My Favorite Errors

Am I really that lame brained or are there just so many options and decisions in each card that I can't hold them all in my mind? I've been working my Dark Bat and Tyranitar deck for three months now. I think I know the cards. Yeah well...

Error #1 - Dark Golbat

I was staring at the card, Dark Golbat. I like him because for one plant energy he can drop 30 damage points. I smiled and said, "Ambush for 30." My opponent asked, "on which one?"

Does 30 damage to one of your opponent's Pokémon."

Huhwha? I hadn't read carefully enough and didn't realize that I could hit the bench with that attack. I always assumed it was only on the defending Pokémon. I mean, sheesh, 30 points on the bench. Basic Pokémon often have as little as 40 or 50 points on them, and on the bench they can't apply resistance to your attack. Two rounds with ambush and you've scored a prize card. Hello?!

Error #2 - Dark Pupitar

The puper, as I fondly call him, is a fascinating card. I don't know what he is, or why anything called a Pupitar would evolve into something called a Tyranitar (or the Ta-tar, as I call him). Dig this. You put out the basic, Larvitar, and evolve to Stage I, Dark Pupitar. Attach one energy of any kind. Flip a coin, if heads, boom...double evolve on one turn, as you'll see below. But I'd not been tuning in to the coin flip. I mean, 10 damage points, big deal, right? OOOOOOOPS it's not just 10 damage points to the defending pokémon; it's 10 damage points to each Pokémon. Another bench hitter. Yo!

Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 damage to each of your opponent's Pokémon. Then search your deck for a card that evolves from Dark Pupitar and put it on Dark Pupitar.

I think it's no coincidence that both of my common errors occur with Stage 1 cards that I probably have been viewing as the necessary middle step between basic and Stage 2. Of course you want to get to the top of your evolutionary chain as fast as possible and bring out the big guns. But, these middle cards are powerful in their own right.

Let's hear it for careful reading.