Ness's Card of the Day - Pokemon Trading Card Game Strategies

Well, it'll do more to the environment than the promo one did. Neo 2 is an expansion full of garbage that will change the environment just because of this one card. Personally, I think this change is for the worse. Ooo my let's have a closer look!

Gaze
It's the card's only ability. It doesn't even have an attack. It can stop one Pokémon Power on your opponent's bench until the end of your turn. Oh my, let's look at the archetypes that Igglybuff weakens..
Mind Games (Slowking/Sneasel/Murkrow) - Poor Slowking. We get a brand new deck into the environment that is very strong, and Igglybuff tears it apart. Of course, Igglybuff can only shut down one Slowking, so 3 can still act as 2, but expect people to play 2, maybe even 3 in some decks. Slowking cannot protect itself from the Gust, the Sneasels lose their anti trainer protection, and your opponent has all their drawing ability. I like those odds. (sarcasm) A lot of people hate Slowking decks just because they're so popular. To you anti-Slowking people, today is your lucky day. Go stock up on Igglybuffs.
Occult Powers (Murkrow/Sneasel/Dark Vileplume) - I have never seen one card weaken the ability of a deck so much. This isn't even funny. Despite the fact that getting out multiple Stage 2's is difficult, like I mentioned above, don't expect only 1 Igglybuff in a deck. If a Dark Vileplume if Gazed, it can be Gusted. If a Dark Vileplume is Gusted, it can be Mean Looked. If a Dark Vileplume is Mean Looked, say bye to your bench, say bye to your chances of winning, and say bye to that deck. You can't even use darkness energy to KO your own Dark Vileplume because it has that lovely "D" word in it's name. I like those odds, too. (sarcasm again)
Forretress - Forretress is a Neo: Discovery card, and it actually isn't that bad. Unfortunately, Igglybuff can take care of it's deadly power.
Aerodactyl - Well, Fossil Egg would encourage people to play it. A first turn Aerodactyl is always nice, but Igglybuff is going to eat Aerodactyl.
Yes, Igglybuff is one card capable of nearly destroying 3 archetypes. Slowking, Dark Vileplume and Forretress.

Igglybuff Decks
So with the other decks weakened, what decks become stronger?
Arithmetic!! (Zapdos/Electabuzz/Metal) - Well, although I like Mind Games, Arithmetic used to be my favorite deck, so I'm glad it's back in power. I'd play 2, maybe even 3 Igglybuffs in this just to destroy Occult and Mind Games, leaving the other threatening decks things like Steelix, which Super can take care of.
Steelix!! - Get 'em, Steelix. At the last tournament I played at I played an Igglybuff/Steelix that managed to take first. And I played against 5 decks with at least 3 Super Energy Removal, so maybe Steelix VS Arithmetic isn't as bad a match as it seems.
Arcanine!! - While I think this deck is ridiculously weak, it has gained some power. The metal energy, Eco Gym, and now Igglybuff make have made Arcanine become a tournament playable deck. It's only enemy seems to be Super Energy Removal.
Meganium!! - Or not. Stupid Steelix.

The Baby
Igglybuff's a baby. It needs a flip to be attacked, so it's not like Occult and Mind Games will be gusting them and picking them off one by one so that they're Slowkings and Dark Vileplumes can stop you.

It CAN be Mean Looked, though it doesn't seem that bad because it has Gaze to shut down the thing that is stopping you from playing trainers. But if multiple Kings/Plumes are out, it's not like Cleffa, where it can repeatedly get you a new hand of what you need to get out of this situation. Fortunately, Murkrow needs to flip for Mean Look and for the Feint Attacks.

Igglybuff can really hurt some of the best decks out there. Multiple are even more effective. I would give it an 8.0/10, it still is weak and has no other purposes than to stop things like Dark Vileplume, Slowking and Forretress.

This is basically my Neo 2 report because there is literally nothing else good in this set. We got a couple decent Unowns, but even those are sooo weak.
-Jay

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