeta - sucks the Turn 1 Supporter rule ruins it. Otherwise it'll be broken. This seems pointless in the proceeding turns you have to attack in order to progress through the game. Let's face it. Is turn 1 energy acceleration better than Drawing cards for consistency or quick bench setup? Absolutely not. For Stage 2 cards like Bax or Garde, you mostly run VIP Pass for bench setup, and Gardevoir cannot play Kirlia on Turn 1 going second. So what's the point? Seems super pointless for a pointless champion in the game. Super fitting. 3-4

Ortega - it ain't hand distruption, isn't it? I rather run Iono. Complete hand immobilization is better than "peek-and-swap" effect. What if you peek no Professor's Research or having 2 energy, an Arceus V, a Nest Ball, and a Duraludon V, out of your opponent's hand. This kinda like a 10% win button for me. 3

Pidgey/Pidegotto/Pidgeot ex - seems an upgrade from FRLG one. It won't be the same right now, as decks are struggling to find space for it. Gen 3 decks has like Briney's Compassion, TV Reporter, things like that, which is fine for decks to run evo cards. Nowadays, you just hope that 1 Pidgeot ex isn't prized or 1 Pidgey prized from searching via VIP Pass (Staple in evo decks). 2/2/4-5 In expanded, oh boy. This would be interesting since Air Mail Pidgeotto is a thing. Expanded decks playing 1 Computer Search and this could be massive.

Pokemon League HQ - Hmmm, what decks are good rn? Gardevoir? A Stage 2 deck with a bit of Zacian V and Cresselia, but some Reversal variants don't matter. Chien-Pao? But Bax can cope the cost yet does elevate the dmg of Hail Blade (BIG L!), Arceus VSTAR? It has Duraludon, Umbreon, Giratina, and Arceus itself, none of which attack with the Vs. Lost Box? Lost Vaccum it, who cares? Mew? They ran Double Turbo in most decks and Mew VMAX is the main attacker. Miraidon? Yeah, maybe. Miraidon makes it attacks for 4 to do 230. Yeah, not good. 2-3

Flamigo - third Flamigo in a row, only the PAL one seems decent. 1

Toxel/Toxtricity - nah. Even with the bootleg Sylveon VMAX attack, it doesn't impress me. 2/2

Capsakid/Scovillain - where tf is Scovillain? Like what, is this Scovillain like a powerful Fire-type card now, that we have to wait for a full reveal? Well, nevermind. It's underwhelming. 2,2/2

Togepi/Togetic/Togekiss - I've talked abt this.
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Geeta allows for more attacker options for rogue decks. Ting lu for example is already a decent playable deck even though they have to skip an attack to use Koraidon. Sure Geeta is really only good going second, but having a strong card going second makes going first a lot less impactful. Right now going first is still so much better than going second even if you can't use a supporter or attack. Adding going second cards makes the game a lot healthier and allows for more strategies to shine.

Ortego lets you peek your opponent's hand which is actually very strong and being able to remove one card in the hand can allow you to brick your opponent's turn. Complete knowledge of your opponent's hand allows you to know what they plan to do on their turn and what plays they don't have a response to on your turn. However, it being a supporter and letting your opponent to draw a card does make it kind of risky. However, this set also releases a ton of other non supporter hand controlling options as well so it can synergize well with them.
 
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For those who are feel upset that Charizard is getting two releases in a row after a wait of two sets, keep in mind that the full Pidgeot line is getting the same number of releases in a row after twice as many years, and, in the latter case, is receiving a card that overshadows either Charizard for sheer playability. It may not be as good as it's predecessor was two decades since, but it is nonetheless a welcome addition to the card pool, and while it may have the least HP of any stage 2 ex, 280 HP is still enough to protect it from the indignity of being gusted up to close games if paired instead with stage 1 ex or single prize Pokemon.

Pokemon seems to be picking very thematically on-point Pokemon for a monarch-themed set. From a champion and her ace, to a Pokemon themed after a chess king, to one of the most powerful non-legendary, non-paradox Pokemon of generation 9 (i.e. Palafin), to the heir apparent of Queendom's leftenant, to the democratically appointed ruling party of the Pokemon franchise, this set feels full of references to rulers and monarchs, if only one knows where to look for them. There are nearly enough monarchs to populate a continent, which, for the sake of discussion, we will call Ealurope. (In reference to Kalos, Galar, Paldea, etc.) (If anyone with more knowledge of roots wishes to insert a more clever name in a reply to this message, feel free, but please don't forget the "_al" prefix.)
 
Time for an extremely quick synopsis.

Scovillain and Toxtricity is obvious combo, ashame they're both Stage 1, seems a little clunky. Nice with Hoopa V supporting it as well.

Glimmora: See previous page revealing Charizard ex alt art in English.

Togekiss: hmm... Stage 2 draw "support" without certainty of being able to use them is weird, but really good mind games with opponent. Did they get the one card they needed?

Revavroom: same as Glimmora.

Pidgeot: INFINITE FOREST SEAL STONE LET'S GOOOOOOO!!! Another clear sign that Pokemon is trying to slow the game down. 2-0-2 with 2-3 rare candy in Lost Box seems fun, though a bit iffy to fit in.

Flamigo: Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Not bad secondary attacker in Wings of Unity maybe? Maybe????

Pokemon HQ trolls Lost Box, really trying to murder meta decks with a broadsword.

Ortega: I'm a big fan of direct disruption (Boss's Orders my beloved) but this is too yucky and more of a one-of for early or late game, never mid-game.

Geeta: literally an infinitely worse Professor's Letter. Never play this in GLC, please.

Art rares are good as always, loving Palafin. Pidgeot line is derpy, but we roll with it.
 
For those wanting to learn the success behind Pidgeot and how it translates to today’s game, this Twitter thread is a rather detailed story on that:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1679851532240445440

I still think that something of Arc-Pidgeot and/or Baxcalibur/Pidgeot variants will get tried, but will fall out after trial due to too many additional moving parts just for the chance to search 1 additional card per turn every turn.
 
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