Power Play and Toxic Tricks Theme Decks

When Emerging Powers Theme Decks were first revealed, it questionable that the featured Pokemon were Krookidile and Scolipede, as those were already in the Black and White set. It was clear that those cards would be English exclusives (for now), given that there were cut cards from BW that had Pokemon from these lines. I didn’t really care for the cards. When the theme deck lists were revealed, it didn’t change for me. The main cards were terribad and the choices were not good to say the least.

I’ll start with Toxic Tricks:

Pokemon

2x Scolipede

3x Whirlipede

4x Venipede

1x Gothitelle (rare)

2x Gothorita

3x Gothita

1x Darmanitan

2x Darumaka

1x Simisear

2x Pansear

2x Sigilyph

2x Tranquill

3x Pidove

2x Woobat

Trainers

2x Energy Switch

2x Switch

2x Cheren

2x Energy Retrieval

2x Great Ball

2x Pokémon Communication

Energy

12x Psychic Energy

6x Fire Energy

Scolipede is not too good. Toxic Claws is nothing special and Wild Horn is expensive and flippy. The Gothitelle in the deck does not have the trainer locking ability and the attacks are lame and flippy. Darmanitan and Simisear do not offer anything worth using. Sigilyph is also the inferior one from the set. The only good thing about this deck is the inclusion of Cheren and that is in Fast Daze and Explosive Edge, which have much better cards.

Power Play:

Pokemon

3x Krokorok

4x Sandile

1x Gigalith

2x Boldore

3x Roggenrola

1x Beartic (rare)

2x Chuchoo

1x Swanna

2x Ducklett

2x Cinccino

2x Minccino

1x Basculin

2x Throh

2x Sawk

Trainers

2x Energy Search

2x Potion

2x Full Heal

2x Great Ball

2x Bianca

2x Pokemon Communication

Energy

12x Fighting Energy

6x Water Energy

Krookidile’s ability flippy and has one expensive attack that is also flippy. It fails and the BW card is much better. Gigalith is mediocre. Expensive retreat and needs tons of energy to attack good, its first attack is too risky. This Beartic does not have Sheer Cold, but its attacks are ok. Swanna is also decent. Cinccino is pretty awful in comparison to the last set one. Basculin is decent, but its low HP makes it inferior to Reshiram and Zekrom. Throh and Sawk are pretty pathetic. Bianca and Great Ball (the latter which also is included in the other deck) are ok. This deck is better because the cards here are decent, as opposed the craphole of Toxic Tricks.

Power Play is better than Toxic Tricks, but not by much. The later theme decks are much better than this. Don’t buy these decks because they barely have anything worthwhile.