How to Become an Expert at Pokémon Obsidian Flames

Pokémon’s Obsidian Flames expansion is the latest in the Scarlet and Violet series and is released on August 11th 2023. This set has been hotly anticipated and contains some epic cards for people to chase. We are going to have a look at how you can become a Pokémon Master and an expert in Scarlet and Violet Obsidian Flames.

Understanding The Rules

While none of the fundamentals of the Pokémon Trading Card Game have changed, Obsidian Flames introduces us to some new cards with interesting attacks and abilities and it is the first time we have seen Tera type Pokémon with a different typing to their base type. The big ones in this set include a Lightning type Tyranitar ex and a Dark type Charizard ex. One thing to note about any type changed Tera Pokémon is that they still use the same energy type as they would be before their switch. So to give you an example, Charizard ex still uses Fire energy, Tyranitar ex still uses Fighting energy and Vespiquen ex still uses Grass energy, despite being a Psychic type. Outside of this change, there are no Scarlet and Violet Obsidian Flames mechanics that are different to the preceding Scarlet and Violet sets.

When playing the game, it still follows the same format. You are still attempting to play to your win conditions, which could be taking all 6 prizes, your opponent having no Pokémon in play or by decking your opponent out (meaning they have no cards left in their deck to draw from). As well as this, there are no changes to the core rules, you still flip a coin to see who goes first, you draw 7 cards to begin and you set out 6 prize cards. Whoever goes first on turn one cannot play a Supporter card and they also cannot attack. This is a shame as there is a useful Supporter card in this set which would be perfect for turn 1 going first. Geeta is a Supporter card which allows you to search your deck for 2 Basic Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. The drawback from this is that your Pokémon cannot attack this turn. So it seems really good on turn one, if only you could use it going first!

Playing The Game

As with all new sets, I would highly recommend attending a prerelease event. This is your opportunity to see the cards early and get a feel for some of the new game mechanics. Each prerelease kit comes with a ready made deck and 4 packs of the new set. You will be able to practise with some of the new cards and discover some powerful combos before the set is fully released. If you can’t make it to a prerelease event in store, you can buy some Build and Battle kits and play with your friends at home. Prerelease events are a fantastic way to learn about some of the cards that you may have disregarded on first look. The Palafin for example, has a really nice attack, dealing 210 damage as long as it moved from the bench to the active during this turn. This comes as standard in some prerelease kits and is a card you may have overlooked at first.

Obsidian Flames doesn’t bring with it any fundamental rule changes and so if you have been playing the game recently, you will still be ok with this new set. It does bring powerful new cards though, including Charizard ex, Tyranitar ex and Pidgeot ex. Expect to see lots of Charizard decks at your local league as it is an extremely powerful card with huge amounts of HP, a nasty attack and an incredible ability. It is the first well rounded and highly playable Charizard card we have had in years! You should also expect to see lots of Pidgeot ex as well. Its ability allows you to search your deck for any card and put it into your hand. You can do that every turn which can help your consistency no end

Upcoming Events and Tournaments

There are always Pokémon events happening all over the world, some big, some small. There have been lots of Regional tournaments announced for the 2024 season, including one in Liverpool in January 2024, which you can expect to be battling it out against nearly 1,000 other trainers. There are also lots of online tournaments which are run at all times on every day for you to practise in as well. A lot of these online events are run through the Limitless Online platform, which is a great place to find tournaments and past results.

There are also lots of local stores which run events. These can be League Challenges and League Cups to just casual play nights. All of these events are great fun and will let you test out your new cards from Obsidian Flames.

Incorporating Obsidian Flames Into Your Decks

As we have mentioned before, there are some amazing cards in this set, but how do you use them in your decks? Well, some, such as the Charizard ex, will be a brand new deck in its own right, which revolves around the Charizard. If you want to play with the Charizard then it is likely that you will have to build that specific deck. However, some of the support type Pokémon will be able to be fitted into most decks, space permitting! This includes that incredible Pidgeot ex we spoke about earlier and also cool little cards like Cleffa, with its Grasping Draw attack. Cleffa is a brilliant little Pokémon which can really help your setup in the early turns. Its attack has zero energy cost and allows you to draw cards until you have 7 in hand. A free attack that lets you draw cards is brilliant. The downside is that it only has 30 HP so will be knocked out easily, but if you have this in the active spot turn one, going second, then you should get some good use out of it. Oh, and it comes in a simply beautiful Illustration Rare version!

Obsidian Flames Round Up

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Obsidian Flames really is the hot commodity right now and features some great new cards. It is sure to be a set which helps shape the meta for the next couple of years and is a collectors dream with all of the Charizard cards available. Pidgeot ex will be a staple of the meta going forward, so make sure that you have at least a couple of those in your binder ready to go. If you like ‘investing’ in Pokémon products then keep a couple of sealed items in your collection, although I think this one will be a very long term hold.

Overall, Obsidian Flames is a great set with a lot to shout about. Make sure you grab everything you need from the set over at our store on Magic Madhouse.