Night Wanderer and Stellar Miracle Set Review
Hey everyone! Our International Special Set Shrouded Fable is just around the corner, and the Japanese main set Stellar Miracle has also been fully revealed! As such, I’ve decided to mash up these 2 sets for today’s set review, in part because neither set has a ton to write about alone, but also because it allows me to talk about all the currently-known upcoming cards. As before, the first cards of any type will be from Night Wanderer, with Stellar Miracle Cards coming after. Release dates for our Night Wanderer and Stellar Miracle equivalent sets Shrouded Fable and Stellar Crown are August 2nd (THIS FRIDAY!!!) and September 13th, so make sure to mark your calendars so you can play with these new cards as soon as possible! Without further ado, let’s get into the cards that I deem to be somewhat relevant, gimmicky, or otherwise notable upgrades for our beloved Gym Leader Challenge Format!
Grass
Basic Pokémon
[G] Splashing Dodge: 10 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent’s next turn, prevent all damage from and effects of attacks done to this Pokémon.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 1
I am super excited for this card. As someone who plays Grass Spread, this card finally allows us to use Galvantula in our Grass builds - prior to this Joltik printing there has NEVER been a Grass Joltik! I’ve felt for quite some time now that Grass Spread doesn’t really need Decidueye, and would prefer to have another cheap Basic or Stage 1 attacker, for the turns where you can’t loop Celebi or get the Jumpluff into the position you wanted. Now, this allows Galvantula to take the stage, and it’s especially good in the Water matchup. After single Celebi ping earlier on in the game (or a Flapple ping), you can KO a low-HP target with Double Thread, since it applies Weakness even though it targets the Bench!
Decidueye – Grass – HP150 - Night Wanderer
Stage 2 – Evolves from Dartrix
[C] Feather Stock: Draw until you have 7 cards in your hand.
[G] Strong Shot: 170 damage. Discard a Basic [G] Energy from your hand. If you can’t, this attack does nothing.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 1
This Decidueye is interesting. In a cheap attacking Grass build (something along the lines of Festival Lead Dipplin, Rapid Strike Jumpluff, etc.), allowing you to hit 170 for essentially 2 Energy. Now truthfully, the main reason this card is good is because it evolves from Sky Circus Rowlet, which these decks just cannot pass up on running. Getting more value out of that evolution line is always a plus for me.
Tapu Bulu – Grass – HP140 - Night Wanderer
Basic Pokémon
[G][G][C][C] Wood Hammer: 220 damage. This Pokémon also does 30 damage to itself.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 3
This card is absolutely nuts. Many have said for a while that RillaSaur (we should really call this deck JungleBeat) has needed help in the meta, and while I didn’t necessarily agree, they seem to have gotten it anyways. This Tapu Bulu combos PERFECTLY with Voltage Beat Rillaboom & Jungle Totem Venusaur, allowing the deck to hit for 220 on a BASIC Pokémon for a mere two energy. This also makes the conservation game much easier on the Grass player, as piloting the deck efficiently usually requires you keeping an eye on how many energies you have left, and making sure you don’t use/discard your Super or Ordinary Rods too early, in order to shuffle them back in for Voltage Beat. This is a super good card, and I know plenty of people are excited for it.
Ledian – Grass – HP90 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 1 – Evolves from Ledyba
Ability: Sparkling Star Pattern
When you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokémon during your turn, you may switch in 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon with 90 HP or less remaining to the Active Spot.
[C][C] Swift: 70 damage. This attack’s damage isn’t affected by Weakness or Resistance, or by any effects on your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 0
Returning to the potential cheap attacking Grass builds, this card is VERY interesting. While the attack is dubious, Ledian has a lot to offer to the deck. Most-every Grass list wants to run Le Parfum Roserade, and now having this in the deck as well makes Scoop Up Net a more flexible addition. A conditional gust can be DEVASTATING early against set-up decks, so I definitely think it can be a fun, if not straight up phenomenal inclusion.
Fire
Salazzle – Fire – HP120 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 1 – Evolves from Salandit
[C][C] Sudden Burn: Your opponent discards a card from their hand. If this Pokémon evolved from Salandit during this turn, they discard 2 more cards.
[R][C][C] Flamethrower: 130 damage. Discard an Energy from this Pokémon.
Weakness: Water (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
This is a very filthy card, and can be a devastating card when combined with cards like Delinquent, Hand Trimmer or the new Xerosic’s Plan. While I don’t necessarily think there’s space in a deck like Fire Mill for a card like this, it’s too nasty of a card to not mention.
Turtonator – Fire – HP130 - Stellar Miracle
Basic Pokémon
[R][C][C] Ring of Fire: 50 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Burned. During your opponent’s next turn, that Pokémon can’t retreat.
[R][R][C][C] Inferno Onrush: 180 damage. This Pokémon also does 60 damage to itself.
Weakness: Water (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3
Starter Trio types getting Big Hitting Basics? Sure man, sign me up. This card has great utility, and I might be looking at adding it into my Don’t Doubt the Boar list come September. Firstly, it’s Heavy Ball searchable, which Fire often runs for pivotal cards such as Magcargo, Charizard, and Emboar. Secondly, it does 50 damage (plus 20 more later with Burn) AND has the potential of slowing the game down by making the opponent’s Active unable to retreat. Lastly, IT HITS FOR 180 for “two” energy! Sure, it does 60 to itself but who cares - every deck is trying to hit the “magic number” 130 anyways so it’s unlikely it would’ve lived. Super good card, makes some lines of play easier in my deck, making it worthy of mention.
Water
Carracosta – Water – HP160 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 2 – Evolves from Tirtouga
Ability: Primal Knowledge
Your Pokémon’s attacks do 30 more damage to your opponent’s Active Evolution Pokémon (before applying Weakness and Resistance).
[W][W] Tidal Wave: 150 damage.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 3
There are gourmet meals, and then there’s slop. This card is screaming that it’s slop, but it’s unique enough to mention that perhaps, just MAYBE, a fellow GLC cook will think of a use case for this card, or at least be able to meta call their locals with it. Still don’t know why you’d ever want to run it over the Ancient Custom Carracosta, but alas. At the end of the day, extra damage is extra damage - it’s really only useful if it secures you the KO, but when it does, it can be killer.
Drednaw – Water – HP140 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 1 – Evolves from Chewtle
Ability: Impregnable Shell
If an attack from your opponent’s Pokémon would deal 200 damage or more to this Pokémon, prevent that damage.
[C][C][C] Hard Crunch: 80+ damage. If your opponent’s Active Pokémon already has any damage counters on it, this attack does 80 more damage.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3
This card is kinda nuts, and gives Water Gym Leaders hope against the Lightning matchup. More often than not, Lighting is hitting above the 100 damage threshold anyway, so with Water’s x2 weakness, that usually is an OHKO even on the mighty Wailord himself. Now, this card can act as a second wall, taking KOs while the Lightning opponent has to link together small attacks in order to net a KO before it’s too late. Also, it gives Water Spread a fun little wall breaker, since its attack requires the opponent’s Active to have damage counters on it in order to do its full 160 damage.
Lightning
Lanturn – Lightning – HP120 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 1 – Evolves from Chinchou
[C][C] Perplexing Flash: Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Confused. Put 8 damage counters instead of 3 on that Pokémon for this Special Condition.
[L][C][C] Thunderous Bolt: 140 damage. During your next turn, this Pokémon can’t attack.
Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Like the Carracosta above, I’m only bringing this up so some crazy chef can maybe cook, since this is the first I’ve ever seen of a card printed with an attack like Perplexing Flash. Sure, some cards like Galarian Weezing have it with Poison, but this style of attack for the Confusion status condition very rarely sees print, only appearing twice before in the modern history of the game (Swoobat PAF and Aromatisse BKT). Unfortunately, Confusion is one of the worst Special Conditions in the Pokémon TCG, but hey, I’m all for more out-there card design.
Joltik – Lightning – HP30 - Stellar Miracle
Basic Pokémon
[C] Battery Charge: Search your deck for up to 2 Basic [G] Energy and up to 2 Basic [L] Energy and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck.
Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
This card is filthy. Many players have long since given up on deck concepts such as Turbo Raikou, as evidenced by Lightning’s low playrate and even lower win rate, but this card brings it back to the forefront. Joltik’s Battery Charge attack allows you to set up an Amazing Rare Raikou to be ready to fire as early as your second turn of the game, all with 1 attack (and a Metal energy for next turn). What’s more, you can also accelerate to another Benched target, meaning that even if your opponent miraculously has an answer to the Benched Raikou, you can Thorton the Raikou back from the discard pile, replacing the other Basic you targeted with Joltik’s Battery Charge. Super versatile, and I see this being the piece needed for Turbo Raikou decks to make their way back into the metagame.
Psychic
Dusclops – Psychic – HP90 - Night Wanderer
Stage 1 – Evolves from Duskull
Ability: Cursed Bomb
Once during your turn, you may put 5 damage counters on 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon. If you placed any damage counters in this way, this Pokémon is Knocked Out.
[P][P] Will-O-Wisp: 50 damage.
Weakness: Darkness (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-30)
Retreat: 2
Dusknoir – Psychic – HP160 - Night Wanderer
Stage 2 – Evolves from Dusclops
Ability: Cursed Bomb
Once during your turn, you may put 13 damage counters on 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon. If you placed any damage counters in this way, this Pokémon is Knocked Out.
[P][P][C] Shadow Bind: 150 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon can’t retreat.
Weakness: Darkness (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-30)
Retreat: 3
I’ll do both of these together, as they’re practically the same. I think this card has the potential of being very very good, since you can get this Dusclops into play in one turn thanks to Spiritborne Evolution Duskull, which allows you to discard 3 cards from your hand, search for the Dusclops, and immediately evolve it - even if the Duskull was just put into play that same turn. This can lead to a lot of math-fixing, as well as even giving Psychic some donk potential as well. It’s also just the best Dusclops out there, so even if you aren’t actively playing around the strategy of self-KOing your Dusclops for damage, it might come in handy if you’re playing Sinister Hand Dusknoir, for example.
The Dusknoir is also rather solid, but for a stage 2, it’s going to be much harder to set up AND you’re still giving up a Prize card for it. Still, it does at least hit the whopping GLC magic number of 130, so there’s that to play for. You could very well KO an opponent’s Basic attacker, then force them to bring up something else to the Active to be knocked out by one of your other Pokémon. While it might be a simple 1 for 1 once your opponent gets a chance to return KO, this line of playing makes it MUCH more difficult for your opponent, as you’re taking out 2 pieces of their board, meaning they have to rebuild AND find the revenge KO, which is sometimes easier said than done.
Lastly, since these are more self-KO mons in Psychic’s arsenal, don’t underestimate the threat of Blacephalon’s Firework’s Bomb, which can get much harder to play around if the Psychic player gets to choose the timing of your three-prize turn themself - and with some extra damage counters spread to boot!
Cresselia – Psychic – HP120 - Night Wanderer
Basic Pokémon
[P] Healing Pirouette: Heal 20 damage from each of your Pokémon.
[P][P][P] Crescent Purge: 80+ damage. You may turn 1 of your face-down Prize cards face up. If you do, this attack does 80 more damage. (That Prize card remains face up for the rest of the game.)
Weakness: Darkness (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-30)
Retreat: 1
Psychic has a lot of good Basic attackers, don’t get me wrong, but this might just end up being my favorite of them all, ESPECIALLY in a Psychic Mirage Gardevoir build. Every other “good” Psychic Basic has some sort of downside or condition to be met. Giratina pings your board for 40, Mewtwo only swings for 180 when your opponent has three or fewer Prize cards, and Necrozma only swings for 160 if it has a Special Energy attached. In comparison, Cresselia basically ALWAYS swings for 160 AND gives you information on one of your Prize cards! Now yes, you could technically lock yourself out of this damage by having all your Prize Cards turned face-up (via Town Map or swinging enough times with Cresselia without taking your newly face-up Prize cards), but this is plenty good of a downside. If only it had Colorless Energy in its attack cost so it could synergize with Dimension Valley…
Slowking – Psychic – HP120 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 1 – Evolves from Slowpoke
[P][C] Inspirational Challenge: Discard the top card of your deck. If that card is a Pokémon without a Rule Box, choose 1 of that Pokémon’s attacks and use it as this attack.
[P][P][C] Super Psy Bolt: 120 damage.
Weakness: Darkness (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-30)
Retreat: 3
Gimmick, gimmick, gimmick, as are most in the Slowpoke family. HOWEVER! I bring it up because it’s funny. Combining this attack with a way to manipulate powerful attackers into the top position of your deck at the right time could generate some interesting plays, as well as being potentially difficult to play around for your opponent. It doesn’t matter if they can take down your game-winning attacker if you can find a way to put it back on top of your deck for Slowking to use!
Fidough – Psychic – HP60 - Stellar Miracle
Basic Pokémon
[C] Good Smell: Search your deck for a Basic Pokémon and put it onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.
[C] Stampede: 10 damage.
Weakness: Metal (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Not much to say here, except that it’s the best Fidough we have, allowing you to essentially Call for Family for 1. There’s only been 1 Dachsbun ever printed, but if you live in a heavy Fire meta (or just really despise the matchup), then maybe this slot-in is worth it for you! Most Fire decks don’t run Hex Maniac to avoid the anti-synergy of turning off their own Burn Brightly Charizard, so if you make Dachsbun the only card on your board against Fire, you’re probably cruising to an easy win!
Iron Boulder – Psychic – HP140 - Stellar Miracle
Basic Pokémon (Future)
[P][C] Adjustable Horn: 170 damage. If you do not have the same number of cards in your hand as your opponent, this attack does nothing.
Weakness: Darkness (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-30)
Retreat: 3
Truthfully, this card is gimmicky BUT there’s something to it. Firstly, having a Colorless pip in its attack cost means it can be cost reduced with Dimension Valley. Secondly, its condition CAN be met DECENTLY enough. Currently, Let Loose Marshadow is legal in GLC, meaning that both you and your opponent will be at 4 cards after the effect resolves. Then, you’ve also got Judge, Hugh, and Copycat, which get you to the perfect equal number, as well as cards like Marnie, Iono, and N that can be used intelligently (and with a little luck to burn the last few cards) to make things equal. And your benefit? An arguably very easy to loop (minus the hand restriction) Basic attacker swinging for 170 damage!
Fighting
Bloodmoon Ursaluna – Fighting – HP150 - Night Wanderer
Basic Pokémon
Ability: Rule of Thumb
Once during your turn, when you play this Pokémon from your hand on to your Bench, you may attach up to 2 Basic [F] Energy cards from your hand to this Pokémon.
[F][F][C] Mud Bite: 100+ damage. This attack does 30 more damage for each damage counter on your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 4
This card is a one-man machine and I’m kinda terrified of it. If it was in any other type, I’d be even more concerned, however it’s Fighting, and we all know they don’t get to see many cards anyways. BUT, this card can be kinda disgusting. A 150 HP Basic is already incredibly difficult to take out, but what if you added a Luxurious Cape?
“Oh Lucarin, but that still makes it a two-hit KO, and you’re giving away 2 Prizes!”
Oh you poor soul, you didn’t let me finish. Now: you weren’t KO’d on the first hit because it was way too much HP to handle. You play Penny, scoop up the Bloodmoon with the Lux Cape and the 3 energies attached to it, and then slam them ALL down again, using Bloodmoon’s Rule of Thumb Ability to accelerate 2 of the Fighting Energies that were put back into your hand. You free pivot with something like a Float Stone or a Free Retreat mon like Bonsly, and you do it all over again; this time with Acerola. Then you VS Seeker, Then in the in-between turns you Lusamine, then you… you get the idea, right? This basically forces your opponent to have gust on your pivots all the time or deal with the Unkillable Demon King, all while you’re swinging for a minimum of 100 damage, but perhaps more if you managed to set up a quick spread attack with either Ground Crasher Ting-Lu or Sandpot Trap Palossand - in which case you’d be swinging for 190 against anything they might try to put in your way. INSANE!
Rhyperior – Fighting – HP200 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 2 – Evolves from Rhydon
Ability: Wide Wall
As long as this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, whenever your opponent plays a Supporter card from their hand, prevent all effects of that card done to your Pokémon in play.
[F][C][C] Drill Run: 180 damage. Discard an Energy from your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 4This is Blizzard Veil Articuno printed on a Bulky Stage 2 Pokémon with a 180 swing for a Double Colorless Energy. Not SUPER great, but it does mean your opponent HAS to deal with it before then do anything else (unless they use Escape Rope). This means that with an added Luxurious Cape and maybe some healing like Hyper Potion discarding the Double Colorless (and you can then just attach one of the many other similar Special Energy in its place), this could be quite the troublesome Pokémon!
Oh wait, we’re playing Fighting - this isn’t Water with Shady Dealings and their entire deck at their fingertips… my bad.****
Mienshao – Fighting – HP90 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 1 – Evolves from Mienfoo
[F] Gale Spin: 30+ damage. If your opponent has 5 or fewer cards in their hand, this attack does 60 more damage.
Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 1
I’m just yappin’ at this point. Single energy Stage 1 90 damage donk potential SO LONG as your opponent has 5 or fewer cards in hand. Well, we’ve got Marnie, Judge, Red Card, Hugh as options, allowing this to happen more often than one would think. But yet again, why in the world would you run this… I will say this is probably the most fun Mienshao we have though haha!
Diancie – Fighting – HP110 - Stellar Miracle
Basic Pokémon
[C] Special Refraction: 40x damage. This attack does 40 damage for each Special Energy card attached to your opponent’s Pokémon.
[F][C] Power Gem: 60 damage.
Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 1
This card is pretty much just a giant middle finger at Colorless decks that already weep tears of fear when going against a Fighting Deck. However, more often than not, not even their precious Weakness Guard Energy is gonna save them from the MASSIVE swing that Diancie’s Special Refraction doe- oh wait. Wait you’re telling me that even with 3 Energies on Snorlax, if one of the 3 the Colorless player managed to get was a Weakness Guard and they didn’t have to over-attach, this card doesn’t even ONE-SHOT? It might be joever, everyone… Well… I guess you better hope they don’t run it, or prized it, or didn’t hit it. If so, then this card can be good into the matchup.
Falinks – Fighting – HP110 - Stellar Miracle
Basic Pokémon
[C] Link Formation: Search your deck for up to 2 Basic Pokémon and put them onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.
[C][C] Simultaneous Attack: 30+ damage. If this Pokémon used Link Formation during your last turn, this attack does 90 more damage.
Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 2
A solid starter for the Fighting Type, a Call for Family for 2 Basics! It doesn’t do much else, but after setting your board up, it does get to swing for a rather respectable 120 with its Simultaneous Attack! (As long as it survives the turn…)
Dark
Zubat – Darkness – HP50 - Night Wanderer
Basic Pokémon
[D] Lead: Search your deck for a Supporter card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.
[D] Darkness Fang: 10 damage.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-30)
Retreat: 1
Maybe the best Zubat we have, given the limitations of the Dark Type. If you feel inclined to run a Crobat, as it is a very popular Pokémon, then this Zubat might just be a solid starter for your Darkness deck. Dark struggles with card draw and finding the right cards at times, as its only common draw support is Trade Liepard. This makes getting to fetch a Supporter in the early game to get your game going actually pretty useful. What’s more, it’s U-turn Board compatible, which a good chunk of other Darkness cards also are.
Crobat – Darkness – HP130 - Night Wanderer
Stage 2 – Evolves from Golbat
Ability: Shadow Envoy
Once during your turn, if you’ve played Janine’s Secret Technique from your hand during this turn, you may draw cards until you have 8 cards in your hand.
[D][C] Toxic Fangs: 120 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Poisoned. Put 2 damage counters on it instead of 1 between turns.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-30)
Retreat: 0
A pretty solid Crobat, this one allows you to get some draw power after using the all-new and POWERFUL Darkness Supporter card Janine’s Secret Technique. Additionally, it has free retreat AND some Synergy with the ever-popular Poison Dark archetype, with its Toxic Fangs attack adding more damage counters to the Poison stack. As I feel like every Dark deck will be running Janine’s, this is a solid choice to consider when building your future Dark decks! If only it wasn’t a Stage 2, or it had a more lenient draw requirement…
Yveltal – Darkness – HP120 - Night Wanderer
Basic Pokémon
[D] Gnawing Winds: Put 2 damage counters on each of your opponent’s Pokémon that has any damage counters on it.
[D][D][C] Destructive Beam: 100 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, discard an Energy from your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-30)
Retreat: 1
I am so stupid excited for this card. I’ve talked a bit across some articles before about how I love to play Darkness spread, especially catching people off guard with Weavile’s Rule of Evil attack. This card just adds more to that toolbox, and its “damage counter” restriction is pretty easy to set up, as Darkness luckily has a very cheap Basic spread attacker in Swirling Disaster Absol. Also, this does damage COUNTERS, so as long as you manage to ping some of the board early, you’ll be able to continue attacking with Yveltal even if your opponent slams a Bench Barrier Mew or Water Veil Manaphy. Beware the Stage 1s with Bench-Barrier-Plus though, every spread player hates those cards vehemently.
Metal
Copperajah – Metal – HP200 - Night Wanderer
Stage 1 – Evolves from Cufant
Ability: Gargantuan Body
As long as this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, your opponent can’t play any Stadium cards from their hand.
[M][M][M][C] Nose Lariat: 130+ damage. You may do 100 more damage. If you do, during your next turn, this Pokémon can’t attack.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: Grass (-30)
Retreat: 4
If there is one thing every Metal player wants - it’s for their stadiums to stick. Copperajah’s Gargantuan Body allows it to do just that, meaning all of Metal’s good stadiums such as Mt. Coronet, Full Metal Lab, and Crystal Cave get to be in play that much longer and get even more value. Sometimes Metal feels like it lives or dies by its Stadiums and Tools, and now Copperajah can handle half the battle! Obviously, it’s most useful in rather specific builds, but realistically this card can attack turn after turn with enough switch cards like Switch and Escape Rope alongside a pivot like Jirachi with Escape Board. Super super good card, excited to build with it soon!
Klink – Metal – HP60 - Stellar Miracle
Basic Pokémon
[C] Allure: Draw a card.
[C][C] Beam: 20 damage.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 2
Maybe the best Klink? Definitely just a matter of preference between drawing cards and searching for Pokémon. Also up for consideration, Call Sign Klink DOES have a Retreat Cost of only 1, compared to this one and Call for Backup’s 2 retreat.
Klinklang – Metal – HP140 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 2 – Evolves from Klang
Ability: Emergency Spin
Once during your turn, if this Pokémon is in your hand and your opponent has a Stage 2 Pokémon in play, you may put this Pokémon onto your Bench.
[C][C] Hyper Beam†: 130 damage. Discard all Energy from this Pokémon.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: None
Retreat: 3
Truly, this card is just funny and a huge meta call out. While tournaments on CBW perhaps don’t sport Stage 2 Pokémon as often as other metagames, anyone who has played GLC either at a local game store or even at a Regional/International side event knows how prevalent Stage 2s can be in those environments. Type- or deck-defining cards like Baxcalibur, Venusaur, Dragonite, Charizard, Magnezone, Machamp, and Gallade are all Stage 2 Pokémon, and that allows this Klinklang to be played for FREE. Now… unfortunately despite this HUGE restriction TPCi couldn’t give it an attack that could do more than 130, which is pretty unfortunate. Still might be worth it though, especially for its cheap attack cost.
Meltan – Metal – HP70 - Stellar Miracle
Basic Pokémon
[M] Knickknack Carrying: Search your deck for a Pokémon Tool card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.
[M][C] Ram: 30 damage.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: Grass (-30)
Retreat: 1
Remember how I said above that Metal feels like it lives or dies by its Stadiums and Tools? Well, this Meltan is equipped with the Knickknack Carrying attack, allowing you to search for a Pokémon Tool card. Depending on your board, you can get your Escape Board for Jirachi, your “live longer” tool such as Luxurious Cape or Metal Goggles for your Basic attackers, or…
Melmetal – Metal – HP160 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 1 – Evolves from Meltan
[C][C] Beat Down: 50 damage.
[M][C][C] Remodel Axe: 250 damage. Before dealing damage, discard a Pokémon Tool from this Pokémon. If you can’t, this attack does nothing.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: Grass (-30)
Retreat: 3
Or you can get yourself a U-turn Board to attach it to itself and then turn into THIS GUY! Melmetal’s Remodel Axe attack does 250 DAMAGE, but it requires a Pokémon Tool to be discarded from it. That’s where U-turn board comes in, as it goes straight back into your hand when discarded from play. This card is very reminiscent of Scaly Uppercut Kommo-o, and has a phenomenal attack requirement. Being a simple MCC, it means you can get this bad boy going for a simple Metal Links Bronzong and a Double Colorless Energy. Perhaps I’ll work on a Double Colorless focused metal build soon… maybe I’ll get use out of that Klinklang above as well.
Archaludon – Metal – HP180 - Stellar Miracle
Stage 1 – Evolves from Duraludon
Ability: Steel Bridge
Your Pokémon with any [M] Energy attached to them have no Retreat Cost.
[M][M][C] Iron Blaster: 160 damage. This Pokémon can’t attack during your next turn.
Weakness: Fire (x2)
Resistance: Grass (-30)
Retreat: 2
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a tad bit disappointed in this card, but that’s because I was expecting (or rather, wishing) for an Archaludon that would simply blow me away, as one of my new favorite Steel type Pokémon. Still, this card is good, and fulfills a deck-building dilemma that I’ve noticed at my local game store. One of my local Metal players plays Levitation Field Metagross, to evolve from the ever-wonderful Metal Maker Metang. This gives him peace of mind pivoting between Pokémon, and has even come in clutch against a control player. However, he’s expressed concerns on sometimes feeling like he has to evolve the Metang even when he doesn’t want to in order to get out of a bad position, so that’s where Archaludon comes in. Boasting a whopping 180 HP and attacking for a respectable 160, this card isn’t a pushover, and comes with the benefit of maybe making that card choice decision just a tad bit easier for some Metal Gym Leaders out there.
Dragon
Fraxure – Dragon – HP100 - Night Wanderer
Stage 1 – Evolves from Axew
Ability: Unnerve
Whenever your opponent plays an Item or Supporter card from their hand, prevent all effects of that card done to this Pokémon.
[F][M] Dragon Pulse: 80 damage. Discard the top card of your deck.
Weakness: None
Resistance: None
Retreat: 2
Solid Fraxure, as the most recent Fraxure that was often considered the best one (for attacking purposes mostly) also had 100 HP, meaning both fell out of the Level Ball 90HP threshold. However this one has the Unnerve Ability, allowing it to sit comfortably on your bench and evolve into the monstrosity below.
Haxorus – Dragon – HP170 - Night Wanderer
Stage 2 – Evolves from Fraxure
[F] Axe Down: If your opponent’s Active Pokémon has any Special Energy attached, it is Knocked Out.
[F][M] Dragon Pulse: 230 damage. Discard the top 3 cards of your deck.
Weakness: None
Resistance: None
Retreat: 2
Say hello to everyone’s new favorite pub-stomper (at least, my favorite pub stomper)! This Haxorus deals a WHOPPING 230 damage for a measly 2 Energy, at the cost of discarding the top 3 cards of your deck. Discard 3 is a huge downside, especially in a singleton format- except a player who plays this card doesn’t care.
Oh no, the player who plays this card is simply praying that they get Ultra Evolution Axew in their active with a relevant energy to meet Haxorus’s FM requirement. That player is insane, running Glimwood Tangle and Will, alongside Attract Customers Tatsugiri, Pokegear 3.0, Trainers’ Mail, and more, all in an attempt to have you sweating at the end of their first turn going second. Because oh boy, if the player flips heads, they don’t care about discarding the top 3 cards of their deck, they want to swing 230 and KO everything you could possibly throw at them from the turn after until you either concede or somehow foil their gameplan. They’ll slam a Luxurious Cape on this thing and beg you to try and one shot a 270HP monster as early as turn 2 while this behemoth is KOing things left and right, and racing ahead in the prize trade. It takes an insane person to play this card - but it was designed with them in mind.
Kyurem – Dragon – HP130 - Night Wanderer
Basic Pokémon
Ability: Anti-Plasma
If your opponent has a card with Colress in its name in their discard pile, the attack cost of this Pokémon’s Trifrost is [C] instead.
[W][W][M][M][C] Trifrost: Discard all Energy attached to this Pokémon. This attack does 110 damage to 3 of your opponent’s Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
Weakness: none
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
I’ve never seen a card with so much relevance simultaneously introducing a subtle game of chicken to the entirety of a TCG format. This Kyurem is disgusting, but only IF its Anti-Plasma ability is active. See, Anti-Plasma allows Kyurem to use its busted 3-target 110 snipe attack for a single colorless energy SO LONG AS the opponent has a card with “Colress” in its name. Now it’s no secret that Colress is a phenomenal Supporter card, and that Colress’s Experiment is practically required to eventually hit the discard for a Lost Circle deck, but we’re also getting a new Colress card (which I mention below) called Colress’s Tenacity which, spoiler, is a really good card and I see being a mainstay for many decks. Now, this card basically leads a life of Schrödinger's Colress: does your opponent play a Colress card in their deck, or are they too afraid to play it because of their local resident Dragon player? Does your opponent actually have a Colress card in hand, but are too scared to use it DESPITE it being such a good or pivotal card, simply because of the threat of Kyurem? Alternatively, your opponent will be thinking that it’s Schrödinger's Kyurem, debating within themselves on whether or not you run this otherwise brick of a card just to make their day horrible for playing a powerful Supporter card. This game of chicken will be at the forefront of practically every matchup against Dragon, and for good reason, as Trifrost is a busted attack. For CBW tournaments this might be less relevant, since we currently play with open deck lists to keep things transparent. Still, at your locals or your Regional side events, this is fair game, and what a game it will be.
Colorless
Fan Rotom – Colorless – HP70 - Stellar Miracle
Basic Pokémon
Ability: Fan Call
Once during your first turn, you may search your deck for 3 [C] Pokémon with 100 HP or less, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. You can’t use more than 1 Fan Call Ability during your turn.
[C] Assault Landing: 70 damage. If there isn’t a Stadium card in play, this attack fails.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-30)
Retreat: 1
I’m gonna sound like a hater, but that’s because I am. Who the heck thought colorless of all types needed a card like this? This card has 70 HP, meaning that it’s not even just Level Ball searchable but even Buddy Buddy Poffin searchable, allowing your Poffins to get you a full Bench on your first turn of the game! Now thankfully, it’s a horrible attacker, is limited to the first turn, and can only grab Colorless Pokémon with 100 HP or less. Nonetheless, this allows it to actually build your hand rather well, helping you to snag either pivotal Basics such as Skwovet and Bidoof, or certain evolutions (depending on the deck) such as Make Do Cinccino, Zooming Draw Dodrio, Air Mail Pidgeotto, or even a Porygon 2 in order to evolve into a Porygon-Z later into the game. A Solid consistency tool that - while yes - takes up a Bench spot, seems ultimately worth it for the powerful turn 1s it can unleash, even if you end up going first and are unable to use any Supporter cards.
Trainers & Energy
Nightly Stretcher – Trainer - Night Wanderer
Item
Choose 1:
– Put 1 Pokémon from your discard pile into your hand.
– Put 1 Basic Energy from your discard pile into your hand.
You may play as many Item cards as you like during your turn.
This item is so so so SO good. Rescue Stretcher is already a staple in practically every deck in the format, and I feel like this card is right there with it. While not having the Shuffle 3 effect Rescue Stretcher has, Nightly Stretcher has the ability to also snag you a Basic Energy from your discard. This is super huge for decks like Lost Circle, which utilizes the PokéStop engine in order to churn through the deck quickly to find its required pieces for the game plan. Oftentimes, PokéStop will discard either a Pokémon or a Basic Energy, and this card is an item you can get off the PokéStop to help better your consistency and minimize your bad discards! It even has more use cases, being a better alternative to big Basic decks that wanted to loop Basic attackers and were often running Revive or Buddy-Buddy Rescue in order to do so. Now, you can discard even your evolution support Pokémon in a pinch, since Nightly Stretcher has no restriction on the stage of Pokémon you can add to your hand from the discard.
Binding Mochi – Trainer - Night Wanderer
Pokémon Tool
The attacks of the Poisoned Pokémon this card is attached to do 40 more damage to your opponent’s Active Pokémon (before applying Weakness and Resistance).
You may attach any number of Pokémon Tools to your Pokémon during your turn. You may attach only 1 Pokémon Tool to each Pokémon, and it stays attached.
Super solid card, brings some more offensive spice to the Poison archetypes, especially Poison Dark. You can use this alongside Brute Bonnet’s Toxic Powder Ability to Poison both you and your opponent’s Active, allowing you to then get the 40-damage boost from Binding Mochi. Alternatively, the new Janine Supporter Poisons your active if you accelerate to it, so if you’re attacking with that Active, then you’ll also get the benefit from Binding Mochi. Ultimately a solid card, with a strong damage modification in a type that already modifies a lot of damage as well. You can even do these combos with a broken attacker like Guzzlord and swing for a whopping 160 with Red Banquet, more than even the Muscle Band/Dark Claw additions those decks often tend to run.
Colress’s Tenacity – Trainer - Night Wanderer
Supporter
Search your deck for a Stadium card and an Energy card, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn.
If you’ve been playing GLC for a while, you might recall earlier in the past year where Guzma & Hala was upwards of an $8 card. A very good card, many decks were using it as a way of searching for vital Special Energy or Stadium cards, as well as busted new tools such as Luxurious Cape, Technical Machine: Evolution & Technical Machine: Devolution. While this card may not have the tool benefit, it also doesn’t force you to discard 2 to get your vital Special Energies. There aren’t many cards that search out specifically Special Energy cards, and much less so easily like Colress’s Tenacity. Dragon can now more reliably find their Special Energy of choice for their attacker, Colorless gets to find therapeutic energy for their Snorlax *a banshee wails faintly in the distance*, and all other decks also get to benefit from strong Special Energy strategies having a bit more consistency. A great card, I don’t see many decks not running it in the future.
Janine’s Secret Technique – Trainer - Night Wanderer
Supporter
Choose up to 2 of your [D] Pokémon. For each of those Pokémon, search your deck for a Basic [D] Energy card and attach it to that Pokémon. Then, shuffle your deck. If you attached any Energy to your Active Pokémon in this way, that Pokémon is now Poisoned.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn.
Guzzlord has never been scarier. Now with more ways to accelerate Dark energies in Dark, Janine’s Secret Technique allows for many lines of play to have more merit in Dark builds. Energy Switch/Multi Switch alongside Malevolent Charge Moltres was a concept tried in the past, but now with a solid, strong Supporter alongside it, the concept should most definitely be revisited in order to get the most out of such a broken attacker as Guzzlord.
Xerosic’s Plan – Trainer - Night Wanderer
Supporter
Your opponent discards cards from their hand until they have 3 cards in their hand.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn.
This card is disgusting and I’ll be one to say that I do not like this kind of card design. Specifically for our format, this card has way too many combos that do or otherwise can lead to unplayable hands, especially when combined with other strong Supporters through the help of Lt. Surge’s Strategy. Play this followed by Delinquent, and you leave your opponent with 0 cards in hand, only hoping off of top decks and any potential draw support Pokémon already on their board. While not as oppressive, This alongside Mars does a similar effect, limiting your opponent’s hand to only 2. I definitely think this card is a no-fun card, and I usually prefer when they make those have some sort of downside or restriction, something like “your Pokémon was KO’d last turn” or “only if your opponent has 3 or less prize cards remaining” - something to make it clawing-back comeback card, but this is just a raw “discard until 3” for your opponent that you can activate as early as the first turn of the game going second. Terrifying card.
Night-Time Academy – Trainer - Night Wanderer
Stadium
Once during each player’s turn, that player may put a card from their hand on top of their deck.
**You may play only 1 Stadium card during your turn. Put it next to the Active Spot, and discard it if another Stadium comes into play. A Stadium with the same name can’t be played.**This card is funny. The most obvious synergy is that this works REALLY well in Metal lists that run Metang and Emergency Entry Metagross. This allows you to add a Metal energy you otherwise wouldn't be able to accelerate for Metang’s Metal Maker ability, or add Metagross to the top of your deck to draw at the start of your next turn to cheat it out. Of course, it’s a Stadium, so it can be bumped, you’re going negative in card value by playing and using it, and ultimately disruption is still really strong in this format.
In Metal specifically, this is Stadium number 187 that we want to run, so finding space even in more off meta builds is usually at the cost of some other REALLY GOOD stadium. However, it also has other uses, most notably the same way that Primate Wisdom Oranguru used to be able to be used in Standard by putting your opponent in a checkmate situation by putting Boss’s Orders on the top of your deck, playing around an opponent’s Marnie. Not nearly as good, as you aren’t going 1 deep into your deck either, but it’s still a way of playing the card that I thought I’d mention.****
Gravity Stone – Trainer - Stellar Miracle
Pokémon Tool
If the Pokémon this card is attached to is in the Active Spot, the Retreat Cost of both Active Pokémon is [C] more.
You may attach any number of Pokémon Tools to your Pokémon during your turn. You may attach only 1 Pokémon Tool to each Pokémon, and it stays attached.
Pretty gimmicky, but it does something not many other cards do, and some attackers can even benefit from it. Combine Gravity stone with cards like Galar Mine or Abilities like Dark Ambition Absol, and your opponent’s retreat cost will be to the moon! Now obviously, we play in a format with Float Stone, but if your attacks do damage based on your opponent’s Retreat Cost, then perhaps you don’t have to worry about the Float getting them out of the Active, since you’ll be giving them a 1 way trip to the discard pile!
Crispin – Trainer - Stellar Miracle
Supporter
Search your deck for up to 2 Basic Energy cards of different types, reveal them, and put 1 of them into your hand. Attach the other Energy to 1 of your Pokémon. Then, shuffle your deck.
**You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn.**Amazing Rare Kyogre is rolling in its grave with this card. This card is busted for any multicolored energy deck, most notably Dragon-type attackers, Amazing Rare Pokémon such as Raikou (and even the more gimmicky Jirachi), as well as some cards that require multiple energy types to get some benefit, such as Chromashift Kecleon, Iron Hammer Heatran, and Aqua Spark Lanturn! This card allows you to get an Amazing Shot from Raikou in a singular turn, so long as you have a Dynamotor Pokémon like Flaaffy or Eelektrik. Definitely a crazy card, fixes a lot of the problems the Dragon type has when it comes to chaining back-to-back attackers. Ultimately Dragon and Turbo Raikou have gotten a lot of new cards in this review to make them very scary in our upcoming metagames!
Lacey – Trainer - Stellar Miracle
Supporter
Shuffle your hand into your deck. Then, draw 4 cards. If your opponent has 3 or fewer Prize cards remaining, draw cards until you have 8 cards in your hand instead.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn.
See, why isn’t Xerosic’s Plan limited like this? This card is SUPER STRONG in control decks, allowing you to get some extra card draw at the end of the game when your draw support has been gusted and KO’d, without being downright oppressive early - and arguably even bad. I think this card has some steep competition with other strong draw supporters, such as the generic ones like Colress, Cynthia, and Tate & Liza, as well as cards like Lillie and Parasol Lady. Nonetheless, it is still a rather strong card and I think should at least be considered in many a deck. Late-game card draw is never something to scoff at.
Final Thoughts
We have a fun couple of sets upcoming, don’t we? Thank you for reading my most recent set review! I hope you all are ready for Shrouded Fable introducing just some of these cards THIS FRIDAY, and then later for Stellar Miracle in a little over a month’s time! The meta has the potential to shake up a lot (although let’s be honest, Colorless will probably still be on top of all), with all the new additions benefiting older format favorites and otherwise forgotten cards, or introducing new archetypes as a whole!
As always a huge thanks to Toine Lay, Justin Basil, and Pokebeach as a whole for their translations and providing of fast news that allows us to get accurate translations on new cards the moment they’re revealed in Japan! Until the next one!