Obsidian Flames Set Review

This week, Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet — Obsidian Flames released across the globe, putting Darkness-type Charizard and Lightning-type Tyranitar into the hands of lucky players everywhere. While we won’t see this type-changed Tera Pokémon in GLC, there’s still plenty to be excited about in the newest set. Let’s dive in!

Bellossom

One of the most fun and silly Standard decks from the Sword & Shield era was based on Maractus, a card that loaded energy onto its attackers with Cherrim and prayed for some good coin flips. Bellossom’s Powerful Dance attack does much more damage per coin flip, and in Gym Leader Challenge it can pair with Venusaur to reach some truly explosive damage. These accelerators are already commonly played with cards like Zarude which do more damage for each energy attached… but what if your Pokémon could do even more damage? Use cards like Trick Coin or Glimwood Tangle to try again if you whiff, and make your games that much more exciting!

Trevenant

While some Grass decks might do everything they can to out-damage the opponent as quickly as possible, others can use tricky Abilities to control the opponent’s gameplan and slow them down. This Trevenant could be a great addition to these controlling strategies. Forest Miasma effectively Poisons the defending Pokémon, even those that switch in or are already Poisoned, making it a great option to whittle away at the opponent more quickly. And Lock Up can pick off evolving threats that you might want to bring up from your opponent’s bench, or keep a big threat pinned to the active while you attack your opponent’s resources in other ways. It may not do the most damage, but in the hands of a skilled trainer Trevenant may be the key piece to win you the game.

Entei

Fire-type trainers will know that the one of the biggest struggles their type has is a lack of strong basic attackers. Entei might be able to fill that role in the early game. Its Pressure Ability makes it much bulkier than its 130 HP would suggest, especially with a tool like Bravery Charm attached. And while you won’t be using Blaze Ball the first turn of the game, some support from a Double Colorless Energy will allow Entei to attack on the second turn going forward, applying some pressure while forming an obstacle your opponents will have to destroy to get to your other Pokémon. And in the late game, when you might have more support available like Charizard or Armarogue, Entei could be a great Pokémon to bring back from the discard pile to disrupt the opponent’s momentum even further.

Camerupt

Camerupt is one of those cards that makes a certain type of player’s eyes light up. The thought of dealing 250 damage with a bit of luck can make the risk of announcing Eruption worth it. While it may be fun to attack with Camerupt in the blind and pray, you can have your cake and eat it too by stacking the top of either player’s deck with Energy to guarantee an explosive KO. Cards like Switching Cups or Magcargo can put an Energy card on top of your own deck, and even the opponent’s deck can be controlled with Team Star Grunt. While it may let you down sometimes, Camerupt is sure to make the most explosive memories at your GLC table.

Seismitoad

Seismitoad might be one of the coolest cards to be released in Obsidian Flames. Its ability instantly inspires new deckbuilding ideas, making one wonder how to best leverage this Pokémon’s interesting and disruptive text. Quaking Area can be a huge, disruptive surprise for your opponent when you spring Seismitoad onto the board, and Echoed Voice is a very solid attack for a Pokémon that wants to sit in the Active Spot and deal huge damage while the opponent scrambles to catch up with you. While Seismitoad doesn’t have the explosive offensive potential as other Water-type options, the surprise disruption can leave an unprepared opponent totally stranded.

Palafin

One of the stars of Obsidian Flames prerelease, the Hero Pokémon boasts a very strong 2-energy attack in Justice Kick. However, the attack condition is not trivial — you’re going to have to devote some deck space to support it. Because Palafin has to switch in during the turn, and not between turns when a Pokémon is knocked out, you’re going to need some switching and retreating options to get Palafin where it needs to be. That being said, Jet Punch is a great holdover attack if you can’t get Palafin out and back into the Active Spot during the same turn, synergizing well with other spread/snipe Water Pokémon like Inteleon.

Cleffa

If you know about the early history of the Pokémon TCG, you’ll know that Neo Genesis Cleffa was one of the strongest Pokémon of all time, an impressive feat for a Pokémon with a mere 30 HP. This new Cleffa boasts a lot of similarities, such as a similar attack effect, free retreat, and an insanely cute artwork, but it notably lacks the Baby Rule that made it so dominant. Still, this Cleffa might be a fantastic option for early game-consistency in Psychic-type decks. If you’re afraid of an opposing Let Loose Marshadow (including your own!), Cleffa can be a great and very cute defense from an early-game brick.

Claydol

One of the coolest two-card combos in Gym Leader Challenge is (Fighting-type) Claydol and Protection Cube. Now, Psychic-type trainers can take advantage of their own version of this combination. It works in quite the same way — Claydol, while pondering its Cube, won’t deal any damage to itself, allowing it to Kaboom Doll over and over. While this Claydol can’t take any knockouts by itself, unlike its Fighting-type brother, its attack only costs one energy, which is very valuable for springing your opponent with this combo out of nowhere. And Psychic has plenty of mechanisms for cleaning up heavily damaged Pokémon on the opponent’s bench, like Blacephalon, allowing you to swing the game in a massive way when they’re least expecting it.

Stunfisk

It seems that stalling strategies which seek to wear down the opponent’s Pokémon by trapping and stalling them are the big winners for Gym Leader Challenge from Obsidian Flames. This Stunfisk is a great, solo user of this strategy. Rumble is a great trapping attack, mostly because it only costs one energy. And with a tool attached, Stunfisk can deal some decent damage to attacking Pokémon too. Give it a Cape of Toughness or a Rocky Helmet for defense, a Muscle Band for offense, or a Fighting Fury Belt for both, and see how frustrated your opponents get with the Trap Pokémon.

Paldean Clodsire

This Paldean Clodsire is significantly better than the other printing in Obsidian Flames, although they are both very adorable. Venoshock is a great attack for more disruptive Darkness decks that seek to wear the opponent down with status conditions like Poison. Darkness decks can struggle to hit 200 damage, even with numerous damage buff options like Devoured Field and Dark Claw, so Venoshock can be a great option to knock out a huge Defending Pokemon when the rest of your attackers may not be able to. Plus, if you run Paldean Clodsire in your deck, that means you get to run Paldean Wooper as well :)

Kingambit

It’s always worth stopping and reading a card when you see the words “Knocked Out.” Luckily, Kingambit does it to the opponent’s Pokémon! Furthermore, it’s a one-energy attack with a somewhat reasonable condition: put 4 or more damage counters on the defending Pokémon. You can do this with a regular attack, maybe a cheap one on a basic Pokémon, or maybe one of the many Metal type attacks that damage the active Pokémon and an opposing Benched Pokémon. Especially against tanky opponents, a Strike Down out of nowhere can leave even your opponent’s strongest Pokémon Knocked Out before they know it!

Trainers

Geeta

Geeta’s text box contains some pretty scary text: “During this turn, your Pokémon can’t attack.” In such a fast format as Gym Leader Challenge, this may sound like an unplayable card. But the reason to play Geeta can make this hefty downside worth it in plenty of situations. In aggressive decks, it can be a fantastic way of ramping up an incredibly strong attack on your second or third turn, making an attempt at steamrolling your opponent. You could also play this in the late game to quickly charge up a huge threat you’ve recovered from the Discard Pile, like Wailord or Copperajah. While it’s not the kind of card you want to play every turn, Geeta’s strengths can really shine in the hands of an experienced trainer.

Ortega

Ortega is giving Thoughtsieze (or more accurately, Vendilion Clique) vibes with direct hand disruption rarely seen in the Pokémon TCG. Most hand disruption effects shuffle the opponent’s entire hand away and give them a new, hopefully weaker one; think Iono, Reset Stamp, Marshadow. But Ortega can snipe a key card from the opponent’s hand, like a Supporter or an Evolution, completely ruining your opponent’s next turn. Now think about how powerful this pointed disruption effect can be when combined with resetting your opponent’s hand. If you enjoy disruption, control, or just making your opponents mad, Ortega deserves a spot in your next GLC deck.

Pokémon League Headquarters

One of the scariest things in Gym Leader Challenge is a Basic Pokémon coming out of nowhere and destroying your Active Pokémon with a super efficient and powerful attack. Oftentimes there is little defense against a deck designed to attack with, and often recycle, Snorlax, Necrozma, or Drampa. But Pokémon League Headquarters might be a perfect way to do that. Taxing the opponent’s attacks can be a great way to slow them down for the rest of the game: make them accelerate an extra energy, use up a Stadium bump, or skip attacking that turn entirely. This attack tax can be combined with other disruptive effects like Seismitoad (featured previously). Pokémon League Headquarters may not be the flashiest card in Obsidian Flames, but it might just be the key piece of your next GLC strategy!

Obsidian Flames definitely feels like more of a collector’s set, boasting very few Standard format-viable cards. But in Gym Leader Challenge, you need to consider every legal card whenever a new set comes out — you’d be surprised which cards end up being amazing!