
There are a few older versions of Flying Pikachu with the move Fly, or some variant, which basically lets them deal damage to the foe and then become virtually invulnerable on the next turn, making them hard to take down with regular attacks. This gimmick has been seen through multiple branches of the franchise, including the anime and multiple video games, though, Flying Pikachu is most notorious in the TCG part of the series. Longtime Pokemon fans likely remember seeing Pikachu fly around with balloons strapped to their back at some point. More often than not, adversaries will opt to skip their attack phase altogether or even retreat. This forces the opposing trainer to flip a coin if they choose to attack, which results in a 50% chance that they will get tails and take 30 points of damage while failing to execute their move. Ampharos, from the Darkness Ablaze set, can do just that with their very low-cost Dazzle Blast move that deals 50 damage and is guaranteed to confuse the foe. RELATED: Jaw-Dropping Painted Pokemon Cards That Are Better Than The OriginalsĬonfusion is a lot easier to apply quickly and efficiently, as most of the time the lightning cards that usually have this effect (particularly the Ampharos evolutionary line) don't need a coin flip to determine success. Lightning-type Pokemon tend to specialize most in making enemies confused or paralyzed. Inflicting special conditions to opposing Pokemon is an ideal way to do this. If someone misses the opportunity to zap their foe right at the start of the battle with a low-cost and high-damage card like Toxtricity, they should fall back to a more versatile tactic to ensure that they don't overextend themselves while still applying pressure to the adversary. Another legendary from the same expansion, Zeraora, can do a similar feat, though with less damage and without discarding all of their energy cards. It may drain all of Zapdos' energy, but can be a game-clincher if a foe has two or fewer prize cards left and this knocks out one of their high-powered Pokemon. Aptly named, this move can fire a severe bolt at any V or GX card on the opposing trainer's side, regardless if they are in the active position or on the bench. Their Drill Peck is almost useless, so the only reason to play this card is to attack the opponent's V or GX Pokemon with their Thunder Snipe. The legendary bird Zapdos screeches forth with very clear intent.

In the Vivid Voltage expansion, there have been two prime cards that demonstrate this equilibrium. However, some normal lightning Pokemon have been released that have addressed this and were made specifically to balance this issue by targeting such powerhouse cards with deadly yet niche attacks. With the introduction of the immensely powerful Pokemon GX cards as well as the Pokemon V cards, there has been a clear power-creep over the last few years that has seen regular Pokemon cards receiving less usage due to people flocking to stock their decks with EX, GX, and V Pokemon more and more. Without many conventional ways to return benched Pokemon to their hand, sometimes the adversary can do nothing as their rear lines get decimated, which leaves them with little reinforcements and less precious prize cards in a Pokemon TCG battle. Though, the most worrying tactic for opponents is that many lightning Pokemon have attacks that target defenseless benched Pokemon who can only sit there and get shocked until they faint.

They can also turn the tables against foes who they should not normally be able to stand up to with specific move effects that target a particular card type.Īfflicting the opposition with status ailments are also common traits, particularly making foes confused or paralyzed. Pokemon of this type often specialize in offensive tactics that aim to deal a lot of direct damage to the opponent's active Pokemon at any cost, even draining themselves of energy or taking damage from their own attacks.

Lightning element cards stand out as being reckless, dynamic, and very dangerous. RELATED: Pokemon: Beginner Tips If You're Just Starting The Card Game
