Lost Origin Set Review

The new Lost Origin set will immediately have a huge impact on the Gym Leader Challenge format in the Pokémon TCG. The revival of the Lost Zone mechanic, especially with the Lost City stadium, will force all decks and archetypes to consider the consequences of losing Pokémon to the Lost Zone.

In addition to the Lost Zone mechanic, there are so many new and exciting cards that will shake things up and open up interesting and unique play styles! The CardBoard Warriors team has taken a look through the set and determined what we think are the most meta and meme relevant cards in this Lost Origin. Tweet us or hit us up on Discord and let us know what you think!

Grass

Beautifly

This card gives grass the draw support it was previously missing. Beautifly's Elated Draw ability allows you to draw up to 6 cards in hand once per turn! This card could open up so many new archetypes in Grass and we forecast this card to see a lot of play!

Shiftry

Shiftry is a big, big hitter for just one energy. Take your time getting Shiftry online while it lies in wait for the opponent's big hitter. Expect to use this to revenge KO your opponent's Torterras and Wailords. But this attack comes at a steep price - Shiftry and all cards attached get sent to the Lost Zone!

Orbeetle

Another fantastic late game revenge KO Pokémon added to Grass's card pool. Orbeetle's ability allows you to attach 3 energy cards from your opponents discard to their Pokémon in anyway you like! Attaching 3 energy to your opponents active boosts Orbeetle's damage by a whopping 150!

Vileplume

Another potential Grass control addition. Allergy Storm will prevent your opponent from using either Supporters or Item Cards on a coin flip! This card could potentially be a secondary control option behind the Venomoth that is currently run in a lot of grass control lists.

Fire

Chandelure

An interesting option for Fire mill decks! It's Mountain Burner ability allows you to mill 3 cards off of your opponent's deck when you play Chandelure from your hand to evolve your Lampent. Comboing this with Devolution Spray or Scoop Up Net could allow for an alternative means for fire decks to mill in addition to Moltres and Centiskorch.

Water

Hisuian Basculegion

The new Basculegion is potentially a huge late game attacker for Water decks! Basculegion's Spirit Climb attack does 20x damage for each basic energy card in your discard and then shuffles them back into the deck. This card could allow water type trainers to be a little more aggressive with their discard of energy to utilize Octillery's draw to greater effect!

Cramorant

With the set full of lost zone cards, with supporters like Colress's Experiment and Stadiums like Lost City, Cramorant could see some use as a low maintenance attacker with its Lost Supply ability that allows it to attack for free if you have 4 or more cards in the lost zone!

Finneon

Finneon's Oceanic Accompaniment ability allows you to accelerate water energy from hand to any Pokémon on your side of the field that has the Swim Freely attack. This could open up a new way to play Water type decks. However it is unlikely to replace Frosmoth or Blastoise as an energy accelerator as very few of the Swim Freely attackers are particularly strong.

Lightning

Eelektrik

Eelektrik could potentially bolster the shock lock Electric archetype and reduce some of the burden from Raichu. However, due to its ability being based off of a coin flip, and it competing for its spot against the Dynamotor Eelektrik, this card likely won't be a hard swap into any list.

Fighting

Machamp

The new kid on the block is really going to bolster the fighting type. With the option for early game aggression or late game comeback potential with a GIGANTIC 300 HP, this card will likely become a staple in all fighting decks.

Barbaracle

Barbaracle combined with the Lost City stadium is likely to boost fighting up into the upper ranks of GLC types. The ability to deny prizes which may contain key parts to your opponent's strategy is a really oppressive ability!

Rhyperior

Rhyperior card has some potential to be a strong attacker in fighting type. With the ability to self accelerate while dealing enough to OHKO some threats while building up for it's HUGE 2nd attack, watch out for Rhyperior with the right supporting cast!

Dark

Honchkrow

Is Honchkrow the new, more versatile beast ring? Dealing 160 damage and stacking all your energy directly onto a Guzzlord on the bench seems a bit strong to say the least! This card can also open up the door for a lot of return KOs while also conserving energy on your side of the field!

Colorless

Snorlax

This Snorlax can eat! 180 damage for three colorless energy is simply amazing! Its attack does have drawbacks with the requirement of a double heads to wake up from sleep. But this can be negated with a Sparkling Robe or multiple switch out options for repeated 180 damage swings! Look to see new decks built solely around this Snorlax (and the POGO Ditto!).

Greedent

The chunky boi is either going to be monster or see no play whatsoever. This card has the potential to hit for a HUGE 210 damage; but this is only if the hand you discard from the effect of this attack contains 5 or more cards! You will need some serious recovery in your deck if you want to run this card!

Psychic

Hisuian Zoroark

Zoroark has potential to see a fair amount of play in Psychic type lists. It's Hex of Ruin attack ensures the defending Pokemon will be knocked out at the end of the opponent's next turn. This forces your opponents to either burn the resources to switch their active out, or hand you a free prize card!

Mimikyu

Psychic spread loves this Mimikyu. There are points to be made about whether the Copycat version is better, but no doubt, this Mimikyu could be a late game threat in Psychic spread decks.

Spectrier

Is this a new and improved Hoopa? The difference is small but significant - less retreat cost, colorless cost advantage on the second attack and not 3 psychic as in the case of Hoopa which benefits from Dimensional Valley and the counter damage instead of direct damage. 10 less damage and HP compared to Hoopa are not enough to make us turn up our noses. Not exceptional, but definitely a solid card.

Comfey

Lost Zone archetypes will get great usage out of this Comfey. A U-Turn Board gives you free draw every turn while also stacking your Lost Zone. This card also provides an additional way to draw through the deck as long as you are careful about which cards you are lost zoning in the process!

Trainers

Lost City

Lost City could be THE MOST impactful card Gym Leader Challenge has seen in a new set release. Are those Amazing Rare Raikous and Kyogres wreaking havoc on you? Throw down the Lost City and wave goodbye as they are banished for good. Preventing opponents from retrieving Pokémon will certainly alter some of the most important and strongest builds in the Gym Leader Challenge format. Nearly every deck will have to consider playing this card, or countering it in some way.

Arezu

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to flip double heads of Timer Ball every time? Well, wonder no longer! Arezu allows you to grab 3 evolution Pokémon from the deck and put them into hand! This will likely see immediate play in decks that run many evolution Pokémon.

Gift Energy

Gift Energy is a perfect compliment to types that love the Tag Call engine and have trouble filling their hands (e.g. Dragon and Fighting). Being able to search out this energy when you run low on cards is a boon to those types with less support than others.

Thorton

Ninja Boy makes his return, but this time from the discard pile. Thorton is such an interesting card and can open the door for so many plays! This can allow for cycling attackers like Snorlax, Shining Genesect, or Lapras.