The reveals for the upcoming paired expansion set (Black Bolt & White Flare) continue. This time, the Pokemon Company International (TPCi) is gracing us with more information for White Flare specifically.
Cofagrigus Evolution Line:
Yamask
Focused Wish: 20+ damage. Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 20 more damage.
Cofagrigus
Elongating Damagriiigus: Move all damage counters from 1 of your Benched Pokémon to 1 of your opponent's Pokémon.
Perplex: 60 damage. Your opponent's Active Pokémon is now Confused.
We’re off to a somewhat subpar start for this showing. Yamask suffers from a very inefficient attack for 2 energy. While it has a high damage potential, it’s reliant on a coin flip.
Cofagrigus tries to elevate the potential of this evolutionary line. To its credit, it does offer a very interesting tech choice.
A player may look at Cofagrigus and think it’s basically a more inefficient Dusknoir.
Cofagrigus needs to use the attack and have an ally on the bench, which is laden with damage counters, to justify using it at all.
There’s also the fact that Munkidori exists that parallels Cofagrigus’ ability to shift the placement of damage counters. Munkidori enjoys a very efficient package by comparison. Where Cofagrigus shines, however, is that it can pull double duty.
Cofagrigus can reach the same, if not higher, damage potential that Dusknoir has without knocking itself unconscious immediately.
Furthermore, Cofagrigus can also play the role of a pseudo-medic like Munkidori as it shifts all the damage counters from a single benched ally onto any of the opponent’s Pokemon.
Of course, using Cofagrigus isn’t without liabilities. Outside of the resource investment for its gimmick, Cofagrigus doesn’t exactly boast a robust body itself. Leading competitive rivals like Dragapult ex or Gardevoir ex can easily knock out Cofagrigus.
Thankfully, being a normal Pokemon, Cofagrigus can protect the controlling players' prize pool.
With the use of staple tool cards like Rescue Board, or maybe the upcoming Air Balloon in Destined Rivals, a witty player could use some sleight of hand to tag-in Cofagrigus with the heavily damaged vanguard to finish off the opponent’s active Pokemon.
Bouffalant ex
Ability: Bouffer
This Pokemon takes 30 less damage from attacks (after applying Weakness and Resistance).
Gold Breaker: 100+ damage. If your opponent’s Active Pokemon is a Pokemon ex, this attack does 100 more damage.
A rather mundane, if a little unassuming, by itself, Bouffalant ex doesn’t stand out
It can trade very handily against almost any type of Pokemon, more so if the target is an ex. Tat said, the three energy cost for its attack might make players cringe a bit at how slow it can be.
Either through intentional design or some form of cosmic irony, Bouffalant ex has synergy with the Bouffalant released in Stellar Crowns. With both versions of Bouffalant on the field, Bouffalant ex can easily negate 90 damage from an opposing attack.
If a player would like to double down on this further, then Defiance Vest is still in rotation. As long as the opponent is leading on prize cards, then Bouffalant ex is just ignoring 130 damage dealt to it.
That said, the Stellar Crown Bouffalant can’t rely on Bouffalant ex to activate its Curly Wall ability. That said, there are ways to search out the other copies of this Basic level Pokemon. A single Fan Rotom can easily call out a herd of the standard Bouffalant.
As for Bouffalant ex itself, it’s still a Basic Pokémon, so a Nest Ball can easily search it out. As a colorless Pokemon, Bouffalant ex can easily be incorporated with other toolbox Pokemon like Munkidori or even Joltik. This makes Bouffalant ex surprisingly versatile if it’s the main component of the deck.
Bouffalant ex isn’t the type of card that can shake up the meta of the competition by its mere presence. With some creativity, however, it can serve as a playable pet/rogue deck to bring to your locals.
Black Bolt & White Flare Reveals: Gothita & Krookodile Evolution Lines