Hello everyone! My name is Elena (from Gaia Storm TCG), and I am very excited to be here again with you because, today, we will be analyzing in a bit more detail the new expansion from Pokémon TCG: Lost Origin. We will look at the best five cards from a competitive perspective and see the chances that they will have a strong impact on the metagame in the following months. With that being said, let’s begin with the countdown!
5. Colress’s Experiment
As a big Pokémon Black and White fan, I am thrilled to see Colress, the iconic Team Plasma scientist, making a comeback to Pokémon TCG. Unlike the last Colress supporter card we had, this won’t be an immediate staple for every deck, but it still has great potential. Colress’s Experiment lets you look at the top 5 cards from your deck, put 3 in your hand and send the remaining 2 to the Lost Zone. Remember that the Lost Zone is the special zone in the game where once a card goes there, it gets “lost” forever because there is no possible recycling interaction.
This mechanic is why Colress might seem a bit risky (what if I send some critical pieces to a place where I can never get them back?), but there will be certain strategies that won’t mind at all getting rid of dead cards. In fact, in Lost Origin is all about the Lost Zone and some decks become stronger the more cards you can send to the Lost Zone. With that being said, I consider Colress’s Experiment a clear top 5 card that will enable a lot of crazy combos with Giratina VMAX and other scary attackers.
4. Zoroark VSTAR
Zoroark has traditionally been one of the best Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and I was very excited to see that we would get a VSTAR version this time. While it won’t be as dominant as the loved/hated Zoroark GX from Sun & Moon, Zoroark VSTAR is still one of the most powerful Pokémon we can find in Lost Origin.
Like its predecessor, Zoroark VSTAR can attack for just two colorless energies (perfect for Double Turbo Energy) and then deals 50 damage for every Pokémon in your field that has a damage counter on it. In a scenario where we have our five benched Pokémon and the active one with at least one counter, this means Zoroark’s damage can escalate up to 300 damage, which is not bad at all!
However, reaching that ideal state of the board won’t always be easy, especially during your first turns. We will need to rely on cards like the stadium Gapejaw Bog from Astral Radiance and the brand new Gengar from Lost Origin to ensure that all the Pokémon we have on our bench enter with some damage counters on them. The good thing is that we can always use Zoroark’s VSTAR power to accelerate and draw cards early on as it is basically a Professor Research in ability form.
The only concern I have about Zoroark (and the reason why it is not higher on the list) is whether the deck can constantly pull off big KOs and if it won’t suffer much during late game. Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to trying Zoroark VSTAR out as soon as we have the new set here.
3. Giratina VSTAR
I was very tempted to place Giratina VSTAR in the first position of this list because it is not only going to give the origin of a very powerful new deck, but it is also the main character of the set (like Arceus VSTAR was in Brilliant Stars or Mew VMAX in Fusion Strike), but in the end, I decided to prioritize the flexibility of the cards below and give Giratina the Bronze Medal.
For several reasons, Giratina VSTAR is probably the most aggressive and fearsome VSTAR card we’ve seen so far. First of all, it is a Dragon-type Pokémon which means it has no weakness. Second, its two attacks are capable of getting rid of everything in the field. The first attack, Lost Impact, deals 280 damage at the cost of putting two energies in the Lost Zone. This restriction, of course, prevents Giratina from easily using this attack over and over (thanks, Arceus, because there is no Pokémon in the format that can withstand these numbers). Still, there are ways to keep accelerating energy onto your active Giratina.
If this was not enough, Giratina VSTAR has a VSTAR attack that can be pulled off with just two energies if you have ten or more cards in the discard pile. Star Requiem directly deletes whatever your opponent has in the active spot, which is ideal for dealing with tanky Pokémon or VSTAR/VMAX attackers. Even if the requirements seem a bit higher, remember that Colress’s Experiments and other cards can help you send cards from your hand or deck to the Lost Zone very quickly, so Star Requiem can be used as early as in turn three and put a lot of pressure on your opponent.
I still need to test Giratina in more depth to spot potential weaknesses. Still, it would seem, on paper, that Turbo Giratina is perfectly viable as a strategy in a Two-prizers dominated format. I imagine Giratina will be one of the most hyped decks when the new set hits the shelves.
2. Mirage Gate
Without any doubt, this is one of the most powerful item cards in the entire set and deserves to be in the top 3. Mirage gate can only be activated if you have at least seven cards in your Lost Zone, and when it is played, it lets you attach two basic energy cards from your deck and attach them in any way you like. This is exactly how Giratina VSTAR can attack multiple times during a game without relying on manual attachment or supporters to replenish its energies.
At first sight, it might seem that having seven cards in the lost zone is a challenging process, but with Colress’s Experiment in your deck and Comfey (spoiler, keep reading!), you will find that this is faster than one might think. When I first read that card, I immediately associated it with Giratina VSTAR, but the reality is that it can be paired with many other attackers. I’ve seen some very spicy lists that take advantage of sending cards to the Lost Zone to power up big attackers like Dialga VSTAR or even the Radiant Legendary Pokémon.
1. Comfey
And here we are! My personal top card of Lost Origin is… wait, Comfey? I know that some of you must be thinking something like, “Come on, Elena, you decided to place a flower bouquet above the almighty Giratina VSTAR? Really?”. Yes, I did, and let me explain my reasons. Don’t be fooled by its appearance, Comfey is extremely good and versatile, and I think it will see a lot of play in different decks.
Comfey has one ability, Flower Picking, that lets you see the top 2 cards of your deck, place one in your hand and send the other to the Lost Zone. This is an instant +1 every single turn to begin with. But remember, there will be decks that want cards to be in the lost zone as soon as possible, like Giratina. Comfey is the engine that will make Giratina and Mirage Gate a reality in the first turns of the game. And the most interesting aspect of this card is that you will probably have several copies of Comfey at your disposal, being able to activate their abilities two or even three times per turn with the help of switching cards and Scoop up net. Something interesting is that I’ve started to see certain decks in Japan (where, in case that you don’t know, go several expansions ahead) that use Comfey, Colress’s Experiments and Mirage Gate as new turbo mechanics for strategies that don’t necessarily rely on the Lost Zone. If this trend continues, I think Comfey can be a very serious card and could be present in a high number of decks. Time will tell if this is as good as I anticipated, but I am willing to bet on this cute little friend for now.
Conclusion
Lost Origin is probably going to be one of the last sets we receive before the Scarlet and Violet era officially begins (early 2023), and it will come with a ton of amazing cards. I have just covered some of them here, but inside Lost Origin, you will also find very cool character rare cards and stunning full arts. If you don’t want to miss all the action, be sure to pre-order your boxes here at TCG Park at the best price! Thanks for reading!