Hi guys, with ‘Space Juggler’ being released alongside ‘Time Gazer’ I will also try to review the cards here. As for my first impression about the ‘Space Juggler’ set, this set will definitely change the format. So without further ado, I’ll start the review. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
- Pokemon
- Beedrill V
- Hisuian Voltorb
- Hisuian Electrode
- Kricketot
- Kricketune
- Rowlet
- Dartrix
- Blipbug
- Dottler
- Orbeetle
- Ponyta
- Rapidash
- Torkoal
- Heatran V
- Heatran VMAX
- Psyduck
- Golduck
- Luvdisc
- Regice
- Shellos
- Glaceon
- Origin Palkia V
- Origin Palkia VSTAR
- Bergmite
- Hisuian Avalugg
- Togepi
- Togetic
- Togekiss
- Uxie
- Mesprit
- Azelf
- Inkay
- Malamar
- Makuhita
- Hariyama
- Regirock
- Gastrodon
- Carbink
- Hisuian Decidueye
- Kleavor V
- Kleavor VSTAR
- Hisuian Sneasel
- Hisuian Sneasler
- Hisuian Sneasler V
- Darkrai
- Shieldon
- Bastiodon
- Bronzor
- Bronzong
- Magearna
- Regidrago
- Lickitung
- Lickilicky
- Eevee
- Teddiursa
- Ursaring
- Ursaluna
- Oranguru V
- Komala
- Trainers
Please note that I won’t rate every card here because some of them only serve as a filler card or just to be a base for the important evolution card. Also, this review is solely my opinion and your opinion can be different. Please kindly comment down below to share your thoughts!
Pokemon
Beedrill V
The first card of this set is none other than the bee, Beedrill! Its first attack is not that great because not only it is underwhelming in terms of power, but you also need to flip coins in order to do damage. Then its second attack is quite unique because you can do 200 damage snipe, but the hard part here is the attack cost. Right now, only Rillaboom can easily accelerate Grass energy to your board and even with the help of Arceus VSTAR, you are in a place where you can get sniped/gust easily because there will be 3-4 copies of Beedrill V in your board. If your charged Beedrill V gets knocked even before you get to attack, you will be starting all over again from 0. Also, the new Gardenia’s Liveliness from the ‘Time Gazer’ set is not that great for accelerating. So until there’s a great accelerator for Grass-type deck, I believe that Grass-type Pokemon will be struggling.
I will rate this card 2.75/5.
Hisuian Voltorb
Then, we have Hisuian Electrode. Its first attack is actually can be useful because you can accelerate energy to your benched Pokemon in the first turn. But the hard part is that Hisuian Electrode doesn’t have any viable attack that can do consistent high damage to do a 2-turn or even 3-turn knockout.
I will rate this card 2.5/5 because I believe there will be another Hisuian Electrode coming in the future set.
Hisuian Electrode
Next, we have its evolution, Hisuian Electrode. Having no energy to attack is always a great thing, but the drawback here is the attack is not that great. Its first attack seems to be a good one because you can draw 3 cards, but you are wasting a single turn and you want to maximize your damage calculation if you are playing a single-prize Pokemon. Its second attack only deals 50 damage and with Choice Belt, it only deals 80 damage to Pokemon V, unless you are hitting for weakness, I don’t think that this damage will do significant damage unless you are having another attacker.
Its HP is actually good because you can search it with Level Ball. Then, because this is a Grass-type, having no energy to attack can save you time from having to set up any energy accelerator.
I will rate this card 2.5/5.
Kricketot
I won’t rate this card because this card serves as the base for evolving a Pokemon.
Kricketune
Kricketune’s ability is actually a good one because it can prolong your Pokemon especially when you are playing a Pokemon VMAX like Rillaboom VMAX or Venusaur VMAX. But because Grass-type still doesn’t have great support, I believe this card won’t see much play especially since its ability is only for Grass-type Pokemon.
I will rate this card 2.75/5.
Rowlet
I won’t rate this card because this card serves as the base for evolving a Pokemon. But I believe that there will be a Rowlet promo card because Rowlet is one of the Hisuian starters.
Dartrix
I also won’t rate this card because this card will rarely be played because most of the time, people only bring a maximum of 1 or 2 copies of stage-1 Pokemon if they play a stage-2 Pokemon.
Blipbug
I won’t rate this card because this card serves as the base for evolving a Pokemon. I also think that Pokemon decides to make Orbeetle evoline to be ‘unplayable’ to some extent because when you look at the current format, even Orbeetle VMAx is not getting much play.
Dottler
I also won't rate this card because it will be rarely used because most people only bring 1 or 2 copies of stage-1 Pokemon if they play a stage-2 Pokemon.
Orbeetle
Now, as I already said, Pokemon decides to make the Orbeetle line ‘unplayable’ to some extent and it also applies here. Its ability somehow helps your enemy to recycle energy to their Pokemon and it's up to 3 energy. Unless you play a very punishing Pokemon like Starmie V or Orbeetle itself, this card will be helping your opponent. Its second attack is aligned with its ability but looking at the current format, we are not seeing a big pile of energy in the Discard Pile unless you are going into the late game phase where some of your Pokemon are already knocked out. I believe this card won’t see much play unless you play a control deck or something.
I will rate this card 2.25/5.
Ponyta
I won’t rate this card because this is just a filler card. But for the artwork, I will give it 10 out of 10. I can say that this card is one of the best-designed cards in both the ‘Space Juggler’ and ‘Time Gazer’ sets.
Rapidash
I also think that Rapidash is a filler card so I won’t rate this card.
Torkoal
Next up we have Torkoal. This is just plain bad so I won’t rate it.
Heatran V
Then, we have our second Pokemon V of this set, Heatran V. Its first attack is not that good because it is a 2 energy attack, you only deal 30, and the only good part is you make your opponent Burned. Its second attack is also not that great because you need to have 3 energy to attack. Yes, Magma Basin can be your energy accelerator, but even if you want to attack with this card, I think it will be better if you just evolve it into Heatran VMAX. Also, the format is filled with Inteleon, Origin Palkia VSTAR, and Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX so I think this is not the best time for Fire-type decks.
I will rate this card 2.25/5.
Heatran VMAX
Next up we have another Pokemon VMAX and its Heatran VMAX. its ability is actually quite good because you get an easy 50HP heal. Then, its attack is also good because you can do a 2-turn knockout. It also leaves your opponent Burned and that extra damage plus Choice Belt can easily knock almost any basic Pokemon V. However, as I already said before, the format is filled with Inteleon, Origin Palkia VSTAR, and Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX so I think this card won’t see much play.
I will rate this card 3/5.
Psyduck
We have Psyduck and its background is in the Hisui Region! Its attack is nothing special and I believe that this is just a filler card where it only serves as the base for evolving it to Golduck. I won’t rate this card.
Golduck
Now we have a very unique Golduck here. I won’t talk about its first attack. Its second attack is unique because you are discarding and not knocking out both active Pokemon. Its attack cost is also quite high in this card but I think it is still manageable with Frosmoth. I think this will be a very fun casual deck to play or even try to play a control deck where you can try to play Golduck to take the win by reducing your opponent's board to zero. But as far as I look at this card, this card is very conditional and requires a lot more thinking to play it.
I will rate this card 2/5.
Luvdisc
This is just straight up a filler card, I won’t rate it. Its attack maybe can be used if you play a control deck but I don’t think that you want to attack by giving your opponent a free 2 cards draw.
Regice
Next up we have Regice. Its first attack is the same as Regirock and Registeel. Then its second attack is actually quite good because you can stall your opponent. But its attack cost is fairly high and you only deal 100 damage. Yes, 100 damage is small but the trade-off of being immune is still acceptable. You can try to have a Frosmoth engine if you want to play this card. But other than that, this card's only usage is for the Regigigas deck to activate Regigigas ability.
I will rate this card 2.25/5.
Shellos
This is just a filler card, you want to evolve it to Gastrodon. I won’t rate it.
Glaceon
You guys may already see my ‘Time Gazer’ set review and as I already said it, currently there’s no good eeveelution to evolve into. There’s maybe only 1 which is Jolteon from Vivid Voltage but the only usage is to lock the Inteleon engine and another Water-type Pokemon that has an ability. Other than that, I think the eeveelution needs to get a very strong card in order to be viable.
I will rate this card 2/5.
Origin Palkia V
Now we are having the main dish, Origin Palkia V. Its first attack is not that good because you are not dealing damage and you can only search for a stadium card. But since we have Path to the Peak, it can be useful if you play Path to the Peak. Then its second attack is quite bad even though you deal 200 damage, you can’t attack the next turn. You just need to evolve this card to a Pokemon VSTAR.
I will rate this card 2.25/5.
Origin Palkia VSTAR
What if I say that in Japan, this is the new Mew VMAX? Over the week since its release, Origin Palkia VSTAR dominates the format for up to 50% of the daily local tournament winner. Its first attack is a stronger Blizzard Rondo that can hit for 290 if you have Choice Belt attached. That is an OHKO to Arceus VSTAR and if you bring the Inteleon line, you can easily knock a Pokemon VMAX using Quick Shooting Inteleon. Its VSTAR Power is also a great way of recycling energy because it allows you to recycle to any Water-type Pokemon you like. It can be an Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX or another Origin Palkia VSTAR. This is a very powerful card that can dominate the format if played right.
In Japan, the main composition for this deck is like the Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX deck where you play the Inteleon engine combined with Melony, Capacious Bucket, and Path to the Peak or the new Temple of Sinnoh. You can also pair it with Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX or even Arceus VSTAR and this card is already very strong from the start. The only drawback here is the retreat cost. Unlike Mew VMAX, Origin Palkia VSTAR has 2 energy retreat costs.
I can’t wait how the format goes once Astral Radiance is released.
I will rate this card 4.5/5.
Bergmite
Its attack is hard to achieve and the damage is not impactful. I won’t rate this card.
Hisuian Avalugg
We have another Hisuian Pokemon, Hisuian Avalugg. Its ability is actually quite good to tank some damage. However, 140HP is too low for a Pokemon where its size can be as big as a small village (The Noble Pokemon one). Then, its attack cost is very high even though the damage potential is there. But I still don’t like the idea of discarding a stadium to increase damage because right now, the stadium is a very important card in the format.
I will rate this card 2.25/5.
Togepi
We got a Togepi card again! Its ability allows us to heal 10HP, yes it is small but if you look into its evoline, there will be a ton of healing going on. Its artwork is also cute in my opinion. However, as I see the format in Japan, people seem to not play this card as some sort of healing mechanism in their deck. I think people are not playing this card because it is a Pokemon and it can easily give your opponent a free Prize Card.
I will rate this card 2/5.
Togetic
Then we have Togetic. The same with Togepi, its ability can heal our active Pokemon but with a bigger amount. It also heals only when you evolve from Togepi. As I already said, I don’t think many people will try to play this card because it is better to rely on another healing method especially Item cards.
I will rate this card 2.25/5.
Togekiss
The big thing happens when you evolve to Togekiss. 90HP heal is not a small amount because you can easily survive another turn if you combine it with Hyper Potion and another healing Item. But I don’t think many people will play the Togekiss line because not only healing Item is easier to use, but Togekiss is a stage-2 Pokemon and it will take a lot of space and time to set up. However, I do believe this card can see some play although it is on the lower tier of the format.
I will rate this card 2.5/5.
Uxie
Next, we have the first lake guardian, Uxie. Its attack is not that special and I think most of the time Uxie doesn’t have any great usage other than you need Uxie in play to meet the requirement of Mesprit.
I will rate this card 1.5/5.
Mesprit
Next up, we have the second lake guardian, Mesprit. As I already said before, Mesprit will be the main focus of the lake trio because its ability can make all your Pokemon weaknesses go. It is a very great thing to have but to have Uxie and Azelf in play, you are risking yourself getting sniped as all of the lake trio have 70HP only.
I will rate this card 2.25/5.
Azelf
Azelf will be the last lake trio in this set. There is nothing special here other than you need Azelf in play in order to activate your Mesprit ability.
So, I will rate this card 1.5/5.
Inkay
Next, we have Inkay. I don’t think this is a good card because not only the Rapid Strike one is more useful, but its attack also makes you flip a coin first. I won’t rate this card
Malamar
Having only one energy to attack is always good. But the damage potential and the requirement that you need to pull off are really bad in this card. It is just miles better to play the Rapid Strike one. However, if you look at the illustrator, it's Tomokazu Komiya! If you a big fan of Tomokasu Komiya, this card will definitely in your wanted list.
I will rate this card 2/5.
Makuhita
Its attack cost for a basic Pokemon is high so this is just a straight-up filler card, I won’t rate it.
Hariyama
I also won’t rate this card because I still think the Single Strike Hariyama is better. But I do love the artwork.
Regirock
Another Regi is appearing in this set and it's Regirock! Its first attack is straight bad because you can use Battle VIP Pass or Quick Ball. Then, its second attack is also hard to achieve because it is a 3 energy attack. But you need to play this card if you want to play a Regigigas deck.
I will rate it 2/5.
Gastrodon
Its first attack is actually good IF you are a Pokemon V/VMAX/VSTAR where you can tank some damage and not get knocked every single turn. Then its second attack actually works well with the upcoming Hisuian Zoroark VSTAR and actually knock all of the Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type (without any tool attached). But I do still think that Donphan is still better because this attack has a high attack cost.
I will rate it 2.25/5.
Carbink
Then we have another Carbink! It’s already 4 years since we have the last Carbink from Lost Thunder (cmiiw) and unfortunately, this one is not that great. Its first attack can easily help you grab 2 Item cards from your Deck but the risk of getting Marnie is still there so I don’t think I will rely on this attack. But some control decks may try to play this card because it is a colourless attack cost so you can use any energy you want. Then its second attack is too high on the attack cost that only does 80 damage.
So I will rate this card 2/5.
Hisuian Decidueye
Then we have our only final Hisuian Starters in this set, Hisuian Decidueye. Its first attack is actually quite good if you play a spread deck. However, the only quick spread deck that can work well with Hisuian Decidueye is Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX and Jolteon VMAX. But because most of those 2 decks' composition relies heavily on the Inteleon line, I don’t think that people really want to make space for Hisuian Decidueye since it is a stage-2 Pokemon. Then, its second attack is not that great because 80 damage snipe is not even knocking Drizzile. Until there’s a very big support for stage-2 Pokemon, I don’t think that this card will see much play.
I will give this card 2.25/5.
Kleavor V
Next, we have another Pokemon V coming. Kleavor V’s first attack is not that great although you only need 40 damage and you can hit Arceus VSTAR for weakness, but it’s not going through anything. Then, its second attack is quite risky because not only do you discard your opponent’s energy but it discards your energy as well. If you don’t have any energy next turn, you can be in a very hard place. However, its weakness is Grass-type so it is a great point from this Pokemon.
I will rate this card 2.5/5.
Kleavor VSTAR
Then we have its VSTAR counterpart. Its attack is actually cheap because you can use Gutsy Pickaxe to accelerate as well. Then its attack effect is quite good where you can easily snipe Dunsparce so you can have your weakness advantage back. But its main damage is not even hitting Arceus VSTAR for a knock out so that’s a bit worrying, you may want to find Choice Belt as fast as you can so you can do an easy OHKO.
Then, its VSTAR Power is a bit weird because I think it doesn’t synchronize with its attack or any Fighting-type Pokemon that we have. Yes, you can do easy damage with this card when you are playing a Zoroark deck or Mad Party but that deck has already their own mechanic and I don’t think that Kleavor VSTAR is going to fit there.
So, I will rate this card 2.75/5.
Hisuian Sneasel
This is just a straight-up filler card, I won’t rate it. It only serves as the base for evolving it to Hisuian Sneasler and has no unique attack whatsoever.
Hisuian Sneasler
Its ability is actually good because most of the Pokemon like Arceus VSTAR have 2 retreat costs and it will really help you to rotate easily without using Air Balloon. But because this is a stage-1 Pokemon, having that dedicated space is quite a dilemma where you can just put 2 Air Balloon in your deck. Its attack is also not that special either where you only deal 60 damage.
I will rate this card 2.75/5.
Hisuian Sneasler V
Next up we have another Hisuian Pokemon V and this time it’s Hisuian Sneasler V. its first attack is a bit weird where you only apply Poison to your opponent without doing any damage. But the trade here is that it is a free attack. Then its second attack is straight up the same as Salazzle with less damage. I think this is fair because Hisuian Sneasler V has more HP and you can use Dark Patch to accelerate. However, the lower damage output may become a big problem if you don’t have a Choice Belt to increase your damage.
I will rate this card 2.75/5.
Darkrai
Then we have Darkrai. I don’t know why but it seems this Darkrai is straight bad. Its first attack, 2 energy attack cost, only deals 30 damage, puts your opponent to Sleep and that’s all. Nothing big or special. It also applies to its second attack where you only deal 130 damage and you need 3 energy to attack. You also can’t attack the next turn. It’s just sad to see Darkrai being treated like this.
I will rate this card 1.5/5.
Shieldon
This is our first fossil Pokemon if this set, both of its attack is not that great because you need at least 2 energy to attack. I won’t rate this card because I think this card is here to serve as the base for evolving it to Bastiodon.
Bastiodon
In my opinion, its ability is one of the best in terms of defending from an attack. 30 less damage is a great thing since we have Choice Belt so it will indirectly negate the Choice Belt effect. Also, if you combine it with another tank item like Big Charm or even play Drednaw VMAX, you can tank more damage if you have this ability active. However, since this is a stage-2 Pokemon, I think many people won’t be looking at this option because it is too hard to set up. Even its second attack is hurting you and not helping you to defend.
I will rate it 2.25/5.
Bronzor
This is just a straight-up filler card, I won’t rate it. There’s no fancy attack whatsoever and even you need to flip a coin in order to make your opponent Paralyzed.
Bronzong
Then we have Bronzong. I think the Battle Styles one is better because right now, there’s no viable Fire-type deck in the format and going on in the future, the format will be filled with Water-type decks. So, I think it is just straight suicidal to bring a Fire-type deck and this card will be useless to play. It is also a great thing to have an energy manipulation rather than an immune effect to one specific energy type.
I will rate this card 2/5.
Magearna
I actually like this Magearna artwork and I think the illustrator is new too so I think I will start collecting her artwork. Then, looking at its first attack, I see nothing special. But when you look at its second attack, I think there’s a potential looking at its damage output. But because its attack cost is somewhat high, I don’t think that many people will try to play this card as Cobalion is more consistent in terms of damage output.
I will rate this card 2.25/5.
Regidrago
The last Regis of this set is Regidrago. Its ability is actually a good one because you can draw cards using it but the catch is that you need to be in the active spot and you can only use this card once. I think most of the time if you want to play a Regis deck, you only need to bring 2-3 copies of this card. Its attack is also not that great and the Evolving Skies one is better in terms of damage.
I will rate this card 2.5/5.
Lickitung
This is just a straight-up filler card, I won’t rate it.
Lickilicky
This card is also just a straight-up filler card, I won’t rate it. But this is a Shibuzoh card, so if guys a big fan of his work, you can collect this card.
Eevee
We have another Eevee and it's illustrated by Sowsow. Its ability is actually quite good although not as good as the Sun and Moon Eevee because somehow, Pokemon decides to make a very bad Eeveelution in this set where not only it is not viable in the format, you also can’t use this ability for Eevee VMAX. Yes, the card illustration is very good and you should collect this card if you love Eevee or collecting Sowsow’s artwork. But for the playability? I don’t think so.
I will rate this card 2/5.
Teddiursa
This is just a straight-up filler card, I won’t rate it.
Ursaring
The same thing also applies to Ursaring, many people won’t bother to play stage-1 Pokemon if you play a stage-2 Pokemon. They only bring a maximum of 1-2 copies of stage-1 Pokemon.
Ursaluna
Then we have the final evolution line, Ursaluna. Its first attack is quite good for recycling cards from your Discard Pile. Then its second attack is very big damage for a single-prize Pokemon although you need to discard 2 energy from it. But I don’t think this card will see much play because this is a stage-2 Pokemon and setting up the board will take a longer time than setting up Pokemon VSTAR/VMAX.
I will rate this card 2.25/5.
Oranguru V
Then we have Oranguru V. Its ability is actually good because you can search for Air Ballon and/or Choice Belt. But because you need to be in the active spot to do this ability, I don’t think it is worth it to play this card. Its attack is also not that good because it relies heavily on your opponent’s energy.
I will rate this card 2.5/5.
Komala
The last Pokemon that we have is Komala. Its ability is actually quite unique because you can try to stall your opponent from taking Prize Card. But the catch here is that you need to be Asleep and that is the hard thing to do unless you want to attack with this card. I think this is a very good control card and at one point people will try to play this card as the new Lillie’s Poke Doll even though I don’t know will it be successful or not.
I will rate this card 2.5/5.
Trainers
Energy Loto
Now, we have our first Trainer card and it's a reprint of Energy Loto. I don’t think that this card will see much play because Arceus VSTAR has already done a great job. But I still do think that people may try to bring 1 copy of this card in their decks although not many people will take the risk. Because not only you can search for any Energy in the deck, this is an Item card so you can just freely waste this card or use it as fodder for Cram-o-matic. You can also shuffle your deck so your deck will be free from the Marnie effect.
I will rate this card 2.5/5.
Unidentified Fossil
Next up we have Unidentified Fossil which is a reprint from our previous sets in Sun & Moon Era. I never underestimated fossil decks back then because Omastar is quite scary back then, but looking at the current Fossil Pokemon, I don’t think it poses a big threat this time.
I will rate this card 2/5.
Hisuian Heavy Ball
I think this card is quite good because you can get any Basic Pokemon if your Pokemon is prized. There are some scenarios for example in the Mew VMAX deck where you only bring 3 Mew V and 2 of them are prized. This will be a difficult scenario to get out but if you play this card, I think you can get out of that situation easily. But I believe that you only need to bring 1 copy of this card just as a safety option.
I will rate this card 2.5/5 because you can only get Basic Pokemon.
Super-Effective Glasses
This is a very interesting card because your opponent’s weakness becomes 3x. But, I don’t think this card will see much play unless you play a counter-box deck. Yes, it can easily do an OHKO because of 3x weakness but because you need to have an exact weakness for your opponent’s Pokemon, things can get hard if you prized your exact Pokemon. But I do see some decks that will heavily rely on this card although not much.
I will give this card 2.75/5.
Irida
Next up we have our Pearl Clan leader, Irida. I think this card is very good if you play the Inteleon engine. You can use Irida to find Drizzile/Inteleon and another Item like Cross Switcher, Level Ball, Evolution Incense, then evolve into Drizzile/Inteleon to get another Trainer card. This can be one of the strongest combos you can get from the Inteleon engine. The full art of this card is also expensive in Japanese so you may want to collect it as well.
I will rate this card 3.75/5.
Grant
Then we have the Kalos Region Gym Leader, Grant. This card is very good for a Fighting-type deck because you can deal additional 30 damage to make a total of 60 additional damage with Choice Belt combined. You can also thin your hand by using this card’s effect so your Bibarel engine can draw more cards. But currently, a Fighting-type deck is still considered to be a bit hard to play because of Mew VMAX. But in the recent International Championship, many people brought Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX paired with Galarian Moltres be it V or non-V. I think this card can be a great addition to the deck because extra 30 damage is never a bad thing.
I will rate this card 3.25/5.
Choy
Looking at the effect of this card, it seems a bit underwhelming because you only draw 3 cards. But if you play a control deck like Malamar VMAX, this card can prove to be very useful for you because you see your opponent’s hand. But other than the control deck, I don’t think that this card will see much play.
I will rate this card 2.75/5.
Temple of Sinnoh
This is the stadium that most people anticipated. Its effect can easily shut down Double Turbo Energy so you can shut down Arceus VSTAR from attacking. You can also disrupt Meloetta if your opponent decides to attach 2 Fusion Strike Energy in Meloetta so it can’t attack. But I still think that Path to the Peak is more disruptive even though there’s no harm to bringing 1 copy of this card in your deck. Its UR (Gold) card is also majestic so I think it is worth collecting.
I will rate this card 3.25/5.
What do you guys think about these cards? Seems like Origin Palkia VSTAR will become the centre for the upcoming format because of how much destructive power it has. But I still think that Pokemon is definitely trying to balance most of these cards, unlike the previous Pokemon VMAX era. It’s a good thing because the new player can start their TCG journey without being intimidated. Let’s just hope that the upcoming set can also make the format more diverse.
See the full ‘Space Juggler’ set card list and translation here:
Comment down below to share your thoughts!
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