2011-03-17 Drapion 4 RR 017

[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"
​

​

[gal=45557]
2011-03-17 Drapion 4 RR 017
[/gal]​

 

[jumpluff82]

Actually a pretty useful counter to Gengar Prime and SF. Fits well into SP decks too. 3 Retreat is tough, though. Even with Poketurn. The first attack could also be useful in some situations.

Modified: 6.5/10 in SP decks

 

[Zathaz]

my choice for a lost gar counter because you dont need to play dark energy or fill your bench.

7/10

 

[Frunket]

I remember seeing this card as a rare for the first time when I soon came back from retirement into competitive play. I was sitting unchallenged on a grand chair overlooking the James River in my private château having small cakes and tea with a friend. Once taking a look at it a coughed up a wad of halfway chewed cake onto the card. Out of fury I put the rest of the booster pack along with this card into the teapot. After ordering one of my many mexican house servants to get my golf clubs, I smashed the teapot and a lot of the pieces flew respectively a great distance. The HP is good for being a basic. But the attacks are clunky, the weakness disappointing, and the resistance: nothing less than vomitable. By the time is takes enough energy to charge him for decent damage, he's most likely to be knocked out. I called up the president of nintendo america at once and swore at vigorously until fear dropped me from the line so he could withdraw his daughter from private school and flee to the brittish countryside in my fury. I see no use for this card in competitive play and hope that when the creator is standing at the gates of saint peter, he's not condemned to the alternative fate but is on a very...very...long waiting list for entry.

 

[jeffrey123]

^ Did not lol

This card is a terrible gengar counter. 100 hp is solid, but 4 energy? SP runs 12 and 4 energy gain and you're putting a bunch of resources into something that isn't even that great, IMO, terrible card. 3/10

 

[wobbufet]

*Gulp* I already see this card isn't too great, but Drapion is one of my favorite Pokémon, so it'll probably get a higher rating.
Anyway, today's COTD is Drapion 4 from the Rising Rivals expansion. :dark: is a good type to have, as it can take advantage of Special-Dark Energy, and hit Gengar for weakness. Its Weakness is bad, Resistance is good, Retreat Cost is pricey, and 100HP is great on a basic. Its first attack, Body Slam, does 20 damage + 50/50 chance of paralysi for :colorless::colorless:. Not too bad. Its second attack, Mega Impact, does a mere 70 damage for sychic::colorless::colorless::colorless:. However, it can OHKO Gengar with this attack, so I'd advise using a DCE for this.........
Alright, now I'm going overboard, so I'm just going to end this review.

Modified: 6/10- Can OHKO Gengar, resists it, and +1 for being one of my favorite Pokémon.
Limited: 8/10- I have a feeling I'm going overboard here, too, but 100HP is still good on a basic.
Unlimited: 2/10- Drapion, meet Sneasel. Sneasel, meet Drapion.

 

[Caleb]

While it's good, it's no comparison to Weavile G. Weavile has a free retreat, and call. You can take out a call energy, and add a dark for Weavile with the same amount of space this card would require. Basically your option is 3 calls, 1 weavile, 1 dark, or 4 calls, 1 drapion. So at the end of the day, I'm to have to go with the weavile, if just for the retreat.

Modified 3/10 - Not much other than a poor man's weavile... In a LuxChomp!?
Limited - 6/10 - High HP, decent damage, and paralyze stall, not great but could be useful.
Unlimited - 1/10 - Really no reason to ever use this here...

 

[espy87]

Like Froslass GL and Promocroak, he is able to fit right in an SP deck without adjusting the usual energy count.
Realistically you could get it out in a turn via galactic switch and a cyrus conspiracy (egain and a psychic)
As often as that could happen, it is still very slow for an SP. When you think about it, it's the same energy count as Dragonite FBs Giant Tail, an attack which is rarely used unless desperate.

I would say 5/10 - Not COMPLETELY useless, but if i'm playing dark i usually stick with Honchkrow SV or even Weavile G could do the job.

 

[tonmon]

I remember seeing this card as a rare for the first time when I soon came back from retirement into competitive play. I was sitting unchallenged on a grand chair overlooking the James River in my private château having small cakes and tea with a friend. Once taking a look at it a coughed up a wad of halfway chewed cake onto the card. Out of fury I put the rest of the booster pack along with this card into the teapot. After ordering one of my many mexican house servants to get my golf clubs, I smashed the teapot and a lot of the pieces flew respectively a great distance. The HP is good for being a basic. But the attacks are clunky, the weakness disappointing, and the resistance: nothing less than vomitable. By the time is takes enough energy to charge him for decent damage, he's most likely to be knocked out. I called up the president of nintendo america at once and swore at vigorously until fear dropped me from the line so he could withdraw his daughter from private school and flee to the brittish countryside in my fury. I see no use for this card in competitive play and hope that when the creator is standing at the gates of saint peter, he's not condemned to the alternative fate but is on a very...very...long waiting list for entry.

This is great. Well articulated imagery and an actual review unlike this comment.

 

[Mama_Luigi]

I remember seeing this card as a rare for the first time when I soon came back from retirement into competitive play. I was sitting unchallenged on a grand chair overlooking the James River in my private château having small cakes and tea with a friend. Once taking a look at it a coughed up a wad of halfway chewed cake onto the card. Out of fury I put the rest of the booster pack along with this card into the teapot. After ordering one of my many mexican house servants to get my golf clubs, I smashed the teapot and a lot of the pieces flew respectively a great distance. The HP is good for being a basic. But the attacks are clunky, the weakness disappointing, and the resistance: nothing less than vomitable. By the time is takes enough energy to charge him for decent damage, he's most likely to be knocked out. I called up the president of nintendo america at once and swore at vigorously until fear dropped me from the line so he could withdraw his daughter from private school and flee to the brittish countryside in my fury. I see no use for this card in competitive play and hope that when the creator is standing at the gates of saint peter, he's not condemned to the alternative fate but is on a very...very...long waiting list for entry.

Bet there was a luxray x in that pack you didn't bother looking through ;P

Anyways, weavile easily beats this as a gengar counter
3/10

 

[renfield89]

This card alone won me two games on my way to 3rd in Michigan States, Masters division.
Solid Gengar Prime counter, high HP, and a built-in stall tactic versus Gengar GF or in the event you're power-locked from KOing Gyarados by placed the 20 damage and perhaps stopping Tail Revenge for a turn.
Better offensively than Weavile G. Weavile needs the same energy with an Expert Belt to OHKO Gengar Prime that Drapion 4 needs with an Energy Gain, so you can save either 1 or 2 deck spaces depeding on your list (Dark energy, and potentially Expert Belt).

6/10 in modified.

 

[pikkdogs]

Is this thing card of the day just to taunt me?

 

[yoyofsho16]

Putting this in an SP deck is bad deckbuilding and a bad start SP doesn't need. It sucks up your psychic energy, a DCE, AND an Energy Gain... Do you realize how valuable the latter 2 are, and how unplayable the last one is if they run Vileplume? 4 Energy is way too many, and 3 Retreat is way too many. Weavile is practically a 5th Call Energy in matchups you don't need it...

Sure, it uses your psychic energy but it's a bad SP with high attack. I'd much rather cut my 3rd Lightning energy for a Darkness than play this.

5/10

---------- Post added 03/18/2011 at 08:12 AM ----------

Like Froslass GL and Promocroak, he is able to fit right in an SP deck without adjusting the usual energy count.

SP plays psychic FOR promocroak, so not really.

 

[wolfroke]

Man..not too great.
It only fails at energy cost and damage.
Maybe bulk it up with special energy? but that won't help too much now will it?
And 70 damage for 4 energy? three turn wait is too long in my opinion <.<
I love drapion cuz it's poisonous xD
but this drapion isn't too great.
3/10
not a horrid card but can be better.

 

[Dragonflames1994]

Lovely HP, OK first attack, and expensive second attack. Horrid RC and weakness, nice resistance. Pretty average. 4/10

 

[Regis_Neo]

Didn't have internet the last couple of days, so catch-up time >.>

Here we have Drapion 4 from RR...another kinda meh card. Statwise 100 HP is outstanding for a Basic, x2 Weakness to :fighting: doesn't do him many favors, -20 Resistance to sychic: is nice, and :colorless::colorless::colorless: to Retreat is pricey. Body Slam is meh for :colorless::colorless: (thought with Energy Gain it's ok, not that I'd waste an Energy Gain on this guy) for 20 and a 50/50 shot at paralysis. Mega Impact is just bad at sychic::colorless::colorless::colorless: for 70, even Energy Gain doesn't really make it any more economical.

Modified - 2/10 (Stick with the better SP Pokemon, this guy isn't even good if you're trying to tech for :dark: Weakness against opposing decks)
Limited - 7/10 (Mainly because of the good HP he can linger for a while, but Mega Impact's high cost really kills his usefulness in the long term)
Unlimited - 1/10 (No use here, just an easy prize for your opponent)