Lost Thunder Set Review, Part 2 of 4 - Water, Electric and Psychic

Luke Morsa
October 19, 2018
0 Comments

Lost Thunder is our November expansion set for the Pokemon TCG which will have 214 cards in it, making it the largest set in the history of the Pokemon TCG to my knowledge. Credit to limitlesstcg's proxy generator with translations. I will review the set while doing my best to look at every card objectively and in relation to the standard format  I’ll note if I think a card will have an exceptionally different potential in expanded format. If a card is a pre-evolution with nothing special about it or just a filler card that is objectively bad I will simply put FILLER. 

This is Part 2 of 4, you can find Part 1 (Grass and Fire) here! Part 3 (Fighting, Metal and Fairy) here! and Part 4 (Normal Pokemon and Trainer Cards) here!

 

#53 Alolan Vulpix

This is suboptimal Alolan Vulpix since we have GRI Alolan Vulpix with Beacon which is a great card even if you are not running an Alolan Ninetales line.

 

#54 Slowpoke

Filler

 

#55 Slowking

Filler

 

#56 Lapras

Lapras has an interesting ability, but there are cards like Oranguru and Zoroark-GX that draw the top cards instead of looking at them which is better.

 

#57 Delibird

Again, an interesting attack but not good enough to be competitively viable. To my knowledge we’ve never had an attack that searched for tools AND attached them to your Pokemon. I’m glad to see new ideas coming out of development, but sadly I doubt this is good enough to see play.

 

#58 Mantine

Filler

 

#59 Suicune

This card has the effect of the item Repel which is cool but not valuable enough to be included in any deck in my opinion. We’ve seen this effect on cards in the past that saw play, but they had good attacks which largely made them playable.

 

#60 Suicune-GX

Because of its ability, it has synergy with Articuno-GX. If you attack with Suicune-GX and tank a hit, you can then use Articuno-GX’s ability to switch the Pokemon and energy cards, putting Suicune-GX on the bench. From there you would use Suicune-GX’s ability to shuffle it into your deck effectively healing the Pokemon. I could see this having potential in expanded because of max elixir and Fighting Fury Belt, but I do not see a bright future in Standard for it.

 

#61 Cubchoo

Filler

 

#62 Beartic

Filler

 

#63 White Kyurem

Freezing Flame does 160 for three energy if you have a fire energy attached. This attack could be really good if accelerating water energy while also having fire energy in the deck would be possible.

 

#64 Popplio

Filler/Pre-evolution

 

#65 Popplio

Filler/Pre-evolution

 

#66 Brionne

Filler/Pre-evolution

 

#67 Primarina

If Primarina-GX was viable then this Primarina would be good support for it. On it's own, it isn't powerful enough and for it to be a support Pokemon in a Water deck, you'd have to jump through the Rare Candy hoop which isn't worth it. 

 

#68 Mareanie

Filler

 

#69 Toxapex

Filler

 

#70 Bruxish

Filler

 

#71 Electabuzz

Filler

 

#72 Electivire

Filler

 

#73 Chinchou

Filler

 

#74 Lanturn

Since Lantern’s only viable attack is its first one, this card will not see play as Oranguru UPR is always better.

 

#75 Mareep

Because of its ability, this will be the optimal Mareep to play in the future when Ampharos-GX is released.

 

#76 Mareep

Filler/Pre-evolution

 

#77 Flaaffy

Filler/Pre-evolution

 

#78 Ampharos

Ampharos’ ability has a great effect as paralysis is almost always strong, but its cost is too much. Since you would be sending the energy to the lost zone, it is unrealistic to chain the effect for long. The attack is pretty good, but evolving up to a stage two to do in one turn what basic pokemon like Latios SHL and Tapu Koko Promo can do starting turn one doesn’t seem realistically viable.

 

#79 Raikou

I honestly don’t see an archetype that can make great use of this card, but the potential of 120 for two energy is good enough to not mark this card as filler.

 

#80 Pachirisu

Overshort seems like a great attack, but I’m not sure if Pachirisu will be worth a spot in decks that play lightning or rainbow energy. Once you play it down or your opponent saw it in game 1 of a best two out of three, your opponent could play around it by limiting their tools if Pachirisu’s damage and/or paralysis posed a threat.

 

#81 Blitzle

 

Pre-evolution

 

#82 Zebstrika

I am very happy to have this in Standard since Octillery BKT rotated this season. Zebstrika is a great non-GX draw support Pokemon that I posit will fit in certain archetypes better than others. Any deck that has target cards to ideally put in the discard pile like psychic energy in Malamar variants and Pokemon in Night March (Expanded) will have natural synergy with Zebstrika. Even decks that don’t seek to put specific cards into the discard pile can benefit from emptying the lesser valuable cards out of their hand to draw new ones. This card will definitely see play.

 

#83 Stunfisk

Filler

 

#84 Dedenne

Filler

 

#85 Tapu Koko

Fillert

 

#86 Zeraora-GX

This card is incredibly powered and feels very pushed. With 190 HP, this Pokemon has the ability and two attacks of strong cards from the past. Its ability gives free retreat to all of your Pokemon that have lightning energy attached, which is a successor to Darkrai-EX’s Dark Cloak ability. Its attack which does 160 for three energy and leaves the Pokemon unable to attack next turn is the same as Lapras GX’s Blizzard Burn attack. Finally, its GX attack is the same as Turtonator GX’s Nitro Tank which attaches 5 basic energy from your discard pile to your Pokemon in any way you like for one Lightning energy (Turtonator’s is for 1 fire). I think that a Basic Pokemon oriented Rayquaza-GX could have potential with Zeraora-GX and Shuckle (non-GX) in place of Vikavolt which is the variant Rayquaza-GX currently exists in within the Standard format. Omnipoke has a very cool Zeraora-GX deck idea on their Youtube channel that I highly suggest checking out. I greatly admire Zeraora-GX’s design and I believe it is balanced due to its fighting type weakness. Because of its inherent strength, I believe that it will see play regardless of the Fighting type prevalence in both Standard and Expanded.

 

#87 Natu

One of the two Lost March attackers. As I covered in Pt. 1 with Jumpluff, I expect Lost March to be a Tier 2 archetype in the SUM-LOT format.

 

#88 Xatu

An alright Psychic Type tech, but there are better choices like Deoxys CST 67 and Garbodor GRI. I doubt this will see much play, if any.

 

#89 Espeon

Espeon has two solid attacks. The first one would normally be bad on a stage 1, but you can use collect as early as turn 1 since it can evolve turn one from energy evolution Eevee. Energy Crush is the same as Lunala Prism Star’s second attack, which has seen fringe play in Malamar variants. This attack can do massive damage in the mid-late game if either yours or your opponents deck builds board states with a significant amount of energy.

 

#90 Unown DAMAGE

I highly doubt there are any realistic combos in Standard to reach the requirement of the ability, but it is possible with the massive card pool of expanded. I am sure we will see players try to make this work in expanded but I highly doubt we will see a meta where an instant win condition like this is viable.

 

#91 Unown HAND

Filler

 

#92 Unown MISSING

Filler

#93 Wobbuffet

This is reminiscent of the Spiritomb that had the ability that prevented Ace Specs from being played. I could see this being an annoying card to play against for decks using Diancie Prism as that is 20 damage extra each turn that is not being dealt, but I’d rather just kill the opponent’s Prism Pokemon and they can’t get it back anyway.

#94 Girafarig

If something like World’s Format Zoro Control were to be popularized again, especially in Expanded due to Exeggcute PLF’s playability, I could see this as a potential tech. You could use this Vs. Night March in Expanded, but they would get a KO on the Girafarig after you attack.

#95 Shedinja

Filler

#96 Sableye

Will most likely not see play due to better set up Pokemon like Alolan Vulpix GRI and better spread attacks on Pokemon like Tapu Koko Promo.


#97 Giratina

This card proved its viability with its usage in the winning deck at the Japan Tokyo Championship in September which has 1200+ masters. Its ability spreads two damage counters to your opponent's board while also recycling itself as a strong one prize attacker. I think One-Prize Malamar (or whatever you choose to call it) will be a very strong contender going into the Lost Thunder legal Standard format, but we will have to see if it outclasses the Team DDG influenced Psychic Malamar of SUM-CST.


#98 Sigilyph-GX

While its ability is cool, I don’t see any practical application for it right now. With so many decks running non-GX attackers either exclusively or secondarily, the ability would often get no value.


#99 Yanmask

Pre-evolution to a card with potential


#100 Cofagrigus

Soul Juggling has potential to be combined with several Giratina (97) to continuously discard them for extra Soul Juggling damage and rebench them the following turn to use Giratina’s ability. In an ideal yet realistic scenario, you would have a Cofagrigus active to attack and discard 3 Giratina from your bench to do 100 with Soul Juggling and then rebench the Giratina’s on the following turn to use their abilities. While I think its a cool concept, I don’t think it would consistently output enough damage over the course of an average game.

#101 Litwick

Filler


#102 Lampent

FIller

#103 Chandelure

Filler


#104 Meloetta

Filler


#105 Mareanie

 

Filler

#106 Nihilego

I think this card will be very good in Buzz/Garbodor/Shrine as you exclusively play non-GX attackers and your opponent can not avoid going to two prizes on the way to winning outside of damage spread shenanigans. Note that Night Cap can use any attack of your opponents’ Pokemon, even GX attacks.


#107 Poipole

Pre-evolution for Naganadel. Its first attack can give you knowledge of your prize cards for the rest of the game so this Poipole will likely be the optimal one to play.

#108 Naganadel

Many things are good about this card. First, it is a non-GX, psychic type, Ultra Beast. These three qualities mean that it only gives your opponent one prize when KO’d, it doesn’t get hit by Shrine of Punishments, it hits Buzzwole-GX and Buzzwole FLI for weakness, and it can use Beast Ring, Beast Energy, and Lost Space (to be searched out). Its ability allows it to accel one basic energy a turn from the discard pile to itself, which makes it a very good utility Pokemon for partners like Blacephalon-GX that benefit from having more energy on the board. Its attack can one shot Buzzwole FLI at base damage, and when your opponent is at 3 prize cards it deals 160 base damage which is outstanding. This card will see play and success. I am super excited to experiment with this card outside of Blacephalon-GX/Naganadel, although I believe that to be where it will find its initial success.