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Pokémon Power ⇢ Shapeshift
Once during your turn (before your attack), you may attach an Evolution card from your hand to Brock’s Ninetales. (This doesn’t count as evolving Brock’s Ninetales.) Treat Brock’s Ninetales as if it were that Pokémon instead. It can’t evolve, devolve, or use the Pokémon Power of that Pokémon. During your turn, you may discard the Evolution card attached to Brock’s Ninetales. This power can’t be used if Brock’s Ninetales is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed. If Brock’s Ninetales becomes Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed, discard all Evolution cards attached to it.
{R}{R} → Will-o’-the-wisp : 30
illus. Ken Sugimori · LV.30
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Curtis
In all honestly, I’ve only ever opened 2 or 3 packs of Gym era cards ever, so I never got a chance to really experience it. The only card in the series I’ve used is Blaine’s Charizard (non-misprint)
That said, this card could have some very interesting uses. I could see someone building a Mewbox-like deck for the time using this card.
Charmaster
Jason Klaczynski DID make a Brock’s Ninetales toolbox for the Rocket-Legendary Collection format. It pairs Rainbow Energy , Porygon2 N3 , and three types of basic Energy to ensure you can always pay for your attacks. And since you run Porygon2, you even get to run Dark Porygon2 to freely pivot between Energy Stadium and Chaos Gym !
Most Brock’s Ninetales decks I’ve seen use it either to shield one main attacker from Energy Removal and Super Energy Removal with Brock’s Protection , or to completely fill your board with members of a single evolution line. Misty’s Gyarados G2 , Steelix N1, and Tyranitar N2 are examples of the former, while Dark Weezing TR and Sabrina’s Haunter G1 are examples of the latter.
These sorts of decks struggled with status conditions, as well as with Pokémon like Muk FO and Magby N1 . The Porygon2 toolbox ran Dark Gengar to deal with Magby, while the Steelix deck runs Scyther JU and Tyrogue N2 (The Tyranitar deck should just make your opponent scared to bench babies).
Jason’s Misty’s Gyarados/Brock’s Ninetales list doesn’t have an answer to Mr. Mime JU, and while it could certainly try running something like Starmie BS to counter the Mime, Holon Phantom has begun playing an Arcanine BS / Blaine’s Rapidash version of the deck, which I suggested he add Clefable JU to for a better Rocket’s Zapdos matchup.
Sources:
https://jklaczpokemon.com/2000-base-to-gym/
https://jklaczpokemon.com/base-to-neo-decks/
https://jklaczpokemon.com/rocket-lc-decks/
Retro Format Base Set-Gym Pokemon TCG Battle! Brock’s Ninetales Vs Lt. Surge’s Raticate! (Holon Phantom’s video)
Pokémon 31337
I remember some guy told me about it on the league I go, using with Blastoise, if I recall correctly. But that meant no Rain Dance.. I’m still sure it had a purpose.
Shiny Shinx
Turn Brock’s Ninetales into any Water-type so that it can accept Energy from Rain Dance, then switch it with Exeggutor JU and swing for massive damage.
Charmaster
Brock’s Ninetales actually used to be much better with Blastoise, because it was originally designed to keep the Pokémon Powers of what it turned into! https://jklaczpokemon.com/original-rules/#brocks-ninetales Jason Klaczynski made a Brock’s Ninetales / Blastoise BS / Charizard BS deck that could turn a Brock’s Ninetales into a Blastoise, power itself up, and then turn into Charizard to Fire Spin, all under the shield of Brock’s Protection ! https://jklaczpokemon.com/original-rules/#brocks-ninetales-blastoise-charizard Unfortunately, there was a much better combo in Brock’s Ninetales / Vending Haunter / Dark Vileplume , which could prevent your opponent from ever playing Trainers with Vending Gastly, but let you turn off Hayfever whenever you wanted to abuse whatever Trainers you liked. https://jklaczpokemon.com/original-rules/#brocks-ninetales-haunter-dark-vileplume As a result, Brock’s Ninetales was nerfed in Japan, and we only ever got the nerfed version in English. (Vending Haunter/Dark Vileplume was still cracked, though, because having Psyduck FO’s Headache and Poltergeist in the same evolutionary line is just bonkers. https://jklaczpokemon.com/unreleased-japanese-cards/#dark-vileplume-haunter-deck )
Adam Capriola
I remember reading about this card in Pojo magazine before it was released in the US and it sounded so epic. I actually quit playing for a couple years while this was legal, so I don’t actually know if it was widely played or not. It’s gotta be one of the more interesting Powers ever created though!
I’m trying to think of any obvious combos, but none are coming to mind. Maybe use it to evolve into Jumpluffs or some other Stage 2 that has super weak Basics. It sucks that if you get hit by a special condition, you’ve gotta discard the evolution though. That’s a big weakness.
I guess it also lets you evolve to Stage 2 a little quicker, sorta like Broken Time-Space. But with Rare Candy around, it’s sorta pointless.
I’ll end with a haiku:
Hello Brock’s Ninetales
You can Shapeshift like Ditto
Or Will-o’-the-wisp
I’ll be here all night.
Quentin
Darn, beat me to the haiku (cue for snapping).
Never heard of ths card before this but to me, it might be usefull bypassing trainer lock.
Adam Capriola
There’s always room for more haikus. :)
linkin.boss
This card is killer with dark weezing. you can keep to unevolved koffings in the bench, plus brock’s ninetales evolved into dark weezing for mass explosion. In unlimited (or at least base to neo) you can go for 1 grass and 1 metal, so it only hits 10 to each of your pokemon, and you can take that away easily with brock.
Anonymous
Card looks fun. I’d use this to evolve into Rampardos PL (Adam, how do I get a link to that?) to bypass trainer lock rules for fossils.
Curtis
If we’re talking about using it for cards from last format, the most obvious choice is Gyarados. This way, you could discard the fourth Magikarp and hit for 120. Kinda like the Mew build but with more stability.
Anonymous
OMG, Why didn’t I think of that? I was always trying to find ways to do that. Garchomp Lv. X failed me.
Adam Capriola
To link, you need to use html: http://www.w3schools.com/tags/att_a_href.asp
I unfortunately don’t think I can autolink card names in comments since we use Disqus. I have like one option I could try out, but it might end up making the site run super slow.
If we used basic WordPress comments I could autolink, but then you’d lose the ability to edit your comments and the Like button.
Quentin
Which Website do you “login” to with Disqus? I’ve only ever had luck with Yahoo!
Adam Capriola
I made an actual account on Disqus: http://disqus.com/profile/signup/
Krisi92
This has to be one of the most fun cards in the entire game. I gotta get one just to have it.
jelze
Would this work with Mega Evolutions? Could be a fun way to bring out a Mega Evolution
feyblade
I think you COULD legally evolve into a Mega Evolution, but I’m not sure if this sort of evolution attachment would trigger a Mega Evolution’s turn ending effect.
inatspong
I’m wanting to say that it would, due to clever wording of the Mega Evolution rule. If it said “When you play this Pokemon from your hand to Mega Evolve one of your Pokemon, your turn ends,” then activating Shapeshift world bypass the rule. However, the wording is “When 1 of your Pokémon becomes a Mega Evolution Pokémon, your turn ends.” The key word is “becomes.” It says nothing of how it becomes one. Even though Shapeshift doesn’t count as evolving, it is still treated as that Pokemon, so it has indeed “become” that Pokemon. Your turn would still end.
inatspong
Although that could end in a game-breaking state when factoring Fossil Ditto into the equation. If you Mega Evolve your active with a Ditto in the opposing Active spot, would your opponent’s turn instantly end as well?
jelze
If only it did. Now it looks like Mew Prime might be the only way to use Mega Evolutions easier
inatspong
I’m not sure if that’s even “easier.” You’d still need to use a turn to See Off, which wouldn’t be much different than ending your turn by Mega Evolving. The only point I could see to doing so would be if there were a Mega Evolution with an attack that was super cheap, where you’d constantly want to set up a new one.
jelze
But if your Mega Evolution falls, you have to waste another turn mega evolving another one. With Mew, you always have it in the lost zone and only lose 1 prize when Mew goes down and can have things on your bench repowering a new Mew up.
inatspong
Yeah, but what’s more likely to go down? A 90 HP Pokemon or a 230 HP Pokemon? Still, I can see what you’re getting at.
BanJokulhaups
Okay, really strange question, (I’ve read this card so many times, but I can’t figure out the ruling) can you level up a shapeshifted brock’s ninetales? Technically leveling up is not evolving, and brock’s ninetales changes it’s name to the shapeshifted pokemon’s name. Because of that, I can’t tell if it isn’t a legal play or if it is. Thanks for responding in advance.
JP
This was asked here: http://pokegym.net/community/index.php?threads/brocks-ninetales-shapeshift-and-pokemon-lv-x.91508/
However, I don’t think Pokepop really answered the question fully – it’s pretty obvious that you can’t attach a Lv.X, but it still doesn’t answer the question of if you can Level Up Ninetales if it’s something else already.
I don’t think this question has a straightforward answer. You can tell the designers tried to think of some cases where Ninetales could become a different Pokemon and prevent those from happening; however, that list isn’t comprehensive for modern-day mechanics. Like, what happens if I attach an Aegislash XY (either one) and try to use its Stance Change Ability? Does switching “this Pokemon” mean I switch the Brock’s Ninetales (since it’s technically Aegislash), or does it mean I switch the attached Aegislash?
…Anyways, I don’t have a definitive answer for you. Trying to read the Power literally, it seems as though you should be able to level up the Ninetales… but then what happens to the LV.X if you try to detach the Evolution card…?
BanJokulhaups
Well if you deteched the evolution card the lv.x would get discarded, that is part of the level x rulings
BanJokulhaups
Also if you stance changed a shapeshifted ninetales, since ninetales treats ninetales as the attached pokemon, ninetales and all cards attached to it, including aegislash, would get switched for an aegislash in your hand.
Ambassador
The original JP text of this card doesn’t say anything about turning off Pokémon Powers, but this isn’t necessarily a mistranslation – pp.58-59 of Vol.6 of Pokémon Trainer Card Magazine is dedicated to a 2 page errata and sincere apology for changing the effect of the card, and a briefly contextualizing the need for the errata to balance the game. The apology is signed by Takumi Akabane. In addition, the function of Shapeshift is contrasted against Ditto’s Transform, and a cute flavor explanation is provided to explain the new, clearer distinction – that while Ditto actually transforms to be an exact replica of a Pokémon and therefore could use its Power (if it has one), Ninetales is only creating an optical illusion of being a different Pokémon, and so wouldn’t be able to replicate Powers.
On top of this, two combinations are suggested; one, with Misty’s Gyarados (a new, potent combination, primarily resulting from the text change), and the other with N1 Bellossom (the text change is irrelevant, and I’m also unsure what it is getting at. The magazine seems to be trying to suggest you could increase the damage cap of Bellossom’s Flower Dance, but since the Power requires you have to place a Bellossom on top of a Ninetales, it’s not like you could actually introduce a fifth or sixth Bellossom into play..? (Am I overlooking something here?)
Twylis
The only thing I can think of with Bellossom is that Brock’s Ninetales allows you to play both Bellossom and Dark Vileplume together in the same deck without them fighting over limited Oddish. Still wouldn’t increase the damage cap, though, and Brock’s Ninetales can’t use Powers so the evolution flexibility is still limited. I guess it does make recycling them after KOs a bit easier though?