The New Black Bolt & White Flare Pokemon Set!
Hi all! I’m Liv, a CFG staff member and recent Pokemon enthusiast! With the new specialty sets, Black Bolt and White Flare, dropping in less than a month, my coworkers and I have been pretty hyped. Let’s take a look at some of the abilities on the new cards I’ve seen so far.
First Look at the New Cards
As a new Pokemon Standard player, I’ve been getting my feet wet with a couple of decks while learning the ins and outs of the Pokemon TCG. Right now, I’m practicing with a Gardevoir deck, but I’ve already played in a few competitions using a Ceruledge/Munkidori build. I’m still new to all this, so if you’ve got tips, know better combos, or just think there are stronger options out there, definitely let me know! I’m here to learn.
Zekrom ex (Black Bolt) – Voltage Burst deals 130 damage plus an additional 50 for each Prize card your opponent has taken, making it a massive late-game attacker. Paired with Eelektrik, it’s shaping up to be a real powerhouse. If your opponent has taken 5 Prize cards, you’re swinging for 380! That’s enough to knock out most Pokemon, even a base Blissey.
Jellicent ex (White Flare) – A bigger, badder version of Budew. Its Oceanic Curse ability blocks your opponent from playing Item AND Tool cards while it’s in the Active Spot. I’ve already heard a lot of buzz about this card slotting into the meta really well. I’m even thinking about trying it out in my Gardevoir deck!
Genesect ex (Black Bolt) – Metal Signal lets you search your deck for up to 2 Metal Evolution Pokemon every turn. That makes Hilda a card you might not even need anymore. Pairing Genesect with Rare Candy or TM Evolution could seriously speed up your board setup.
Hydreigon ex (White Flare) – Dark Bite locks your opponent in place while hitting for 200, and Greed Eater lets you take an extra Prize card when you knock out a Basic with its attack. You could potentially end the game in just two moves, which honestly seems kind of wild to me.
Emboar (White Flare) – Inferno Fandango lets you attach Basic Fire Energy from your hand to any of your Pokemon as many times as you’d like each turn. A nuisance to go up against, but a great card to have in your deck.
Meloetta ex (Black Bolt) – Debut Live means it can attack on your first turn if you go first. Definite Squawkabilly vibes; a solid way to snag a Prize card early.
Gothitelle (White Flare) – Twisted Future makes your opponent shuffle their hand into their deck and draw just 3 cards. A great way to stall someone mid-setup, and it knocks out the chance of Secret Box. I have a feeling Dusknoir’s Cursed Blast and this card could make for a real dynamic duo.
Whimsicott ex (White Flare) – Similar to Emboar but limits Energy to three with Energy Gift. Its second attack, Wonder Cotton, does 50x damage for every Trainer card in your opponent’s hand, which could mean big potatoes!
Serperior ex (Black Bolt) – Royal Yell gives your Pokemon +20 damage, but the attack is where it’s at: 150 damage and then search your deck for any 3 cards. An amazing draw engine.
Zoroark (White Flare) – Foul Play copies any attack from your opponent’s Active Pokemon, a lot like Mew ex’s Genome Hacking, but it only gives up 1 Prize card instead of 2 when knocked out. I run him in my Ceruledge deck, so I’m a bit biased!
Trainers: N’s Plot moves up to 2 Energy from your Bench to your Active Pokemon (pair with Emboar, Whimsicott, or Zekrom for crazy Energy moves). Tool Scrapper discards 2 Tools from either side. Air Balloon brings a Pokemon’s Retreat Cost down by 2, great for heavy hitters like Hydreigon or Zekrom.
Overall, I’m really excited to see how Black Bolt and White Flare shake up the meta. As a new player, diving into card abilities and combos like these has been a blast, and I’m eager to hear what others think, especially from more experienced players. Let’s keep the conversation going!
Let’s create what matters — together.
Liv Ferguson
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