The Pokémon TCG saved the best for last when spoiling the English-language cards for its upcoming set, Destined Rivals. Four illustration rares were revealed on May 14, and among them was Team Rocket’s Mewtwo EX. After spotting the Japanese print of this card early, many fans predicted that it would be one of the biggest chase cards of the new set. However, the art and rules for the Pokémon card seem underwhelming now the details have been released.
The illustration (by Iwamoto05) is not the most dynamic depiction of MewTwo that we’ve seen in the Pokémon TCG. The Illustration Rares in previous Pokémon sets, like Crown Zenith and Scarlet & Violet, showed a more expressive, active version of this famous Pokémon.
Heck, even the Japanese prints of this exact card seem to have more energy. As one commenter on the Pokébeach reveal of this card put it, “genuinely insane how hard they fumbled the Mewtwo”. “I’m not a collector, but I love the vast majority of IRs and SIRs, and this is one of the few that I would genuinely trade away or sell if I pulled it tomorrow.”
Looks aren’t everything, but this card is unlikely to be one of the best Pokémon cards to play, either. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo EX can’t attack unless you have four or more Team Rocket’s Pokémon in play, which limits how soon it can be played and what decks it can function in.
The Erasure Ball attack is a little better, offering you 160 damage plus 60 more for any Energy you discard from benched Pokémon (max of two). However, this is an expensive ability to use, both in terms of the energy it costs Mewtwo and the amount you must discard from other cards. The cost of the benefits makes the attack feel less impressive overall.
Data from Japan’s recent Gym Battles (the equivalent of League Challenges for US Pokémon players) shows that Team Rocket’s Mewtwo EX is seeing some play in dedicated Mewtwo EX decks as well as Crobat EX decks. However, the overall meta so far still seems dominated by the usual suspects of the last few months – Raging Bolt, Charizard, Dragapult, and so on.
So, despite the popularity of this Pokémon, the new Mewtwo leaves us feeling a little let down. We’re still expecting it to temporarily become one of the most expensive Pokémon cards around, though. A full art of an iconic Pokémon from the newest Pokémon set? In the current FOMO-heavy, scalper-happy environment of the TCG, players will be snapping this card up whether they actually want it or not.
Want to share your thoughts on the recent Destined Rivals spoilers? We’re always eager to chat about Pokémon in the Wargamer Discord. Or, for more on the game, here’s all you need to know about legendary Pokémon.
Source: Wargamer
