Hey Pojo.
    I thought all this charizard stuff was finally over, but the latest batch 
of articles in the strategy section had 3 or 4 more things on him!  So I want 
to express my ideas and hopefully help to end this debate(so I hope you post 
this).  Now, I know everyone has their own opinion, some love the lizard, 
some hate him.  But really, I don't think there is 1 side of this issue 
that's more correct than the other.  In my opinion, I don't think there is 
such thing as the perfect card.  If there was I agree that it probably 
wouldn't be charizard, though.  There's more to strategy than just brute 
force.  I know that the company and all the stores glamourize the card, but 
they just want to sell it to some idiot for $45.00. It's really just another 
card.  I don't think it's necessarily a "bad" card, though, if you know how 
to use it.  For instance, some people spend all their trainers to get him out 
and then put every energy they draw on him.  He'll kill 1 or 2 pokemon, but 
he eventually runs out of energy altogether, if he isn't killed first.  Then, 
when he finally does go down, the bench is left high and dry.  It only takes 
2 or 3 blows with a strong pokemon, especially water, to take him out.  You 
have to use common sense, and balance who you give your energy too.  But 
here's the perfect card to take out a charizard.....GUST OF WIND!!!  Just use 
a GOW to kill the stupid charmander, or kill the charizard before it's 
energied up(if he's like the people I play, your opponent will evolve as soon 
as he draws it)  But really, there are several ways to kill char.  1 defender 
on anything with 90 HP or above, and suddenly, you can take 2 fire spins.  
Confuse it and the energy burn's useless.  I could go on, but I don't think I 
need to. Each card has it's own uses, and if you know how to use it, almost 
any card can work well.  Some just work better than others.  But I think the 
reason they glamourize charizard is to take advantage of the younger, 
beginning players who don't really know much strategy,  and just see the big 
numbers on the card.  A kid on my street gets 1 to 3 packs a week, and 
doesn't even know how to play.  Yet he seems to know how "awesome" charizard 
is.

    The bottom line is, If you want to use it it's your decision, but 
NORMALLY a deck with a lot of strategy(and helpful trainers) can take out a 
regular deck with no real theme or strategy, that centers around evolving 
big, high damage pokemon.  These decks are generally slower and unreliable.  
Personally, I dont use the big lizard.  But It's up to you; it's your deck, 
not mine.
                                            
                        Comments?  Arguments? E-Mail me, Souper, at
                                souper451@aol.com