Hello all you fans of the Pokemon Trading Card Game and casual readers. With the near infinite amount of playable strategies available in Pokemon, you would be hard pressed to find any two games that are the same. However, there is one common thread that unites all Pokemon games and decks. Basic Pokemon. These Pokemon cards are literally needed to start the game. Some of them are fairly weak and used to evolve into stronger Pokemon. Others are hulking behemoths that open the game with a bang. Today we’ll be looking at which Basic Pokemon are the best. 

For this list we’ll be looking at all Basic cards that came out in and between the Chilling Reign and Team Up sets. We’ll be comparing how well these cards do on their own. That means we won’t be considering supporters that accelerate energy or cards that modify damage. And let’s be honest, all of the cards on this list are GX or V cards because most single-prize Basics rely on some combination of cards to be competitive. 

10. Boltund V

• Boltund V has 200 HP.
• The Electrify attack costs one energy and searches your deck for two Electric energy to attach to your Pokemon. This is a powerful move to power up your bench or Boltund’s other attack.
• Bolt Storm costs two energy and deals 10 damage plus 30 more for each electric energy on your Pokemon. This can be a powerful attack later in the game or accelerated with support. However, by itself it can be kind of underwhelming. 

9. Dubwool V

• Dubwool V has 210 HP.
• The Soft Wool ability reduces all damage done to Dubwool by 30.
• This Pokemon is great in the late game. It’s attack, Revenge Blast, deals 120 damage plus 30 more for each Prize card your opponent has taken. This attack costs three energy so it may struggle to keep up in the early game. 

8. Blissey V

• Blissey V has 250 HP. This is incredibly high for a Basic and only really rivaled by Tag Team Pokemon and a couple others. 
• The Natural Cure ability heals all Special Conditions from Blissey V when you attach an energy from your hand to it.
• Blissey’s Blissful Blast attack is a bit complicated but very powerful. For one energy, it does 10 damage plus 30 more damage for each energy attached to Blissey V. In addition, if the attack does damage you may attach three energy from your discard pile to Blissey V. It can be surprisingly hard to get energy into your discard pile but playing the right Trainer cards can help with that.

7. Vikavolt V

• Vikavolt V has 210 HP.
• For two energy, Paralyzing Bolt deals 50 damage and prevents your opponent from playing any item cards from their hand next turn. This can easily stop your opponent from getting all kinds of cards that they need. 
• Super Zap Cannon costs three energy and deals 190 damage. You have to discard two energy when you use it but it makes for a powerful one-two punch combo with Vikavolt’s other attack. 

6. Galarian Stunfisk V

• Stunfisk V has 200 HP.
• The Metal Skin ability increases Stunfisk’s HP by 20 for each Metal energy attached to it. This can get really high so long as you keep attaching energy and can help Stunfisk to absorb the hits that result in damage to your opponent.
• For two energy, Trapping Bite deals 60 damage. Then if your opponent attacks Stunfisk during their next turn, their Pokemon takes 120 more damage. Delayed attacks are great because they don’t let your opponents react to the damage until their next turn. 

5. Gengar & Mimikyu GX

• This Tag Team Pokemon has 240 HP.
• The Poltergeist attack costs two energy and deals 50 damage for each Trainer card in your opponent’s hand. Not only does this attack let you look at your opponent’s hand, but also can deal massive amounts of damage. The only downside is that your opponent can actively make it useless by playing all their Trainers. 
• Horror House GX is debatably one of the greatest GX attacks in the game. For one energy, it stops your opponent from playing the game on their next turn. This can win games on your second turn if your opponent only has one Pokemon out. Additionally, if you have two energy, this attack makes most players draw up to seven cards in their hand. This can give you cards you need and power up the Poltergeist attack. 

4. Zacian V

• Zacian V has 220 HP.
• Intrepid Sword is a powerful ability that even sees play when Zacian V can’t attack. It draws the top three cards of your deck and if any of them are Metal energy you can attach them to Zacian V. This ability does end your turn, but if you’re not in a position to attack, then there’s no better option. 
• Brave Blade is one of the only attacks in the game that does more damage than the Pokemon using it has with no gimmicks involved. For three energy it deals 230 damage and Zacian V can’t attack next turn.

3. Pikachu & Zekrom GX

• This Tag Team Pokemon has 240 HP.
• For three energy, Full Blitz deals 150 damage and searches your deck for three Electric energy to attach to your Pokemon. This attack can put lots of energy onto your board very quickly and power up other Pokemon. 
• For three energy, Tag Bolt GX deals 200 damage and an additional 170 damage to one of your opponent’s benched Pokemon if you have three more energy attached. This is a powerful all around attack that can KO multiple Pokemon at once. 

2. Arceus & Dialga & Palkia GX

• This Tag Team Pokemon has 280 HP.
• Alter Creation GX costs one Metal energy and all of your Pokemon deal 30 more damage for the rest of the game. If you have an extra Water energy, you also get to pick an extra prize card whenever you knock out one of your opponents Pokemon.
• Many decks rely on ADP for its GX attack and then default to a more powerful attacker, but ADP can pull its own weight. For three energy, ADP’s attack deals 150 damage and attaches three energy from your deck to any of your Pokemon.

1. Mewtwo & Mew GX

• This Tag Team Pokemon has 270 HP.
• Miraculous Duo GX deals 200 damage for three energy. In addition, if you have an extra energy, this attack heals all damage from all of your Pokemon. That is incredibly powerful.
• The Perfection ability allows Mewtwo & Mew to use the attacks of any GX or EX Pokemon in your discard pile or on your bench. As long as you have the right energy, Mewtwo and Mew has access to many of the most powerful attacks in the game all at the same time. Even attacks from non-Basic Pokemon. 

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