>>24720983Most mons commonly used in the PTCG are designed to fight EXes. Medicham would be way too strong in a format where few to no Basics sit over 100 HP.
Not all Pokémon are created on the same scale. Here we have.
A) Tropius. Basic bruiser. No effects on its attacks except damage, but it's enough damage that your opponent can't sit there and let it swing forever. Prohibitive Retreat, decent HP, attacks are expensive but strong (for a Basic). It's an Energy sink that's supposed to sit and trade hits until it dies, while you set up some Evolution or engine. It can't tag out or choose what it hits, so it's weak to disruption like Poison and Hammers. It's strong if your opponent is throwing out cannon fodder like Deoxys while they set up, since you don't spend many resources killing them.
B) Gengar. Combo finisher. It's target-agnostic; it doesn't care if the enemy is an EX or a Hawlucha. If you set up the 3 counters, the target dies. Zero retreat since it's not designed to carry. It can't just sit there and spam like Tropius. It picks off priority targets with Lysandre and Crobat. Great against immobile tanky targets like Tropius and Groudon since it ignores max HP. Weak against fast agile assassins like Medicham and Pumpkaboo since it needs time and fat heavies to punish.
C) Illumise. Support mon. It can't assassinate or carry solo. Its strength lies in its ability to generate advantage or tempo and disrupt your opponent. Damaging it does nothing; it has already done its job. Killing it provides a free switch-in for your now energized carry. Great against setup decks that use one Mega Evolution. Bad against combo and engine decks that can set up on it and instakill your carries after it's gone.
D) TA Walrein. This is an engine carry. It requires tons of TA support cards to set up and as much Energy as possible. In exchange, you point it at anything and it's dead. It's weak against combo and too slow to be strong against anything.
What kind(s) are good?
