New “underpowered” Stellar Miracle Pokemon cards leave players divided

Stellar Miracle is the next Pokemon TCG release on the horizon, and it’s already looking like a must-have for competitive players. With a wide variety of cards already being revealed to the community, the hype for this upcoming set is reaching a fever pitch.

The latest trio of releases haven’t quite hit the mark with some Pokemon TCG fans, though, prompting many to question whether the new cards are too “situational” or “underpowered”.

Cards featuring Orthworm, Raging Bolt, and Iron Boulder were revealed over the course of several days via the official Japanese Pokemon TCG YouTube channel. While some players are excited about the new artwork and competitive options, not everyone is sold on these new cards.

Thanks to translations from PokeBeach, it’s possible to dive into the upcoming cards’ Attacks and Abilities. Orthworm ex (074/102) seems like the most interesting out of the bunch, being dubbed “funny” by viewers in the forum.

Orthworm ex has the Attack Rock Tomb, which is expensive but decently punchy. This deals 150 damage and prevents the opponent’s Pokemon from retreating in the next turn.

The Ability Kerpow Return is the most interesting thing on the card, though. If Orthworm ex is damaged by an Attack (including when it gets Knocked Out), the player may place 2 Damage Counters on the opponent’s Pokemon for every Metal Energy it currently has attached.

However, the new Ancient and Future Pokemon were far more divisive than the Orthworm card. Some praised the artwork as “fire” and “amazing”, but a large portion of players were concerned about the viability.

Raging Bolt has a middling HP pool along with a punchy 130 damage Attack. It also has access to Raging Thunderstorm, which deals 30 damage to 1 of the opponent’s ‘mons for every Energy attached.

Iron Boulder has a slightly higher HP pool and the Attack Adjustable Horn, which deals 170 damage. The caveat for this Attack is that if you do not have the same number of cards in your hand as your opponent, the Attack does no damage.

As pointed out by Pokemon TCG players in the forums, these Pokemon – particularly Iron Boulder – will take a fair amount of creative deck-building in order to find success. They have competitive potential but aren’t the most viable pieces in the current Stellar Miracle card list.

One player joked, “Raging Bolt seems good in GLC. Iron Boulder seems good as a bookmark”, referencing the Gym Leader Challenge style of playing Pokemon cards.

Some players felt excited by the card reveals, though, disagreeing with the naysayers and pointing out ways the cards could be used in creative decks – even highlighting how they could work in the current competitive meta.

One fan declared, “Iron Boulder, which can be boosted via Iron Crown and the Future Booster item, seems good. That’s a ton of damage for a basic single prizer, and getting the same number really isn’t that hard via Iono and basic draw power. I could see a single-prize Future deck being not that unreasonable.”

Whether you’re excited to get your hands on these cards or feel uncertain about their usefulness, it’s worth checking out the other cards that have been revealed for this expansion set so far. The Talonflame line looks incredibly powerful, as does the new Lapras card.

Stellar Miracle comes out in Japan on July 19, 2024. Make sure to read up on how Stellar Tera-type cards work before the expansion set drops to prepare and consider importing the set if you’re keen on the beautiful artwork.