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Dark Vileplume · Team Rocket (RO) #13

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Dark Vileplume · 60 HP · {G}
Pokémon (Vileplume) › Stage 2 : Evolves from Dark Gloom · is: Dark

Pokémon Power ⇢ Hay Fever
No Trainer cards can be played. This power stops working while Dark Vileplume is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.

{G}{G}{G} → Petal Whirlwind : 30×
Flip 3 coins. This attack does 30 damage times the number of heads. If you get 2 or more heads, Dark Vileplume is now Confused (after doing damage).

weak: {R}×2 | resist: n/a | retreat: 2
illus. Kagemaru Himeno · LV.29
Classic › Team Rocket (RO) › #13/82 : Rare Holo · ↘ Apr 24, 2000
Formats: Other: 1999–2001 · Modified: 2002
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Perhaps because of their strong-smelling pollen, other Pokémon do not approach areas where Vileplumes live.

Rating

Overall: 98.41% (62 wins, 1 loss)

Within Set & Formats:

  • Team Rocket: 100% (2 wins, 0 losses)
  • BS-on (1999–2001): 91% (10 wins, 1 loss)
  • RO-on (Modified 2002): 100% (10 wins, 0 losses)

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Reader Interactions

21 comments

    • WilliamH. Mantidactyle

      So this card’s Power is very much like the modern day Vileplume only, since this card is very old, it targets ALL Trainers as well, not just Items.
      Broken indeed.

      PS. ROFL at Aerodactyl + Dark Vileplume + Aggron Ex !!

      Reply

    • C.Ezra.MMantidactyle

      This card really started to wreak havoc when Leaders’ Stadium (the equivalent to Gym Heroes) was released in Japan. At the time, Brock’s Ninetales allowed you to use the Pokémon Power of the attached Pokémon, which was INSANE when combined with Dark Vileplume. So this could make you the only player to play any Trainer cards at all.
      Jason Klaczynski decided to dig into old Japanese TCG rules and construct an extremely broken deck that centers around this quirk. Vending Gastly and Haunter are used additionally, so you can do massive damage based on the number of Trainers your opponent has in hand, and Vending Mr. Mime is there, so Colorless Pokémon can’t wall you. Such a deck has a ton of draw trainers, so it’s almost guaranteed that you can get a Brock’s Ninetales by turn 2 and make it into a Dark Vileplume for Trainer lock. Overall, a very fun deck to play.

      Reply

      • AnonymousC.Ezra.M

        Jason Klaczynski’s reaction to what Haunter/Vileplume would have become in the United States:
        “I’m almost glad these two cards never made their way outside Japan because they are almost certain to have completely taken over the Base–Gym format of 2000.”
        https://jklaczpokemon.com/unreleased-japanese-cards/#gastly-haunter
        Jason Klaczynski’s reaction to what it becomes with pre-errata Brock’s Ninetales:
        “Behold, the most broken Pokémon deck of all time.”

        It’s amazing how much stronger Haunter/Dark Vileplume becomes when you can discard Dark Vileplume from play during your turn and attack another one once you’ve abused trainer cards at your leisure.

        Reply

    • feybladeZiggmiceter

      This predates trainers (Gym leader sets) and the e-reader sets(E-Reader sets.)
      As such, it reads stadiums and supporters as trainer cards, as well, due to errata.

      Reply

      • HEZ feyblade

        So it’s not really the card itself that’s broken but the official errata applied to old cards. I find it a bizarre ruling, especially because you must keep in mind when a card was printed and apply errata mid-game, promoting Unlimited play just isn’t in their current marketing strategy (and I doubt it ever will be) so the rules for it are kind of thrown together.

        Reply

        • Brian DuddyHEZ

          What are you talking about? The original intent of the card was to turn off all trainers. Any other errata would be stupid. The card is insanely broken.

          Reply

          • OtakuBrian Duddy

            There are multiple misunderstandings here, though a lot of it may be due to the changing rules of the game, and the age of the earlier comments. If you need me to, I can answer questions about the details, but the broad strokes

            1) Dark Vileplume originally released in April of 2000, as Dark Vileplume (Team Rocket 13/82) and 3) Dark Vileplume (Team Rocket 30/82). The latter has the wrong Weakness, but an errata was never issued.

            2) Both rules and game mechanics change over time, and sometimes the line between them is blurred. In this case, there is a blanket ruling (errata?) that affects this Dark Vileplume at this time: instead of Hay Fever being disabled by Confusion, Paralysis, or Sleep, now any Special Condition stops it.

            3) The oldest comments on this page are from shortly after a major change in the game rules occurred; during the Gen IV sets, Stadium and Supporter cards did NOT count as Trainer cards. This change was reversed, and Item cards introduced, at the beginning of the Gen V sets.

            4) During Gen IV, you had to “interpret” Dark Vileplume. From Gen V to present, you have to “interpret” card effects from the Gen IV block, like Vileplume · Undaunted (UD) #24. That Vileplume has a Poké-Body that says it stops Trainers, but it actually only stops Item cards, because the terms meant the same thing at the time of the card’s release.

            5) Subjective, but Dark Vileplume isn’t broken, or at least, it isn’t as broken as some other cards. Other cards appear to break it, but the card itself was relatively balanced for the metagame into which it released. Remember, Team Rocket was the fifth set released (Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, Base Set 2).

        • ZiggmiceterLogan

          With almost no way to bring it up and sniping not being popular in Unlimited, why does it matter?

          Reply

          • OtakuZiggmiceter

            Ziggmiceter’s comment ignores that the real issue was Broken Time-Space. That’s why crazy combo decks could go off Turn 1/2 (depending on the exact first turn rules in effect at the time). I wasn’t overly familiar with the Unlimited Format at the time, but there were likely superior alternatives (Slowking from Neo Genesis), and there were good snipers; if players had stopped using them, the metagame just needed to adjust.

            Dark Vileplume may still be broken, but if it is, it was and likely is a foothill in front of Mt. Everest!

  5. Pumpkin Man

    Card Data says flip a coins instead of flip 3 coins. same error for the non holo version.

    Reply

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