2011-01-01 TM Mamoswine 005

[MrMeches]

"Before posting, please review the FAQ and follow the Guidelines provided for Card of they Day. Whereas we enjoy opinions of the cards, it is necessary to include a Brief Description for all players to understand your point of view and an optional Rating (ex. x/10). In the future, posts not using the FAQ information may be deleted and reported. Thanks, Mgmt"

2011-01-01 TM Mamoswine 005

[Chaos0]

First! of 2011!
Not bad, but terribad for a stage 2, so 4/10

I have better pokemon to spend my DCE, BTS, and Darkness Grace on.

[Elite_4_Allen]

My first review of 2011!
DCE cost is always good.
Sleep is OK.
This card can be a tank with expert belt.
Maybe next format.
5/10.

[Shen]

It would be nice if it had a spread attack to set up its second attack, but without one there's no real reason to invest 4 energy into this thing. I suppose it could be alright to pair it with Piloswine SF and Memory Berries, but I still think the SF Mamoswine would be better. Even Mamoswine LA outclasses this if you're looking to switch around typing and weaknesss

4/10

[Regis_Neo]

And to ring in the New Year, today's CotD is Mamoswine from TM...which unfortunately is a rather crappy card. Statwise 140 HP is nice for a Stage 2, x2 Weakness to is ok, no Resistance is common, and to Retreat is super expensive. Icy Wind is pricey at for a mere 40 and Sleep on the Defending, and Snowstorm is no better at for a bad 70 and 20 to each of your opponent's Benched with any damage counters on them. Even DCE doesn't make this any more playable really...

Modified - 1/10 (Why run this over the many other better Pokemon cards out there?)
Limited - 3/10 (Slow slow slow to set up, though he becomes ok once he is set up)
Unlimited - 1/10 (See Modified review, then add being eaten alive by ER/SER and GoWed up when underpowered for an easy KO)

[TheKing]

have they been running out of ideas for this? this card was already card of the day a while ago here http://pokegym.net/forums/showthread.php?t=136459

high energy cost for bad attacks and a huge retreat cost

4/10

[StormFront]

We should avoid being too dismissive of water types while Feraligatr Prime is still around. However, I wouldn't consider running this card until we're at least HGSS-ON. Mamoswine has a good weakness and the ability to tank. He will be great in spread decks. Unfourtunatley I think it will be very hard to build a 60 card deck which maximizes his potential. One thing to note is his retreat cost, like Donphan you'll probably have little intention retreating him once you have him out active. For just now, I'll say he has potential and should see at least some play in future formats.

[Frunket]

Miasma valley or Absol prime would be excellent for getting damage counter on your opoonents pokemon. Then once Absol prime is knocked out send out this puppy and in three turns of attacking you should be able to start taking multiple prizes if you're playing your unown N's right.

[JPN Gallade]

And so for my 500th post, I will review a CotD New Year's Special, Mamoswine TR. This post will mark my 1 year anniversary on the gym, and to celebrate such a thing, I will, from now on, post in blue whenever I comment.

All right, let's get back into the action.

Hmmm, at least we aren't reviewing bad cards for once.

140 HP is fantastic for a stage 2. The metal weakness hurts, and the retreat cost is too heavy.

Mamoswine's first attack, Icy Wind (for three energies, or two with a DCE), does 40 and puts the defending Pokemon to sleep. Its second attack, 70 for four (or three with a DCE), does 20 to each of your opponent's bench Pokemon that has any damage counters on them. Well, I guess this card is a rather decent attacker, especially since it can auto-sleep something and have a good spread attack, but it is rather slow to set up, as it needs DCE most of the time. You might even want to consider adding another spreader into the deck if you want to take full advantage of Snowstorm as well.

Overall 3/10 in modified, 4/10 in limited, and 1/10 in unlimited

In modified, this card is a bit below average. It suffers from a bad weakness since Dialga G is a popular card these days, a high retreat cost, and it is rather slow to set up, so there is the high chance here that a fast-paced card has the potential to take Mamoswine down before it fully sets up. Despite this, Mamoswine has its plusses. It has fantastic HP, and a somewhat decent attacking potential. It could be an annoyer with Icy Storm, and then it could spread damage with Snowstorm. Put an Expert Belt on it and you'll have quite a tank, one that can hit for 60 and 90 damage, as well as having 160 HP. Indeed, it seems like Mamoswine is more for league fun than competitive play.

In limited, this card is decent. There is no major metal Pokemon to worry about, so that seems safe, but yet again, it suffers from a high retreat cost and rather slow speed, especially since DCE is not around in TR. However, its high HP can make withstand for a quite well, so that is plus. Furthermore, it you do manage to fully set him up, he can actually be KO, as well as being potentially monstrous. Surely, it seems like Mamoswine is not a bad addition to a limited deck here.

In unlimited, this card won't be doing a lot. The weakness, retreat cost, and speed really turn against it here, and as for its attacks, there are better options. Perhaps the only good thing is the HP, but not much else. In this case, it looks Mamoswine won't be doing so well in unlimited play.

[ThePokemonRhombus]

I believe that his attacks are a little expensive, granted it's doing 70 dmg plus 20 to everything that you were able to flashbite with your crobat G. However, with a really bad retreat cost of 4 I can't see this seeing play much if at all.

[Otaku]

We reviewed this card on the Gym for November 21st, but I hadn't heard of any new decks for it. Nonetheless, here is my CotD for it once again.

Mamoswine is a Water Type Pokémon, but owing to it being a Ice-Type in the video games it "enjoys" taking double damage from a Metal Weakness and not, say, a Lightning or Grass: our elephantine swine should enjoy that. 140 HP is good for a Stage 2: most playable Stage 2 Pokémon clock in at about that. Outside of Weakness, most decks will need two or three shots to take Mamoswine down. The lack of a Resistance is disappointing: besides feeling like the game is over-simplified, it also robs Mamoswine of a potentially solid match-up. Mamoswine has an expected but no less troubling four energy Retreat Cost. You either pack some cards to change it out, heal it, or preferably both.

Mamoswine has two attacks, and chunky Energy costs are somewhat mitigated by Double Colorless Energy usage: you won't be able to use Rare Candy or Broken Time Space to jump to Mamoswine in a single turn and still be able to attack without help. If you take at least two turns to build it, you won't have to sit without attacking a turn (at least because of Mamoswine). Icy Wind for (WCC) isn't brilliant, but its passable: 40 damage is a bit low and automatic Sleep is alright. That gives you a 50% chance of your opponent's Active being unable to attack… if your opponent can't evolve, Level-Up, or simply use an effect to heal/change out their Active. In short, even if they don't naturally wake up you shouldn't count on it. Ultimately, it isn't a horrible attack and it will be a decent "still powering up" attack for Mamoswine, and when Sleep does work it tends to be a nearly universal combo opener: if the Defending Pokémon can’t find back, all your attacks seem better!

The second attack is Snowstorm for (WWCC) and hits for 70 damage to the Defending Pokémon and 20 point to each of your opponent's Benched Pokémon that already have any damage counters on them. A solid attack, but it needs a lot of support to be more than a vanilla 70: most players will be able to avoid getting any damage on Benched Pokémon unless you force the issue.

Getting damage spread fast can take some doing. You could run this in a Rain Dance deck, which would certainly speed it up, but there are so many other options that would serve you better: you need to spread damage before this really becomes good. If you actually felt you could risk running an even split of the Modified Legal versions of Feraligatr, it could be quite nasty: neither is Lightning Weak and besides the Prime version's Rain Dance the other has Spinning Tail for (WCC) and doing an adequate 20 damage to everyone of your opponent's Pokémon, or 80 for (WWCC). If you can squeeze in Double Colorless Energy as well, you might even be able to cope with Power denial strategies.

Personally, I am thinking you are better looking for non-Water dance partners for this porcine pachyderm. An untested idea just for this review: open with Absol Prime. Drop a Call Energy on it so you don't waste your first term, and if it isn't getting pounded drop a Darkness Energy and start taking 70-a-pop pot shots. Build up Mamoswine after Absol Prime's Poke-Body has made sure everything your opponent plays already has two damage counters on it, and bring up Mamoswine to slam, slam, slam for multiple Prizes. We could also use Crobat G to drop counters fairly quick - is it possible to build a Pokémon SP deck with this as the non-SP splash?

For Limited play, Mamoswine is great! The attacks make it not easy to work into an off-type deck, but feasible. If you have enough Water Pokémon to make sure it is one of the types that go into your average triple-typed Limited deck, it’s pretty handy to need only two of your Type of Energy. The bad news is that you'll be stuck up front once you get Mamoswine there, without access to Trainers to easily Bench it, but your opponent won't be able to use that to get around Sleep as easily. Plus, retreating an injured Pokémon is a common Prize denial strategy in this format, so Snowstorm stands to net multiple Prizes.

Ratings

Modified: 7/10

Limited: 9/10

Summary
I think this card has some potential, but mostly for clever League decks or one-time tournament showings that rely on the element of surprise.