Gym Challenge seems to be one of the best expansions released for a long
time. Gym Challenge contains some of the MOST broken cards and card
combinations yet released in a single expansion. I'll cover what I
consider
some of the MOST broken cards and combos made possible by this expansion.
Name: Max Revive
Type: Trainer
Text: Discard 2 Energy cards from your
hand in order to put 1 Basic
Pokemon
from your discard pile onto your Bench. (You can't play
Max
Revive if your Bench is full.)
Max Revive may not look like much at the beginning, but if one considers that
most pokemon in most decks are basics, this becomes more appealing. Need a
TR's Zapdos ASAP? Look no further. Play Max Revive and get one back
from
your discard pile. In Prop 15/3C, this will become even more useful,
because
there will be an abundance of energy, but limitations on pokemon.
Name: Chaos Gym
Type: Stadium Card
Text: This card stays in play when you
play it. Discard this card if
another
Stadium card comes into play.
Whenever a player plays a Trainer card other than a Stadium card,
he or
she flips a coin. If heads, that player plays that card
normally. If tails, the player can't play that card. If the
card
isn't
put into play, the player's opponent may use that card
instead, if he or she does everything required in order to play
that
card (like discarding cards). Either way, the card goes to
its
owner's discard pile.
Chaos Gym is incredible; it effectively halves the chance of ANY trainer card
(except Stadium cards) to work. Additionally, this allows you to use your
opponent's trainers if and when they fail. Good, period, but even better
considering the limitations given by Prop 15/3C.
Name: Sabrina's Kadabra
Type: Stage 1 -- Evolves from
Sabrina's Abra
Color: Psychic
HP: 70 HP
Weakness: P
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Attack: [P] Life Drain
Flip a
coin. If heads, put a number of damage counters on the
Defending Pokemon so that its remaining HP are 10.
Attack: [2P] Psyshot (30)
Great card, its first attack is nearly broken. Add a Sabrina's ESP, and
you
make it 75% chance of reducing your opponent's HP to 10. Include some Dk.
Golbat and Devolution Spray, and you can use Sneak Attack to take out the
crippled pokemon, then Life Drain again, then repeat. A great way to crank
out the kills.
Name: Sabrina's Golduck
Type: Stage 1 -- Evolves from
Sabrina's Psyduck
Color: Water
HP: 70 HP
Weakness: L
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Attack: [PP] Damage Shift
Move 1
damage counter from each of your Pokemon that has any on
it to
the Defending Pokemon. (Don't apply Weakness and
Resistance.)
Attack: [2W] Water Spray (20+)
Flip a
coin. If heads, this attack does 20 damage plus 20 more
damage;
if tails, this attack does 20 damage.
Combo: Sabrina's Golduck+Base Alakazam. Damage Shift 60 damage off your
own
pokemon and onto your opponent's? This works a lot like Wigglytuff, but
two
major differences; it requires more evolutions than Wiggly making it harder
to pull off, and it has much better payoff once you get the combo going.
One
can get the damage Swap going on turn two with an Alakazam (breeder) and
start returning the beating. A full bench allows you to get the most out
of
Damage Shift, so don't skimp on the basics. A few rainbow energies allow
you
to use Water Spray, and give you more damage to use with Damage Shift if your
opponent decides NOT to use high powered attacks. This is a SOLID combo.
Name: Koga's Arbok
Type: Stage 1 -- Evolves from Koga's
Ekans
Color: Grass
HP: 90 HP
Weakness: P
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Attack: [G] Poison Buildup
Koga's
Arbok is now Poisoned.
Attack: [GG] Poison Powder (20)
If
Koga's Arbok is Poisoned, this attack's base damage is 40
instead
of 20 and the Defending Pokemon is now Poisoned.
This guy's great...yeah, he poisons himself, but potions and/or supor potions
will keep him alive for a long time; remember, he's got 90 HP. Poison
buildup is necessary to get the most out of Poisonpowder; 40 damage+
autopoison for GG? Unbelievable. This guy'll see a lot of play in
status
effect decks.
Name: Sabrina's Alakazam
Type: Stage 2 -- Evolves from
Sabrina's Kadabra
Color: Psychic
HP: 80 HP
Weakness: P
Resistance: none
Retreat: 3
Power: "Psylink"
Sabrina's Alakazam always has a copy of every attack your P
Pokemon
in play have (including their Energy costs and anything
else
required in order to use those attacks, such as dicarding
Energy
cards). This power can't be used if Sabrina's Alakazam is
Asleep,
Confused, or Paralyzed.
Attack: [3P] Mega Burn (60)
You
can't use this attack during your next turn.
Can you say "broken"? This guy's attack is really powerful, and
its Poke
power is deadly. Keep an MP Mewtwo on your bench to charge up for Mega
Burn?
Perhaps a TR Mewtwo so you can follow up with a Psyburn? Maybe a
Jynx for
Meditate? There are endless combinations, and none are bad. This
guy's got
serious power, and the ability to use any psychic attack you have in play is
really devastating.
Name: Misty's Gyarados
Type: Stage 2 -- Evolves from Misty's
Magikarp
Color: Water
HP: 100 HP
Weakness: G
Resistance: F -30
Retreat: 3
Power: "Rebellion"
Whenever Misty's Gyarados attacks, flip 2 coins. If both of them
are
tails, that attack does nothing. Instead, shuffle Misty's
Gyarados and all cards attached to it into your deck. (This
power
works
even if Misty's Gyarados is Confused.)
Attack: [WWWW] Tidal Wave (70)
Every time I play this guy, I love him even more. Yes, he's weak to
Scyther,
but Gyarados smashes the mantis to pieces in one shot. Rebellion isn't a
problem if you play Muk, which wouldn't be all too bad an idea since there
are so many new powerful pokemon powers out there. 70 damage per turn
should
NEVER be overlooked, particularly when there's no drawback. This guy COULD
work in Raindance, but I'd recommend a deck centered around him and Muk.
Name: Erika's Venusaur
Type: Stage 2 -- Evolves from Erika's
Ivysaur
Color: Grass
HP: 90 HP
Weakness: R
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Attack: [G] Growth
Flip a
coin. If heads, you may attach up to 2 G Energy cards
from
your
hand to Erika's Venusaur.
Attack: [GGGG] Wide Solarbeam (20)
If your
opponent has any Benched Pokemon, choose 2 of them (or 1
if he
or she has only 1). This attack does 20 damage to each of
them.
(Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokemon.)
Growth gives you a way around annoying ER and SER, and Wide Solar Beam is a
REALLY powerful bench-destroying attack. You COULD combo Erica's Venusaur
with Base Venusaur to get large amount of grass energy in play with Growth,
then spread it around to big grass basics like Scyther, TR Scyther, Pinser,
or Giovanni's Pinser ASAP, but it works just as well to load up Erica's
Venusaur for some major Wide Solarbeaming.
Name: Brock's Ninetales
Type: Stage 1 -- Evolves from Brock's
Vulpix
Color: Fire
HP: 70 HP
Weakness: W
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Power: "Shapeshift"
Once
during your turn (before your attack), you may attach an
Evolution card from your hand to Brock's Ninetales. (This
doesn't
count
as evolving Brock's Ninetales.) Treat Brock's Ninetales as
if it
were that Pokemon instead. It can't evolve, devolve, or
use
the
Pokemon Power of that Pokemon. During your turn, you may
discard
the Evolution card attached to Brock's Ninetales. This
power
can't be used if Brock's Ninetales is Asleep, Confused, or
Paralyzed. If Brock's Ninetales becomes Asleep, Confused, or
Paralyzed, discard all Evolution cards attached to it.
Attack: [RR] Will-o'-the-wisp (30)
This was one of the most awaited pokemon in the expansion, but a lot of
people were disappointed with the addition of text stating pokemon powers of
shapeshifted pokemon couldn't be used. However, Ninetails still works
great
with Big bad fire pokemon like Blaine's Arcanine, Blaine's Charizard, Base
Ninetails, or even Base charizard. Basically, you build up a lot of
energies
on ninetails, evolve, attack for large amounts of damage with big discards,
then discard the evolution and Will-o'-the-Wisp until you an reload for
another few rounds of big attacks. So, this guy's still plenty of
use,
particularly for the big discards on some big fire attacks.
Name: Rocket's Zapdos
Type: Basic Pokemon
Color: Lightning
HP: 70 HP
Weakness: none
Resistance: F -30
Retreat: 2
Attack: [L] Plasma (20)
If
there are any L Energy cards in your dicard pile, attach 1 of
them to
Rocket's Zapdos.
Attack: [1LLL] Electroburn (70)
Rocket's Zapdos does damage to itself equal to 10 times the
number
of L
Energy cards attached to it.
Repeat after me: Broken. Remember back when everyone thought Hitmonchan's
20
damage for 1 fighting energy "Jab" was all powerful? Well, add a
sponging
ability and you've got plasma. And, if that's not enough, Electroburn
deals
out some serious damage as well, with the drawback of some self damage.
'Course, a few defenders couldn't hurt, nor could some Super Potion, but this
guy can EASILY hold his own. Wait, there's more! 70 HP is great, and
he's
got no weakness, and fighting resistance. This guy's just plain broken.
Well, I'm sure there are other equally good (or better) cards or combos in
this set, but these were the one's that I've seen or tried. Good luck with
Gym Challenge; tis a great set.
-FossilMagikarp
email: Edestus360@aol.com