When this Pokemon card was first released, I have to admit I was not too high on it. I just did not like how in order for it to be effective, one of your Pokemon had to be knocked out. Otherwise it would only yield you a less than modest 4 card hand. A 4 card hand is fairly weak unless you have a Claydol out already. In those 4 cards, you may draw a couple Pokemon or energy which you will play down immediately. If you do not draw another supporter or draw card in those 4 cards, you will be stuck with a 2 to 3 card hand and become reliant on a topdeck.
However, I now feel that this card is reasonably strong at the moment. With the advent of fast decks such as Beedrill, Machamp, and Luxray/Infernape, your Pokemon are going to be KO’d quickly and often. It is necessary to have some sort of recover against those decks, and this card is perfect for that. If you can get a brand new 8 card hand early in the game, it will significantly increase your chances of making a comeback.
Besides being effective versus speed decks, it can also be incredible helpful versus power locking decks. Any deck that plays Mesprit LA or Power Spray will be difficult to deal with when you are reliant on Claydol’s “Cosmic Power” for drawing cards. A deck using Palkia G LV.X will try to shut off your powers for several turns in a row. Without the ability to use Claydol, they have a great opportunity to simply take over the game. If you fall behind against a deck like that, it is hard to come back. Cynthia’s Feelings is great against a deck like this because it gives you a chance to keep up with them. If you can get a new 8 card hand while they are trying to power lock you, that can basically nullify their strategy and keep you in the game.
I would recommend playing in the neighborhood of 3 copies of this card in most decks. It reminds me a bit of the card Copycat which I used to play 3 of in nearly every deck.
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