The First Snow Hazard and Clay Burst Reveals!

The first reveals from Snow Hazard and Clay Burst will have an important impact on Gym Leader Challenge! Water gets stronger, more trainer options for all types, and still no dragon cards 3 sets into the new block :(.

Baxcalibur

Did Water really need another Deluge?? Baxcalibur's ability is a Deluge clone, but is almost always optimal over Blastoise due to the extra 20 HP, and 3 energy 130 damage attack. Water continues to get stronger and more consistent with each set.

Raichu

Lightning has received a fair amount of huge damage attackers in the SV block. Raichu does 200 damage for LLC and discards all energy attached to Raichu. Raichu adds another option to Lightning's arensal for dealing massive damage (which it lacked before). The discard effect is undesirable, but most Lightning decks play a fair amount of switch as it is, so Raichu can be powered up on back to back turns if it survives beyond its attack.

Charm of Courage

As a cape of toughness clone, you can now add 50 HP to another basic Pokemon with this tool. This has potential play in decks like Dragon or Grass that run high amounts of basic attackers. Imagine having to fight through Fighting Fury Belt, Cape of Toughness and Charm of Courage on Zarude and Genesects that are looped for attacking while the opponent has Kricketune online. Brutal!

Iono

The most important card of the Snow Hazard and Clay Burst leaks, Iono gives all types another hand disruption card. Iono is a cross between Marnie and N, shuffling the hand of each player to the bottom of the deck and drawing cards equal to the number of prizes remaining. Iono increases the odds of losing your hand, so deciding when to thin cards from your deck now becomes more crucial for all trainers.

Rabsca

Rabsca's first attack allows you to put a Pokemon from your discard pile into play for one Colorless energy (or for free with Dimension Valley). An ideal play would be turn 2 Rabsca after using Battle Compressor to put Gallade into the discard pile, but unfortunately, Rabsca evolves from the grass type Rellor. Perhaps a future set will contain a Pyschic type Rabsca to open up some wild plays. Another option is to use Hypno to put Rabsca onto your bench to then bring Pokemon back from your discard pile, but this would cost 2 prizes to put 1 Pokemon in play. Hopefully future sets will open up more options for this really cool attack.

Find the original reveal article in its full context here on Pokebeach:

https://www.pokebeach.com/2023/03/snow-hazard-and-clay-burst-officially-announced