The upcoming Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution set is shaping up to be pretty massive. True to its name, the set will feature a wide variety of mega evolved Pokémon. One card stands just a bit taller than the competition, though: the new Mega Venusaur ex has the biggest HP total in the history of the game.
Mega Venusaur ex is a powerful card, made all the stronger by its tremendous 380 HP. We saw the Japanese version previewed in July, of course, and the Japanese sets Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia are already in the wild.
But now, with the English version revealed by The Pokémon Company on Thursday this mega chonker officially shoots right to the top spot in our list of the highest HP Pokémon cards of all time. What better moment to take a closer look?
Mega Venusaur ex's nearest competitors (at least among cards that are legal for play) all sit at only 340 HP. As a stage 2 Pokémon, it may seem a trifle difficult to get this card out and stomping.
Fortunately, though, unlike Mega evolved 'mons from past Pokémon sets, the cards in the new Mega Evolution set can be played directly onto their pre-evolved forms, so you can slap this guy right on top of a regular Ivysaur, without having to evolve it to a non-mega Venusaur first. Rare Candies are also always available to help Bulbasaur breeze through its evolutions.
On the other hand, of course, KOing a mega evolved Pokémon nets you three prize cards, taking you halfway to victory in a regular game. So running this big guy is very much a high risk, high reward play.
Mega Venusaur ex's ability, Solar Transfer, allows its controller to move their basic grass energy cards between their Pokémon. This is a call back to the original Venusaur card printed in the base set, whose Poképower (the term used for abilities in the game's early days) Energy Trans does functionally the same thing.
The card's only attack, Jungle Dump, has a steep cost at 4 grass energy, but deals an impactful 240 damage, and heals 30 damage from Mega Venusaur ex for good measure. Mega Venusaur's ability will help transfer energy cards from your other Pokémon to pay the high cost of its attack.
A huge synergy for Mega Venusaur ex is already patently obvious, too: the new Meganium card releasing in the Mega Evolution set doubles the value of all basic grass energies, making it much easier to launch this attack. It's a similar escalation strategy to the infamous Celebi Serperior deck from the early days of Pokémon Pocket.
The English language Mega Evolution set releases on Friday, October 10, so we'll have to wait and see if Mega Venusaur ex turns out to be too big to fail, or too slow to win.
What are your thoughts on Pokémon's tankiest new threat? Will the card have a role to play in the meta, or will its vulnerability to fire type attacks prove to be its undoing? Whatever your take may be, feel free to transfer your energy (see what we did there) in the free Wargamer Discord community.
Or, if you're sniffing out some boosters to crack, check out our guide on the best Pokémon packs to buy right now.