Get your wins in the bag with this draw support!
Get ready to start your adventure with a card that has it’s own strengths. Your early encounters can lead to some great things and today’s card proves just that. That doesn’t say it is a bad card later on in the game. This card isn’t a slouch and if you have played the recent Pokemon games then you know that. Just like in the video game, this card wants to do it’s best to leave a lasting impression and help you out. It is a cute card with a strong resolve, a lively spirit and will never leave you feeling lonely. Get ready to depend on this card to help you out. This week we will be featuring the card Lillie!
Lillie is a Supporter card from Sun & Moon base set. When you play this card, you are able to draw from you deck until you have six cards in your hand. Though, if you play Lillie on your first turn of the game then you can draw cards until you have eight cards in your hand. Because Lillie is a Supporter card, you can only play it once during your turn.
The Pros
Lillie has amazingly adorable art as a full art card and many people want it for that reason. The character was adorable and lovable in the game and it is only fitting that the card is the same.
The normal version of the card is pretty amazing as well. It features Lillie standing at the location where you first met her. You can see Lillie with the background of the bridge from the start of the game. It truly invokes the spirit of the card and the Sun & Moon video game.
Now, enough about the art. I simply wanted to gush about the full art and how wonderful Lillie is. Let’s talk about the card effect and how good it is.
What good can we say about Lillie? The first thing is that it fits so well into decks that need another way to draw cards. This may sounds like it can fit into every deck and it can thanks to cards like Ultra Ball where you discard cards from your hand. I will go into detail about this later but if you can find a way to get rid of cards in your hand then Lillie becomes a much stronger card. After all, the less cards you have in your hand means that you can draw more with Lillie.
This card is pretty strong if you play it in the early game. That is because you can draw until you have eight cards in your hand. Having eight cards in your hand isn’t bad. Especially when it is your opening hand. All you need to do is get Lillie in your opening hand which can be done. Either you get lucky or play cards like Random Receiver.
Lastly, Lillie is a powerful draw Supporter that allows you to draw cards. That means you do not have to worry about discarding needed resources like other draw Supporters. That Rare Candy that you need? It is staying in the bag thanks to Lillie.
The Cons
Lillie can be situational. You will most likely want to use it during your first turn because you want to draw up until you have eight cards. That is great but Lillie can only draw you that many cards on your first turn. If you draw into Lillie later in the game then you can at most get six cards in your hand. That is a fine number but that could only be a few cards depending on if you can get your hand down to one or two cards.
Drawing until you have six cards is fine and players have proven that that is a good number to have. After all, that is what Shaymin EX does. The difference is that players use Shaymin EX because it is a draw card that isn’t a Supporter. They can have their cake and eat it by playing Shaymin EX as their card draw. They can then use a Lysandre to take their final knock out to win the game. Shaymin EX gives players flexibility that Lillie does not due to it being your Supporter for the turn.
How to Use It
So let talk about how can you get the most out of Lillie. You will want to play Lillie during the same turn as you play Ultra Ball. You will use Ultra Ball to discard two of the cards in your hand to search out a needed Pokemon. This could be something like Cosmog, member of the Rowlet line or a Basic Pokemon. You will play down this Pokemon and another that can be played. When you hand is as low as you can, then use Lillie to draw as many cards as you can.
If you can do all of that on your first turn then you could draw up to six or seven cards. If you are lucky then an eight card draw could be in your future.
How many copies of Lillie should be in your deck? Maybe up to two. If you playing four copies of Lillie in your deck then that is too many. You do want to start with Lillie in your hand so you can use it in your opening hand. That is why two should be enough. It allows you a good chance to start with it if you do have it in your opening hand and it won’t get in the way too much later in the game if you happen to draw into it.
Now lets talk about when and how you will really use Lillie. You will want to play this card if your deck doesn’t play Shaymin EX. The number one target for Ultra Ball in the early game is for Shaymin EX. People want to draw into their deck as quick as they can. So discarding two cards to draw more cards with Shaymin EX will help them do that. The idea is that they can draw into more resources or even a draw Supporter so they can dig even deeper into their deck.
Lillie basically allows you to do the same thing but it allows you to grab another Pokemon instead of Shaymin EX. This Pokemon can be a needed Basic that needs to evolve. That way you can end your turn knowing that you get a needed Pokemon for later in the game. You may not be able to search your deck for a Lillie using Ultra Ball but you can use that item for something else. You are also using up your Supporter for the turn but at least Lillie is easier to get then a Shaymin EX if you are building on a budget.
Though, why are you running a deck that doesn’t play Shaymin EX. The obvious reason is because you can’t afford Shaymin EX. That is one reason but there are other reasons as well.
One of those reasons is because you do not want a Pokemon in your deck that will be an easy knock out. After all, your opponent takes two prizes if they can knock out your Shaymin EX. Also, not playing Shaymin EX means you need to play more draw Supporter cards and Lillie does make a great contender.
If you are playing a deck that doesn’t use Shaymin EX then Lillie needs to be in your deck. If you are just looking for different Supporters to play in your deck then Lillie is your girl. She will work hard to make sure you have a great start. May it be by giving you a Repel or simply getting you the Rare Candy you need to start off strong. Lillie is a card that wants to see you grow.
