To Serve and Protect!

Eviolite

The Pokémon TCG: Black & White—Noble Victories expansion marks the return of Pokémon Tools, which were absent in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Series. Pokémon Tools are cards that you attach to a Pokémon, and they stay on that Pokémon until it leaves play (or gets Knocked Out as a part of an attack or other action). Also, a Pokémon can have only one Pokémon Tool attached to it at a time.

Consider the new Pokémon Tool card Eviolite (91/101), a super card to boost the defensive capabilities of one of your Basic Pokémon. It reduces the damage from attacks to the Pokémon it’s attached to by 20. There are a lot of new hard-hitting Pokémon in the Pokémon TCG right now, as well as a premium on one-hit Knock Outs, so Eviolite can significantly slow down your opponent's assault. Or use it on a Pokémon that takes damage from its own attack, such as Zekrom (Black & White, 114/114) with its Bolt Strike attack.

Pokémon Tools can be attached to your Benched Basic Pokémon, too. Consider using Eviolite to immunize your own Pokémon from attacks that damage your Bench. When you use Donphan Prime’s (HeartGold & SoulSilver, 107/123) Earthquake attack, you will prevent the 10 damage to each of your Benched Pokémon that has an Eviolite attached to it. Every turn, Donphan Prime will hit for 60 damage (for only 1 Fighting Energy!) with no downside. Eviolite has plenty of other uses as well and should be a huge factor in your next deck.

Druddigon

Get ready to get rough with Druddigon (89/101)! This Basic Pokémon is the perfect Pokémon to open a battle with: it has 100HP and is capable of doing damage without even attacking, thanks to its Rough Skin Ability. Rough Skin does 20 damage to any Pokémon that damages Druddigon with an attack, as long as Druddigon is your Active Pokémon.

Many players are forced to start games with weaker Pokémon due to luck of the draw or as a result of playing Baby Pokémon. Druddigon can take advantage of this situation with its Clutch attack. Clutch does 60 damage, enough to take out many Basic Pokémon, and it prevents the Pokémon from retreating, making it harder for your opponent to bring a preferred Pokémon up as an Active Pokémon.

Druddigon can be useful for more than just beginning a game—look for ways to capitalize on this Pokémon's useful Ability and strategic attack to end matches just as effectively as it starts them!