By JC
Hey guys! Today I’ll be doing a review over the Zekrom (47) and Reshiram (26) cards from the Pokemon Black and White Set. I’ve been pulling a lot of them from my Victini Gift Box Set, a couple of blister packs, and from the Zekrom and Reshiram tins that also come with Promo versions. I have 4 Zekrom cards (1 secret rare, 1 promo, 1 holo, and 1 reverse holo) and 4 Reshiram cards (1 secret rare, 1 promo, 2 holo). I wish I had been this lucky with getting Charizard from the Base Set.
Before I get to the specifics, I’d like to discuss the artwork. Both look great and have a nice background. The holographic adds a nice touch, but I would prefer any other previous holographic style than the streaks used in B&W. Let me say that the secret rare full art versions of Zekrom and Reshiram are just gorgeous. Pictures don’t do them justice; you’ve got to see them in person. I’ve pulled a secret rare Reshiram, but purchased the Zekrom. It turns out there are now 2 different types for each secret rare full art. The older print of the Zekrom has a black background whilst the newer print has more of a grey background. The older print of the Reshiram supposedly looks “lighter” than the newer print. They are also supposed to feel and reflect light differently, but as I only have 1 of each, I cannot compare.
Zekrom is a legendary dragon and lightning Pokemon. It is portrayed as a lightning Pokemon in this set. It is a Basic Pokemon with 130 hit points, 2 attacks, a x2 weakness to fighting, no resistances, and a 2 energy card retreat cost. Outrage costs 2 colorless energies and does 20 damage plus 10 more for each damage counter on Zekrom. With a hefty 130 hit points, Zekrom can potentially do 140 damage with Outrage. Bolt Strike costs 3 energies (2 lightning, 1 colorless) and does 120 damage at the cost of 40 recoil damage. Bolt Strike is an excellent complement to Outrage.
Reshiram is a legendary dragon and fire Pokemon. It is portrayed as a fire Pokemon in this set. It is a Basic Pokemon with 130 hit points, 2 attacks, a x2 weakness to water, no resistances, and a 2 energy card retreat cost. Reshiram also comes with Outrage and it is the exact same move as Zekrom’s. His secondary attack is Blue Flare. It costs 3 energies (2 fire, 1 colorless) and does 120 damage, but requires Reshiram to discard 2 fire energy cards.
Both are strong cards and would be a great addition to any type of deck. I will be adding some of the Reshiram to the Red Frenzy theme deck, but you could really put either or both of these in any deck. They can be used to soak up damage and even though you may not be able to use their secondary attacks, all decks are accessible to the useful Outrage. I’m interested to see how well a deck with 4 Zekrom and 4 Reshiram would fare… maybe it’s time I make one.
Tags: Card Collecting, Reshiram, Zekrom
It’s unfortunate that MTG was doing full art cards well before Pokemon caught on (though released them only as promotionals), though the full art cards for Reshiram & Zekrom look amazing. Still searching for the full-art Reshiram though.