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- ↓ 17.16
- ꩜ 27.19
- ↑ 9,999.00
{G} → Swords Dance
During your next turn, Scyther’s Slash attack’s base damage is 60 instead of 30.
{C}{C}{C} → Slash : 30
illus. Ken Sugimori · LV.25
Formats: Other: 1999–2001
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With ninja-like agility and speed, it can create the illusion that there is more than one of it.
reshikrom64
This, along with Sneasel Neo Genesis, oppose power creep so much – this is still the best Scyther card printed.
Kristóf
Indeed. This card is a legend.
Brian Duddy
Well, part of that is that there was no Scizor when this was printed…
Dr. λ the Creator of Variables, Binder of Variables, Applicator of Terms, Checker of Types, and β-Reducer of β-Redexes
There was no Porygon2 either but they still made Porygon the worst Basic Pokemon card.
Blob Takeshi
Originally Porygon was going to be much better, like having double the HP and a move that did damage.
https://helixchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/1996_tcg_proto_137_Porygon-Copia.png
CuriousMan
Does the attack “Swords Dance” works only with that “Slash” attack of that Scyther card or it works even if i retreat that Scyther and put as active pokemon another Scyther with the same “Slash” attack?
Because if I read what is written it seems yes: “During your next turn, Scyther’s Slash attack’s base damage is 60 instead of 30.”
It is not specified.
To explain better the situation:
Suppose I have two of this scyther cards, one is my active pokemon (with 1 grass energy card attached) and one in the bench (with 3 grass energy card attached).
At my turn (suppose turn 1) I can do the attack “Swords dance”.
My question is: the next turn (suppose turn 2) can I retreat the active scyther and put the other scyther (the one with 3 energy cards attached to it) and do the “Slash” attack with base damage of 60?
C.Ezra.M
There’s no longer any confusion because starting in the Black & White Series, the text would use “this Pokémon” instead. This is also the case for the (not legal for tournaments) reprint that we’ll see in PTCG Classic, and the Swords Dance attack would say, “During your next turn, this Pokémon’s Slash attack does 30 more damage (before applying Weakness and Resistance).”
This is probably caused by specifications on card text set by Wizards of the Coast, which distributed expansions until Skyridge. They wouldn’t use the term “this Pokémon”, but the Pokémon’s name. I could suspect that the same thing happens with cards in Magic: The Gathering. I don’t play that, so I didn’t inspect. However, TPCI translators decided to keep this trend up until Triumphant.
Curiously, Japanese cards didn’t have that at all. For example, Swords Dance’s attack text says, “次の自分の番だけ、このカードが使う「きりさく」のダメージは2倍になる。”. Note that it doesn’t actually say “ストライク” (Scyther), but “このカード” (this card).
C.Ezra.M
Sorry, I was missing the actual point. Only the Scyther that used the Swords Dance attack will benefit from it.
CuriousMan
Thank you very much for your time, now it’s crystal clear!