Hello everyone! It's LuxrayMogul here again for your daily Card of the Day review! Today I'm covering the only EX card I've played with in this format, Reshiram EX (Next Destinies 22, full art ND 95). It's part of the first wave of EXes that were released in this new format. So, let's cut the chase and start talking about it!
Reshiram EX comes in a normal card and a full art card, with the full art (obviously) relatively rarer and more expensive. It is a Basic Fire type Pokémon with 180 HP. Because it's an EX, the EX rule applies, which states that if it gets knocked out, your opponent is permitted to draw two prize cards. It has a Water-type weakness (not preferable, but expected), no resistance, and a fat retreat cost of three. Slap in Skyarrow Bridge (Next Destinies 91) and that's two, which is better. Considering that more powerful EXes like Mewtwo EX only has two retreat cost (one with Skyarrow), Reshiram EX is already considered to have a relatively "fat" retreat cost. So... eh.
Let's look at its attacks. Glinting Claw, its first attack, requires a Fire energy and two colourless energy. With the rotation of Lost Remover (Call of Legends 80) in a month or so, I think Double Colourless Energy will be much more playable, so that definitely benefits Reshiram EX. A Fire and a DCE and Reshiram is ready to attack on its second turn. It does a decent 50 damage, possibly 80 on a coin flip.
It's second attack, Brave Fire, does an impressive 150 damage with the cost of two Fires and a DCE. However, a coin flip determines if Reshiram EX does 50 to itself. Considering it has 180 HP and also considering that EXes become targets the second they enter the field, you can afford flipping two, maybe three, tails before two prizes go bye-bye. So I mean, the 50 self-damage isn't that decent, and I don't care how lucky you are with coins. (I usually flip tails, much to my annoyance!)
Overall impressions now. Because Typhlosion Prime (HGSS110) is being rotated in a month or so along with the entire HeartGold SoulSilver series cards (NOOO TYPHLO...), a big part of Fire energy acceleration is lost; with the only real acceleration coming from Emboar (BLW20), which is a fat Pokémon itself (figuratively and literally) and hard to get out. Luckily, only two fire energies are really needed and there is no discarding, but in a format that is as fast as the one that we're in currently, three turns (maybe even four, if you don't draw the DCE) is just too long for a Pokémon to start using its most powerful attack. And again, because Reshiram EX is an EX, it becomes a target once it comes on and probably won't even last that long.
Another annoying thing about Reshiram is the amount of coin flipping there it is. Most Basic Pokémon nowadays have more than 50HP, and if Glinting Claw doesn't get a heads, you're just dealing 50, and most likely, not knocking out anyone, thus, wasting a turn. All these factors add to its relatively unplayability in this format. I personally think that the loss of Typhlosion Prime personally adds to the unplayability of this card. On the contrary, Reshiram EX's brother card, Zekrom EX (ND51 and 97) is a much better card in the format because of Electric energy acceleration by Mr. Eelektrik (Noble Victories 40).
The artwork... the regular artwork is stunning, but the full art is... meh. It looks intense alright, but it just doesn't seem like my cup of tea.
Overall, I'll give Reshiram EX a 3/5 for relative playability and awesome artwork on the regular card. It loses points for lack of energy acceleration and being a "fat" and "flippy" card. So, I mean if there was decent fire energy acceleration it may have been a better card. But it simply won't be that good in this format. Of course, sound out your opinion in the comments below!
Until tomorrow, LuxrayMogul signing out. Peace!
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