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Pojo's Pokémon Card of the Day

 

 Carbink

- Flashfire

Date Reviewed:
July 2, 2014

Ratings & Reviews Summary

Standard: 2.33
Limited: 3.13

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


aroramage

Going straight from adorable to oddly adorable, aroramage returns with another look at the new Flashfire set! Here we've got the strange and curious Carbink, some kind of rock bunny thing with a connection to another Pokemon only recently revealed officially in the last few months. Does Carbink add to the new Fairy-type in explosive new ways or does it just draw on previously used concepts to strengthen its impact? 

Well sadly the latter is more the case in the former, and being a 70 HP Basic, Carbink has a lot to live up to. Its first attack, Crystal Barrier, has an effect that goes all the way back to the very first Base Set all those years ago. It's another one of those Agility-esque attacks that keeps the effect but loses the damage. Now I don't see a Pokemon like Carbink using Agility any time soon either, but maybe there could be more done for it seeing as its cheapest attack is a 50% stall chance if that - and there are cards to get around that too (looking at you, Pokemon Catcher). 

Wonder Blast isn't as wonderful as the name suggests either. It's a Fairy-typed Hydro Pump that does 40 damage + 20 per Fairy Energy on Carbink. So ideally you're either stalling out with Crystal Barrier long enough to attach 3 Energy to Carbink (preferably all Fairy Energy) in order to deal a solid 100 damage to the opposing Pokemon. 100's not a bad number to hit either, but there are better ways to add Energy to Pokemon. 

In fact, Xerneas (XY) comboes well with Carbink so long as Carbink remains on the Bench and Xerneas doesn't get KO'd too easily. Heck, if you've got 2 Carbink on the Bench and keep powering them up with Xerneas' Geomancy, you could have two very powerful heavy-hitting Basics that could maybe eventually 2HKO a Pokemon-EX like Mewtwo-EX or Yveltal-EX or even a powerful Mega Pokemon-EX!

Which on paper sounds fine and all, but consider the resources that go into this: that's at least 3 cards using at least 7 Energy to KO 1 Pokemon. Assuming that all 3 get KO'd for the 1 Pokemon-EX, that's a 3-for-2 trade-off in terms of Prizes. And that's just not something that's ideal to work with outside of casual. Carbink could've been a strong contender for an attacker in the Fairy Deck, but we've got bigger fish to fry. 

...er, rocks to...bunnies to...never mind. 

Rating 

Modified: 2/5 (needs a lot of support to really get going, and it's only going to get KO'd quickly) 

Limited: 2.5/5 (you can probably get away with it here, but there are definitely going to be better options) 

Arora Notealus: I've got this weird image in my head of a Sableye running off with a Carbink. One loves jewels, one is a jewel, it's The Sableye and Carbink Show! 

Next time: Celebrate good times with MORE CLAWS


Otaku

As one might expect, my premature return means I have need to promote something; in this case, I am trying to raise funds for something a bit odd; an injured pet.  With some help we can get it the treatment it needs, instead of having to put it down.

 

Today we look at Carbink (XY: Flashire 68/106), one of the “normal” Rares from the set.  If you don’t want a detailed look, simply skip down to the Ratings and Summary sections.

 

Stats

 

Type

 

Carbink is a Fairy-Type, which doesn’t mean a whole lot quite yet, though in Japan we finally have some actual Fairy-Type support.  The only thing inherent to the Type is that of course it hits Fairy Weakness for double damage, and all the Dragon-Type Pokémon printed since the Fairy-Type was introduced have said Weakness.  It isn’t bad to be a Fairy-Type, but it isn’t especially good, either.  If anyone thinks I am forgetting something, remember that if something supports an Energy-Type… I don’t treat that as the same thing as Type support; after all Pokémon often have “off-type” Energy requirements, and with the right cards often something can use Energy-Type support without the Pokémon being the same Type.

 

Stage

 

Carbink is a Basic Pokémon and… that is as good as it gets right now.  There is still Basic Pokémon support in the format, and even though Evolution support and Basic counters are slowly showing up, its still the best deal.

 

Hit Points

 

70 HP means this will usually be a OHKO, and another 20 HP would have been nice… but at this size it is a legal Level Ball target, and until that rotates out it actually could prove important to the card.

 

Weakness

 

Metal Weakness isn’t especially bad right now.  There are some good Metal-Type attackers, but mostly they show up in off-Type decks and even then, only specific ones as there are few that can attack well without a source of Metal Energy.

 

Resistance

 

Resistance is not only present on this card, but like all currently released Fairy-Type Pokémon, its Darkness Resistance.  Darkness-Type Pokémon can hit hard, but usually it requires some effort and -20 damage can really throw them off.  Its a nice bonus, though not especially relevant given Carbink only has 70 HP to begin with, and you expect to be hit for 90+ most of the time.

 

Retreat Cost

 

Right now, a Retreat Cost of two is the worst.  Thanks for Fairy Garden (an example of Fairy Energy-Type support) or any number of other Retreat Cost lowering/eliminating tricks, it will rarely matter, but until Heavy Ball rotates out, a Retreat Cost of three is actually better than a Retreat Cost of two.  Even higher Retreat Costs may be better, but that isn’t quite so clear cut.  Once Heavy Ball leaves the format, then this will be fairly average.

 

Effects

 

Attack#1: For (Y), Carbink can use Crystal Barrier, an attack that requires a coin flip.  If “tails”, it does nothing, but on “heads” it protects Carbink from both the damage and effects of attacks.  There are ways to get around this kind of effect, but for the price its acceptable, and if you’re lucky it can help buy time.

 

Attack#2: Wonder Blast requires (CCC), and provides a base damage of 40, plus an additional 20 points of damage for each (Y) Energy attached to Carbink.  We’ve seen similar attacks used well; it will all come down to if the rest of the card is more useful than it is troublesome and if there is a good source of Energy acceleration available to it.  If powered purely by Fairy Energy, the attack will hit for at least 100 points of damage.

 

Intra-Card Synergy

 

As a stand alone card, it isn’t bad but it isn’t good; the first attack can buy time to set-up for the second, but odds are against stalling this way for too long and it takes several turns to ready the second attack using manual Energy attachments alone, especially if you want to get to significant OHKO level.

 

Usage

 

Modified

 

Carbink has potential as a finisher (and possibly emergency opener and attacker) in Fairy Transfer decks.  If you are forced to open with it, it can attempt to stall with its first attack, and you can always shove all available Fairy-Type Energy onto it and go for a big hit.  Again, unless you’re going for the final blow (or at least a key KO), you would only resort to it in desperation… but for an important “big hit”, it isn’t bad.  Its easily searched out nature combined with only being denied by universal blocking effects (like its own Crystal Barrier) and Pyroar (XY; Flashfire 20/106) and its infamous Intimidating Mane Ability.  If it shows up prematurely or you’re in one of the few situations where you need to attack with it before it would result in an actual win, its not a Pokémon-EX so you’re only out a single Prize.

 

There are obviously alternatives to using it, of course.  Xerneas (XY 96/146) is already a must for any Fairy Transfer deck running at least a few basic Fairy Energy cards, and for a deck where all Energy provides Fairy Type, you’ll get the same 100 damage you would with Carbink but on a slightly sturdier form; the drawback is you would have to discard one.  Mewtwo EX and Yveltal EX are a bit trickier; X-Ball and Evil Ball (their signature attacks, respectively) easily outclass Wonder Blast, and while they are Pokémon-EX, they have good HP scores so they aren’t an obvious OHKO when you attack with them.  Yveltal EX will require a source of (D) Energy, but that usually isn’t an issue.  Their attacks also do more damage based on how much is attached to both Active Pokémon, instead of just themselves.

 

They aren’t something you can fetch with Level Ball, however, and many metagames (let alone individual players) are well adapted to dealing with them, making them a less sound play than they appear.  If you’re facing opponent’s that have counters to those two ready, especially if their own attackers use little Energy, you would be better off with Carbink.  It isn’t a wide niche, but its something, and fortunately as Carbink is a small, easily searched out basic Pokémon, a niche usage is good enough to get it into a deck.

 

Limited

 

Did you pull enough compatible Pokémon so that out of your 15-20 Energy cards, 7+ can be basic Fairy Energy?  Good, then you run this.  Its HP might actually last a turn in this format, its Resistance can help shut out what Darkness-Type Pokémon are in the set, and while there are some Metal-Types in the set, its a dual Stage 2 line, a Stage 2 line, and a Pokémon-EX; they shouldn’t be too common a presence.  If you pull any other Fairy-Type support or attackers, it gets even better.  While it requires drawing into it (or if you were lucky enough to get some search, searching it out) earlier enough so that you can try and build it, that really is an option here, and you can probably deliver two OHKOs unless your opponent throws a Pokémon-EX or Evolution at you.

 

Ratings

 

Modified: 3/5 - Carbink does a job that overlaps with some well known, powerful cards, but it does that job reasonably well; an easily searched out glass cannon for Fairy Transfer decks.  Obviously, the score is meant only for Fairy Transfer decks; its not worth it elsewhere.

 

Limited: 3.75/5 - A very good pull, though if you have the misfortune of getting without getting several other worthwhile Pokémon that can attack using (at least in part) Fairy-Type Energy, you’ll probably have to skip it; it's less of a glass cannon, but its still not going to last more than two turns unless your opponent has a terrible set-up.

 

Summary

 

The glass cannon for Fairy Transfer decks, the only real issue it faces is whether or not said decks need a glass cannon.  The job it does can be done better by Yveltal EX or Mewtwo EX, but Carbink is a little easier to search out while we have Level Ball and the popularity of those two makes them often countered.  A single or no Energy Active Pokémon that is safe from an Evil Ball or X-Ball with the Energy in play can still fall into range of Wonder Blast.  Not an essential card, but it seems handy.

 

 

Carbink (Flashfire) 

Today we take a look at one of the new Fairy-Type Pokémon from Generation VI. Some players have seen potential in this TCG card, but I’m not completely sure why. 

Carbink is a non-evolving Basic with a pretty low 70 HP. It does have a means of protecting itself in the shape of Crystal Barrier, which is one of those ‘flip a coin and prevent damage’ attacks that aren’t exactly uncommon and are rarely used. It could help you stall a turn if you got lucky, but the few decks that really want to do that will generally go with a more reliable option such as a Pokémon with the Safeguard Ability. 

There is also an offensive option with Carbink: Wonder Blast does 40 damage plus 20 more for each Fairy Energy attached. In theory, this makes Carbink capable of KOing anything, so long as you have the Energy. In practice, you won’t want to commit very many resources to a 70 HP Pokémon unless it will win you the game. I suppose it’s just possible to make Carbink work as a sweeper with Aromatisse XY’s support, but I really don’t believe it is worth a place in the deck for that reason. 

Carbink isn’t boring filler, but it doesn’t do anything well enough to justify including it over other attackers or blocking Pokémon. 

Rating 

Modified: 2 (Don’t know what the fuss was about)

Limited: 3 (sort of works better here, but still nothing special)


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