Scarlet & Violet Set Review

Although it’s only been a few months since the last major Pokémon TCG set release, it feels like we’ve been waiting for Pokémon: Scarlet & Violet for years now… but no longer! It’s finally here! A new bunch of cards means new additions to the Gym Leader Challenge format. Let’s take a look at how the format might shake up with new additions from the Paldea region.

Arboliva

If any type in Gym Leader Challenge can utilize multiple Stage 2 Pokémon, it’s the Grass type. Arboliva is a utility Stage 2 Pokémon, with the incredibly powerful Fill Oil ability that can heal a Pokemon to full health. Grass has the perfect target for this ability in Torterra BRS, with its massive 190 HP. And with existing Scoop Up Net synergy with Roserade DRX, trainers may try using Arboliva’s ability multiple times, creating an unstoppable juggernaut that will tear through the opponent’s Pokémon over and over. Although it’s not the most threatening Pokémon to see across the table, don’t underestimate Arboliva and its healing powers!

Scovillain

On the opposite end of the Grass-type spectrum from Arboliva is Scovillain, an all-out attacker. This Stage 1 Pokémon can do 180 damage if you can satisfy its Super Hot Yee-Haw attack cost. Venusaur SLG can turn one Grass energy to two, and you can attach a Basic Fire Energy or some sort of Rainbow Energy to boost the damage to its max. While it won’t be surviving many attacks, Scovillain can convert just a few energy into a massively powerful attack that will KO nearly any Pokémon that dares stand in its way.

Armarouge

One thing Fire-type Pokémon are known for is burning through all of their energy with powerful attacks. So as a Fire trainer, one of your biggest challenges is to figure out how to keep your Pokémon’s energy supply healthy. Armarouge is an interesting new way to do that by swarming energy from your bench to your Active Pokémon. This Stage 1 Pokémon synergizes well with Magma Basin and other Pokémon which can generate energy themselves (such as Team Magma’s Camerupt DCR), but also with tool cards like Wishful Baton or Exp. Share that can keep energy in play as your attackers are knocked out. It’ll be exciting to see what new strategies may be unlocked by Armarouge in Gym Leader Challenge!

Cetitan

If you’ve ever played against a Water-type Gym Leader Challenge deck, you’ve probably had a difficult time trying to knock out your opponent’s bulky whale Pokémon. Whether that’s been Kyogre from Crown Zenith, or one of two different Wailord cards, Water has no shortage of strong attackers with massive HP stats. The new Cetitan is a welcome addition to this cetacean family. Besides having a gargantuan HP stat for a Stage 1 Pokemon, Cetitan also has an incredibly powerful attack that does up to 200 damage for a manageable cost. Similar to its whale brethren before it, healing this Pokémon or giving it a defense buff will help it go the distance against even the most powerful attackers.

Pawmot

Lightning-type Gym Leader Challenge decks are typically focused on cheap attacks and outpacing the opponent, meaning they might struggle with high damage output when the opponent puts a massive Pokémon in the Active Spot. Pawmot from Scarlet & Violet might be the solution to this struggle. 230 damage knocks out nearly everything in the format, and the self-accelerating ability helps you keep the tempo up. With some switching cards and Dynamotor Pokémon, you may even be able to recycle this massively powerful attack to decimate your opponents when they least expect it.

Annihilape

Playing Stage 2 Pokémon in any format is a big challenge, especially in a singleton format like Gym Leader Challenge. So if you’re putting one in your list, you want it to be worth it. The first ever Annihilape card makes a strong case for this. Its second attack only costs 2 energy and does enough damage to knock out the vast majority of Pokémon. But its Rage Fist attack is where Annihilape really shines. The damage this attack can do quickly spirals out of control — at its strongest, Rage Fist can knock out a Machamp LOR, a nearly impossible task without hitting for weakness. If you like seeing huge numbers in Gym Leader Challenge, Annihilape is the Pokémon for you!

Lucario

One of the greatest strengths of the Fighting type is its ability to do a lot of damage with very little energy. Lucario is a great example of this strategy in action. Avenging Knuckle can do 150 damage for 1 energy, which is just nuts! Using this Pokémon can be a great tempo play as you recover your board from a knockout. And after Lucario takes a big swing, you can decide to keep up the pressure with its Accelerating Stab attack, or switch it to the bench and send up another attacker, leaving the Aura Pokémon to come back for revenge once more!

Kingambit

One of the most infamous Pokémon in Gym Leader Challenge is Guzzlord CEC, who can take double prizes with Red Banquet. One of the biggest challenges to this strategy is taking knockouts with an attack that only does 120 damage. As the HP of single prize Pokémon continues to increase, Guzzlord will need to continue boosting its damage to keep up. While you can use cards like Muscle Band or Reverse Valley to do more damage, an ability that adds 30 damage per attack would be incredible for Guzzlord. That’s where Kingambit comes in. It can sit on your bench and make the attacks of Guzzlord (and other attackers like Hoopa DAA) stronger, demanding to be dealt with or sending your Basic attackers to victory.

Revavroom

Ever since Gym Leader Challenge started, Metal trainers have been asking for more consistency options. A Pokémon that could draw cards would be great. Currently, there are a few Jirachi that try to fill this role, but they require a lot of pivoting and deck space to work. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just put a Bibarel in your deck? Now, you can! (Well, almost). Revavroom is a great option for drawing cards in Metal decks, and has a few more synergies you might not notice at first. Besides filling your hand over and over, the requirement of discarding an energy can actually be turned into an upside with smart deck construction. There are so many things you can do with Metal in your discard pile, like retrieving it with Mount Coronet or accelerating it with Bronzong! Now that the Metal type has something it’s been wanting for a long time, go out there and see what you can build with it!

Skwovet

Most of the Pokémon on this list offer strong and efficient attacks, rewarding aggressive play and streamlined deckbuilding. Skwovet, however, offers something else for Gym Leader Challenge players. It can help you conserve resources by putting them back into your deck (say, Special Energy) while also refreshing your hand, allowing you to see a ton of cards off the back of Bibarel BRS. This combo is seen in Standard format and is a great way to add consistency to your deck. If you’re a thoughtful player who cares about conserving their resources, try playing this Cheeky Pokémon in your deck!

Trainers

Electric Generator

Old heads will remember Max Elixir, a high-rolling item card that could accelerate tons of energy out of nowhere. Electricity Generator takes the high-roll and dials it up to eleven. While it views one fewer card than Max Elixir, it can accelerate twice that amount of energy to your board, enabling explosive turns for your deck. If you’re a real Lightning gamer, you can even run cards like Rotom Phone or Switching Cups to guarantee energy hits off the pencil sharpener or whatever this thing is.

Defiance Band

While it hasn’t seen much success in Standard, Defiance Band might be an amazing staple for GLC going forward. Many decks rely on starting from behind, such as those that use Mismagius or Magneton for support by going down a prize. Others are simply slower to get started, like Dragon. So a tool card that leverages this supposed disadvantage to hit key numbers could be a great inclusion in many lists going forward.

Arven

The Pokémon TCG made a rules change for the first time in years by decoupling Item cards and Tool cards. While this won’t shake up every game you play, it will affect some of the trainer cards you choose to play. For instance, Irida can no longer grab your Muscle Bands or Pot Helmets. If you find yourself playing a Tool-reliant strategy, you’ll want more ways to search them out. Arven is a great Supporter to try out because he can find these difficult-to-search Tools, as well as an item like a ball search card to boot. If you like early-game consistency or late-game combos, try out Arven today!

That’s all our picks for Scarlet & Violet, although certainly not the only cards you might consider from this set. Take a look at the cards here and see if you can come up with some strategies of your own!