It's the end of the year so once again, and as per tradition now, I'm hard at work trying to figure out the best way to showcase the best cards released in the year 2024. I've always enjoyed doing these types of list and I'm always looking for ways to make them look at least interesting for anyone who actually is interested to know what cards made the list and what didn't.
I made a shortlist of cards that I thought made an impact this year (it was as high as 60 cards) and started removing those that didn't really do much or had no top 8 finishes in either IRL or big online events. With the rest, I went ahead, found all the numbers and from there worked out what the best 24 cards for this list.
But just doing points wasn't going to cut it. If I did that, cards released later on in the year wouldn't stand much of a chance of having an impact on the list so I based it off total points and also average points scored per sets released, so the cards that got released late, especially the last one, still had some chance to make it in. And two did!
Before I explain how I worked things out, I thought I should at the very least name the cards that didn't quite make the list but almost did:
- Iron Leaves ex (TEF)
- Counter Gain (SSP)
- Colress's Tenacity (SFA)
- Secret Box (TWM)
- Alolan Exeggutor ex (SSP)
- Roaring Moon (TEF)
- Cinccino (TEF)
- Terapagos ex (SCR)
- Noctowl (SCR)
And I still think Noctowl is one of the best cards printed this year yet it was the 25th card on my list! And let's not forget Terapagos ex, it's helped so many decks breathe new life, such as Palkia and Klawf, yet it too didn't make the cut here. So there's a lot of cards that were just as good, some clearly better.
The way I did the points was quite simple:
- 1st - 5 points
- 2nd - 3 points
- 3rd and 4th - 2 points
- 5th to 8th - 1 point
And if you see the average points and was wondering how I calculated it, quite simple:
- Points scored from each set (termed as S1 to S5)/Events in each set
- The total of the average/how many sets they were played in = Average Points Scored per Sets
The tournaments included in these are any event that is recorded on Limitless for this year that had cards released this year (so no Portland, Charlotte, Liverpool, Melbourne, Knoxville and Singapore Regional V2). Also included are any Play Limitless online tournament that hit 256+ players. If I had included 128 like I used to, there would be too many and it might dilute the information, and there were just enough to make everything look perfect as S3 was lacking in IRL tournaments, so online had the most S3 events to help make the numbers more event. If anyone was wondering:
- S1 (BST to PAF)
- 8 IRL events
- 1 Online events
- S2 (BRS to TEF)
- 26 IRL events
- 3 Online events
- S3 (BRS to TWM + SFA)
- 8 IRL events (2 from SFA)
- 12 Online events
- S4 (BRS to SCR)
- 11 IRL events
- 8 Online events
- S5 (BRS to SSP)
- 8 IRL events (Including the recent Osaka Champions League that will feature cards coming out in 2025)
- 6 Online events
For the results:
- Wins are wins, pretty easy
- Top 4 will be results from 2nd, 3rd or 4th, not including wins
- Top 8 will be results from 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th, and nothing from the above included
And with that, here are the best 24 cards released in 2024, not done by any sort of opinion or favoritism, just good old statistics and numbers, my favourite! And why just 24? 2024, that's why. We need to keep the gimmick going.
(Side note, I'm still trying to figure out a way to do a video version for this, but just haven't figured out how to do it properly)
#24 - Legacy Energy - Twilight Masquerade (TWM)
Type: Special Energy - ACE SPEC
Total Points: 91 (21st)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 1.62 (24th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 42 / Avg - 2.10
- S4 - 36 / Avg - 1.89
- S5 - 13 / Avg - 0.87
Wins: 6
Top 4: 15
Top 8: 25
Saw play in:
- Lugia VSTAR/Archeops
- Iron Thorns ex
- Ceruledge ex
One of only two Ace Spec energy cards we've got in the current rotation but this one is by far the better one. It's a rainbow energy that helps disrupt the prize race in your favour since your opponent can only take 1 less prize from attacking a Pokemon with this on it. The natural partner for it is Lugia since it has the easiest access to it with Archeops but it's seen play in other decks too.
#23 - Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking - Temporal Forces (TEF)
Type: Supporter
Total Points: 86 (22nd)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 0.88 (Not Top 30)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - 61 / Avg - 2.10
- S3 - 4 / Avg - 0.20
- S4 - 14 / Avg - 0.74
- S5 - 7 / Avg - 0.47
Wins: 3
Top 4: 21
Top 8: 26
Saw play in:
- Gholdengo ex
- Chien-Pao ex/Baxcalibur
- Gardevoir ex/Banette ex
One of the few Supporters to make the list this year, Ciphermaniac is pretty much Mallow from a few years ago, the effect in the same. And that card was very effective for a good reason and it's no surprise to see Ciphermaniac in decks that require a lot of combo pieces to work, as it did back then as well, such as Gholdengo, Chien-Pao and Banette.
#22 - Precious Trolley - Surging Sparks (SSP)
Type: Item - ACE SPEC
Total Points: 29 (Not in Top 30)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 1.93 (21st)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - Not Released
- S4 - Not Released
- S5 - 29 / Avg - 1.93
Wins: 0
Top 4: 10
Top 8: 4
Saw play in:
- Klawf/Terapagos ex
- Dragapult ex/Iron Thorns ex
- Gardevoir ex
A 1-off buddy poffin that lets you fill the bench with not just less than 70 HP basic pokemon but any kind of basic Pokmeon? Yup I wasn't surprised to see Precious Trolley already making it's way into a number of decks. Decks like Klawf could even get a Terapagos ex down turn 1, play Area Zero and then fill up their bench to 8! Combo decks such as Dragapult, Gardevoir and Charizard are also happy to see this.
#21 - Area Zero Underdepths - Stellar Crown (SCR)
Type: Stadium
Total Points: 75 (23rd)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.20 (16th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - Not Released
- S4 - 43 / Avg - 2.26
- S5 - 32 / Avg - 2.13
Wins: 5
Top 4: 13
Top 8: 16
Saw play in:
- Terapagos ex/Dusknoir
- Miraidon ex
- Klawf/Terapagos ex
Speak of the devil, Area Zero has a similar ability to Sky Field from years ago. This time the catch is you need a Tera Pokemon in the field to increase your bench to 8. It's seen play mostly with any deck playing Terapagos ex, be it by itself, with Klawf or Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR or even Charizard ex, or decks like Miraidon ex that has Pikachu ex to be the bench sitting Tera mon. It works well for attackers like Terapagos ex, Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR and Raikou V as they both want bigger bench spaces, thus why they were mentioned earlier.
#20 - Hero's Cape - Temporal Forces (TEF)
Type: Tool - ACE SPEC
Total Points: 135 (14th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 1.48 (25th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - 73 / Avg - 2.52
- S3 - 28 / Avg - 1.40
- S4 - 18 / Avg - 0.95
- S5 - 16 / Avg - 1.07
Wins: 8
Top 4: 27
Top 8: 34
Saw play in:
- Snorlax Stall
- Pidgeot ex Control
- Charizard ex/Pidgeot ex
It's like all the other HP boosting tool we've seen for a while now but this is easily the best one. There is no restrictions, you can play it on a Basic or Evolution pokemon, rule box or no rule box. Straight up you have +100 HP. And it's already been working, especially for controlling-style decks. Even attacking decks like Charizard ex have played it to make their biggest threat of Charizard ex be even bigger as it can be difficult to KO a 430HP pokemon!
#19 - Kyurem - Shrouded Fable (SFA)
Type: Basic Pokemon
Total Points: 106 (18th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.02 (20th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 26 / Avg - 1.30
- S4 - 40 / Avg - 2.11
- S5 - 40 / Avg - 2.67
Wins: 8
Top 4: 18
Top 8: 26
Saw play in:
What everyone initially thought would be the Lost Box killer has ended up becoming a set-up deck killer. And it's only really seen play in one deck, that being Regidrago. The threat of Kyurem hasn't stopped Lost Box from showing up but because it's in Regidrago (the current BDIF), there are less Lost Box players around. Kyurem has been wrecking benches as earlier as Turn 2, and decks without Manaphy continue to pay the price for omitting it. And it's not just targeting small basics, some players have used two Trifrost to take down 3 big basic mons to win the game in just 2 attacks.
#18 - Latias ex - Surging Sparks (SSP)
Type: Basic Pokemon ex
Total Points: 32 (Not in Top 30)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.13 (19th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - Not Released
- S4 - Not Released
- S5 - 32 / Avg - 2.13
Wins: 2
Top 4: 7
Top 8: 3
Saw play in:
- Miraidon ex
- Roaring Moon ex
- Klawf/Terapagos ex
Latias ex has just one job, a free retreat for any Basic Pokémon. That's it. And that's why it's already seen so much play despite being just released in the latest Surging Sparks set. As you know, these stats lists don't tend to favour cards that show up late in the year so when one does show up, you know how good it truly is. It's already helping decks like Miraidon and Klawf to move around freely and more will utilize it in the next few years.
#17 - Jamming Tower - Twilight Masquerade (TWM)
Type: Stadium
Total Points: 115 (17th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.21 (15)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 26 / Avg - 1.30
- S4 - 43 / Avg - 2.26
- S5 - 46 / Avg - 3.07
Wins: 10
Top 4: 21
Top 8: 22
Saw play in:
- Regidrago VSTAR
- Lugia VSTAR/Archeops
- Charizard ex/Pidgeot ex
Jamming Tower is similar to Tool Jammer, aka tools don't work but instead of just the active's tool not working, now it's the entire board, and not just your opponent but yours too. For me it's much better than Tool Jammer and there's a good reason why the best decks in the format (Regidrago and Lugia) continue to keep using it. A number of decks are very reliant on tools and don't want to see even one Jamming Tower showing up.
#16 - Munkidori - Twilight Masquerade (TWM)
Type: Basic Pokemon
Total Points: 124 (16th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.29 (14th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 67 / Avg - 3.35
- S4 - 20 / Avg - 1.05
- S5 - 37 / Avg - 2.47
Wins: 10
Top 4: 22
Top 8: 20
Saw play in:
- Gardevoir ex
- Gouging Fire ex
- Lost Zone Box
- Arceus VSTAR/Armarouge
Munkidori breathe new life into decks like Gardevoir and Lost Box with one of the new interesting abilities in the game. It helps to counter spread decks but also helps decks like Gardevoir or Gouging Fire that naturally puts damage counters on itself to attach energies to do even more damage. There's a reason why some Gardevoir decks run two Munkidori to effectively do 60 more damage! It's got a very cheeky attack too, the confusion could help buy time against certain decks,
#15 - Charmeleon - Paldean Fates (PAF)
Type: Stage 1 Pokemon
Total Points: 214 (9th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.14 (18th)
Points
- S1 - 19 / Avg - 2.11
- S2 - 111 / Avg - 3.83
- S3 - 27 / Avg - 1.35
- S4 - 29 / Avg - 1.53
- S5 - 28 / Avg - 1.87
Wins: 18
Top 4: 37
Top 8: 39
Saw play in:
This was a cheeky choice to put onto this list but it was released this year so it counts. It's just a Charmeleon, but there's a very good reason why this is now the go-to Charmeleon to use. The ability helps to stop damage counter placement and effects like TM Devolution, meaning you're board is always guranteed a Charizard even after a TM Devo swing by your opponent.
#14 - Unfair Stamp - Twilight Masquerade (TWM)
Type: Item - ACE SPEC
Total Points: 135 (14th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.46 (13th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 75 / Avg - 3.75
- S4 - 26 / Avg - 1.37
- S5 - 34 / Avg - 2.27
Wins: 10
Top 4: 27
Top 8: 22
Saw play in:
- Gardevoir ex
- Charizard ex/Pidgeot ex
- Dragapult ex
- Roaring Moon ex
This is the one that surprises me the most in this whole ranking. Everyone knows how strong Unfair Stamp is. Remember Reset Stamp? Yup it's back but now with a condition and a fixed number of cards to draw. A disruption item card should be good. It's seen play in a lot of decks, mostly in set-up decks like Gardevoir and Charizard that like to play from behind and Unfair Stamp is the perfect card to go with this gameplan.
But it's only down in 14th on this list? And I'm not being biased (anyone who knows me knows how much I dislike this card), but the fact that it had a mid-score rating with both systems I used shows it wasn't as good as I thought. Prime Catcher being the other viable Ace Spec doesn't help, neither did the introduction of Fezandipiti ex, decks can now easily draw out of a Stamp with Fezan so it just not as effective as it should be. It's still a very good card, but with Fezandipiti in the format and it being the one Ace Spec of choice, there might just be other better options for now.
#13 - Flutter Mane - Temporal Forces (TEF)
Type: Basic Pokemon
Total Points: 117 (10th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.20 (16th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - 48 / Avg - 1.66
- S3 - 85 / Avg - 4.25
- S4 - 2 / Avg - 0.11
- S5 - 42 / Avg - 2.80
Wins: 11
Top 4: 37
Top 8: 32
Saw play in:
- Ancient Box
- Gardevoir ex
- Lugia VSTAR/Archeops
- Gouging Fire ex
Little ol' Flutter Mane has seen play in all sorts of decks mainly for it's Midnight Fluttering ability. The opponent's active pokemon has no ability. This can catch out a number of decks who won't want to have an ability mon in the active. Some decks have no choice like Iron Thorns where it's the only Pokemon and because of that, Flutter Mane let's you use your abilities before retreating.
It also has a useful attack. 3 colourless energy for 90 and you get to put 2 damage counters anywhere on their bench is quite handy. In decks like Gardevoir, you could even set up a 2-prize turn with Munkidori moving damage around. And because it's an Ancient Pokemon, you can use Sada to attach energy to it!
#12 - Briar - Stellar Crown (SCR)
Type: Supporter
Total Points: 106 (18th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 3.10 (7th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - Not Released
- S4 - 62 / Avg - 3.26
- S5 - 44 / Avg - 2.93
Wins: 5
Top 4: 23
Top 8: 25
Saw play in:
- Charizard ex/Pidgeot ex
- Raging Bolt ex/Teal Mask Ogerpon ex
- Terapagos ex/Dusknoir
- Ceruledge ex
One of the strongest supporters in the game, you can take an extra prize! Cards with these type of effects do tend to see play but you'll need to meet the specific requirement to use it, which is your opponent having 2 prizes left. But there are ways to make your opponent have 2 prizes, one of the main ways being a Curse Bomb by either Dusclops or Dusknoir.
And once you get it, Briar could swing the game to your favour or completely win you the game. There is one other condition. While you do take 1 extra prize card for a KO, it has to come from your Tera Pokemon doing the attack. It's been paired with the likes of Charizard ex, Terapagos ex, Teal Mask Ogerpon ex and Ceruledge ex, all capable of getting 3 prizes out of nowhere.
#11 - Dusknoir - Shrouded Fable (SFA)
Type: Stage 2 Pokemon
Total Points: 155 (13th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.91 (9th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 13 / Avg - 0.65
- S4 - 98 / Avg - 1.79
- S5 - 44 / Avg - 1.07
Wins: 11
Top 4: 30
Top 8: 32
Saw play in:
- Charizard ex/Pidgeot ex
- Dragapult ex/Dusknoir
- Terapagos ex/Dusknoir
- Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR/Dusknoir
Which brings us to Dusknoir. Briar helps complete one part of the puzzle but Dusknoir, and in some cases Dusclops, helps to start the puzzle. One of the best combo cards in the game right now, KOing itself to put 130 damage counters on your opponent is too good to be ignored which is why all sorts of decks have been playing it.
Some decks are even built with Dusknoir in mind. Palkia would play 4 PokeStop and 4 Rescue Stretcher to help turbo through the deck in the hopes of hitting the pieces you need (and Rare Candy too since it's an item after all). Can't use Radiant Greninja's attack because there is a Manaphy on board? Dusknoir fixes that problem. With Dragapult it helps set up numbers or just set up a 4 or 5 prize turn sometimes! And with the likes of Charizard and Terapagos, it's usually the pieces to help start a big combo turn to win games.
#10 - Teal Mask Ogerpon ex - Twilight Masquerade (TWM)
Type: Basic Pokemon ex
Total Points: 161 (12th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 3.01 (8th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 46 / Avg - 2.30
- S4 - 67 / Avg - 3.53
- S5 - 48 / Avg - 3.20
Wins: 11
Top 4: 24
Top 8: 53
Saw play in:
- Regidrago VSTAR
- Raging Bolt ex/Teal Mask Ogerpon ex
The introduction of Teal Mask Ogerpon ex didn't just help to bring about one of the strongest turbo decks in the game in Raging Bolt ex, but also helped to make Regidrago VSTAR go from a rouge deck that had little to no engine previously, thus seeing no play at all, into the clear BDIF going into Worlds 2024 and still the BDIF going into 2025.
Attach one grass, draw one card. Simple but effective. In most cases, you need the energy to either move to Regidrago or to use as extra damage for Raging Bolt. And it being a Grass-type Pokemon, it does one-shot one of the best attacking Pokemon in the game in Tera Charizard ex, which does have Grass weakness! And in some interesting cases, it can also help Grass decks accelrate energies for their own gameplans, like the recent Tournament of Doom winning Sinistcha ex deck!
#9 - Eri - Temporal Forces (TEF)
Type: Supporter
Total Points: 229 (7th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.47 (12th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - 136 / Avg - 4.69
- S3 - 38 / Avg - 1.90
- S4 - 27 / Avg - 1.42
- S5 - 28 / Avg - 1.87
Wins: 16
Top 4: 41
Top 8: 57
Saw play in:
- Pidgeot ex Control
- Snorlax Stall
- Iron Thorns ex
- Charizard ex/Pidgeot ex
- Arceus VSTAR/Giratina VSTAR
The bane of any set-up decks. Eri discards two item cards. It's that good. Not only are you removing important resources from your opponent's hand, but the fact that you do get to see their hand gives you hand knowledge so you can then figure out what you should be doing for the next turns while having some idea of what your opponent can and cannot do, since you already know what is in hand!
Even though it looks like an obvious inclusion in stall and control decks, even some attacking decks have used it like Charizard/Pidgeot and Arceus/Giratina. Decks that rely heavily on items, such as Rare Candy, Super Rod, or any sort recovery card like Energy Retrieval or Rescue Stretcher, do tend to get punished by Eri. Biggest one being Lost Box that likes to play with a big hand as possible, meaning their Super Rods and Mirage Gates are always at risk.
#8 - Rescue Board - Temporal Forces (TEF)
Type: Tool
Total Points: 227 (8th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.67 (11th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - 80 / Avg - 2.76
- S3 - 73 / Avg - 3.65
- S4 - 46 / Avg - 2.42
- S5 - 28 / Avg - 1.87
Wins: 16
Top 4: 39
Top 8: 54
Saw play in:
- Lost Zone Box
- Miraidon ex
- Dragapult ex
- Klawf
- Giratina VSTAR
It's not quite Escape Board but it's got a similar purpose. -1 retreat cost is always a good thing, and it becomes free it the Pokemon is down to 30HP or less. And there are a lot of bench sitting Pokemon who are there for their abilities, namely Comfey and Tatsugiri, and they pair well with Rescue Board.
Decks that have ways to easily search out tool cards like Arven, Town Store or Oranguru V will have an easier time finding Rescue Board which is why you'll see Miraidon, Dragapult and Klawf decks all running at least one in their lists. Any sort of pivot to retreat is always a good thing.
#7 - Dragapult ex - Twilight Masquerade (TWM)
Type: Stage 2 Pokemon ex
Total Points: 164 (11th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 3.11 (6th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 42 / Avg - 2.10
- S4 - 64 / Avg - 3.37
- S5 - 58 / Avg - 3.87
Wins: 12
Top 4: 27
Top 8: 44
Saw play in:
- Regidrago VSTAR
- Dragapult ex/Pidgeot ex
- Dragapult ex/Dusknoir
- Dragapult ex (Lost Zone)
- Dragapult ex/Iron Thorns ex
The best attacking Pokémon to be released in 2024 is Dragapult ex! Yet it's seen most of it success with Regidrago VSTAR by simply copying it's Phantom Dive attack. The attack is almost identical to that of Dragapult VMAX, which then was 130 and 5 damage spread around the bench.
Dragapult ex does 70 more damage and 1 more damage counter, but with Fire and Psychic energies needed, instead of two Psychic Energies. But there are ways around it! Well two of them were released in Stellar Crown. Crispin helps to attach one extra energy while finding the other. Sparkling Crystal lets you attack for one energy less. And with those in mind, Dragapult itself has seen play as it's own deck, be it with Pidgeot ex, Dusknoir, a Lost Box version or lately with Iron Thorns ex.
Not forgetting, it also has a very good Drakloak that it evolves into Dragapult ex. The ability is the old Air Mail last seen in Pidgeotto and everyone knows how strong that ability was, it was part of one of the strongest control decks. You get to see the top two cards in your deck, you take one, and the other goes to the bottom of the deck, similar to Comfey's Flower Selecting but you don't need to be in the active to use this one.
#6 - Mist Energy - Temporal Forces (TEF)
Type: Special Energy
Total Points: 237 (6th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 2.82 (10th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - 83 / Avg - 2.86
- S3 - 49 / Avg - 2.45
- S4 - 74 / Avg - 3.89
- S5 - 31 / Avg - 2.07
Wins: 19
Top 4: 37
Top 8: 54
Saw play in:
- Lugia VSTAR/Archeops
- Pidgeot ex Control
- Snorlax Stall
- Charizard ex/Pidgeot ex
- Arceus VSTAR
Mist Energy is one of the better special energies we currently have in the game. It prevents all effects of attacks done to the Pokémon that has Mist energy on it. That is, no Sableye spread hitting you, no TM Devolution dropping you and no Frenzied Gouging KOing you in an instant.
Naturally it finds a home in decks that can easily find special energies, namely Lugia/Archeops and any deck with the Pidgeot ex engine. Control decks tend to use it as well to stop the likes of Roaring Moon ex or Sableye taking cheap KOs. Even Arceus VSTAR used it for a short while, it's just that good.
#5 - Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex - Twilight Masquerade (TWM)
Type: Basic Pokemon ex
Total Points: 259 (5th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 4.70 (5th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 89 / Avg - 4.45
- S4 - 120 / Avg - 6.32
- S5 - 50 / Avg - 3.33
Wins: 19
Top 4: 43
Top 8: 59
Saw play in:
- Lugia VSTAR/Archeops
- Klawf/Terapagos ex
- Pidgeot ex Control
- Lost Zone Box
- Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR/Dusknoir
The best attacking Pokémon released in 2024 outright is easily Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex. It's pretty much a colourless Radiant Charizard! The ability and the attack are honestly pretty much the same, just does 10 less damage but you can actually use it for free when your opponent is down to 1 prize card because, the attack cost is all colourless energies unlike Radiant Charizard.
A card that is splashable in pretty much any deck will be played in pretty much any deck, and that has been the case for BM Ursaluna since it's release. All sorts of decks have been using it for the late game KO out of nowhere. And you have ways to reduce your energy cost, using the Dusknoir line gives your opponent a prize but also by them taking a prize, you now need one less energy to use Blood Moon! The best closer in the game right now, and even Control decks are taking prizes with this thing.
#4 - Night Stretcher - Shrouded Fable (SFA)
Type: Item
Total Points: 388 (4th)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 7.46 (4th)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 47 / Avg - 2.35
- S4 - 192 / Avg - 10.11
- S5 - 149 / Avg - 9.93
Wins: 22
Top 4: 79
Top 8: 93
Saw play in:
Now normally for these lists, a card that is released mid-way through the year usually don't tend to do quite well. But this is just the first of two Shrouded Fable cards to feature in the top 4, which goes to show how impactful this mini set has been. Night Stretcher would be one of the best item cards to be released this year if not for two even better items cards!
The effect is quite simple, you either recover any Pokemon from your discard to your hand, or a Basic energy from your discard to your hand. Any recovery cards have always been good. Often times you will need to discard cards early with no ways to get them back, with the most common way being Super Rod and hope to draw it back. Now you can simply just take it right back.
And this card has been paired with PokeStop in many decks for a very good reason. You use PokeStop to run through your deck as quickly as possible and often times, you might discard your Rescue Stretcher, a Pokemon you need that turn and an item card you might need that turn as well, be it Rare Candy or whatever else. Almost every decks plays it and there's a good reason why. This card will continue to see play into 2025, even with the threat of Budew coming soon.
#3 - Prime Catcher - Temporal Forces (TEF)
Type: Item - ACE SPEC
Total Points: 664 (2nd)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 7.61 (3rd)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - 283 / Avg - 9.76
- S3 - 134 / Avg - 6.70
- S4 - 178 / Avg - 9.37
- S5 - 69 / Avg - 4.60
Wins: 41
Top 4: 125
Top 8: 168
Saw play in:
This is the second of three straight entries where I just have too many decks to name that plays this card. The first Ace Spec card we got to see in this new era is still the best Ace Spec card so far. Prime Catcher is pretty much Guzma on a Item card, aka a gust and a switch. Ever wanted to use Counter Catcher but you are ahead on prizes? Well now you have Prime Catcher!
Gusting effects will always see play no matter how good or bad it is, even Custom Catcher eventually saw play because there was no other options around. If you can only use one Ace Spec in your deck, often times you might as well have the gusting option be that choice. There's really not much else I can say how about good Prime Catcher is. It's good to gust stuff around but also good to get someone stuck in your active out of there. Probably the most played Ace Spec so far and unlike Useless Stamp Unfair Stamp, it's actually successful.
#2 - Fezandipiti ex - Shrouded Fable (SFA)
Type: Basic Pokemon ex
Total Points: 475 (3rd)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 9.18 (1st)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - Not Released
- S3 - 64 / Avg - 3.20
- S4 - 217 / Avg - 11.42
- S5 - 194 / Avg - 12.93
Wins: 32
Top 4: 86
Top 8: 113
Saw play in:
Fezandipiti ex is easily the best Pokémon card released this year. It's got Oricorio GX's ability, the exact same thing! But the difference is that wile Oricorio was released at a time when Arceus/Dialga/Palkia made it very unplayable to have bench sitting Pokémon anywhere around, there is no such thing that makes Fezandipiti unplayable. In fact, everyone is playing it!
Your Pokémon gets knocked out the previous turn, you draw 3 cards. And you can do that anytime during your turn so sometimes you could hold off on your draw, use another supporter or a disruption card like Iono or Unfair Stamp, and then from there continue to build up your board and increase your hand thanks to Fezandipiti. Many of the turbo decks are thankful for this and now they have ways to draw cards and not just rely on a specific supporter or solely on Radiant Greninja.
And it's searchable by Nest Ball so you can easily find it, especially after an Iono or Unfair Stamp. It's also got a decent attack, 100 to anything for 3 colorless could come up when you least expect it to. This card is too good, so good some might say not healthy for the game because every deck can now just recover from disruption, making the two disruption cards mentioned earlier a bit pointless.
#1 - Buddy-Buddy Poffin - Temporal Forces (TEF)
Type: Item
Total Points: 729 (1st)
Average Points Scored per Sets: 8.32 (2nd)
Points
- S1 - Not Released
- S2 - 326 / Avg - 11.24
- S3 - 154 / Avg - 7.70
- S4 - 160 / Avg - 8.42
- S5 - 89 / Avg - 5.93
Wins: 47
Top 4: 145
Top 8: 156
Saw play in:
- Charizard ex/Pidgeot ex
- Gardevoir ex
- Dragapult ex
- Terapagos ex/Dusknoir
- Lost Zone Box
- Gholdengo ex
- Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR/Dusknoir
- Chien-Pao ex/Baxcalibur
This is the best card to come out of 2024, Buddy-Buddy Poffin is a ball search card for set-up decks. You can search for up to 2 Basic Pokemon with 70 HP or less and put them straight onto the bench. This reminds me a lot of Brigette back in the deck. Zoroark GX decks would use it just to set up their Zoruas. But now it's an Item card so you don't have to waste a supporter for turn to search for stuff (but technically, in some cases, we are using Arven to find Buddy-Buddy Poffin, so we still are doing just that).
Set-up decks are the only ones using this, you won't see big basic Turbo decks playing Poffin unless they have Pidgeys or Bidoofs to find. All the decks named on top are all set-up decks, and even Palkia will use it to set up a Froakie and Duskull. A card like this will always be good. In Zard you can set up your Charmander, Pidgey, Duskull or Bidoof or any combination of those. Gardevoir usually wants Ralts right away. Same for Dragapult with Dreepy and maybe some Pidgey, Duskull or even Natu. Lost Zone Box wants to see it right away for the Comfey or Manaphy (the other decks might need that too).
It's like Battle VIP Pass but you can continue using it, and only on these smaller guys. It was the best performing card in the first three sets, only beaten by Fezandipiti ex in the last two but that was enough for me to say it's the best card released in 2024.
And I guess it's appropriate, it's the third Pokémon search card to top the list in a row, following on from Nest Ball in 2023 and Ultra Ball in 2022, and the first one in a while that is no a reprint (Escape Rope in 2021 was also a reprint). The last non-reprint card to top one of my lists was Quick Ball in 2020 (yes Quick Ball had an earlier print but it's a different effect). And that too was a Pokémon search card, goes to show how good these types of cards have always been. Thanks for reading and have a great 2025 ahead!
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