NOT CONFIRMED!!
Let me make this perfectly clear: All the information I have on Rayquaza-GX comes from a video that was just uploaded to the youtube channel PTCGRadio. And all of the information they got was not from an official Pokemon Company source (Japan or International), but their source was right on some previous leaks, so we can at least be 99% sure this leak is true. Also, big shoutout to PTCGRadio for bringing this news forward.
Starting with the basics, we know it's going to be a Dragon type, which gives it the following tricks:
Standard:
- Altaria from Dragon Storm for extra damage
- Devoured Field to add extra damage
- Mysterious Treasure to search it out
- Dragon Storm Drampa to accelerate energy
Expanded:
- You're actually hitting stuff for weakness (Assuming Rayquaza-EX or Black Kyurem get good again)
- Dragons Exalted Altaria for extra damage (Just realized that both the Dragons Exalted and Dragon Storm have the same ability, but play the Dragon Storm version. It has more HP and a better(?) attack)
In terms of other stats, it's going to have 180, which is somewhat bad due to the fact that there's a slew of Pokemon that hit for 180, but not 190, which gives stuff like Buzzwole and Ultra Necrozma an advantage in terms of survivability. It's also going to have a weakness to Fairy, which could be relevant if Gardevoir rebounds, but it's annoying because if your opponents is playing a Forbidden Light Dedenne, if they have a lightning Pokemon in play and a Choice Band, they get a 1HKO, where as they wouldn't if Rayquaza had 190. And finally, it's going to have a retreat cost of 3, which allows you to use Heavy Ball in expanded, and in standard for the 2 weeks that Rayquaza is going to begin to be legal for tournaments and Heavy Ball still being standard legal before it rotates at the start of September.
Risky Energy Acceleration
On previous Rayquaza cards, we've seen plenty of effects that get energy onto Rayquaza. The Dragons Exalted EX had an attack that discarded the top 3 cards of your deck and attached any energy out of those 3 to Rayquaza, and in EX Dragon, we got a Rayquaza ex (The 3rd gen style ex) that had an attack that allowed you to flip a coin until you got tails, and for every heads, you attached a basic energy from your discard to Rayquaza.
This new effect for the GX may be the weakest of the bunch, but it's a bit more consistent, and probably won't be used a bunch (More on that later). The ability reads as follows (Also, fake names will be used for the lols)
Ability: Atmospheric Descent: When you play this card from your hand onto your bench, you may discard the top 3 cards of your deck, then attach a basic energy from your discard pile to ???
Now, we don't know what the catch is for where you can attach energy. It's either to Rayquaza or to one of your Pokemon, but given how literally every other Rayquaza that accelerates energy accelerates to itself (Except for the Guardians Rising version, but that's another story), it's likely the ability works only for Rayquaza-GX. And since it's a "When you play this card onto your bench" effect, you only get it once unless you use Super Scoop up or Acerola to pick it up, and you won't be able to use Brigette or Nest Ball to get the ability since those put basics from the deck onto your bench.
But let's be clear on this: The energy doesn't have to be from the cards you discarded. So if you had an energy in the discard before you use the ability, but then don't discard any energy with the ability, you can still accelerate the energy that was there already. Like I said, more consistent, but not going to be used as often due to it being a "Play it from your hand onto your bench" effect.
And even without a good attack, there are 2 uses I can think of: First, in expanded, if you hit any supporters, you can then immediately use VS Seeker to get them back, and essentially use it as a pseudo-Battle Compressor. Second, you could use this in a Turbo Darkrai deck in expanded or a Raichu-GX deck in standard as a way to get an extra energy onto the field. And with Darkrai, you could hit a Darkrai-GX and 2 energy, then Restore the Darkrai and Dark Patch the second energy onto another Pokemon. Not likely to happen all the time, but it's possible. And also, the same theory could be applied to the Delphox from Fates Collide, but that could get a bit clunky.
But wait, there's more!
But here's the thing: The Darkrai theory for using this can be applied to another Pokemon. And that Pokemon is... Rayquaza-GX? But what the heck could Rayquaza have that could make it...
(G)(L)(C): Dragon Impact: This attack does 30 Damage for each basic Lightning and Grass energy attached to all of your Pokemon
Oh. That. This is ridiculous. It's basically the aforementioned Delphox's Psystorm. And you have couple of ways to accelerate the energy.
Of course, you have the ability to use, but the big one that comes to mind is Sun & Moon Vikavolt. Just being able to grab a grass and a lightning and slap them onto the field is great, and that fact that doing so adds 60 damage is just crazy.
So, let's look at some numbers here. For starters, simply having the attack cost on your active Rayquaza is 90 damage. You have a second one on the bench, and that's 180, 210 with a Choice Band, and with said Choice Band, you get the KO on several key Pokemon in the format; Buzzwole, Ultra Necrozma, Golisopod, Zoroark, Dusk Mane Necrozma, Naganadel, etc. It's a great attack. But the fact you don't have to discard like so many previous Rayquazas makes this one way easier to set up, since you only have to do it once.
So, let's do some simulating. Let's say you're opponent is playing a BuzzRoc deck. Here's what could happen if everything played out optimally for both decks:
Rayquaza Player: Starts Rayquaza-GX with 2 Grubbin on the Bench. Goes First.
Buzzwole Player: Starts Buzzwole-GX with a Buzzwole, Remoraid & Rockruff on the Bench. Goes Second
Rayquaza Starting Hand (After playing Pokemon to set up): Rare Candy, Cynthia, N, Grass Energy
Buzzwole Starting Hand: Choice Band, Fightning Energy, Brooklet Hill
Rayquaza Turn 1: Draws an Ultra Ball, plays Cynthia to shuffle draw 6.
Buzzwole Turn 1: Draws a Strong Energy, attaches it and Choice Band to active Buzzwole. Plays Brooklet Hill and searches for Diance Prism. Jet Punches active Rayquaza for 100 damage and 30 to a benched Grubbin
Rayquaza Turn 2: Draws and plays Rayquaza-GX, discards an N, Grass Energy, and Ultra Ball. Attaches Grass to Rayquaza. Plays 2 Rare Candies to evolve into 2 Vikavolts. Strong Charges to Active Rayquaza, then to benched Rayquaza. Attaches Choice Band to Active Rayquaza and hits active Buzzwole for 210 damage, takes KO, gets 2 prizes. Buzzwole Player throws up Buzzwole.
Buzzwole Turn 2: Draws Professor Sycamore. Plays and discards a fighting energy. Plays a Buzzwole-GX, plays Beast Ring to attach 2 fighting energy to Buzzwole-GX. Attaches a Strong Energy to active Buzzwole, attaches Choice Band. Sledgehammers for KO on Rayquaza, takes 2 prizes. Rayquaza player throws up Vikavolt.
Rayquaza Turn 3: Draws Rescue Stretcher, plays it to recover Rayquaza-GX. Plays, discards Professor Sycamore, Guzma, and Lightning Energy. Attaches Lighning Energy. Plays Guzma from hand to drag up the Buzzwole-GX, and throws up Rayquaza GX with 3 energy. Strong Charges to Benched Rayquaza and Active Rayquaza. Swings for 240 and KOs Buzzwole. Takes 2 prizes. Buzzwole player concedes.
Not an accurate scenario by any means, but it's an idea of how Rayquaza could compete with Buzzwole.
Of course, you have the ability to use, but the big one that comes to mind is Sun & Moon Vikavolt. Just being able to grab a grass and a lightning and slap them onto the field is great, and that fact that doing so adds 60 damage is just crazy.
So, let's look at some numbers here. For starters, simply having the attack cost on your active Rayquaza is 90 damage. You have a second one on the bench, and that's 180, 210 with a Choice Band, and with said Choice Band, you get the KO on several key Pokemon in the format; Buzzwole, Ultra Necrozma, Golisopod, Zoroark, Dusk Mane Necrozma, Naganadel, etc. It's a great attack. But the fact you don't have to discard like so many previous Rayquazas makes this one way easier to set up, since you only have to do it once.
So, let's do some simulating. Let's say you're opponent is playing a BuzzRoc deck. Here's what could happen if everything played out optimally for both decks:
Rayquaza Player: Starts Rayquaza-GX with 2 Grubbin on the Bench. Goes First.
Buzzwole Player: Starts Buzzwole-GX with a Buzzwole, Remoraid & Rockruff on the Bench. Goes Second
Rayquaza Starting Hand (After playing Pokemon to set up): Rare Candy, Cynthia, N, Grass Energy
Buzzwole Starting Hand: Choice Band, Fightning Energy, Brooklet Hill
Rayquaza Turn 1: Draws an Ultra Ball, plays Cynthia to shuffle draw 6.
Buzzwole Turn 1: Draws a Strong Energy, attaches it and Choice Band to active Buzzwole. Plays Brooklet Hill and searches for Diance Prism. Jet Punches active Rayquaza for 100 damage and 30 to a benched Grubbin
Rayquaza Turn 2: Draws and plays Rayquaza-GX, discards an N, Grass Energy, and Ultra Ball. Attaches Grass to Rayquaza. Plays 2 Rare Candies to evolve into 2 Vikavolts. Strong Charges to Active Rayquaza, then to benched Rayquaza. Attaches Choice Band to Active Rayquaza and hits active Buzzwole for 210 damage, takes KO, gets 2 prizes. Buzzwole Player throws up Buzzwole.
Buzzwole Turn 2: Draws Professor Sycamore. Plays and discards a fighting energy. Plays a Buzzwole-GX, plays Beast Ring to attach 2 fighting energy to Buzzwole-GX. Attaches a Strong Energy to active Buzzwole, attaches Choice Band. Sledgehammers for KO on Rayquaza, takes 2 prizes. Rayquaza player throws up Vikavolt.
Rayquaza Turn 3: Draws Rescue Stretcher, plays it to recover Rayquaza-GX. Plays, discards Professor Sycamore, Guzma, and Lightning Energy. Attaches Lighning Energy. Plays Guzma from hand to drag up the Buzzwole-GX, and throws up Rayquaza GX with 3 energy. Strong Charges to Benched Rayquaza and Active Rayquaza. Swings for 240 and KOs Buzzwole. Takes 2 prizes. Buzzwole player concedes.
Not an accurate scenario by any means, but it's an idea of how Rayquaza could compete with Buzzwole.
Icing on the Cake
And then there's the GX attack. Compared to the other things Rayquaza has going for it, it's not as impressive, but it's still interesting
(G): Delta Refresh GX: Discard your hand and draw 10 cards.
Basically, it's a Sycamore for 10 cards. It's more of a desperate "I've got nothing, let's use this" GX attack, similar to Drampa in a way.
Descending from the Skies
To sum it up, here's what the leak says Rayquaza-GX will look like:
(Basic) Rayquaza-GX (180 HP) (Dragon)
Ability: Atmospheric Descent
When you play this card from your hand onto your bench, you may discard the top 3 cards of your deck, then attach a basic energy from your discard pile to this Pokemon
(G)(L)(C): Dragon Impact: 30x
This attack does 30 Damage for each basic Lightning and Grass energy attached to all of your Pokemon
(G): Delta Refresh GX
Discard your hand and draw 7 cards. (You can't use more than 1 GX attack in a game)
Weakness: Fairy Resistance: N/A
Retreat: (C)(C)(C)
Will it see play? Maybe? Will people try to make this work? Absolutely. The ability to hit key numbers
simply by setting up 2 attackers is great. I honestly hope Rayquaza/Vikavolt becomes a thing cause I
want to use my promo Vikavolt more often.
Will it see play? Maybe? Will people try to make this work? Absolutely. The ability to hit key numbers
simply by setting up 2 attackers is great. I honestly hope Rayquaza/Vikavolt becomes a thing cause I
want to use my promo Vikavolt more often.
No comments:
Post a Comment