Silver Tempest Set Review

The newest set of Pokemon cards, Silver Tempest, brings a lot of new and interesting options to the Gym Leader Challenge format. There are several new archetypes that will sprout up, and many existing archetypes that will flourish.

Grass

Sunflora

Why not have different attackers with different synergies? GLC is great in this way. It’s the home of your favorite Pokémon that can’t see play in other formats. This Sunflora hits like a real beam in an aggro build with Cherrim and Eldegoss maybe with Beautifly for consistency. High output damage paired with Sunny Day Lurantis plus lot of synergy with Guzma and Hala. Potentially 260 damage with Muscle Band, DCE attachment and Turrfield Stadium for an evolution you need. I like the card, I love Gen 2 and Sunflora.

Fire

Rapidash

Heat boost will give +30 dmg to your Pokémon once per turn by discarding a fire energy from your hand. We already have an option like this on a Stage 2 Incineroar in ability form. This could lean into madness with +60 dmg or just going for low maintenance strategies. Spirit Burner Chandelure and Infernizard come to mind, or Brilliant Stars Moltres could hit for 120 synergizing with Magma Basin. Maybe this card fixes math that everyone was asking for in fire? Probably not as important now that PoGo Charizard took his place as a staple, but I like when minor variants see some help.

Victini

Assist Flame from the discard pile or Victory Sign from the deck to charge an Amazing Reshiram? We have a lot of nice Victinis to use in different builds. What about a turbo fire list for the memes? Fiery Licks Heatmor and Fireball Circus Blacephalon? This Victini could be a nice pivot for the first few turns. The 20 dmg could play a factor and not just the effect of energy accelaration. Options, little nice cards.

Fennekin

There wasn’t a best Fennekin until now. Even if I’m never going to use Lead because with Delphox in deck I will never expose my basic to an attack, I could have nothing better to do because I started with it or have a bad hand early. Someone may see more value in the 70 HP option and I guess it’s fair. I could see value in the Ember one now with Rapidash in really extreme cases, but for me this is the Fennekin. Searching your deck for a supporter card on a basic Pokémon adds depth when you’re building a GLC deck.

Talonflame

Am I mad or am I see Spirit Burner Chandelure boosted with this set? We have two strong attacks with only one fire energy cost. If we paired it with spread Pokémon like Fusion Strike Oricorio or Scorching Wind Reshiram in an early strategy while we setup the combo we can work with it. Flare Raid Talonflame could be still ideal for some archetypes but I will try it for sure. Dream Ball in fire is accesible with a proper build, so why not have this as a target.

Incineroar, Torracat and Litten

The best gimmick for fire from this set goes to the entire Incineroar line. The secret attack of Incineroar will let us use the attacks from the previous evolutions that will become a combo sequence during two turns, Gritty Claws with the new Rapidash could became 70 or just Muscle Band (60), you could take a KO on a support without being afraid of return KO and then Reprisal from Litten will ensure a KO if they hit hard. But you know what? I’ll max potion and thanks to PoGo Charizard all his attacks cost just one. Even the second attack is massive: 180 Flare Shot if the first option wasn't enough. Insane line.

Water

Glalie and Froslass

Two different evolutions from the same basic and both with an effect on the attack if you played Candice. Guaranteed paralysis with Froslass for 110 dmg, nice for two shotting big Pokémon, stealing tempo for a spread strategy, or another cool feature could be recovering it for a later Glalie that will do a ton of damage, 260, by playing the supporter. 4 colorless energy cost for Glalie doesn’t seems impossible with DCE, the power of water to find them and the same Candice, which will look at the top 7 cards of your deck and grabs every water energy and water Pokémon you find. Ice stonks increasing.

Wailord

There's a new whale in town it’s too much. It's ability prevents 30 dmg to which we could add a Pot Helmet and Lake Acuity to further decrease damage to 80. 240 damage dealt with a special energy attached that could be ideally Splash, Capture or Recycle and Weakness Guard if you expect a lot of lighting lists. Energy grace Milotic could power it up immediately. This fits perfect in a tank and heal build like a Quagsire box. But don’t cry when you will be facing a Sunflora all boosted up. LOL.

Psychic

Hypno

Skipping the basic stage of a Pokémon and benching two stage 1s is really strong. Starting from here, we could speed up the process by doing it turn 1 with Wally. Psychic control could like this to help the strategy to set up crazy locks quickly. There are a lot of targets to choose for control lists, and why not enable different ways to play attacking psychic? We have some targets that usually we can’t even play: Alolan Marowak, Wyrdeer, Espeon and Sylveon and even Shedinja. It will be really interesting to see if this kind of attack in GLC could be relevant for wacky stategies. Garbotoxin, Slurpuff, Xatu, Palossand, H. Zoroark, Mismagius, Trevenant, Kirlia, Musharna. You can even manage Gallade and Gardevoir with Hypno + Rare Candy.

Meowstic

Meowstic seems gas in control to find the right combo for Delinquent, and playing it paired with Follow the Scent Slurpuff will allow us playing Devolution spray and Scoop Up Net to loop it, Pal Pad to chain the supporter combo. The effect of the ability is from the hand, so we don’t gain value by cheating it with Hypno’s attack. Resembling the not too distant relative, Delcatty, this cat could let us work in a similar way as the typical Control Colorless.

Mismagius

Excellent card for spread, the closest comparison is Shining Eyes Azelf that will requires existing damage counters to work. Mismagius also has the Grudging Incantation ability that KOed at full HP it places 8 damage counters on the active. It will be annoying when we have to accept the damage counters. A single turn with a full bench and ability activated will enable a huge turn from Dusknoir to do what you want.

Reuniclus

Finally a good Reuniclus to play in GLC! Spread players have to scratch their heads more when they go through all their different attackers to select from. Energy efficient with Dimension Valley or just a Twin/ BCE combined with Persistent Cell ability that means an infinite attacker. Will still be hard to put it in play more than 2 times, and his low HP makes it vulnerable. His damage output on the field for a Dusknoir later is great and strong especially early in the game putting pressure on your opponent’s supports.

Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir

This ralts can disable one of your opponent’s active Pokémon's attacks. I prefer Teleportation Burst Ralts because sometimes 10 dmg + 10 more HP is relevant, and the switching part is always nice to have when you started it to preserve the attachment and build a future Gallade/Gardevoir. Another Ralts has confusion and paralysis on a coin flip. In my lists I always chose Beckon Kirlia. Refine adds that right consistency maybe to allow you cutting Musharna’s line. Pros are the possibilities of discarding Giratina, Gengar or just an energy for Malamar and obviously the draw power, cons are that I could probably use it for just a turn in order to evolve it on the next one, or even just skip it right away with candy. Gardevoir comes with the same strong Kirlia’s ability with a solid 120 attack for just an energy attachment with Dimension Valley in play.

Fighting

Claydol

Is turbo fighting with no supporters possible? There has been discussion in Tricky Gym’s Discord and Addy made a turbo Groudon list which could serve as a base. Playing just a few supporters and recover them with Pal Pad, taking advantage of Claydol when we can. Grant could be recovered constantly by himself and Gladion goes into the prizes. What do we want? A gust and a research to help a bit? Our main draw engine will be shoes, bicycles, Pokéstop and Rose Tower and other items entrusting some of the consistency to our Premonition Lunatone on the bench. Risky yes, but I love it because we can build up an attacker from nowhere. The best could be pairing it with the usual suspect Machamp for the late game and heavy basic hitters. Fight has a lot of options and there’s a couple interesting ones in this same set.

Stonjourner

Turbo fighting? Here we can hit for 190 if we don’t have a supporter in the discard pile. Interesting! Stonjourner is a basic Pokémon that will receive benefit from Max Elixir and is DCE compatible too. We will need a lot of energy if we are running Celebrations Groudon, a good mix of everything basing the construction and philosophy of the deck on the essential could makes the archetype shine. It’s on my list of the decks I want to try, especially after Waterstorm where we can see some similarities in the approach.

Terrakion

Wow, this seems busted. Yes you can’t attack turn after turn, but the turn after attacking it is invulnerable. They will need Escape Rope or Boss to kill it, or Pokémon Ranger or a Shred attack to hit it, opening strategies to solo plays. Fighting can abuse of a lot of damage modifiers to increase the offense and tools for to buff HPs. Why not try it in the archetype we talked before with Claydol? Fits really good even in other variations.

Palossand

Some castles made of sand don’t fall in the sea. This castle does 30 damage to each of your opponent's Pokémon. This could be added to some Hitmon lists, however I’m not a fan of interrupting the strategy by using this early or in the middle and delaying the combo and doesn't seem solid enough after Hitmontop’s turn. Could be still something in a regular fight box early to soften up some math. Claydol’s archetype seems to have some friends.

Armaldo and Anorith

Fossil decks likes to use Research Lab to bench their Pokémon, they eventually play Unidentified Fossil and Fossil Excavation Map. Anorith is a DCE compatible attacker that for no reason at all hits for 150 by discarding an unidentified fossil! And if you are playing HitmonFossils, Armaldo is kinda cool.

With a Focus Sash after the final combo from Hitmontop it can take multiple KOs by only just a colorless energy since its attack knocks out actives with 100 or less HP remaining. Its second attack does 160 damage for which is accessible with Raihan pretty easily.

Dark

Crobat and Zubat

Nasty and sinister, this second dark Crobat printed in the Sword and Shield era for GLC is coming to help Guzzlord in cheating out games. It's attack takes 3 prizes when taking a KO with 30 damage. Don’t understimate the low damage output, it could be boosted by tools and Headbutt Tantrum Zigzagoon. You will have to build and develop your attacks on low HP Pokémon, damaged or poisoned ones. Toxic dark is seeing a lot play in the last month, and maybe this could fit there because the build has the power to slow down games and you earn all the time even to set up a Greedy Dice combo with Will. This Crobat comes to bring a lot of fun into the format and also deep sorrow.

Optimal Zubat too with free retreat for donk potential.

Toxapex

Sometimes dark seems to have a high energy cost and low damage output where you have to work with tools or poison strategies to soften up some math. Toxapex for just one energy could reach in more ways with those strategies to more than 160 dmg! Virbank City Gym, Muscle Band, Dark Claw, Toxicroak, Zigzagoon. All these modifiers will help you in reaching high numbers. The Phantom Trasformation Box could add this guy to the squad.

Metal

Klinklang

Klinkklang's ability attaches 3 basic energy from the deck when played from hand to evolve. Charging up a Copperajah from nowhwere? Or even playing a Max Potion and then accelerate to the healed Pokémon? Is this Klinklang worth it? I see its value as a way to build an immediate answer for threats but not too much in the long run. At the same time with a God hand early, the pressure that a Heatran can bring is enough to put you in an excellent situation. Very flexible also on the diversity of energies to be charged. Interesting card.

Beldum and Metagross

Metagross can get into play when topdecked at the beginning of the turn, also allowing 3 cards to be drawn. I love abilities like this, and in metal on a stage 2 Pokémon it is also super scary. Luckily you can have it in play from T2 by some tricks with Amazing Rare Jirachi or just draw it for turn on your first turn! Cheating stages of evolution allows space in the deck, metal could approach a tankier build with Aegislash to boost tankiness even more than his 170 HP. With Perrserker's damage boost, the first round of Meteor Smash isn’t that bad and he can attack in the same turn you bench it via Bronzong, Metal Saucer and energy for turn. Nice include, if you want to play the full line, Beldum's first attack can grab one card from your deck.

Dragon

Dragonite

Do you want some turbo dragons action? This Dragonite could bring back into the format the Evolving Skies Regidrago mainly for his output damage potential considering the presence of big Pokémon. Dragon lists relying on a basic energy engine will be happy to test with this Dragonite and being able to charge attackers that are usually complicated to manage. A 4 energy attack seems a bit of an enormity, however, 180 damage and attaching 3 basic energies from deck is an amazing attack if pulled off. In the end, replacing Fast Call is no easy feat.

Colorless

Spinda

Some love for Colorless spread in this set. This Spinda is an upgrade of the Staggering Steps one combining the two attacks in a single one, doing 10 spread damage and confusing the active. Not an Arita artwork unfortunately, but this is slightly better than the old one.

Hisuian Braviary

Whaaat? 3 damage counters on all your opponent’s Pokémon for free? We have the option to play both Braviaries (Evolving Skies), and by using Transform Ditto we can loop the Hisuian one twice in a row if Ditto was benched the turn before and you have ways to recover your line with cards like Klara, Rods or Rescue Stretcher. For the same gimmick we can heal and spam with Acerola or Cheren’s Care or even Max Potion, Cheryl. With a Pot Helmet on it we are making it a bit more resistent and it could bring lot of pressure early in the game synergizing perfectly with Spinda and Dangerous Concert Exploud.

Archeops

One of the problems in some Colorless variants is finding the right energies at right time. Archeops will solve this by searching two special energies from the deck and attaching to a Pokémon. For sure it is harder to set up than Crazy Code because of the nature of fossils, but we have lots of items to search for the ideal turn 1. More convoluted lists, for example Colorless spread, could benefit more from this than Porygon Z. We can accelerate to a Shining Arceus more easily, as well as building the Speeding Skystrike on a Tornadus. By not rushing you for the search of the correct energies, you can focus in looking for other plays. The typical colorless list should be adapted to better synergize with this Archeops if they want to try it instead of Crazy Code, running both allows some healing strategies but it could be too much. If you go for Acerola’s or Cheren’s strategies you should better play a Primate Wisdom Oranguru too in order to ensure an energy card from your hand into the deck. Cards to get fossils going are many, from XTransceiver into Green’s Exploration or Guzma & Hala, Stadium Nav and items to dig for it like Trainer’s mail, Order Pad and Cram-o-Matic.

Trainers

Candice

A card that water probably didn’t need, but it’s part of a strategy for Glalie and Froslass, and why not give some chances in GLC to an Ice Box? The random search isn’t my favorite, but it may work with lists that play more than 12 energies, yes i’m thinking of Waterstorm.

Lance

Wynona for dragons. Probably didn’t need it because of Dragon Call Gabite, but probably makes it more consistent in a deeper game where you’re just not outplaying your opponent for the speed and pressure that the dragon type brings to the table. Your Fast Call Dragonite has more chances to see the field early.

Capture Aroma

Heads get an evolution Pokémon, tails get a basic Pokémon. Flipping to grab a Pokémon with a card has always been debated. Timer ball haters say it's just a plot to try and convince them to play flipping cards, and someone I believe will try it. At least we get something from a tails. Brother with Egg incubator this card could for sure see some plays in types with less searches or turbo variants. More universal search options are always welcome in the format.

Emergency Jelly

Heals 120 damage from a Pokémon with 30 HP or less remaining. Situational enough to be good especially in decks built to tank. This card could be played even at the beginning of your turn to heal before your opponent start with his manouvers. Could work well in metal or for some grass lists with Leavanny.

Primordial Altar

A new stadium for some discarding actions like Pokéstop. A way to dig for control variants maybe and maybe for some turbo action where the deck wants to discard energies or Pokémon like psych. I still think this will not find the space in a GLC deck with all the valuable stadiums at our disposal.