This is part 4 in a series that starts here.
After having looked over the 151 first pokémon, a couple of problems emerge, that the cards of today will solve. The first is that most cards are not very interactive for the opponent. The game turns into one of playing the most expensive possible pokémon every turn, without caring what exactly the opponent does. The other problem is that, well, the typings are a bit uneven. Some types have a lot of options, while others have very few. Also, the more interesting parts of the different types are still unexplored. There is only one freeze-synergy card, for instance, and zero poison-synergy cards.
Today, we will try to change all this.
Powers
If you take the cards from before and remove the pokémon, the attack, the health, the status, and leave only the effect that happens when the card comes into play, what is left is a power. Each typing will be given a dozen or so powers, falling into the categories of:
- Removal
- Single target
- Cheap
- Multi target
- Draw
- Combo
- Combo enabler
- Combo activator
Some general purpose powers should be available as tools to all types, while others can be more unique.
Idol Powers
Additionally, each type will have an Idol Power, a single power that you have from the start of the game and can be used once per turn. Almost all of them cost 2. They are generally much weaker than other powers or pokémon - the Idol Power is something to fall back on when you are unlucky with the cards in your hand, allowing you to at least do something with your excess mana.
The Idol Powers also stand as the central theme of each type. Let's take a look at them now. As mentioned before, each type has a duo partner, and I will show off the matchings together. When you make a deck, you get access to pokémon and powers from both types, but you can only choose one of the Idol Powers.
Water has the excellent, if expensive, ability to deal one damage to an enemy target at will, pokémon or Idol. Electric can deal three times as much damage for the same price, but lose control over where the damage goes. Here, counting cards is important.
Poison of course lets you poison an enemy. It is superficially similar to Water, but has some important differences. Ghost allows you to draw a card, but with such a strong effect, there is the drawback of damaging your own Idol, expounded by the low-impact card draw. Using Nether is a luxury not always affordable.
Dark has the only zero-cost Idol Power, letting you trade health for extra mana, that can be used to play higher-cost cards than other types. Normal instead is able to restore health to its own Idol, or for that sake, any damaged friendly pokémon. You cannot heal past the original health of a target, unless its health has been increased.
Psychic has the ability to save mana in the bank, making cards that cannot be played cheaper for next turn. However, you cannot control where destiny takes you, which card, of the useful or useless, that Foresight hits. Iron Tail has a very direct effect, giving your idol 1 attack and 1 health, allowing your Idol to attack an enemy, preferrably a weak one. In a pinch, it can also be used to just increase its health. The attack is temporary, not the health.
Ice is, of course, able to freeze enemies, delaying their attack by a turn. However, it can only do so once for each pokémon, meaning that you cannot force the enemy into a stale-mate. Dragon has the only four-cost Idol Power, trading the high cost for potentially a net zero cost effect with enough cards in hand. It is also extremely powerful if you can get your hands on a card, that makes your Idol Power free.
Poison poisons, Ice freezes, Flying makes pokémon grow wings. Flying pokémon cannot be attacked by the enemy, and lasts until they, themselves attack. Grass is able to let pokémon in its hand grow bigger and bigger, turn by turn.
Rocks are durable, and compared to the Normal type power, health can go way beyond the starting 25. Ground shows us the last status-centric power. Confused pokémon attack at random as soon as they become ready, disabling the enemy from being strategic with its attacks.
Fire and fighting are both aggressive by heart. While Fighting allows you to attack enemy pokémon too in exchange for the health of your Idol, Fire is limited to only hit the enemy Idol, but can instead bypass blockers.
Finally, Fairy and Bug both strengthen your side of the board. Fairy increase the maximum health of its pokémon. Bug on the other hand creates tiny Caterpies. How adorable.
Electric Powers
For most of the game's history, Electric was incredibly underpowered. To make it more balanced, it was necessary to create powers that did not just rely on random chance. Most of them still reflect the uncontrollable theme of the Idol Power, though.
Overcharge has the cheapest card-per-cost ratio of all draw effects. It comes with the downside that you can only hold ten cards at once, though, and that you will run out of cards quite fast.
Zero cost, zero control.
A good way to neutralize the enemy board.
One of the strongest heal powers, but at the cost of not having many good cards to use it with.
An alternative single-target removal. Usually, ten damage is just a flavourful of saying "kill", but there are times where it isn't enough. Ironically, Wailord is one.
Instead of buffing up cards, you can play Frankenstein.
If we compare these powers to the pokémon we have seen before, they will seem quite strong. You have to remember that they might be completely useless in the wrong situation, since there is no base body to go along with them.
Water Powers
Water has dealing damage as a theme, but so do all powers. Therefore, the Water Powers have to get creative to find ways around this problem.
Again, Bubblebeam is not collectible, but is the upgraded version of the base Idol Power gained by playing Form Bubbles.
Such an awesome movie requires an awesome effect, too.
Though I divorced many Ice and Water type pokémon, they still are good friends, deep down.
Water is about dealing damage, in this way, too.
Water also has a sub-theme of restoring health, and cleansing can really make a big difference.
The most unique water power, let's say. Additionally, it is a cheaper alternative for evolving Magikarps than using Gyarados.
I always meant to add a power called "Fishing" or something akin to that, which would add random fish to your deck. I just never figured out a way to make that effect actually useful instead of just a waste of a card.
Poison Powers
Poison is a strange sort of tempo/control mix in general, with a lot of effects that poison, and some cards that scale their effect from the amount of poisoned cards.
Again, Sapping Poison is the upgrade to the Idol Power, gained by playing Chemevolution.
The cost of the upgrade Power is based on balance, and once it hits 0 and less than 45% winrate, it means what I have to update is the Idol Power, not the cost of the upgrade. Chemevolution is close, but just alright at 48%.
Basic 1-cost, deal 2 damage, with an upside.
Basic 0 mana +1/+1 with an upside.
This is a really good draw-Power. Whenever power-design seems off, do remember that it is based on the win-rate of the card.
A cheap, low damage AOE.
Poison has, as it should, the best single-target removal.
Ghost
Ghost has a lot of unique effects, several related to powers from beyond the grave.
Hithernether is an upgrade to Nether and a really fun word to say.
Ghost has synergy around fainted pokémon. Whenever a pokémon faints, it is added to a list, the graveyard, that is then shuffled before being used. Afterlife is really strong, but balances itself, since it will only ever be able to be unfair late in the game where big pokémon have fainted, at which point a big pokémon is automatically less impactful.
Damage and healing in one. Remember that healing is important with the Ghost Idol Power.
Fainted pokémon include both yours and the opponent's, which is my explanation of why this is balanced.
Oh ho ho, Spirit Infusion. As you might guess, the latter part of the effect was added to balance it out.
Again, another card that scales with how late in the game it is played.
Ghost might be inspired by Warlocks.
Play it early to feel safe or keep it until late for its best effect. Oh, I should mention that using Haunting and Afterlife actually empties out the graveyard - not that it is that important for a card like this, but it does matter.
Dark Powers
We actually have not seen any Dark-type pokémon yet. But Dark revolves around "cheating" with effects that go beyond the numbers on cards. Like hand-size (discard), Idol health (self-damaging) and mana (ramp).
Originally, the Dark upgrade was like the Ghost one, removing the health tap downside. This worked better. The effect is like ramp, but in the late game, you can use it for 10 mana instead of the usual 8 max mana.
Electric Powers
For most of the game's history, Electric was incredibly underpowered. To make it more balanced, it was necessary to create powers that did not just rely on random chance. Most of them still reflect the uncontrollable theme of the Idol Power, though.
Zap is not a collectible card, but will become your new, less random Idol Power, after playing Tame Lightning.
If we compare these powers to the pokémon we have seen before, they will seem quite strong. You have to remember that they might be completely useless in the wrong situation, since there is no base body to go along with them.
Water Powers
Water has dealing damage as a theme, but so do all powers. Therefore, the Water Powers have to get creative to find ways around this problem.
I always meant to add a power called "Fishing" or something akin to that, which would add random fish to your deck. I just never figured out a way to make that effect actually useful instead of just a waste of a card.
Poison Powers
Poison is a strange sort of tempo/control mix in general, with a lot of effects that poison, and some cards that scale their effect from the amount of poisoned cards.
The cost of the upgrade Power is based on balance, and once it hits 0 and less than 45% winrate, it means what I have to update is the Idol Power, not the cost of the upgrade. Chemevolution is close, but just alright at 48%.
Ghost
Ghost has a lot of unique effects, several related to powers from beyond the grave.
Dark Powers
We actually have not seen any Dark-type pokémon yet. But Dark revolves around "cheating" with effects that go beyond the numbers on cards. Like hand-size (discard), Idol health (self-damaging) and mana (ramp).
On top of the Idol Power, some direct ramping.
Or just directly burst onto the board. Throughout balancing, its cost has changed a lot, but it always gives three more than it costs.
Gain up to 24 health costing just 1!
Almost as good as Poison's Deadly Venom.
There is another Dark Power, but it has to do with a pokémon we will find in Johto, so let's hold off on that one.
Normal Powers
Normal has perhaps the most straight-forward, stats focused cards.
Psychic Powers
Psychic has strong, situational powers.
Steel Powers
Steel is the counterpart of Psychic, and while its pokémon are quite straight-forward, its Powers are as quirky as Psychic's pokémon are.
Sure, this might seem quite standard at this point, but then take a look at the next card.
Dragon
Dragon, our big, slow guys, that need some help from their supporting Powes.
Ice Powers
I am sure I have talked your ear off about freeze synergy, but finally, here it is.
Flying Powers
I have never understood Flying, honestly. So many changes have gone into making it somewhat balanced, and I just don't know if it works. I mean, overall, Flying is at 50% win-rate, but that's more to do with their pokémon than powers.
If you have any suggestions, do let me hear them. For instance, what even is the identity of Flying?
Grass Powers
Now, these were a bit easier to figure out. Grass is all about them big guys, after all. Or gals. I don't judge.
Ground Powers
Ground is friends with Rock, but what even is the difference? Together, both of them work well with a high-health control aspect. While Rock focuses on the big-health part, Ground is more controlly.
Rock Powers
If Ground seemed control-oriented, this will only be worse.
Fire Powers
Now for the diametral opposite of Rock and Ground, Fighting and Fire!
Fighting Powers
Fighting also focuses on dealing damage, but less through powers and more through its own pokémon.
Fairy Powers
Our final type duo, Fairy and Bug might seem like an odd match, but I ensure you, it makes sense. See, Fairy has a butterfly as symbol after all.
Bug Powers
Finally, we are at the end of your journey. Both Fairy and Bug have a lot of small pokémon, it is a side-effect of Fairy's theme, while for Bug, swarming is the point.
Now, with all these new powers, let us see what changes this makes to the meta in the Meta Report Kanto 2 Electric Boogaloo Now With Powers.