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Pojo's Pokemon Card of the Day

 

Sceptile Lv. 59

Supreme Victors

Date Reviewed: 10.05.09

Ratings & Reviews Summary

Modified: 2.50
Limited: 2.75

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale.
1 being the worst. 
3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating.

Back to the main COTD Page

Jigglypuff13 10/5 Sceptile Lv.59 (AR)

Hello, and welcome to a new week of COTD, which starts of with the new preview card from Arcues, Sceptile! Since the translations for Japanese up until now, absolutely no one has been hyping this card, and really, you'll probably be able to understand why quite quickly. First up are the basic stats of the card, and it has 130 HP, which, is the just over average on a Stage 2 at the moment, so it's a good start. The +30 Fire Weakness doesn't allow it to continue, since it allows Infernape 4 and it's Lv.X (RR), along with the various Blaziken (all) decks running about at the moment to plough straight over this card. -20 Resistance to Water is quite nice, with Gyarados (SF), Kingdra (LA) and Palkia G and it's Lv.X (PL) running about a fair bit. 1 Retreat Cost is very nice, and we are generally used to seeing Sceptile's with a higher Retreat Cost than that.

Abilities now, and this is really where the card drops to useless. First, Leaf Supply, which for G, does 30 damage. With a good effect, it's not a bad attack. However, all it allows you to do is attach a Basic Energy from your hand to one of your Pokémon. That isn't bad, and Energy acceleration is quite nice, it's just not the best Energy acceleration we have, nor anywhere close. If I want Energy acceleration (the damage is negligible), I'd much prefer Leafeon Lv.X (MD), or a type specific Energy accelerator to fit the deck I'm making, rather than needing a Stage 2 active and attacking to fulfil the role instead.
Dual Cut isn't awe inspiring either. For GCC you flip 2 coins, and for each heads, you deal 70 damage. Not bad, you may be thinking, since you have a chance of dealing 140 damage for GCC. Just remember, it's a 25% chance, which is also the same chance as it is to deal 0. On average, you'll be dealing 70 damage per turn, so you are looking at 2HKO's for the most part, and for GCC, you'd expect more than that now really.

Combos? The folder, probably. It's Energy acceleration is useless, and Dual Cut is not main attacker material.

Counters? When everyone realises how bad it is. This will probably be around the time when everyone first sets eyes on this card when they pull it during a Pre-release, or a random pack they may buy. For proper counters, really, it's the plethora of playable Fire types that people are using at the moment. Most of them can OHKO Sceptile without breaking sweat, so it really isn't going to help this card.

Ratings:

Modified: So, it has decent stats, which is a nice start, and where all the niceness of the card ends. Leaf Supply is terrible, Dual Cut is pointless, has bad Weakness for the format (countered by a decent Resistance, I will admit), and doesn't even hit many Pokémon for their Weakness due to Grass typing. If anyone can find any use for this card at all, please, let me know, because I'm certain there won't be one. 1.25/5

Limited: I'm not sure it's that much better here. It's a Stage 2, so it's going to be tough to get out, so you'll want decent attacks to allow to sweep through everything. Leaf Supply is more a set up attack, which buy the time you get this card out, will be pointless, and Dual Cut is too risky to rely on. Again, there is no use for this card. Grovyle might be alright here, but if you get Sceptile, don't use it. 1.5/5
Baby Mario
Top 4 UK Nats

Sceptile (Arceus)

 

Ok, we kick off the week with another preview of a card from the upcoming Arceus set. Despite having quite a lot of support (Shaymin, Sceptile GE, Cherrim SF), grass Pokémon haven’t made much of an impact on the tournament scene in forever. Will this new Sceptile change all that?

 

Well, unlike its GE and SF cousins, this Sceptile doesn’t boast any useful PokePowers or PokeBodies, so the focus is going to be entirely on the attacks. Leaf Supply does a very respectable 30 damage for a single Grass Energy AND allows you an extra Energy attachment . . . that’s ANY Basic Energy to ANY Pokémon. Dual Cut is a somewhat more risky and expensive affair. For [G][C][C] you flip two coins and do 70 damage for each heads. That could be a massive 140, or it could be nothing. The most likely outcome is that you will do 70 damage which is pretty average for the cost.

 

Although Leaf Supply is a nice attack that can help you get set up, it doesn’t really offer enough to be worth the effort of getting out a Stage 2 Pokémon and using an attack. Leafeon RR’s Plus Energy does something very similar and, being a Stage 1, it does it faster too. While Dual Cut can OHKO practically every playable Pokémon in the format, the fact that it is flippy makes it difficult to work with. Most players like to be able to calculate the damage they can do to help formulate their strategy.

 

So, even though it can give something  to Grass decks, there are better, more reliable options out there. If you need Energy acceleration, it is better to stick with Sceptile GE. If you want a hard-hitting attack, then Torterra MD is much more reliable. If you want both in one card AND a handy HP boost, then there is Shaymin LV X and its Seed Flare attack. Now you may have noticed that those cards are rarely seen at tournaments, and that should give you some idea of how playable today’s card will be.

 

Yes, Sceptile has a nice 130 HP and a very useful Resistance to Water, but there are better Sceptiles out there. Hey, there’s even a better one coming out in the new set.

 

Rating

 

Modified: 2 (risky cards can win you matches but will lose you tournaments)

Limited: 2.75 (if you get the whole line, the Energy acceleration is great and it will survive long enough to give you a few shots at using Dual Cut)

Guy Alright, we have a card from the new Arceus set! I hope everyone had a great weekend, and lets get into it!

Sceptile is a stage two card with 130 hp, which checks out good, 1 retreat cost, good, and resistance to water, not bad. Resistance to fire is iffy, but what can you expect from a grass pokemon. At least it isn't double weekness.

The first attack is absolutely great. For one energy you can attack for 30 and attach another energy of any basic type to any pokemon. It would have been broken as a poke-power, but it is still amazing as an attack. However, the second attack I am not a fan of. For 3 energy you have a chance of doing 0 damage? I understnad you have a chance of doing 140 for three, or 70 for three, which arent bad outcomes, but OH the 33 percent of the time when a turn is wasted when you do no damage! Its to risky for my taste, but it may work.

I think this card has potential, but we will have to see what comes out with the rest of the new Arceus set.

Modified: 3/5 first attack- great, second attack- coin flips chance of being great, decent, or terrible.

Limited: 3/5
Codex_of_
Wisdom
This week starts with a card from the upcoming Arceus set - Sceptile LV.59

Upon first glance it's a normal Stage 2 grass, with 130 HP (pretty high), +30 fire weakness (okay - at least it's not x2) and -20 water resistance (not too bad).
Finally, a single-energy retreat cost.

The attacks are pretty good. The first, Leaf Supply, seems out of place for a Stage 2, being a single grass cost for 30 (good in and of itself) and the ability to put a basic energy from your hand onto one of your Pokemon. Very nice.
The second attack isn't too bad, either. Grass and double colorless for two coin flips for 70x each heads (so chances of 0, 70, or 140!). Kind of flippy, but for the cost, it's a pretty good attack - 140 damage is very, very rare and nice.

Overall:
Modified - 4/5 Able to get energy out and a possible super heavy hitter. The only problems are it's a Stage 2 and kind of flippy.
Limited - 3/5 It's a Stage 2, enough said.

A pretty good card to start off the week, I'd say! So far, I'm looking forward to the Arceus set!

Meganium45
OK, let’s look at our 2nd Favorite Big Green Pokemon.

The major problem with this sceptile that it is competing with the Great Encounters Energy doubling sceptile for space in the deck, and its big attack is a flipper.

The top stats – 130 HP is great.

The bottom stats – weakness to fire +30, resistance to water, retreat of 1 are not good until Arceus is released…which will weaken fire just a bit.

The first attack, 30 for 1 and attach an energy from your hand to one of your Pokemon (not just a grass energy, and not just to a grass Pokemon…this guy just got a bit splashable)

2nd attack 3 for 0, 70 or 140. Bad, OK, and then GREAT. 1 in 4 shot at great.

No sceptile level X to save it, a better sceptile, and much better grass attackers (even in its own set)…makes this a card not that great.

Modified 2.5/5 Will see some splash play, but not much.

Limited…2.5/5 Smaller set for Arceus may make it able to get out the underlutions.

There you go…final battle road this weekend at B&B St. Peters!!! Saturday!! 12:30 Registration, 1:30 Registration ends!!!

Vince
Steel_Winger Welcome back to the Pokemon COTD!

Today's card is a card found in the upcoming Arceus set. It's Sceptile!

Let's look at it's stats: 130 HP on a Stage 2 is great, and is currently better than what you'll see on the other Sceptiles of this format. It's a Grass-type, so Claydol and Rampardos are going to get hurt. However, that +30 Weakness to Fire means it won't be standing up to Infernape 4, Blaziken FB, and even Magmortar for long. A -20 Resistance to Water means that it will likely stick around vs. Kingdra and Palkia G. A Retreat Cost of one is average on most Pokemon, and is also the best of this season's Sceptiles.

No useful Bodies or Powers here, but there are 2 attacks. The first, Leaf Supply, does 30 for 1 Grass energy. Good cost/power ratio on a Stage 2. In addition, you can also attach a Basic energy to one of your Pokemon from your hand. It can certainly help you power up itself or others faster if you go second and use Rare Candy. It's no Weavile (SW), but it does its job of energy accelerator early game while doing damage. Not bad against, say, a Baltoy start. It also helps powers itself up for it's next attack.

Dual Cut, for 3 energies, one which must be Grass, does 70 damage for every heads you flip out of 2 tries. There's a 25% chance you'll do 140 damage (Wow!), a 50% chance that you'll do 70 damage (still not bad for the cost of a Stage 2), and a 25% chance that you do no damage at all (woe be to those who do). So, more likely than not, you be doing some damage. If you're willing to take a chance when falling behind, be sure to put an Upper energy on it.

Combos? Combine it with other energy accellerators. Leafeon LV. X and Gardevoir thrive on having a lot of energy attached to them.

For those that want to give Sceptile a try, there are quite a few of them. If I were to try, I'd probably have this as a starting tech along with the GE Sceptile and another good Grass-type, say, Tangrowth.

Ratings:

Modified: 3.25/5 As mentioned earlier, it's great for getting your Pokemon powered up early. Dual Cut can possibly be meh and sick at the same time. Too bad Infernape 4 OHKOs it, though.
Limited: 3.5/5 It you get the entire line, you're more than likely going to play it which should be easy since it looks to be a regular Rare. It'll be hard to get it out in play, but it'll usually be worth it when you do.

This is Steel_Winger, until next time!
 


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