Article #11: Charizard* (DF)

[Raikou Trainer]

This was originally written in late 2006, so combos, ratings, etc. will be outdated.

Name: Charizard*

Type: Darkness

HP: 90

Basic Pokemon

(DC) Rotating Claws 20
You may discard an Energy card attached to Charizard*. If you do, search your discard pile for an Energy card (excluding the one you discarded) and attach it to Charizard*.

(DDDDC) Dark Swirl 150
Discard all Energy cards attached to Charizard* and discard the top 3 cards from your opponent's deck.

Weakness: Water

Resistance: None

Retreat: (CCC)


Analysis

HP: 90 is great for a Basic non-ex Pokemon. You can use pretty much any healing card available.

Weakness: Water is not used all that much, so you shouldn't worry about it too much. Otherwise, use Protective Orb or Blastoise d.

Resistance: None, so let's move on.

Retreat: Three is not good, so use Switch, Balloon Berry, or Pelipper d (CG) if you need to retreat.

Rotating Claws: 20 is about right for two Energy. If you have an Energy that you have absolutely no use for, this attack can get rid of it in exchange for another in your discard pile. I'll explain more in the Combos section. It's pretty effective if you have Darkness Energy in the discard pile, since you will more than likely want to add the extra damage.

Dark Swirl: 150 damage can KO just about every Pokemon in Modified right now. Unfortunately, you have to discard all Energy attached to it. However, discarding the top three cards of your opponent's deck can really hurt them if timed correctly.

Combos

Meganium ex: It's Poke-Power lets you attach an extra Grass Energy to any of your Pokemon. This might not sound like much at first, but Charizard*'s Rotating Claws can exchange the Grass Energy for an Energy that can power Dark Swirl.

Rainbow, Delta Rainbow, Dark Metal: These Energy cards can provide the Darkness Energy needed to power Dark Swirl, and are more consistent than Scramble Energy and Holon's Electrode/Magneton/Castform.

Ratings

Unlimited: This card is way too combo dependent, and there are much better Basics out there, so Charizard* might not stand up to the popular cards like Hitmonchan, Electabuzz, and of course, Blastoise. 2/10

Modified: This card fares a little better here, but not by much. Most decks today focus on swift but powerful tactics, such as MetaNite. Charizard* is definitely powerful, but requires several turns to power it up again. 4/10

Limited: Charizard* is completely useless in Limited, so if you pull it, put in in you binder ASAP. 0/10

Conclusion

Charizard* may be powerful, but if you can keep the energy flowing, it could very well be unstoppable.