Summary
Pokemon TGC’shas added past and future ParadoxPokemonto its repertoire. The past Paradox Forms are called Ancients, and their raw power evokes the terror of primeval megafauna to any unlucky enough to oppose them. Ancient Paradox Pokemon focus on raw strength to overwhelm opponents in a single turn.
Alongside the awesome Ancients, come powerful support cards that can push your game that much further if an Ancient deck is a theme you want to explore. Using the correct combination of cards from this already powerful set will push your strategy to the next level.
Electric (2X)
Notable Features
Azure Seas: Damage from attacks used by this Pokemon isn’t affected by any effects on your opponent’s Active Pokemon.
To longtime fans of the series, it should come as no surprise that the Paradox forms of the legendary dogs ofthe Johto Regionwould be some of the shining stars of an Ancient deck. Walking Wake is a powerhouse all on its own, and could likely stand up against entire teams if played correctly.
Walking Wake’s Azure Seas ability, described above, is a fantastic Passive Ability. Pair that with the 120 base damage Catharsis Roar, and you have something sinister. But that isn’t all. If Walking Wake uses Catharsis Roar on an opponent with a Special Condition, this move deals an additional 120 damage.
Water (2X)
Blaze Blitz:This move cannot be used again until this Pokemon leaves the Active position.
Gouging Fire stays close to its present day roots by filling the niche of an all-out attacker. For those familiar with other Ancient cards, this one may not seem like a standout. Many other Paradox Pokemon feature a weak move, and a move that deals huge damage at the cost of the loss of your next turn.
Gouging Fire sets itself apart by having almost double the health of those other cards. This means it can become an intense damage sponge, and stacking damage counters can set up some of your other cards for a clean sweep when used in an Ancient deck.
Burst Roar: Discard your hand and draw six cards.
Raging Bolt is the most utilitarian of the Paradox Beasts. Its attacking move deals 70 damage times the number of Basic Energy cards you discard from your Pokemon in that turn. This damage can pile up quickly, especially if you have an abundance of Energy cards to feed it.
Luckily, Burst Roar lets you to draw six cards, allowing Raging Bolt to become its own utility card. With forethought and good deck building, this Paradox Pokemon can sweep teams with the right amount of setup.
Dark (X2)
Supportive Singing: Heal 100 damage from one of your Benched Ancient Pokemon.
This unassuming Paradox Pokemon can be a real nuisance in the right hands. Based on theiconic Gen 1 Pokémon, Jigglypuff, Scream Tail can be a valuable addition to a player’s deck, should they know how to utilize it.
There is a Scream Tail variant card in the Ancients set that has the move Supportive Singing that can heal any Ancient Pokemon on your bench. Not only is the healing amount absurd, it costs only a single Basic Energy to use.
N/A
The Ancient Pokemon this card is attached to gets +60 HP, recovers from all Special Conditions, and can’t be affected by any Special Conditions
The greatest TCG players know that not all cards need to be a massive attacker or flashy effect card. Sometimes, a nice well-rounded Support card can really change the tide of a battle.
The Ancient Booster Energy Booster Capsule perfectly fits that description
Anytime this card gets attached to an Ancient Pokemon, it gets an additional 60 HP, heals all Special Conditions, and can no longer be affected by future Special Conditions. This card is extremely versatile.
Psychic (X2)
Wrathful Charge: If your Benched Pokemon have any damage counters on them, this attack does 80 more damage.
The Wrathful Charge variant card has a very interesting gimmick. Using this move while any of your Benched Pokemon have damage counters will make it deal double damage.
The resulting 160 power move is enough to destroy most Pokemon outright, and will leave the rest ready to fall over. The only drawback to this card is its high energy cost. Its retreat cost alone will run you four Basic Energy, so make sure you have the energy to back it up.
Grass (X2)
Frenzied Gouging: Knock Out your opponent’s Active Pokémon. If your opponent’s Active Pokémon is Knocked Out in this way, this Pokémon does 200 damage to itself.
Just like its digital counterpart inPokemon Scarlet, this dragonis an absolute powerhouse in terms of damage output. Its first attack will just automatically Knock Out a targeted opponent Pokemon. While this is terrifying on its own, the Moon holds yet another secret.
The Calamity Storm move can deal a whopping 220 possible damage if the right conditions are met. There are only a handful of cards that can withstand a single onslaught from this beast.
Retribution Strike: This attack does 10 more damage for each damage counter on this Pokémon.
The sandwich-lovingstar of the Pokémon Scarlet box art would naturally become one of the standouts of this Ancient set. Koraidon boasts a high health stat, alongside an explosive 280 base power move. The drawback to this move is that it deals 60 recoil damage.
This drawback is actually turned into an advantage by Retribution Strike. This move deals 20 damage plus 10 more per damage counter on this monster. If you can manage to keep Koraidon hanging on at 10 HP, it can deal an awesome 240 damage.
Vengeance Fletching: This attack does 10 more damage for each Ancient card in your discard pile.
If you find EX cards to be a cheap way to win, the normal variant of Roaring moon is just as viable. It can deal impressive damage with Speed Wing, and can take a pretty significant beating at 140 HP.
Where this dragon really shines is in its Vengeance Fletching move. This base 70 power move deals an additional ten damage for every Ancient Pokémon in your discard pile. Save this card till the end of the battle to turn the tide on your opponent.
Stomp Off: Discard the top card of your opponent’s deck.
Slither Wing has the unique ability to be used as both muscle and utility. Its main attack deals 120 damage and burns opponents, at the cost of 90 recoil damage to itself. That means it can only use this move twice, but it may not have to.
The Stomp Off move is extremely cheap at only one Fighting Energy, and can be used to automatically discard the top card of an opponent’s deck. This can be used to foil opposing plans, and to power through opposing decks without risking your own team.
