Pinsir – Pokémon TCG Highlander

Pinsir is an active menace throughout any timeframe of the game. With great offensive, defensive, and disruptive options, it takes quite a bit of work for the opponent to take it down.

Strategy Points:

• “Shining Horn” provides a rare effect that makes attacking Basic Pokémon have to discard an attached Energy card before attacking.
  • You can get a lot of potential discarded Energy this way when Pinsir is paired with Eviolite and Aether Paradise Conservation Area.
  • Crushing Hammer and Enhanced Hammer are great additions to dial up the potential disruption rate and make for Basic Pokémon not attacking.
  • Because of the last part of this Poké-Body, Pokémon with spread attacks that have multiple targets will still have to pay the cost if Pinsir is a target.
• “Gripthrow” provides three different great effects depending on your coin flip results:
  • With two heads, you are allowed to bounce the Defending Pokémon back to the opponent’s hand. Setting the momentum back for your opponent for one to potentially multiple turns.
  • Getting at least one heads will grant you 10 damage and an Energy discard, which can already be enough to halt the Defending Pokémon in its tracks next turn.
  • Two tails grants Pinsir spread damage to all of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. This can “mark for Knock Out” on potential Pokémon that evolve into Stage 2s and get hit by “Sever” later in the game.
• “Sever” already does great damage for as early as the first turn (if you’re going second and/or accelerate one of your Energy attachments.) The average Stage 2 Pokémon is going to have around 50 HP remaining if hit at max HP.
  • Omastar, Technical Machine TS-2, and Technical Machine: Devolution all provide great options to deevolve the Pokémon just hit by this attack last turn.
  • EXP. Share is great with Pinsir in the mid to late game, allowing for you get Knock Outs on damaged Stage 2 Pokémon.
• With Mega Pinsir:
• “Aerilate” turns all of your Special Energy that provide Colorless (Highlander Special Energy List) into Basic Energy. Stopping effects like Enhanced Hammer, Xerosic, and Faba done to Mega Pinsir.
  • One Colorless Special Energy will provide +30 damage for Mega Pinsir’s attacks when combined with Mega Buff. You can use Powerful Energy to make this +40 or V Guard Energy to gain a +30 in Defense vs Pokémon-EX.
• Due to dual typing, your Colorless Energy will provide Grass Energy, allowing for “Sever” to be used with a Powerful and Double Colorless Energy as the cost.