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Pojo's Pokémon Card of the Day

 

Top 10 XY Cards

#1 Muscle Band  

- XY

Date Reviewed:
February 21, 2014

Ratings & Reviews Summary

Modified:
Limited:

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: See Below

Baby Mario
2010 UK National
Seniors
Champion

#1 Muscle Band 

There shouldn’t be any surprises with our #1 card from the set: Muscle Band isn’t the most original, exciting, or complicated card, but it is going to be the most widely played and have the most impact of anything in XY. 

Muscle Band is straightforward enough: it is a Tool card that increases the damage done by a Pokémon’s attacks by 20. Historically, any card that adds damage is very likely to see a lot of play: from PlusPower to Deoxys EX with Crobat G and Expert Belt in between, most have had a big effect on the TCG. Why? Put simply, they enable you to take a Prize that you couldn’t have taken without them. 

Muscle Band will do two major things in the game. Firstly, it will allow some Pokémon to get in range for a OHKO more easily: think of Lugia EX with Muscle band and 3-4 Deoxys EX KOing an EX for three Prizes, or Kyurem PLF plus Hypnotoxic Laser/Virbank doing the same for two. Secondly, it turns those low damage opening attacks into something that easily sets up KOs later on. A Thundurus EX with Muscle Band can Raiden Knuckle for 50, which means an easy KO next turn for a Kyurem PLF or Lugia EX. Meanwhile, a Virizion EX with Muscle Band will Emerald Slash for 70, meaning that Genesect EX’s Megalo Cannon can then score unboosted KOs on 170 HP EXs. Muscle Band also means one less Energy is required for Yveltal EX’s Evil Ball or Mewtwo’s X Ball. 

It’s easier to ask what decks won’t use Muscle Band, rather than what decks will. Things that already have OHKO power like Emboar/Rayquaza and Blastoise/Black Kyurem don’t need it. Locking decks like Gothitelle or Trevenant won’t find it essential either (though it is an option, even there). Of course, we have Tool Scrapper, but that isn’t much use after the fact, when an opponent has just dropped a Band on Lugia for the OHKO. Besides, players will run these in multiples. 

Play this card, and be very aware of this card at all times. It’s going to have near-staple status. 

Rating 

Modified: 4.75 (the kind of card that shapes a format)

Limited: 5 (why wouldn’t you?)


HEZ
Intro to
Unlimited 150

Muscle Band

Modified.
Do your Pokémon deal damage? Do you want to take prizes? If you answered yes, then you should use Muscle Band! Since Dark Explorers, all other types have been jealous of Dark Claw but now the power that’s helped Darkrai EX carve its niche in the meta is available to all types!
Strength Charm is officially obsolete now and 20 extra damage is actually quite a lot. Considering you can put it on an Yveltal and hit for 50 damage from turn 1 you can see the potential for donks increased against decks trying to evolve small Basics. It has an edge over its counterpart tool Hard Charm in that you’re able to get some use out of it before it rolls round to your opponent’s turn and they can Tool Scrapper it away.
There’s not much you can say about it, damage wins games and it gives you more damage… it’s simple but amazingly good! It can go in any deck in this format and have a good effect, I’d say it deserves its number 1 spot in this XY countdown!

Unlimited 150.
The same applies here as in Modified. As long as you’re not playing something strange like mill or most of your Pokémon deal damage in the form of damage counters you’ll find some use in this card. Some decks will want to swap out their Expert Belts for Muscle Bands though the 20 extra HP may be worth it in particular cases. Of course, you could always use both for a little more reliability. With so much deck searching available such as the ever popular Castaway you can use it to deal the last 20 damage to grab an essential KO when you need it or alternatively just slap it on a small, cheap attacker and hammer away!
Again, not much to say… it’s simple and effective. It combos with damaging attacks!

Ratings.
Modified: 5
Unlimited 150: 5


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