Pidgeot (Triumphant TM 29) – Card of the Day

For Today’s review, I’ll be taking a look at Pidgeot from the latest set, Triumphant. Pidgeot is a Stage 2 Colorless Pokémon, which puts it in a great position to 1HKO Garchomp C LV.X so long as its attacks are somewhat powerful.

120 HP won’t stop it from being played (Gardevior SW and Gengar SF both have lower HP), but isn’t amazing either. Pidgeot has a nasty x2 Weakness, which got worse with the release of Magnezone Prime, but the Fighting Resistance and free Retreat Cost go a long way toward making Pidgeot playable.

While Pidgeot doesn’t have any Poké-Powers or Poké-Bodies, it has two attacks. “Headwind”, for the flexible cost of CC does a low 20 damage. However, it does come with a very interesting effect. During your opponent’s next turn, each of the Defending Pokémon’s attacks cost CC more.

“Headwind” is interesting if nothing else, imagine “Dragon Rush” costing CCCCC, “Flash Impact” needing LCCC or “Megaton Tail” requiring DDCCCC. However, the problem with its attack is it only targets the Defending Pokémon, which means if your opponent Levels Up, Evolves, Retreats, uses Warp Energy, Warp Point, Poké Turn, Switch or any similar card, the new Pokémon can attack for their original costs. It isn’t a terrible attack, but I believe that as long as SP is in the format, this attack won’t be very viable. Let’s continue with Pidgeot’s other attack.

pokebeach.com“Quick Attack” costs CCC, which is high, but it isn’t nearly as hard to pay if they had been all specific Energies. People never cease to underestimate the value of Colorless attack costs (unless the card is named “Garchomp C”), being able to pay it with Double Colorless Energy, Cyclone Energy, Call Energy or any Basic Energy makes the attack extremely flexible not to mention giving it a big speed increase with DCE.

However, all of this flexibility and speed is useless unless its attacks, once powered up, are actually good. For CCC, “Quick Attack” will do 40 damage and provide a coin flip. If you flip heads, it does an extra 30 damage. I think it’s safe to say without fear of underestimating Pidgeot that “Quick Attack” is very underwhelming. The only good thing about this attack is that, with a heads or an Expert Belt, you can 1HKO a Garchomp C LV.X, but if that’s the only thing you’re looking for, go with Machamp or even Garchomp SV.

Overall, Pidgeot garnered a bit of attention with “Headwind”, but the rest of the card failed to prove as potentially useful. I suspect that, like a lot of “sorta interesting, but not that great” cards, it will be passed over for something better.

My Recommendation: I think you’re better off leaving this card in the binder for this format. Perhaps once SP leaves the format and new stuff is released “Headwind” will be more effective.

My Rating: 3/5 (There are a lot of variables that can make Pidgeot much more or less playable, so don’t treat my number rating like the Bible.)

Reader Interactions

13 replies

  1. UberP

    Ohhh….. I definitely think that I just realized that Pidgeot would be good with Machamp against Stage 2 decks with possibly Vileplume. I know it’s 3 stage 2’s but It could still work.

  2. Thanos Prokopidis

    “…Pidgeot’s rarity, which is something I’ve never really touched upon in my reviews. While being an Uncommon has nothing to do with the viability of Pidgeot…”

    Pidgeot was rare last time I checked. ;)
    Plus, the 3/5 rating seems way higher than it should be. It’s not just the fact that you can’t abuse Headwind’s effect with the presence of SP. We’re playing in a format where you’re supposed to get a KO every turn or at least stop your opponent from doing so, attacks that hit for 20 and 40 with easily avoidable effects won’t get you anywhere. Pidgeot should beg for a HGSS-on format in order to become useful. In this format, I’d give it a 1-1.5/5, even if you want to play a Colorless Stage-2, Garchomp SV and Flygon are both better in my opinion.

  3. Ryan

    Every new card released has a 2x weakness now, so thats not totally terrible. Great review nonetheless.

  4. Andrew Adams

    I wanted so badly for this to be good, but it’s just not. You can use it once, Defending attaches, passes. You use it again. Defending attaches and is back in business, and you’ve done a whole 40 damage. The damage output is just too low. There could be some cool combos to prevent retreat, but I can’t see it working well.

  5. Sophie Grace Hirst

    A notable example that highlights how ridiculous your 3/5 rating for Pidgeot is (and a little note asking readers to not take that rating as Bible does not change that) would be the fact that you had rated Yanmega Prime 2/5. It leaves me to suspect that the reason you gave such an inflated score may either be as juvenile as a personal liking for the Pokemon in question, or as pathetic as a desire to be controversial and different.

    If recognition is what you desire, I suggest constructing an article that does not follow your usual, boring format. Furthermore, it would be wise to not give unconstructive criticism to other writers who do have the imagination to submit an article a little out of the ordinary (e.g. ‘The Art if Losing’).

    While I admire the sheer volume of articles you submit, I fear it has become a substitute for quality.

    • Dakota Streck  → Sophie

      Wrong on both counts, I’m afraid. I don’t have a personal liking for Pidgeot (Pidgeot FRLG was an awesome card, though) nor am I trying to be controversial. I admit that I try to be different, but I would never do so in such a manner as to inflate a rating beyond that of what I believe to be the card’s true value for the sake of getting recognition.

      As for the format in which I write the COTDs in which you’re questioning, I don’t have too much of a problem with it. I review the basics of the card (HP, Weakness, Retreat Cost, etc) then move onto the Poke-Things and Attacks. I round it off by talking about potential combos with the card, how I believe it will affect the format, etc.

      Finally, I drop my recommendation on the card along with the rating. I appreciate that COTDs can get a little repetitive at times, I assure you that I put an extraordinary amount of effort into writing both Articles and COTDs. However, both you and I need to accept that no matter how much effort/hard you try, every single submission won’t be perfect and not everyone will agree with what you say.

      I thank you for dropping your opinion, though. I will take what you said to heart and use it to improve the cotds to the best of my ability.

      • Sophie Grace Hirst  → Dakota

        A dignified response. I commend you for taking note of my suggestions, even if they did seem a little harsh.

        Continuing from my previous point, may I ask how you justify giving Pidgeot a rating of 3/5 when Yanmega Prime only received 2/5? In other words, how is Pidgeot a better card/more feasible than Yanmega Prime?

        • Anonymous  → Sophie

          I think its better because of Pidgeot’s “Headwind”, Pidgeot is easier to set up, and Pidgeot is great for disruption.

        • Dakota Streck  → Sophie

          Yeah, Epic_Win1 is pretty close to the mark. Neither Pidgeot nor Yanmega are in their ideal format. Pidgeot is less effective because of all the SP Pokemon, Warp Energies and Free Retreat Cost attackers in the format (IE Gengar, etc). Both Yanmega and Pidgeot has to deal with a x2 Lightning Weakness, which is Luxray GL Lv.X and Magnezone prime, as well as the other Magnezones, Luxrays, etc.

          Perhaps 3/5 is too high for the situation right now, but what I was trying to suggest within my cotd was more a prediction for the future over what the current situation at hand reflects upon Pidgeot.

          As for Yanmega, I know people think it is better than I said, but I still disagree. I don’t think it’s a good card at all. I realize I get a lot of hate for believing that, but I can’t adjust my opinion on a card because others don’t believe in it. I just think the format is way too stacked against it and it takes way too much effort to set up attacks that are only average.

          I plan to keep an eye on both Yanmega and Pidgeot. They’re both very useful cards that will be in our format for at least 1-2 more years, so I’d be will to bet that the meta game will eventually come to a point or something will be released that will give them a better chance.

          Finally, I believe Pidgeot to be the more useful of the two because, like I’ve been saying, the format isn’t stacked against it so much. Neither is exactly Tier 1 and I think most people agree with me on that, I just think Pidgeot is better than Yanmega in the current format (also, Pidgeot can hit Garchomp C for weakness, which is a nice bonus).

          Hopefully I address all of your questions, it’s such a long post, sometimes I forget them all. :)

  6. Profile Deleted

    I agree that your rating is too high, I really liked your article though (and your other ones too). You are doing a great job.

Leave a Reply

You are logged out. Register. Log in.