TCG Jump: Featured Card- Hoopa (Shining Legends)

It is time to look at a scoundrel that is pretty legendary.

Today we are going to go back into Shining Legends to look at a card that can steal the show. This card has built in protection to ensure that it won’t get caught. It will ring itself into any game and force your opponent into a tough position. That is because this card can be tricky to play around. This card doesn’t hit hard but it will surely last a long time. That is expected from any thief. Today on Featured Card, we will be focusing on Hoopa from Shining Legends!

Hoopa is a Darkness Pokemon from Shining Legends. This Pokemon has 120 HP and is a Basic Pokemon. Hoopa has an ability call Scoundrel Guard. This ability prevents Hoopa from taking damage and effects from your opponent’s EX and GX Pokemon. If you attach a Darkness and two other energy then you can have Hoopa use Super Psy Bolt. This attack does 80 damage. Hoopa has a weakness to Fighting, resists Psychic and cost two energy to retreat.

The Pros
The best thing about Hoopa is the Scoundrel Guard ability. This ability gives Hoopa immunity from all of your opponent’s EX and GX attacks and their effects. If you opponent has a deck with nothing but EX or GX Pokemon then you can simply wall them with Hoopa during the game. They will be force to use a normal Pokemon to do all their damage with. There are some decks that play such Pokemon but they do not have enough of them. Imagine having all your EX and GX Pokemon ready to attack only to do nothing against Hoopa.

Hoopa is also a Basic Pokemon with GX/EX immunity. The only other Pokemon that has this type of ability is is the Stage One Alolan Ninetales. Hoopa excels over that Pokemon because you do not need telephone your intentions. You can play down Hoopa and your opponent will be force to set up a non EX/GX attacker.

If you do need to attack with Hoopa then that is good. It has an easy to use attack that can be paid with two energy attachments. All you have to do is attach a Darkness and Double Colorless Energy. That way the attack can instantly be used while you are defending. Super Psy Bolt only does 80 damage but if you attach a Choice Band then you will be doing 110 damage. That is enough to two hit KO most GX and EX Pokemon. Meanwhile, their GX and EX Pokemon can’t hurt you.

The Cons
Hoopa has low HP which means that is can easily be overpowered if your opponent does play non-EX/GX attackers. 120 HP means that a Zoroark can use Mind Jack with a full bench to knock out Hoopa. A Volcanion who has gotten a Steam Up boost can knockout Hoopa. These Pokemon and a few more can easily knockout Hoopa if they get the first attack. You may be able to wall the EX and GX Pokemon that you face. Though you will need to be careful of those non-EX/GX Pokemon that you opponent may carry in their deck.

A Fighting weakness may not bet the best weakness to have as well. Darkness Pokemon are becoming more popular in the TCG thanks to cards like Zoroark GX. Because of that, more people are trying to invest into Fighting type decks to help counter these Darkness decks. If somebody is using a non-EX/GX Fighting Pokemon then Hoopa can easily be overpowered.

How to Play It
You will be playing Hoopa for the Scoundrel Guard ability. You may use it to simply put in the active to wall your opponent as you power up something on your bench. If your opponent is playing an EX/GX heavy deck then they will be stuck as Hoopa takes the field. It can be a nasty predicament if you play Hoopa at the right time.

You have a few options as in how to play Hoopa. You can play it in a Darkness deck that needs something to hide behind as you power up your Pokemon. Darkness decks may appreciate having a wall in their deck that can’t be knockout by EX/GX Pokemon. They could use Hoopa to attach Darkness energy to fuel Darkrai GX. Hoopa could also be used to attack thanks Super Psy Bolt’s attack cost. Simply splash in a Hoopa or two in a Zoroark GX deck. That deck is already playing DCE and Darkness energy. That way if you need to attack with Hoopa then it will be a quick thing to do as you are playing all the card you need.

You can also play Hoopa in decks that use hit and run tactics. Some cards that do this include Umbreon GX and Kartana GX. Both of these decks have the ability to attack your opponent’s Pokemon and running away. When that happens then these Pokemon need to put somebody in the active. That is where Hoopa comes into play. You can simply put this Pokemon in the active and wall your opponent. Attach a Float Stone to Hoopa and then you can easily switch in and out of your hit-and-run attacker.

As mention before, Hoopa can not wall against non-GX/EX attackers. It would be advise that you use your big attackers to knockout any non-EX/GX Pokmeon. That is where you Zoroark GX build will work better. It can hit hard for 120 damage which can knockout most non-EX/GX Pokemon. Once you have cleared the field of any non-GX/EX Pokemon then Hoopa can come out to steal the show.

Hoopa is known as a bandit. It will steal what it wants in order to be happy. That is why Hoopa will have no problem stealing the show if your opponent has no non-EX/GX Pokemon. So expect to see it appear at the European International this weekend! Best of luck to everybody competing in London!