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Pojo's Pokemon Card of the Day

 

Metagross

HS Unleashed

Date Reviewed: May 19, 2010

Ratings & Reviews Summary

Modified: 2.63
Limited: 3.67

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

Combos With:

Baby Mario
Top 4 UK Nats

Metagross UL

 

Seeing as both of the other Modified Legal Metagross are Steel Type, maybe it’s about time we got this Psychic one (Metagross is a Steel/Psychic Type in the video game). Sure, Steel Pokémon get the benefit of Special Metal Energy, but a Psychic one will hit for Weakness much more frequently.

 

As you would expect for a Pokémon that weighs in at 1212.5lbs, Metagross is both fairly durable (130 HP) and has a massive Retreat cost (though that need not matter, as we shall see). The double Psychic Weakness could be an issue, but Psychic Pokémon can always take advantage of Azelf LV X’s PokeBody to fix that.

 

The reason Metagross’ Retreat cost need not be a problem is because of its Psychic Float PokeBody. This gives any active Pokémon with Psychic Energy attached a Retreat cost of zero. The fact that the effect applies to any active of any Type is extremely useful. For example, if your Claydol is dragged active, you can Retreat it at a cost of attaching one Energy, rather than having to attach two and discard them both. It’s not quite as flexible (and therefore not as good) as Flygon RR’s Rainbow Float, but in a Psychic deck, it comes pretty close.

 

Now that’s all very nice, but I’m fed up of Metagross that are only good for using their Powers and Bodies on the Bench (see the LA and SV versions). I want one that can do some damage. Metagross UL gets off to a good start with a decent value no-effect attack called Pulse Blast. For only [C][C], this does 60 damage. Not bad, though not quite as good as the kind of overpowered one Energy attacks we are used to from the likes of Jumpluff and Donphan Prime. One way of compensating for this would be to use Double Colourless Energy, but really you should think twice before you attach a DCE to Metagross.

 

The reason for that is that its second attack, Double Leg Hammer, costs [P][P][P]. This means that that DCE (or Call Energy) you were fortunate enough to draw into is effectively a waste as far as this attack is concerned . . . you are going to have to attach another three Psychic Energy if you want to use this attack. And you should want to use it, because Double Leg Hammer is actually pretty good. It does 40 damage to two of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. Against most decks this is two Prizes in two turns as you target Pokémon like Claydol, Uxie, Azelf, and Crobat G. Used with Jirachi UL and its devoluter-style Time Hollow attack, you can even use it to KO multiple Stage 1 and 2 Pokémon.

 

So, Metagross does have some potential, but his conflicting Energy requirement is incredibly annoying. It seems that you can either use Metagross as a cheap-ish fast-ish attacker with DCE, OR as an effective damage spreader, but not both. That, plus the fact that spread is commonly countered by today’s metagame are probably deal-breakers as far as a tournament viable Metagross deck is concerned. That’s a shame, because this card is so nearly there.

 

Rating

 

Modified: 2.75 (lack of synergy between the attacks' Energy needs spoils what could have been a very good card)

Limited: 3.5 (Body and attacks are all great here, but Stage 2s are not easy to get out in Limited)

 

Combos with . . .

 

Jirachi UL (spread and then devolve)

 

Mad Mattezhion
 Professor Bathurst League Australia

Metagross (HS Unleashed)

It seems the trippy 3D art experience will continue. Matrix Recoloured!

Metagross is a Stage 2 with 130 HP and a nice free-retreat poke-body (if the active has a P energy attached). Sort of like a reverse Flygon, though it can only be applied to Psychic decks so it has already lost points. The expected x2 weakness to Psychic and lack of retreat don't help or hurt it and the high retreat cost is paid for with the body. But beware Dialga G!

The attacks are where the differences between Flygon and Metagross really stand out. Metagross can do 60 for CC (respectable) or 40 to 2 benched pokemon for PPP (terrible). Flygon has attacks that are actually useful, while Metagross is simply a tech in mono Psychic decks that for some reason don't want to run Colourless Pokemon (or don't have Flygon in their collection, in which case I forgive you). Metagross may be more useful when the Platinum sets are no longer usable (this rotation or next, preferably next year) but for now it comes a poor second. I would say that Moonlight Stadium is also far more effective, but this is the age of counter-stadiums so they come in about equal.

Modified: 2.5 (does an adequate job but Flygon does a great job)
Limited: 3.75 (the first attack is great here, as is the body if you have Psychic Pokemon, even the snipe is okay)

Combos with: Giratina Lv X maybe?


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