Hi there. In this Pokemon TCG Post I cover more card reveals from Pokemon's Stellar Miracle Set in Japan. Two featured cards are Hydrapple ex and Stellar Lapras ex.
Chewtle & Drednaw
Chewtle is an eighty HP Basic Water Pokemon with a not so great attack and retreat cost. This is needed to evolve into Drednaw.
Drednaw is a Stage 1 140HP Water Pokemon that evolves from Chewtle. The ability of Impregnable Shell prevents damage from opponent's Pokemon that deal 200 damage or more. With Drednaw's ability you can stall against big attackers in theory. The attack of Hard Crunch costs three colourless energy and does 80 base damage. If the opponent's Active Pokemon already has any damage counter on it then the attack does 160 damage instead of 80.
Both of these cards seem difficult to set up with their attacks in my opinion.
Salandit and Salazzle
Salandit is a 70 HP Basic Fire Pokemon with one retreat cost. As it has 70 HP you can use Buddy Buddy Poffin to retrieve this from the deck to your Bench. The attack of Ember does 30 damage for one Fire energy. Its drawback is that you discard an Energy from this Pokemon.
Salazzle is a 120 HP Stage 1 Fire Pokemon that evolves from Salandit. The second attack of Flamethrower is costly at one Fire Energy and two colourless Energy for 130 damage plus an Energy discard. Salazzle's first attack is kind of interesting. For two colourless energy your opponent discards one card from their hand. If Salazzle evolved from Salandit during the same turn of the attack the opponent discards 3 cards instead.
I can see Salazzle being used in a control style deck that focuses on hand disruption and limiting the opponent from doing anything. Will it be good? I don't know.
Duraludon & Archaludon
Duraludon is a Basic Metal Pokemon with 130 HP. The first attack of Hammer In does 30 damage for 1 Metal Energy which is good for a Basic Pokemon.
Its second attack costs two Metal Energy and one colourless Energy. The second attack does 80 damage plus 10 more damage for each damage counter on the Duraludon.
Archaludon is a fairly new Pokemon and is the evolved form of Duraludon. It has 180 HP with an ability called Steel Bridge. With Steel Bridge any of your Pokemon with Metal Energy has no Retreat Cost. This ability combos well with a Pokemon that is stuck in the active. You can then attach a Metal Energy and retreat into an attacker. Archaludon's attack of Iron Blaster does 160 damage with the cost of two Metal Energy and one colourless Energy. The drawback of the attack is that you cannot attack with Archaludon during the next turn (unless it is switched to Bench).
Glass Trumpet Item Card
This Glass Trumpet Item card is a powerful energy acceleration card that can only be used if you have a Tera Pokemon in play. Once the condition is met you can choose up to 2 of your Benched Colourless Pokemon and attach one Basic Energy from your discard pile to each of the 2 Benched Colourless Pokemon.
Just by looking at this effect I can quickly see that this card is good. Wait for more card reveals to see more combos that this card can do. For now I can think of this card with Tera Pokemon like Terapagos ex and good colourless attackers like Snorlax, Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex and Bouffalant
Briar Supporter Card
Briar the Supporter card is one of those niche Supporter cards based on a condition. This card can only be played if your opponent has exactly two Prize cards remaining. Until the end of this turn, if the opponent's Active Pokemon is Knocked Out by damage from 1 of your Tera Pokemon attacks you can take one more Prize Card.
Pros
- Take 2 prize cards, 3 prize cards or the rare case of 4 Prize Cards (if knocking out a rare VMAX) from one knockout
- Surprise factor
Cons
- Need opponent to have 2 prize cards remaining
- Opponent can go to one Prize card left to bypass this condition
- Requires Tera Pokemon to knockout opponent's Pokemon.
I like the effect of this card but I think using it will not be likely.
Applin, Dipplin and Hydrapple ex
Applin is a Basic 40 HP Grass Pokemon with one retreat cost. The attack of Spray Fluid does 20 damage for one Grass Energy.
Dipplin is a Stage 1 90 HP Grass Pokemon that evolves from Applin. It also has a one Grass Energy cost attack that does 20 damage. This attack has the added effect of preventing all damage done to this Pokemon from Basic Pokemon attacks. This effect is good against decks that only has Basic Pokemon.
Hydrapple ex
Hydrapple ex is here. It is a 330 HP Stage 2 Grass Pokemon that evolves from Dipplin. The ability of Ripe Charge can be used once during your turn. You may attach 1 Grass energy from the hand to one of your Pokemon. If you do then that Pokemon heals 30 damage. Hydrapple ex's attack of Syrup Storm costs two colourless Energy and has 30 base damage. This attack does 30 more damage for each Grass Energy attached to all your Pokemon.
The attack does not seem powerful so you do need supporting Pokemon to accelerate Grass Energy to make the attack stronger. Maybe use this with Teal Mask Ogerpon ex?
Stellar Lapras ex
The Stellar type mechanic is here in the Pokemon trading card game. Here is Stellar Lapras ex, a 220 HP Tera Basic Water Pokemon. The first attack of Power Splash costs one Water energy. It does 40 damage for each Energy attached to this Pokemon. Six energy attached to Lapras would deal 240 damage knocking out pretty almost any Basic Pokemon ex or Pokemon V out there.
The second attack of Larimar Rain does not deal damage but it does offer crazy Energy acceleration. Look at the top 20 cards of your deck and attach any number of Energy cards you find there to your Pokemon in any way you like. Note that it says Energy cards and not Basic Energy cards. You can attach Special Energy cards from this effect.
A good handful of Water Pokemon has the Lightning weakness but this one has Metal Weakness. I don't know if this Lapras ex is competitive. Using the second attack leaves Lapras ex vulnerable. Let's see how this card plays out in Japan when it releases.
Thank you for reading.