As suggested by Dave, here is my analysis of the controversy that’s been all over the news and is even overtaking Michael Jackson for the headlines: Which is a better Pokémon card, Crobat G or PlusPower?
I have got to put Crobat G PL at the top of the list. The card is just phenominal, but it does require a bit of an investment in the 60 card deck limit imposed on the Pokémon TCG. In order for it to be most effective, you really need to run 4 TG’s Poké Turn and around 2 Crobat G. Running this multitude of Poké Turn will give you the opportunity to reuse Crobat G at many points in the game, allowing you to “Flash Bite” for the 10 damage you need for unexpected and crucial knock outs.
Even if you are not running a deck focused on Pokémon SP, you should still use 4 Poké Turn if Crobat G is part of your strategy. For example, decks like Kingdra and Gengar that have Crobat G in them should run 4 Poké Turn. If you are playing a deck without Pokémon SP and only want to use 1 Crobat G as tech, then that slot may be better used with a different card.
So what are the advantages of Crobat?
- It is a Pokémon, so you can use cards like Roseanne’s Research, Bebe’s Search, SP Radar, and Luxury Ball to search it out.
- “Flash Bite” is a Pokémon Power, so you can reuse it with TG’s Poké Turn (or even Super Scoop Up) to put more than just 4 extra damage counters in play (which is the limit for PlusPower).
- It has free retreat. This is nice because it can be considered a decent starter and because you can always elect to promote it when one of your Pokémon is Knocked Out, then retreat it for free.
- It is an Pokémon SP, so it counts toward you total of 3 Pokémon SP in play for TG’s Power Spray. This allows you to use Poké Turn on it.
- “Flash Bite” is not an attack, so you can potentially draw prizes during your turn, before you even use an actual attack on your opponent.
- It place a damage counter on ANYONE (not just your opponent’s active Pokémon).
- Placing a damage counter via a Pokémon Power is not affected by resistance or Unown G.
- Has a decent amount of HP.
- You can use it the very first turn of the game when you are going first.
- Fits seamlessly into any SP deck.
On the other hand, it does have some disadvantages…
- Takes up a spot on the bench.
- “Flash Bite” is a Pokémon Power, which means TG’s Power Spray, Mesprit LA, and Alakazam MT can all stop it.
- Requires such a big investment in your deck if you don’t focus on Pokémon SP (about 6 cards, 10% of your deck).
- It does not apply weakness.
- “Toxic Fang” is not a stellar attack.
As you can see, the card has a lot going for it. The investment in space is the main issue.
Next up we have PlusPower. This card has been around forever, yet it still sees play! Has Crobat G put this card in the retirement home? I have to say it almost has, but not quite.
PlusPower still has some function in the Pokémon TCG. Even though it is a Trainer card and is much more difficult to search out, I still like it in a few instances.
PlusPower can still be good in Haymaker type decks; i.e. fast hitting decks. I would recommend playing 3 to 4 copies of this card in your deck, which is less than the 6 card investment Crobat G requires. One distinct positive PlusPower has over Crobat G is that it does not take up any bench space. This can be extremely important for certain decks to need room on their bench. It also makes you less vulnerable to Pokémon that can hit your bench and may target Crobat G as an easy prize, or even Dusknoir DP who thrives off of big benches to swing the momentum of a game with its “Dark Palm” Pokémon Power.
Let me list the advantages of PlusPower for you:
- Requires less of an investment in space than Crobat G (about 3-4 cards versus 6).
- You can play multiple PlusPowers at once.
- Applies weakness (only helpful when the Pokémon is weak 2×).
- Does not take up a bench space.
- Isn’t stopped by TG’s Power Spray, Mesprit LA, or Alakazam MT.
- You can recycle them if you attack with a Pokémon like Uxie LA or Shuppet PL (which is useful against Gengars).
And here are the detriments of the card:
- Not easy to search out, you will most likely have to draw into it.
- Affected by resistance.
- Only does extra damage to active Pokémon.
- Can’t be played very first turn going first.
- Dialga G PL’s “Deafen” attack prevents you from playing it.
- You can only get a max total of 40 extra damage from the card (Crobat G can potentially put more than 4 extra damage counters in play).
- You have to use an attack to benefit from the card.
Now if you are using an Pokémon SP oriented deck you will obviously want to pop in a Crobat G or two and will more than likely not need to give a second thought to PlusPower. However, if you are not focusing on Pokémon SP, PlusPower may be the way to go. You may not quite be able to fit in the cards necessary to fit in Crobat G, but will have the room to fit some PlusPowers. If you are playing a deck that does no bench damage, like Beedrill for example, PlusPower is a good play because you are only going to attack their active Pokémon anyway.
I like Crobat G better than PlusPower, but you really need to see what you can fit in your list and try both out to see which is more effective. There is no definitive answer as to which card is better, just try both of them out and see which works best in your deck!
Thanks for reading and please post some comment. Let me know if there are any advantages or disadvantages to each card that I forget to mention. :)
A crobat G with an unown G attached makes for a nice wall to put out against machamp (well, until SV comes out with that relicanth…)
Doh! I knew I forgot something. Thanks for covering me dude. :)
I also like Crobat more than PlusPower. Sure, the power sprays suck…but in the long run, most people would NOT opt to power spray Crobat…at least that’s my opinion. Because that is just a waste of a Power Spray…why not save it for that crucial Cosmic or Set Up?
A crobat G with an unown G attached makes for a nice wall to put out against machamp (well, until SV comes out with that relicanth…)
Doh! I knew I forgot something. Thanks for covering me dude. :)
I’d go for the Crobat, personally. I’ve never been a huge fan of PP.
I’d go for the Crobat, personally. I’ve never been a huge fan of PP.
I also like Crobat more than PlusPower. Sure, the power sprays suck…but in the long run, most people would NOT opt to power spray Crobat…at least that’s my opinion. Because that is just a waste of a Power Spray…why not save it for that crucial Cosmic or Set Up?
I think the only reason you would use PP in this metagame is if a) you can’t afford the space in both your deck and the bench or b) You only damage the active anyway.
Another detriment to PP not up there is that if you run an attack that hurts yourself (like rampardoes Pt) then pluspower will also add 10 to the damage you do to yourself.
Free retreat, can be bounced back to your hand, sucks blood, wrecks face, and doesn’t look like narcotics. Crobat all the way everyday in every way.
Why is being affected by resistance a negative for plus power? The only time this matters is if you only hit for 10 damage, in which case the plus power would result in adding 0 damage, unless multiple are stacked. This makes little sence and plus power almost always helps out against a resistant pokemon. Personally though, I see both being shoved into sp decks as time goes on.
Because Crobat isn’t affected by resistance.
But resistance isn’t a factor at all. What I’m saying is that although plus power is reduced by resistance, it still helps the attack negate the effects of resistance, so although its a point, it really only works on metal pokemon and if they make a pokemon with a different resistance than -20, and even then, thats only really on a pokemon that hits for 10…lol. My main beef in crobat is basically it eats up your bench space horribly. With poketurn, you can bounce him but you only really bounce him to drop him back down. Yes it doesn’t work like that often times, but the risk of it sitting on the bench when a more key card can be there, such as nidoqueen or another main hitter/sp pokemon.
Ok I see what you’re saying. Yeah you’re right, thanks for clarifying that for me.
I guess a different disadvantage would be that it only adds 10 extra damage to attacks that actually do damage, not to attacks to place damage counters.
I think the only reason you would use PP in this metagame is if a) you can’t afford the space in both your deck and the bench or b) You only damage the active anyway.
Another detriment to PP not up there is that if you run an attack that hurts yourself (like rampardoes Pt) then pluspower will also add 10 to the damage you do to yourself.
“You can play multiple PlusPowers at once.”
This is not actually an advantage over Crobat (on Strength Charm though), only something people might not know. 2 Pluspowers = 1 Crobat + 1 Poketurn.
I think Cyrus’s Conspiracy deserves a mention with Crobat. Kingdra and Gengar can use 2 for consistency, but for even more space. If you don’t use Cyrus, having 2 Crobats in hand without a Poketurn will hurt you eventually.
I’ll agree that’s a fairly weak point, I was just trying to give PlusPower something strut about. ;)
Cyrus is definitely something I should have mentioned. It works perfectly for grabbing the Poke Turns you need to recycle Crobats.
Free retreat, can be bounced back to your hand, sucks blood, wrecks face, and doesn’t look like narcotics. Crobat all the way everyday in every way.
Why is being affected by resistance a negative for plus power? The only time this matters is if you only hit for 10 damage, in which case the plus power would result in adding 0 damage, unless multiple are stacked. This makes little sence and plus power almost always helps out against a resistant pokemon. Personally though, I see both being shoved into sp decks as time goes on.
Because Crobat isn’t affected by resistance.
But resistance isn’t a factor at all. What I’m saying is that although plus power is reduced by resistance, it still helps the attack negate the effects of resistance, so although its a point, it really only works on metal pokemon and if they make a pokemon with a different resistance than -20, and even then, thats only really on a pokemon that hits for 10…lol. My main beef in crobat is basically it eats up your bench space horribly. With poketurn, you can bounce him but you only really bounce him to drop him back down. Yes it doesn’t work like that often times, but the risk of it sitting on the bench when a more key card can be there, such as nidoqueen or another main hitter/sp pokemon.
Ok I see what you’re saying. Yeah you’re right, thanks for clarifying that for me.
I guess a different disadvantage would be that it only adds 10 extra damage to attacks that actually do damage, not to attacks to place damage counters.
Crobat is better in SP decks, as the Poke Turns don’t need to be active, but in decks that don’t snipe, PlusPower is better to me.
Good article Adam. Thanks for taking the idea and running with it. It made me wonder, are there any cards that can get Trainers out of the discard pile? I guess there are a few Pokemon that can do it as an attack, but it would probably not be worth using an attack to get back a Plus Power.
Azurill DP can get any card out of the discard and put it into your hand, but it only has 40 hp. :(
I have been trying to figure out a way to make use of it, but haven’t thought of anything yet.
Good article Adam. Thanks for taking the idea and running with it. It made me wonder, are there any cards that can get Trainers out of the discard pile? I guess there are a few Pokemon that can do it as an attack, but it would probably not be worth using an attack to get back a Plus Power.
Azurill DP can get any card out of the discard and put it into your hand, but it only has 40 hp. :(
I have been trying to figure out a way to make use of it, but haven’t thought of anything yet.
“You can play multiple PlusPowers at once.”
This is not actually an advantage over Crobat (on Strength Charm though), only something people might not know. 2 Pluspowers = 1 Crobat + 1 Poketurn.
I think Cyrus’s Conspiracy deserves a mention with Crobat. Kingdra and Gengar can use 2 for consistency, but for even more space. If you don’t use Cyrus, having 2 Crobats in hand without a Poketurn will hurt you eventually.
I’ll agree that’s a fairly weak point, I was just trying to give PlusPower something strut about. ;)
Cyrus is definitely something I should have mentioned. It works perfectly for grabbing the Poke Turns you need to recycle Crobats.
Crobat is better in SP decks, as the Poke Turns don’t need to be active, but in decks that don’t snipe, PlusPower is better to me.
i will vote for plus power its very hanndy sometimes during games
i will vote for plus power its very hanndy sometimes during games
Marley’s Request lets you choose 2 T/S/S and your opponent picks one for you to keep. If you chose two discarded Plus Powers you would be assured of getting one back.
Ummm, no becuase you have to pick 2 different named trainers if you have two or more. If you have a plus power and a poketurn, then obviously this senario works….:x
Having the opponent choose between a Pluspower and Poketurn seems money, it’s just that it’s usually difficult to sacrifice a Supporter to do so. Marley’s request is difficult to use well, and unfortunately looks better than it actually is.
Marley’s Request lets you choose 2 T/S/S and your opponent picks one for you to keep. If you chose two discarded Plus Powers you would be assured of getting one back.
Ummm, no becuase you have to pick 2 different named trainers if you have two or more. If you have a plus power and a poketurn, then obviously this senario works….:x
Having the opponent choose between a Pluspower and Poketurn seems money, it’s just that it’s usually difficult to sacrifice a Supporter to do so. Marley’s request is difficult to use well, and unfortunately looks better than it actually is.
Hi buddy, your blog’s type is easy and clean and i like it. Your blog content articles are superb. Please retain them coming. Greets!!!