Farfetch’d · Base Set (BS) #27

7 comments

1. 

   Anonymous

   (13 years ago)

   “This sprig is used much like a metal sword” – Only it is much, much, much weaker

   Reply
2. 

   Mantidactyle

   (12 years ago)

   This Pokémon uses a leek as a weapon.

   It deserves a 10

   Reply
3. 

   Kristóf

   (12 years ago)

   I just read someone’s comment from 1999 about this card saying that “Everybody says Scyther will replace Farfetch’d. Now I highly doubt that. Farfetch’d is one of the best chards in the game.” It’s kinda funny condisering that Scyther is better in every aspect. And as we know, it ended up replacing Farfetch’d.

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     Dr. λ the Creator of Variables, Binder of Variables, Applicator of Terms, Checker of Types, and β-Reducer of β-RedexesKristóf

     (6 years ago)

     Farfetch’d has a better first move outside of grass decks though. But I agree that Scyther is better overall with his better HP and free retreat. Also I think that a Fire weakness is less harmful than an Electric one with all those Electabuzz running around.

     Reply
4. 

   MarxForever

   (9 years ago)

   Is it just me, or do the names of these attacks really seem like they should’ve been reversed?
   Uses it’s Leek, it’s main weapon it’s never seen without, once, and regardless of whether or not it hits, it breaks. Then proceeds to throw a never ending volley of pots.

   Makes more sense that it would throw it’s one Pot as a quick surprise attack, it breaks -either by hitting the ground or up side it’s opponents head- then goes to it’s trusty Leek.

   Reply
5. 

   Ambassador

   (2 years ago)

   It definitely isn’t, but because it’s one of the first cards with somewhat confused parenthetical text I saw (and didn’t quite understand), I’ve always been personally left with the impression Leek Slap has the most awkward attack text in the entire TCG. So first off, let’s look at the original text of Leek Slap;

   JP: コインを投げて「うら」なら、ダメージをあたえられない。場に出してから1度しか使えない。
   EN (mine): Flip a coin and if tails, this attack does nothing. This attack can only be used one time when the card is put into play.

   It sounds more straightforward me, I really do think it’s the parenthetical that throws me off, and I would’ve preferred WOTC keep it short and sweet …but maybe that actually wouldn’t have worked out for them. In 1998, there was a JP-only promo print of the card [ https://pcg-search.com/card/1st/1stp033.php | https://archive.ph/700zo ] that tweaked Leek Slap’s text;

   JP: このワザは、このカードが場に出てから、1回しか使えない。コインを投げて「うら」なら、このワザのダメージは0になる。
   EN (mine): This attack, after the card is put into play, can only be used once. Flip a coin, if tails this attack does 0 damage instead.

   The change from ‘doing nothing’ to ‘doing 0 damage’ might stick out to you, but it’s not what I’m getting at here – more interesting are two things;
   1. They’ve swapped the order of the sentences, so the ‘only one time use’ comes before the coin flip. Perhaps they were getting too many questions about whether flipping a coin and getting heads meant you could attack and attack again until you get a coin flip.
   2. The promotional release of the card came with a “Leek counter” and, even though the text hadn’t been updated to acknowledge the counter, apparently the insert came with some advice on using the Leek counter to make it easier to keep track of if the attack had been used¹.

   In some ways, Leek Slap is a very, very primordial version of a GX attack, complete with its own attack counter. What’s interesting is that future appearances of Leek Slap – which do indeed all share the same JP name, ネギでたたく [𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐢 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐮 – “Green Onion Slap” wouldn’t be far off] – aren’t really interested in trying to incorporate the novel gimmick of this attack so much as walk it back entirely;
   · MT Farfetch’d and later EVO Farfetch’d (retrain of this card) change it to a simpler “can’t use this attack during your next turn” inhibiting effect.
   · HIF Farfetch’d has reduced it to an attack that simply does damage².

   ¹ It also came with two other cards and two other counters – a JP-only Jynx card with an attack that could place Curse counters on Pokémon (yes, it had the same のろい name as the “Curse” attack in the games), and a JP-only Cubone with an attack that could place Bone counters on itself).
   Jynx: https://pcg-search.com/card/1st/1stp035.php || https://archive.ph/QcsYj
   Cubone: https://pcg-search.com/card/1st/1stp034.php || https://archive.ph/HRaSL
   ² I haven’t gone looking through enough cards to state this definitively, and possibly never will, but this could well be the first (and only?) attack to have gone through a *third* revision in functionality like this without any changes whatsoever(!) to the name of the attack in the JP edition. (This would be less notable in the EN edition of the game because attack can get their names changed for myriad reasons. I’ve provided incidental examples here and there on the site – HL Lanturn and BW67 Ampharos would probably be my go-to examples at this point.)

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     BenAmbassador

     (8 months ago)

     Just want to mention that your comments are enjoyable explorations that are well researched and informative. Thanks for sharing all of your findings and deliberations.

     Reply