Pokemon is a series that’s about as adorable, action-packed, and timeless as simple, turn-based JRPGs come. The series has influenced gamers and nerds all over the world. Whether you started with Generation One or later, whether you started with the games or the anime, and whether your favorite starter is Pikachu, Bulbasaur, or someone else, we can all agree on one thing: Pokemon is the G.O.A.T. With the success of a series like Pokemon comes the inevitable trading card game. We can shamelessly say that we spent countless dollars of our allowance trying to collect them all.
We’ve got boxes and binders full of these holographic bad boys just waiting to be marveled at. But wait, did you know you can actually use the cards to play a game? They’re more than just pretty. Who knew? Everyone? Oh… okay… well we just found out and we’re hooked. So why don’t you just read on to find out more about 10 of the most powerful fire-type cards you can use in the Pokemon Trading Card Game.
10 Delphox
Delphox is one of the coolest looking Fire types we’ve seen with her allusions to a witch casting spells and the Japanese fox spirits. Delphox is also one of very few Fire/Psychic types and the only starter Pokemon with this unique, dual-type make-up.
Delphox’s ability in the card game is Mystical Fire which allows you to draw cards until you have 6 cards in your hand. This is a great tool to use to fish for other cards you may be trying to pull in a pinch.
9 Team Magma’s Camerupt
Team Magma may be bad, but their Camerupt is perfectly good at being a great ally in battle. Its ability, Burning Draft, allows you to attach one fighting or fire energy from your discard pile to Camerupt.
Its attack, Flame Ball, does 60 damage and allows you to move a basic Energy from this Pokemon to 1 of your Benched Pokemon. Naturally, it’s two times weakness to water attacks can make him a bit of a turnoff to some players, but if you can get past that, you’ll love him.
8 Charmander
It’s cute, it’s sweet, and it evolves into a ginormous fire breathing dragon of absolute destruction. What’s not to love about Charmander? He’s a staple in the anime, the manga, the games, and now, a staple in some of the strongest Fire-type decks in the trading card game.
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There are a few variations of Charmander, but the one we noticed that people seem to like to use is from the Team Up line. Charmander’s only move in this set up is Ember which hits for 30 damage and requires one fire energy. However, Charmander’s usefulness doesn’t come in his base form, it’s in his ability to evolve into the more powerful Charmeleon and Charizard.
7 Dark Charmeleon
Here’s another Pokemon that’s taking a walk on the dark side, except this time it’s Team Rocket who’s at the helm. Dark Charmeleon evolves from Charmander and comes in sporting 50 health and the usual weakness to water.
Dark Charmeleon has two abilities, the first of which is a basic Tail Slap. It does 20 damage for the cost of one normal energy. Fireball is the card’s second ability, and it packs much more of a punch if you’re up for a little wager. In order to use the attack, Dark Charmeleon needs to first have at least one R Energy card attached to it. If the coin flip is heads, you discard one energy and deal 70 damage, but if it’s tails, the attack does absolutely nothing. High risk, high reward, we think.
6 Dark Charizard
Dark Charizard comes in as kind of an obvious choice. I mean, who stops mid-evolution, right? Dark Charizard comes ready for battle with 80 HP, a weakness to water, and a bad attitude. Just look at that side-eye. Dark Charizard has two attacks, the first of which is Nail Flick. It takes one normal energy and deals 10 damage. Its second attack is Continuous Fireball, and it requires two Fire energy.
The attack requires that you flip coins equal to the number of R energy cards attached to Dark Charizard, and you deal 50 damage times the number of heads. You then discard R energy cards equal to the number of heads you flipped.
5 Emboar EX
Emboar EX is an extraordinarily hard-hitting card if you play your cards right (and with a little luck). It comes in with 180 health and the usual Fire-type aversion to Water attacks. It’s first attack, Spiral Punch, does 20+ damage for the cost of one Fire energy and one Normal energy.
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When you use this attack, flip a coin until it comes up tails, and for each additional heads you land, Emboar tacks on an additional 20 damage. His second attack, Strong Flare, does 150 damage at the cost of two Fire energy and two Normal energy. The move also requires you to discard two energy attached to Emboar.
4 Charizard Ex
Can you believe it? Two Charizards in one list? Of course, you can, it’s Charizard. This time, however, it’s not Dark Charizard, but Charizard-EX. The “EX” stands for Extra because the Pokemon in this line carries an extra effect. When Charizard EX is knocked out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards. Its first attack, Stoke, deals no damage, but for one Normal energy, you get to search your deck for up to 3 basic energy cards to attach to Charizard before shuffling your deck.
That’s almost enough energy for Charizard’s second attack, Fire Blast. This move hits for 120 damage and costs one Fire energy and three Normal energy. It also requires you to discard an additional energy attached to the Pokemon when used.
3 Pyroar
For our next top pick, we present the mighty Pyroar. He only has one attack, Scorching Fang, does 60+ damage for the cost of one Fire energy and two Normal energy.
The move allows you to discard a Fire energy attached to Pyroar for an additional 30 more damage. Pyroar also has the ability Intimidating Mane which prevents all damage done to the Pokemon dealt by attacks from your opponent’s Basic Pokemon.
2 Flareon EX
Next up is the adorably deadly Flareon EX. Its ability, Flash Fire, really comes in handy to help buff its only attack. Flash Fire allows you to move one Fire energy from one of your other Pokemon onto Flareon.
This ability must be used before you attack. Flareon’s attack, Blaze Ball, does 50+ damage for the cost of three Normal energy. Blaze Ball also deals an additional 20 damage for each Fire energy attached to it. The efficacy of Flash Fire should be obvious now. Flareon is like a self-loading flamethrower.
1 Reshiram and Charizard GX
This card is like the Pokemon card equivalent of “never talk to me or my son again.” Charizard and Reshiram team up on this card for an incredible 270 HP and three supremely powerful attacks. The first is Outrage which deals 30+ damage with the additional damage being tacked on as 10 damage for every damage counter on Reshiram and Charizard. Their second attack is Flare Strike. It’s a move that can only be used once every other turn and hits for 230 damage.
Clearly, this tag team is not one to be trifled with, but they have one last that’s so powerful it can only be used once per game: the GX attack Double Blaze GX. This move deals 200 damage on its own, but if Charizard and Reshiram have at least 3 extra Fire energy attached to them, the attack does an additional 100 points of damage. The move also isn't affected by any of the effects of your opponent’s active Pokemon.