Charizard-ex or Charizard-ex? This is a question one might ask in Pokémon TCG Pocket right now. We will take a look at both.
What’s happening in TCG Pocket: With “Shiny Festival,” a new set has been released in Pokémon TCG Pocket. Its focus is primarily on the shiny Shiny cards that can be pulled from it, which are likely to appeal to many collectors.
However, there are still plenty of other new cards in the set that are exciting – even for players who are mainly looking for new cards to defeat their opponents.
One of these cards is a series that we actually had before: Because in Shiny Festival, new cards for Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard-ex were released.
The old Charizard-ex instilled fear and terror in opponents in the early days of the game. Can the new one compete? We will compare both cards.
Charizard-ex vs. Charizard-ex Comparison
This is the old Charizard-ex: Charizard-ex from “Unbeatable Genes” was for a long time one of the key cards for one of the best decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket. This powerful fire Pokémon excels with:
- 180 HP, thus a lot of life
- The attack Slash, which does 60 HP damage. It costs one Fire and two Colorless energies.
- Its top attack is “Fire Red Storm” for two Fire and two Colorless energies. The attack does 200 HP damage, but also requires that you discard two Fire energies from Charizard afterward.
This is the new Charizard-ex: Charizard-ex from “Shiny Festival” differs in a few ways from the old one.
- It has the attack “Heat Up” for one Fire energy. This gives it three Fire energies on top instantly.
- In addition, it has the attack “Steam Shield.” It costs three Fire energies and two Colorless energies and does 150 HP damage.
- It also has 180 HP.
- Its retreat cost is three energies.
Which one is better? It’s clear that both are strong, no question about it. Once they are on the field, it will be difficult for your opponents.
The old Charizard particularly shines with its 200 HP attack, as it can take down pretty much any Pokémon in the game with just one attack. This is a point where the new Charizard may face difficulties – because 150 HP damage is not necessarily enough for everything. Especially when opponents use Pokémon equipment that boost their Pokémon’s HP.
However, the new Charizard has the advantage that it does not have to discard energy after the attack. It can simply use its Steam Shield again on the next turn, while the old Charizard may need to be recharged after a “Fire Red Storm.”
Furthermore, the new Charizard is somewhat less dependent on cards like Zapdos-ex. Zapdos is often used in conjunction with the old Charizard to quickly provide it with the necessary energy – however, this makes it dependent on successful coin flips. The new Charizard, on the other hand, can easily self-charge with “Heat Up.” And this is true even if it should lose energy due to other effects.
So: The old Charizard is generally a bit stronger than its successor and can defeat more monsters in one hit. However, the new Charizard is certainly suitable, especially in longer matches. Therefore, it might even make sense to include both versions in the deck if you want to play Charizard-ex.
Interestingly: The new Charmander is definitely the better version compared to its predecessor. Because it has the ability to attack without having to discard energy – the old Charmander did not have this option. So as a Charizard trainer, you should definitely check out what “Shiny Festival” could bring you. And if you want to know what’s next in the game: Here you can find the roadmap for Pokémon TCG Pocket.
