The Prismatic Evolutions set in Pokémon TCG has just launched and players will want to know which cards they should get to fill out their decks. While there are not a large amount of new cards in this set, as there are some reprints, the set still has the power to change some of the meta. After seeing how Japanese decks have changed when the cards were released there, players can expect a few things to be true internationally as well.

The good news for players over collectors is that due to the high demand of the Pokémon TCG Prismatic Evolutions set, the non-chase cards are going to be available in high quantities for very low prices. With the collectors focused on the very beautiful Umbreon ex, those who play competitively will want different cards. One of the most sought-after cards from this set for those playing competitively is actually a common, and it will be much easier for players to get sets of it than others.

10 Eevee/Eevee ex

#074/131 & #075/131 - Colorless

There is both an Eevee Basic Pokémon and an Eevee ex in this set. The cards are both not the best, but if you are building an Eevee deck based on the evolutions, then you are going to want these versions of Eevee to give that deck a boost.

This is due to Eevee’s “Boosted Evolution” ability, where it can evolve during the first turn or during the first turn it is played. This means you can get one of your evolutions out very fast.

However, once you already have an evolution out, the Eevee ex card cannot be harmed while it waits on the Bench, and the Rainbow DNA ability allows it to transform into any of the Eevee ex evolutions. This is future-proofed to some extent, as other Eevee evolutions might show up. Additionally, this card can just hit for 200 HP if you want it to.

9 Duskull

#035/131 - Psychic

As stated, this set does have a fair number of reprints, but the anticipated shortage on Prismatic Evolutions is actually good news for those who didn’t get those reprints before. These are going to be the cards that the collectors don’t necessarily want, and you are going to be able to grab these up to use in your deck.

Including a couple of reprints made sense, since they are still competitive cards and will now be easier to get. That said, the majority of cards in this list are new.

The former version of Duskull is also going to be rotated out of tournament play very soon, meaning that this newer version is going to be more important. You will also want to pick up its evolutions, Dusclops and Dusknoir. These are well worth having in your deck, and it is known to be a strong counter against mill decks.

As it was originally released in Shrouded Fable but became a staple in many other decks to be able to get cards back out of the discard pile, it is great that it is now reprinted in a set that is likely going to have a lot of extra copies of reprints and commons.

8 Black Belt’s Training

#096/131 - er

While this one is not quite as flexible as Kieran, as it can only hit Pokémon ex, it is a great option to have. However, it does do 10 more damage than its counterpart. This makes it an interesting card that is worth splashing as a 1-of in your deck if you need something that can hit a Pokémon ex hard.

Anything that attacks for just under 300 damage is going to benefit from this enough, as it can then knock out most of the big hitters in the meta right now, such as Gardevoir ex. It may not be the strongest card, but Kieran is going to be a little less useful when the rotation comes, so it is nice to have an alternative.

Pokémon V are not going to be eligible for tournament play when the rotation comes, which is why Kieran becomes a little less flexible later.

Many of the top decks that included these cards in the Japanese tournaments did include a splash of Black Belt Training. You can see some of the decks on Limitless TCG, and while it is almost never included as a full set, it is often there. It may not be right for your deck, but it is a useful card to have a copy of.

7 Ogerpon ex - Teal Mask

#012/131 - Grass

Both versions of Ogerpon ex are worth getting with the reprint. It is one of the best reprints in the set for competitive play. The Teal Mask version is one of the best cards to pair with Raging Bolt, and it is a very fast deck that has a lot of power. It is also one of the few Grass-type Pokémon that is able to attach Energy to itself with an ability.

Another deck that works well with it is Regidrago VStar, although that one will be rotating out. That said, it is still worth playing Ogerpon ex simply for its abilities. The other versions of Ogerpon ex are also quite good. They are a little more conditional than the Teal Mask version, but they can be used to great effect in the right deck.

6 Max Rod

#116/131 - ACE SPEC

This card is not going to change your game significantly, which is fairly typical, but it is likely to find a home in several different decks. However, ACE Spec cards are a little different, in that you are limited on what you can include in a deck. This card has the advantage that it is extremely versatile.

You can only have 1 Ace Spec card in a deck.

While other cards might be more specific on what you can put back in your hand, Max Rod can put any Pokemon or Energy card right into your hand from the discard pile. This could be a crazy effect on a Pokémon like Gholdengo, and it might well be worth the slot.

You will have to make that individual decision for yourself, but the flexibility of the card and the way that it can fish things out of your discard pile does have big potential.

5 Espeon ex

#034/131 - Psychic

As the set is focused very heavily on Eevee’s evolutions in Pokémon TCG, it is only fitting that a few of them can actually feature in competitive decks as well. Espeon ex may not be the most powerful card in the set, but its abilities can be used to great effect.

The Psych Out ability allows you to discard a card from your opponent’s hand as well as doing damage, which could be a major factor in what happens for the rest of the game. Additionally, the Amazez ability gets rid of 1 evolution from your opponent’s Pokémon, which is somewhat ironically a great counter to other Eevee decks.

It also cannot be harmed while sitting on your Bench, and with a retreat cost of 1, Espeon can withdraw and get healed or stay out of danger while a new Pokémon takes the Active Spot very easily. It’s a great option for anyone who loves running the Eevee evolutions.

4 Sylveon ex

#041/131 - Psychic

Notably one of the most expensive cards in the Prismatic Evolutions set, Sylveon ex is also one of the better new cards competitively. Like Espeon ex, it is also unable to be harmed on the Bench, and it additionally takes less damage from attacks when using the Magical Charm attack.

The attack does 160 damage in and of itself, but the real benefit is that any attacks used by the Defending Pokémon do 100 less damage. So while Sylveon can lay out some damage, their opponent can do less. This can be significant for keeping Sylveon ex out and preventing your opponent from getting double points for knocking them out.

Angelite can also disrupt your opponent’s plans. This ability takes two of the Benched Pokémon and any cards on top of them and puts them back into your opponent’s deck. This could be a big play to keep any fully evolved cards off the Bench and allow you to prevent a retreat into something much stronger.

3 Regigigas

#086/131 - Colorless

This card is great in a deck like Lugia, but that is not the only place it belongs. It is unlikely to have a full set, like some of the other cards here, but it is still well worth having a 1-of in several different decks. Any deck that has great universal energy acceleration is going to like this card, as it is a Basic Pokémon that can hit for 100 (or more) and take 160 damage.

It is also a great counter against Tera Pokémon like Charizard ex, allowing it to get a fair amount of use that way. You don’t want to throw it out blindly as you will want a plan for how to get that Energy, but it does remain one of the best new cards in the deck.

2 Flareon ex

#014/131 - Fire

One of the better eeveelutions, this one lets you pull Energy out of your deck and attach it to a Pokémon in the same move as a 130 damage attack. This is a lot of action economy, and it will save you a few turns. If you are attempting to get a lot of Energy, or a lot of different types of Energy, this will be a big move for you.

Like the others, Flareon ex is safe on the Bench, and once you have finished getting the Energy you want, you can hit your opponent with the Carnelian. This attack does 280 damage, which is a lot of damage. On the next turn, you can have it retreat since it can’t attack anyway and bring out whatever you have been juicing up.

If you find yourself in need of more Energy, you can bring it back out and do it all over again. Your deck should be more consistent when you pull the Energy out, and you can plan out your Energy use a little more as well.

1 Budew

#004/131 - Grass

The card that has made the most waves in the meta is also the one that is likely to cost the least. Budew is a common card that has become the new standout hit for competitive play, even making its way into Charizard decks to defend against other Budews.

It is a small little flower, which looks very innocent, with only 30 HP. However, the Itchy Pollen ability will cause havoc on your opponent’s deck. They will be forced to deal with little Budew, but unable to use any Item cards.

During the competitive season in Japan, this little bud was included in a fair number of the top 16 decks, which directly hurt the Charizard ex decks that had been fairly dominant before. It will work best in decks like Gardevoir ex or Dragapult ex, but many decks have been slotting it in for its pure meta-changing power in Pokemon TCG’s latest set, Prismatic Evolutions.

Source: Limitless TCG