For Today’s review, I’ll be taking a look at Pidgeot from the latest set, Triumphant. Pidgeot is a Stage 2 Colorless Pokemon, which puts it in a great position to OHKO Garchomp C LV.X so long as its attacks are somewhat powerful.
120 HP won’t stop it from being played (Gardevior SW and Gengar SF both have lower HP), but isn’t amazing either. Pidgeot has a nasty x2 Weakness, which got worse with the release of Magnezone Prime, but the Fighting Resistance and free retreat cost go a long way toward making Pidgeot playable.
While Pidgeot doesn’t have any Poke-Powers or Poke-Bodies, it has two attacks. “Headwind”, for the flexible cost of CC does a low 20 damage. However, it does come with a very interesting effect. During your opponent’s next turn, each of the Defending Pokemon’s attacks cost CC more.
“Headwind” is interesting if nothing else, imagine “Dragon Rush” costing CCCCC, “Flash Impact” needing LCCC or “Megaton Tail” requiring DDCCCC. However, the problem with its attack is it only targets the Defending Pokemon, which means if your opponent Levels Up, Evolves, Retreats, uses Warp Energy, Warp Point, Poke Turn, Switch or any similar card, the new Pokemon can attack for their original costs. It isn’t a terrible attack, but I believe that as long as SP is in the format, this attack won’t be very viable. Let’s continue with Pidgeot’s other attack.
“Quick Attack” costs CCC, which is high, but it isn’t nearly as hard to pay if they had been all specific Energies. People never cease to underestimate the value of Colorless attack costs (unless the card is named “Garchomp C”), being able to pay it with Double Colorless Energy, Cyclone Energy, Call Energy or any Basic Energy makes the attack extremely flexible not to mention giving it a big speed increase with DCE.
However, all of this flexibility and speed is useless unless its attacks, once powered up, are actually good. For CCC, “Quick Attack” will do 40 damage and provide a coin flip. If you flip heads, it does an extra 30 damage. I think it’s safe to say without fear of underestimating Pidgeot that “Quick Attack” is very underwhelming. The only good thing about this attack is that, with a heads or an Expert Belt, you can OHKO a Garchomp C LV.X, but if that’s the only thing you’re looking for, go with Machamp or even Garchomp SV.
Overall, Pidgeot garnered a bit of attention with “Headwind”, but the rest of the card failed to prove as potentially useful. I suspect that, like a lot of “sorta interesting, but not that great” cards, it will be passed over for something better.
My Recommendation: I think you’re better off leaving this card in the binder for this format. Perhaps once SP leaves the format and new stuff is released “Headwind” will be more effective.
My Rating: 3/5 (There are a lot of variables that can make Pidgeot much more or less playable, so don’t treat my number rating like the Bible.)
