Pokémon TCG: Black & White—Next Destinies

Whether you're looking for early support for your Grass deck or a late boost against a tough opponent, Shaymin-EX (5/99) is the perfect choice. Shaymin-EX's Synthesis attack lattack lets you search your deck for a Grass Energy card and attach it directly to one of your Pokémon, accelerating your set-up time considerably. Plus, with a Retreat Cost of only 1, it can get out of the way quickly once you’ve prepped another attacker. Then, if your opponent starts to pull ahead later in the match, bring Shaymin-EX back up to hit with Revenge Blast, an attack that does 30 damage plus 30 more for each Prize card your opponent has taken. This is potentially quite helpful if you’re playing with other Pokémon-EX cards in your deck, since when they get Knocked Out your opponent draws 2 Prize cards. Shaymin-EX can help you turn the tables on your opponent’s good fortune and put you in the lead for good!

Reshiram is already a superstar in the Pokémon TCG. Now its Pokémon-EX counterpart looks to heat up the action even more. Reshiram-EX (22/99) has 180 HP, as well as two scorching attacks. Glinting Claw does 50 damage plus 30 more based on a coin flip. Then the Brave Fire attack does an amazing 150 damage with a coin flip determining if Reshiram-EX takes 50 damage itself. With both attacks, your chances of victory are sure to heat up!

Looking for a Basic Pokémon with 180 HP and two amazingly powerful attacks? Of course you are! Fortunately, Kyurem-EX (38/99) is exactly what you need.First, freeze your opponent’s progress with Kyurem-EX’s Frozen Wings attack, a 60-damage assault that also forces your opponent to discard a Special Energy attached to the Defending Pokémon. Then, if you find yourself up against a powerhouse Pokémon with a lot of HP, come on strong with Hail Blizzard, a 120-damage attack that you can’t use on the following turn. Kyurem-EX is a juggernaut with serious damage potential, ready to send a chill through your opponent’s deck!

Zekrom-EX (51/99) rivals the already popular version from the Black & White expansion in might and potential. It shares the Glinting Claw attack with Reshiram-EX, which does either 50 or 80 damage depending on a coin flip. Zekrom-EX also has a 150-damage attack in Strong Volt. When you use the attack, you must discard two Energy attached to Zekrom-EX. With either attack, you're bound to give your opponent quite the shock!

Get into the head of your opponent with the mighty Mewtwo-EX (54/99). This Basic Pokémon has a staggering 170 HP, making it extraordinarily tough in battle. Harness the Defending Pokémon's Energy with Mewtwo-EX's X Ball attack, which does 20 damage times the number of Energy attached to both Mewtwo-EX and the Defending Pokémon. Then deliver the knockout blow with Psydrive, a 120-damage attack!

Double down on your next deck with the help of Gardevoir (57/99)! This Stage 2 Pokémon provides plenty of support to your Psychic-type Pokémon with its Psychic Mirage Ability, which provides 2 Psychic Energy for every 1 Basic Psychic Energy attached to the Pokémon. But it works only with Psychic-type Pokémon—Gothitelle (Black & White—Emerging Powers, 47/98) and Mewtwo-EX (54/99) will go crazy with that kind of support.

Gardevoir isn't just there to help its teammates; this Pokémon has some offensive skills of its own, too. Gardevoir's Mind Shock attack does 60 damage, and it ignores the Defending Pokémon's Weakness and Resistance. The cost of the attack (2 Psychic and 2 Colorless Energy) might ordinarily be considered too steep, but Psychic Mirage makes it a reasonable—and potent—attack.

Pokémon EX aren’t the only powerful Pokémon in the Black & White—Next Destinies expansion. Check out Lucario (64/99), a Stage 1 Fighting-type Pokémon that’s ready to leap into battle. When Lucario is your Active Pokémon and takes damage from an attack, it’s your opponent who will feel the pain—Lucario’s Reflexive Retaliation Ability puts 2 damage counters on the Attacking Pokémon. Lucario can also strike hard, and for little Energy, with its Aura Sphere attack. For 2 Fighting Energy, Aura Sphere does 50 damage to the Defending Pokémon plus 20 more to one of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. Whether on offense and defense, Lucario is ready to have a major impact on your next Pokémon TCG battle!

The Darkness-type Pokémon Shiftry (72/99) can make a huge impact as soon as it takes the field, and continues to be a disruptive force for as long as it stays in battle. When play Shiftry to evolve another Pokémon, you get to flip a coin. If it comes up heads, you get to choose 1 of your opponent's Pokémon and send it back into his or her deck, along with all the cards attached to the Pokémon. And yes—if you force your opponent to pick up his or her last Pokémon in play, you'll win automatically!

Shiftry's sneaky ways continue with its Whirlwind attack, a 60-damage blast that additionally forces your opponent to switch the Defending Pokémon out for one of his or her Benched Pokémon. Fire away turn after turn to keep your opponent off balance, while delivering tons of damage each turn!

There are a lot of big, powerful Pokémon in the Black & White series, and along with them comes soaring Retreat Costs. Manage those Retreat Costs with Skyarrow Bridge (91/99), a handy Trainer-Stadium card which lowers the Retreat Cost of all Pokémon in play by 1 Energy. With Skyarrow Bridge, it's much easier for you to move your burly Pokémon around to create the best match-up against the Defending Pokémon.

Skyarrow Bridge is also useful for pre-evolved Pokémon that are susceptible to Pokémon Catcher. For example, you may have a Litwick on your Bench that you're trying to Evolve into Chandelure; if it gets called into action by Pokémon Catcher and hit for 40 damage, you could be in quite a jam the next turn. With Skyarrow Bridge in play, Litwick would have a 0 Retreat Cost, letting you get the Pokémon out of harm's way without costing an Energy (that you might not even have)!