art by 5ban GraphicsOnce again we are upon the eve of a new set! There are plenty of new cards coming which could create some scary things in combination with some of the cards that we can currently play . There could be plenty of strong options available to us. Things can actually get a bit frightening with all the growing things we have to play with. Either way, there is a fighting chance for something new coming with all these breaking new cards coming up. Get ready this week as we try to get you thinking instead of shielding you of possible things to come. This week we will feature a card that could see some play with the release of BREAKthrough and could finally get it’s big break. So get ready to hear about Chesnaught!
Chesnaught was originally released in XY base set back in early 2014. It is a Stage 2 Grass type Pokemon with 160 HP and a four energy retreat cost. Chesnaught has a weakness to Fire types and* no resistances. This Grass Kalos Starter Pokemon has an ability called Spiky Shield which places 3 damage counters on your opponent’s active Pokemon whenever it attacks your active Chesnaught. If Chesnaught has two Grass and two other energy attached to it then it could use Touchdown to do 90 damage and then heal 20 damage off itself.
The Pros
Admittedly, there isn’t much going on for Chesnaught. It is the most overlooked card out of the three Kalos Starters from XY base set. It’s ability can only be used when it is your active and only when it gets damaged. So at best, you will need to hope that your opponent hits you with a weak attack and not knock out Chesnaught. Though, most likely your opponent will be hitting Chesnaught to knock it out with one single hit.
Though, Chesnaught’s Spiky Shield ability is the thing where all the potential can be found. This is all thanks to Chesnaught BREAK which will be coming out in BREAKthrough.
BREAK Evolution is an additional evolution that is part of the new BREAK mechanic in the TCG. BREAK Pokemon are treated as part of a Pokemon card and placed sideways on top of a Pokemon as an evolution. This card gives the Pokemon additional HP and a new attack or ability. It can also use the attacks and abilities of the Pokemon card under it.
This means that Chesnaught BREAK can use Chesnaught’s Spiky Shield ability if it evolved from the one from XY. This could potentially lead your opponent into a nasty situation where it has to attack Chesnaught BREAK but take 30 damage because of Chesnaught BREAK’s ability that it acquired from Chesnaught. It then can lead to a knockout as Chesnaught BREAK hits them for 160 HP because of it’s Tough Hammer attack. This 160 damage being applied to your opponent’s active Pokemon plus the three damage counters it had gotten from attacking Chesnaught BREAK the previous turn can add up to knocking out your opponent’s Pokemon even if they are an EX Pokemon.
Things get even better for Chesnaught and Chesnaught BREAK because it can in theory be played on turn one thanks to Forest of Giant Plants. This infamous stadium allows Grass type Pokemon like Chesnaught ignore the evolution rule and evolve on the same turn that they are played. If you can evolve Chespin into Chesnaught quickly then all you have to do now is just get four energy on to Chesnaught to start attacking.
The Cons
The first big thing going against Chesnaught is the fact that it is a Stage 2. Things get worst if we are talking about Chesnaught BREAK. If we include Chesnaught BREAK then essentially we are evolve Chespin into a Stage 3 Pokemon. Pokemon TCG players are already complaining about how difficult it is to place a Stage 2 into play. So many players may not be interested in playing at Stage 3 even though it has an impressive attack power and HP.
The second thing that goes against Chesnaught is that fact that it takes at least three energy attachments to get Chesnaught and Chesnaught BREAK ready to attack. You will need to attach a Double Colorless Energy and two Grass type energy in order to use Touchdown and Tough Hammer. This will be quite a task to pull as it uses up your energy attachment for the turn and there are limited number of ways to accelerate Grass energy. Things get worst as you will be wary to attach DCE energy thanks to the high amount of Enhanced Hammer and Xerosic being played now.
How to Play It
The first thing you need to play Chesnaught is to have at least three Forest of Giant Plants in your deck. That way you can quickly start to evolving your Pokemon.
The next thing you want to do is finding a quick and easy way to search out your Pokemon. If you are looking for ways in the current format then Ultra Ball is the card you want to play. It will allow you to search out any card in your deck included Chesnaught. Level Ball can be used to search out Chespin or Quilladin. That way you can place them on your bench and evolved them after you place Forest of Giant Plants on the field. If you want to get several Chespin in play then Pokemon Fan Club would be a good way to do that.
If you are looking towards what is to come in BREAKthrough then we have Heavy Ball which can used to find Quilladin, Chesnaught and Chesnaught BREAK thanks to their three or more retreat cost. That way you do not need to discard any cards if you are searching for them to evolve your Chespin.
If you are trying to accelerate energy onto Chesnaught then there are a few options. The first way is to use Sceptile from Primal Clash with the Heal and Nature ability. Sceptile’s ability allows you to attach an additional Grass energy onto any Pokemon and heals 30 damage off the Pokemon. Though the problem with using Sceptile that it involves setting up another Stage 2 Pokemon on the bench.
Illusmise from Primal Clash has an attack called Helping Hand which cost a Grass energy. If you use this attack then you are able to attach one basic energy from your deck onto any Pokemon. This comes at the risk losing a Pokemon but it may be worth it if you are trying to get Chesnaught ready for battle quickly.
This can similarly be done using M Sceptile EX with Jagged Saber. The difference is that M Sceptile EX involves evolving and attaching two energy on to it before using it to put energy on Chesnaught. Now that sounds like too much effort to do.
If you look into Expanded then there is Virizion EX who can attach two Grass energy on to any Pokemon thanks to Emerald Slash.
Once you have gotten Chesnaught attached with the needed energy and BREAK evolve then you can surely break your opponent’s bench. It hits hard and can knock out EX Pokemon with a Muscle Band even if they don’t attack into Chesnaught. If your opponent can’t take out Chesnaught before it attacks then they will have the awkward task of playing around it using Lysandre and other methods. Even better, Chesnaught BREAK won’t be an easy knock out for most Pokemon. Players thought 180 was difficult to knock out. Just wait until they try to do the math in order to knock out a 190 behemoth.
Chesnaught has some great potential in it thanks to Chesnaught BREAK breaking into the format. If somebody can find a way to make Chesnaught and Chesnaught BREAK viable in a forest of mayhem then we may see several things breaking. So get ready for a fight as Chesnaught is ready to burst out growing!
The post TCG Jump: Featured Card- Chesnaught (XY) appeared first on Pokémon Crossroads.


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