The upcoming Pokemon TCG expansion Rebel Clash features numerous pocket monsters from Sword and Shield making their way to the card game for the first time. IGN is excited to offer the first look at seven new cards from the set, and they just so happen to be some of the weirder, some might even say disturbing, Pokemon from Gen 8.
Take a look at the cards by flipping through the slideshow below or keep scrolling for the article.
[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=7-new-pokemon-cards-from-rebel-clash&captions=true”]
Galarian Mr. Mime and Galarian Mr. Rime
First up is Galarian Mr. Mime and its evolution, Galarian Mr. Rime. As if the regular, almost-but-not-quite human Mr. Mime wasn’t unsettling enough, its Galarian form is a brand new type of nightmare fuel — one that dances!
Galarian Mr. Rime would be somewhat charming if we were at least sure where its face was. Is it on the head or the tummy? It’s the kind of question that will haunt us til our final days.
All that said, Galarian Mr. Rime has the useful “Screen Cleaner” ability that protects your Pokemon from the effects of your opponent’s attacks. At the moment there aren’t many potent effects that would warrant automatically running a 1-1 line, but this card will always be there should the metagame ever call for it.
Appletun and Flapple
For those who’ve always wanted to know what would happen to an apple or a whole apple pie if they were enchanted by a wizard to become dragons, now we know. Flapple and Appletun are two Pokemon that would be kind of cute if they didn’t make us so hungry.
The good news is that both of these delicious looking Pokemon make for pretty decent cards.
Crunchy and flavorful as its baked pie crust may be, Appletun’s “Delicious Aroma” ability is a free gust effect on a coin flip. Aggressive decks will favor the new Boss’ Orders card, but Appletun may be at home in more slow-paced decks that are looking to stall out the game by repeatedly stranding a Pokemon in the active position.
But if you like your crisp, tasty apples on the fly, then maybe Flapple is the one for you. Its “Apple Drop” ability has the potential to become the basis of a combo deck where the goal is to continually loop Flapples from the field, into the deck, and back out again in order to set up knockouts with perfect math. It’s not something that seems viable at the moment, given the current card Standard card pool, but this is definitely a card to reconsider with the release of future sets.
Malamar V and VMAX
Malamar has become a bit of a meme in the Pokemon TCG, but Malamar VMAX is all business. Its Max Jammer attack deals a strong 180 damage (perfect for two-shotting opposing VMAXes) and the effect allows you to take the most important card in your opponent’s hand and put it on the bottom of their deck. Pair this effect with other hand disruption cards like Marnie, Reset Stamp, or Chip-Chip Ice Axe to make sure your opponent draws dead while you have free reign to knock out the rest of their Pokemon.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. With the release of Professor’s Research and Quick Ball, it’s easier than ever to topdeck your way into cards that will refill your depleted hand, so it’ll be hard to make a hand-lock stick. Max Jammer’s three energy cost makes it quite slow compared to other decks in the format, so that may be what stops Malamar VMAX from reaching great heights in the competitive scene, although cards like Bede and Counter Gain are options to help speed things up.
It’s worth mentioning that Dragapult VMAX is the most-hyped card in Rebel Clash, and it just happens to be weak to Darkness, so Malamar VMAX may be worth considering if you’re looking to counter the metagame.
Boltund V
We’ve saved the best for last. The other cards have potential, but Boltund V is just downright great. Instead of going YOLO trying for a Turn 1 Full Blitz with Pikachu & Zekrom GX, Lightning decks can fall back on the more dependable Boltund V thanks to its Electrify attack that, for one Lightning energy, can accelerate two Lightning from the deck onto your Benched Pokemon.
But Boltund V is more than just a way to accelerate energy. It can make for a decent attacker in a pinch thanks to its Bolt Storm attack that does 10 damage and then 30 more for each Lightning energy on your side of the field. Lightning decks are all about flooding the board with energy, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Boltund V used as a backup attacker or even as the star of its very own deck.
Suffice to say, Boltund V is a very, very good boy.
Do you have thoughts on these new cards coming in Rebel Clash? Or have you not thought about the Pokemon TCG since you got a 1st Edition Charizard all those years ago? Let us know down in the comments.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
Source: IGN.com Weirdest Pokemon From Sword and Shield Get Crazy Cards