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TCG Jump: Featured Card- Zoroark GX

ZoroarkGXGet ready to see a new side of the darkness!

A new subset has entered the Pokemon TCG that promise to bring plenty of shiny new cards! There are actual Shining Pokemon that look great from this set. Some of them have amazing alternate coloration. You may even know some of them. Though we are going to be looking at one card that can easily fit itself into any kind of deck. That is because it is so versatile. This Pokemon hides in the darkness and waits for the right moment to strike. It comes in like a riot and hits hard! This Pokemon can also help trade away useless cards to help turn the tide of battle. Today we will be talking about a tricky Pokemon that will be useful in many decks. The card that we are featuring today is Zoroark GX!

Zoroark GX is a Stage 1 Pokemon from Shining Legends. This Darkness Pokemon has 210 HP, an ability and two attacks. Zoroark GX’s ability is called Trick. This ability allows you to discard one card in order to draw two. You can use Riotous Beating for two colorless energy to do 20 times the number of Pokemon you have on the field. If you attach two Darkness energy on to Zoroark GX then you can use Trickster GX. This attack allows you to copy one of your opponent’s Pokemon attacks and use it as you own. Zoroark GX has a weakness to Fighting types and resistance Psychic types. It costs two energy to retreat Zoroark GX.

The Pros
Double Colorless EnergyZoroark GX always seems to get good cards and this time it isn’t any different. It seems like Pokemon gave Zoroark GX a great supportive ability with a strong and solid attack.

The Trade Ability gives Zoroark GX the chance to be a strong supportive Pokemon. You can simply discard useless cards for the chance to get a card that you need. Some decks may run two Bridgette which is only useful in the early game. Your second one will be useless so why not just discard it in the later part to draw into a needed card. Perhaps Guzma for a game winning knockout. That is what Zoroark GX can do.

The Pokemon TCG has one of the strongest card draw engines in any TCG. Zoroark GX is a fine example of that thanks to Trade. As long as you have one card in your hand then you can use Trade. A bad hand thanks to a N to one? Simply discard that one card to draw two new cards. Perhaps one of those draws will help you out of a bad situation.

If you want to have Zoroark GX attack then there is always Riotous Beating. This attack cost two colorless energy which makes Zoroark GX splashable in many decks. That is why many decks are playing Zoroark GX because it can make a solid attacker if you can attach a Double Colorless Energy to it or simply two of any type of energy. Have a DCE and need an attacker? Then send in Zoroark GX to do some heavy damage. Most likely you will have a full bench so Riotous Beating will do 120 damage. That is enough to two hit KO most Pokemon.

The Bad
Sky FieldThere will be some people who think that doing 120 damage isn’t enough damage. Those people could be right when some Pokemon can do 150 damage or more with a little bit more energy. That could be a flaw in Zoroark GX. If we were playing in Expanded with Sky Field then Zoroark GX can easily hit 180 damage which will knockout many things. Though we are now in a format where that isn’t possible and people will always complain about not having Sky Field to hit 180 damage. Instead people will need to settle for 120 damage or 150 damage with a Choice Band attached.

Now, having a damage cap is pretty bad. That is because when you have attackers that do damage base on multiples then you want to hit as hard as you can all the time.

Next, Zoroark GX’s retreat of two energy could be pretty bad. That means your opponent can target Zoroark GX with Guzma. Maybe your opponent may actually try to knock it out. Either way, Zoroark GX may find trouble if it is put into the active without an escape plan.

There is also the awkward cost for Zoroark GX’s Trickster GX attack. This attack cost two Darkness energy which is different from the main attack. Yes, you can attach two Darkness energy to Zoroark GX’s Trickster GX attack. The problem is that it is slow compare to simply attaching a DCE to Zoroark GX and letting the Pokemon attack freely. Also, this attack depends on what your opponent has in play. If they have a Solgaleo GX in play then you can easily copy Solgaleo GX’s Sunsteel Strike to do heavy damage. If there are no heavy hitting attacks then Zoroark GX simply does nothing.

How to Play It
The biggest plus that Zoroark GX has is that it can fit into any deck thanks to it’s ability and colorless main attack.

Riotous Beating cost simply a Double Colorless Energy. That makes Zoroark GX an easy fit for decks that play DCE. If things get nasty and you have Zoroark GX on the bench then you can promote it into the active. Simply slap a DCE on to Zoroark GX and fill up your bench to do 120 damage. It will take some time to knockout Zoroark GX but that should be enough time needed to knockout one of your opponent’s Pokemon.

Gardevoir GXGardevoir is one of the most popular decks who is testing out Zoroark GX. That is because Zoroark GX is a Pokemon who can attack for two colorless energy and isn’t weak to Metagross GX. Gardevoir GX finds Metagross GX a pain to deal with thanks to it’s weakness. They could try to knockout a Metagross GX but the Metal Pokemon can easily clean the board thanks to Giga Hammer doing 300 damage thanks to weakness.

Luckily, Zoroark GX doesn’t share a Metal weakness which means that Metagross can’t one-hit KO it. When Gardevoir GX player sees a Metagross GX building up then they can easily set up a Zoroark GX to attack and either knockout the up and coming Metagross GX. Either way, Metagross GX can’t one-hit KO Zoroark GX due to Giga Hammer only doing 150 damage to it. If Zoroark GX with a Choice Band attacks first then it can two hit KO Metagross with no problem.

Zoroark GX also makes a decent replacement for Octillery. You may not have the same draw power compare to Octillery if you are using Zoroark. Though you do have a solid backup attacker which Octillery isn’t. You could use Octillery’s Hug attack but that means you will need to play some Water energy. On the other hand, you have Zoroark GX who can attack for 120 damage for a single DCE or two Fairy energy. Either way, Zoroark GX is able to attack hard and draw you new cards.

If you want a tricky combo then you can easily put in Mallow. You can play Mallow during your turn to put two cards that you need on the top of your deck. You can then discard a card to use Zoroark GX’s Trade ability. That way you can draw the two card that need to help mount a comeback. That is a pretty cool combo to pull off when you are in a corner.

If you have a deck that plays DCE and needs a reliable attacker then Zoroark GX is your card. It can be place in any deck and perfect as a support or offensive Pokemon. If you can fit a two-two line of Zoroark GX into your deck then for it. Just make sure you have that Double Colorless Energy in your deck!

Zoroark GX has some great potential in a game that needs a strong attacker. All you need is just attach two energy or a DCE to make Zoroark GX attack. If you have a bad hand then perhaps you can trade it in for something great. Though Zoroark GX is prefect proof for a shining new card that loves to hide in the darkness.


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