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Pojo's Pokemon Card of the Day

Jigglypuff13	2/2 Swablu Lv.16 (PT) Ah, Monday, and a new month to go with the new week and new cards. And we start off with, er, Swablu. It's not any old Swablu, though, it's the Shiny one from the new set, Platinum! With the first set of pre-releases over, it's the perfect time to start reviewing the new, non-revealed cards. Right, Swablu, and the basics of this special card. Oh, before I start, why did they have to make Shiny cards reverse holo? Why not something a little more special? Yes, anyway, the basics of the card, and first of all, 50 HP. This is kind of low for an evolving basic, but it's better than the HP of the normal Swablu in this set. Might only by 10 HP, but that could make the difference. +10 Lightning Weakness is average really, and to be expected. -20 Fighting Resistance is nice, and expected since every other Swablu also has this Resistance. Both of these won't really effect much. Machop (DP) won't deal any damage, and Lightning basics will have fun getting a 2 or 3HKO, but chances are, it won't make too much of a difference. 1 Retreat Cost is annoying for what is, essentially, a flying cotton ball, especially since Swablu has no Retreat Cost. Between them at the moment, I'd say it's honours even, and kind of average. Now, abilities, and since this Swablu has 3 attacks, it's already looking quite nice. It's just a shame the attacks don't match up to special status of the card. Roost is a rather bad attack on this card. Healing damage for no energies is normally a rather nice ability to have, but removing 4 damage counters from this Pokémon isn't going to help much. Against other basics, it might help in stalling for a couple of turns, but once they get evolved or anything that can do 50 damage, it becomes useless. Mirror Move is rather situational, and annoyingly, tops at 40 damage. For C, dealing the same amount of damage to your opponents active equal to the amount of damage Swablu received last turn is rather unreliable. I'd prefer some certainty with a drawback rather than uncertain damage. Personally, I don't much care for Fury Attack either. It's the standard Fury Attack. Flip 3 coins and deal 10 damage for each heads, all for C. This can reach a max output of 30 damage, which is nice, but averages out at 15, which isn't so great. Against most basics this card will be against, you will see it 4HKOing them on average, which isn't good. Mirror Move is similar, but will often lead to Swablu being KOed before your opponents active is. Really, they aren't very good attacks. So, how do these attacks stack up to other Swablus? Well, before comparing this card to the GE one, lets compare it to it's PT rival, and this isn't good. It has 2 attacks, both costing C, and both have slightly nice effects. First is Sing, which put your opponents active to sleep, and the second does 10 and puts Swablu back to the bench. Run Around isn't quite as useful as Sing, but it's better than Mirror Move and Fury attack, and I'd prefer to Sing than to Roost. If you ask me, the normal PT Swablu has the better attacks, making it the more useful Swablu from the set. I would now go to comparing both to the GE Swablu, but since there isn't any need since the Shiny one has been established as being the second best from PT. If, at some point in the future, we review the normal Swablu, I will do the comparison then. Until then, you'll have to wait with baited breath, or just not care at all. Some how, I think it's the latter. Ratings: Modified: I hate giving ratings to not fully evolved Pokémon since it's hard to judge their usefulness sometimes. Thankfully, I can report that this one is the second best Swablu from PT. Since there are only 2 Swablu cards in PT, it's easy to tell you shouldn't use this one, and should go with the normal one instead. The only thing this card has going for it is it's 50 HP, and if truth be told, it isn't quite as helpful as free retreat, Sing, and reliable damaging attack that can put it in the safety of the bench. Go for the normal one. 2/5 Limited: I suppose this card can have a bit of use here. Until your opponent can get a heavy hitter out, 50 HP and Roost might allow Swablu to live for a little while, but Plus Powers may ruin the day for little Swablu. It won't deal any real damage, since Fury Attack and Mirror Move are too unreliable to be used a lot. Maybe a nice little staller until you can get a good attacker out, or until your opponent does. 2.5/5
KFT Winner of a Stormfront Prerelease	Swablu (SH5) Today's Card of the Day is Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokemon, and the thing you'd think the PokePillows are amde out of. Anyways, let's take a look. Swablu has 50HP, a rather mediocre amount, but it is helped by Roost. The +10 weakness to Lightning isn't that bad, seeing as how it just makes Swablu more susceptible to the classic Electabuzz that is coming out. The -20 resistance to Fighting is nice, ensuring that it can hold off some Larvitars, Pupitars, or MAchops, but past that, Swablue will get pummeled. A retreat cost of one is not horrible, but honestly, this thing is a bird, and it's a basic, I thought that guranteed free retreat? Roost is Swablu's first and best attack. For no energy, Swablu can heal 40 damage, at the cost of not being able to retreat the next turn. The upsides to this attack are amazing, any basic, or sometimes Stage 1 Pokemon that can't deal over 70 damage will be stalled indefinately. However, without the resistance Swablu is a sitting duck (bird?) to other types, and since it can't retreat, chances are you'll just use Roost over and over again, until that little Machop you were blocking so nicely turns into a Machamp and uses Take Out. Mirror Move is Swablu's second attack, and unlike Mirror Moves of old, this one just copies the damage for 1 energy. Unfortuantely, Swablu doesn't have the health to use this, since 40 damage won't KO anyone except the most fragile of basic Pokemon. And now the icing on this cake of mediocrocy, Swablu's final attack, Fury Attack. For one energy, yu can flip three coins, and do 10 dmagae for each heads. This attack is flippy, generic, and has a low damage output, three things I hate. But if Swablu has no damage, and you were stupid enough to put an energy on it, this is your best option, besides retreating. Modified 2/5 Much better then the other Swablus, now, if only they would make a decent Altaria. Limited 3.5/5 If your opponent is running fighting, congrats, you just found a way to royally PO them, if not, well, it can buy some time with Roost, and the Altaria, isn't that bad... ~KFT
Eevee	Alright! Eevee here, sorry for missing the last few! ^^' Ok, today's COTD is one cute little bird with some power! That's right! None other then Swablu! (PL-SH4/133) Let's take a look at it's stats and Attacks. (x) Roost : Remove 4 damage counters from Swablu. Swablu can't retreat during your next turn. (C) Mirror Move : If Swablu was damaged by an attack during your opponents last turn, this attack does the same amount of damage done to Swablu by the defending pokemon. (C) Furry Attack 10x : Flip 3 coins. This attack does 10 damage times the number of heads. Weakness: (L) +10 Resistance: (Ft) -20 Retreat: (C) HP: 50 Ok, attack wise this pokemon isn't too bad for a basic. Having one free and two single energy is pretty good but the actual effects of those attacks may not be. Roost will help you to keep Swablu in play long enough to draw out your Altaria but then you can't retreat. (Ever been in that vicious circle on the VG's? As soon as you recharge it, boom, needs recharging again.) Mirror Move is one of those higher risk attacks. To do much of any damage Swablu would have to e down to it's fianly 10HP and then it would be easily KO'ed the next turn. As for Furry Attack, personally, I think it stinks. Sure, there is a possibility to do 30 damage using only one energy but how often can you really flip three heads in a row when you need it to? You'll end up doing 10, possibly 20 damage more often then not. Ok, now let's look at it's stats. 50HP on a basic is pretty common comparatively speaking but it's still quit a bit lower then some of the others I've seen. (Altho, nothing could beat Magikarp's whopping 30HP... X.x) A weakness to Lightning could cause some trouble if your area sees alot of those killer Raichu decks. But you'll more then likely be dealing with Pixie(MAU), Mewtwo, Kingdra, and Galactic pokemon for right now. (Or at least you are in my area) Swablu's resistance to fighting pokemon could be a help if you deal with Machamp Lv.X decks alot. And it's (C) retreat could cause some trouble here. Since Swablu needs so few energy to function you might forget to keep it at a level that it can retreat. Overall I'd say that altho this pokemon looks good at first you might want to think it through. Adding in Altaria does give it quit a boost but unless you play your deck carefully you could run out of Swablu before you could draw your Altaria. Personally I may not play this card but If you could swing then give it a try! I would suggest at least a couple of copies of Bubble Coat to help balance it's lower HP however. Not to mention something to boost it's attack like Plus Power. Modified: 2.8/5 This is where you'll run into the higher HP basics. Limited: 3.5/5 Here Swablu would probably fare better. Since most of the older basics (and some stage ones) had closer HP it could probably stand a better chance of lasting at least a couple of rounds.
Meganium45	OK, a Swablu!! YAY? OK, it is a SHINING SWABLU with…um…50 HP. Not very “shining” Second, it has 3 attacks! YAY…. 0 Energy attack to remove damage counters, and you can’t retreat. What? What have I missed? Mirror Move. Yay, an attack that maxes at 40, with no special conditions, or any other effects. OK, Fury Attack, 3 coins for 0, 10, 20 or 30 damage. Average 15 for 1, so not too bad. Not going to First Turn Knock Out anyone with this little guy. Weakness +10 is good. Resistance -20 to fighting is fine. Retreat of 1 is , well, OK. This may not even be the BEST of the Swablus out there right now! How sad is that??? If you are playing Altaria, you this is a decent one, but is anyone sold on Altaria right now?? Ratings Modfied 2/5 Limited…Yeah, you are going to draft it, it is a shining worth a few bucks, but for playability in this set, with all the better stuff out there, I am going 2/5 Good luck to all…Prereleases TONIGHT in Eureka, MO at B&B, Tuesday at the Neutral Zone in Mid Rivers Mall in St. Louis, Wednsday at B&B in St. Peters, Missouri, and Friday in Evansville, Indiana! THANKS TO ALL!! Vince