'World Down' and 'Legendary Heartbeat,' Japan's Summer Sets Introducing Amazing Rares!

Rayquaza-GX is loadable in certain decks so I can see it as an attacking option in them to diversify weakness or simply as a strong 1-prize attacker. The fact that it's compatible with Karate Belt helps it a bit too.

But even then, an attack cost like this and no ability is pushing it, so I'm expecting the other amazing rares have abilities that help them attack or setup, or maybe they are going to print something that helps loading their awkward costs? I would really like that to try and balance big basics, attackers that are less consistent but can manage to OHKO/2HKO them - a la Blacephalon - could make for a far more interesting format.
 
damn, zarude doing what mega sceptile did but with 10 less hp? but its a basic and no need to mega evolve? wew
 
Mega Sceptile is baaaaaaaaacckkkkkkkKK!!!!

Holy shoot amazing rares look, well, amazing! I love the funky costs and even though so far they aren't too impressive, I don't doubt others will be really epic. But they're def gonna have funky costs too, so.
 
“Amazing” rares – amazingly useless. Nobody'll use 'em. Ridiculously expensive rainbow-colored good-to-nothing attacks (I mean, just look at it: 3 different type of energies for only looking for 7 energies and attach 'em. No damage to opposing Pokémon at all. It lasts for 3 turns to set the attack up, not mentiong you have to have luck to get all those energies to your hand. 70 HP is almost certainly OHKOed or 2HKOed. That's really wrong idea, similraly when BREAK evolutions were the thing…). Jirachi's ability is copy of Pidgeotto and we even have another similar stuff in expanded.
Rayquaza? You must be kidding me, aren't you? It's copy of Rayquaza EX with the exception, you have to discard all energies from it and the whole process repeating to attack again. Let's add a “high“ retreat cost (of course, it'd be not-that-expensive, if certain conditions were met… – but only then!) resulting in my opinion, that amazing rares are nothing but garbage. The greatest thing from last couple of years were dual-typed cards (which lasts only for 1 expansion…) and ancient traits (and nobody remembers 'em recently…)
 
Very interesting to finally get a glimpse of a couple of Legendary Heartbeat's Amazing Rares! Judging by these two I have an uneasy feeling they'll end up like Shining Legends' Shining Pokemon: Cards that look good on paper but won't see a lot of use until better cards currently in the format rotate out.

Also, I just noticed that certain parts of the card (most notably the Basic/Stage 1/Stage 2 classification, the Pokemon type symbols, art border, and parts of Weakness/Resistance and Retreat Cost boxes) and the Pokemon itself are etched, I'm glad to see that trend continue on in non-FA cards.
Pigeotto doesn't have to be in the active to use its ability
Pidgeotto's Air Mail Ability also puts the card you don't select at the bottom of your deck, a better comparison can be found in Musharna NXD's Forewarn Ability.

That said I can see Legendary Heartbeat's Jirachi becoming a popular combo with Oranguru SWSH.
 
Honestly a bit disappointed with amazing rares, could’ve had more potential. Still, there’s hope for others. Also, I’m loving Zarude V.
 
Rayquaza looks exploitable if the right tools come out.
Mostly a lightning magnezone reprint or something along those lines for grass (or fighting like that's ever going to happen)
 
Still my doubts as this set will be our 2020 subset, that includes V decks and the omitted Vs from Darkness Ablaze.

  • Jirachi Rainbow - not buying the atk cost but I love the ability. Its literally Pajohto (Pidgeotto), but only works on the active. It has 1 RC and no need to sleep so you can use U-Turn Board. About the atk, you are talking about P-F-C, it can attach 7 energy, yes. But expect to be KO'ed next turn, so that's useless. Trading 7 energy in a deck for 3 enrgy on Jirachi. On Jirachi, will it be a proper replacement to the TEU one? Probably not, but TEU one loses Escape Board thru the rotation. Maybe this one will be playable. 4-5 Geodudes
  • Zarude V - not loving it. Sorry! 3 Geodudes
  • Rayquaza Rainbow - how do we pay the atk cost to do 240? Aurora Energy don't work since it need Basic Energy to do damage. 3 Geodudes
Rayquaza Rainbow - My guess is that you would play rainbow patch from next set and metal saucer to accelerate different types of energy. I would assume you that Rayquaza and Jirachi would be played together, although it might be possible to accelerate to Rayquaza with just other cards (i.e. Welder, Metal Saucer, Rainbow patch - if you hit the flips). Until rotation I could also see possibly using Zeraora GX and Electrode GX also, of course I don't think we will get these cards until post rotation so those options might be out. Just some thoughts. The potential to pull off 1 hit combos on VMax is pretty appealing, assuming you can recover after the resource drain to get there.
 
So, glorified Shining Pokemon and Crystal Pokemon from the Neo era and e-series era, respectively.
 
Watch, there will be a new Trainer that will allow you to attach an extra energy to Amazing Rares, a special "Double Rainbow" energy that can only be attached to Amazing Rares, or an Ability that allows energy acceleration to Amazing Rares. I don't actually expect this. I just think it would be funny, in stark contrast to the automatic NOPES Jirachi and Rayquaza are getting. :p (Plus, a special energy doesn't work with Rayquaza anyway.)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was reminded of the Neo Shining Pokemon and the e-Series Crystal Pokemon! And I'm a sucker for designs with vibrant colors, so I just love these fairly simple, but effective designs where the colors are bursting through the portrait boarder! Haven't had much excitement for SwSh cards, outside of Gardevoir V and VMax, but I'm absolutely looking forward to these.
 
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