The
Dragapult ex line is basically the main attacker of a new group of Tier 1 decks that can actually threaten Charizard ex (due to its second attack having an easily-filled Energy cost and a really nice secondary effect) and bunch of other decks into seeing less use. It also helps that
Recon Directive Drakloak is basically a beefier version of
Air Mail Pidgeotto.
Festival Lead Dipplin is nice but it
needs to have
Festival Grounds,
Boom Boom Grove Thwackey,
and a full Bench to really shine (and that not even getting into ways to further boost Do the Wave's base damage).
Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex is basically a splashable, beefier
Radiant Charizard and it's actually seeing some use in Japan via Lugia VSTAR decks. The only downside I can see with it is that it does 240 base damage over Radiant Charizard's 250 base damage.
Iron Thorns ex is basically an altered
Empoleon V (swap the Rule Box/No Rule Box bit, remove the limit on Basic Pokémon, and add a exception for Future Pokémon) with it's one attack doing an additonal 10 base damage. The card's seeing some use in Japan so that bodes well for its future.
Attract Customers Tatsugiri is basically playing the same role
Stellar Wish Jirachi did back in the Sun & Moon-era despite it being a somewhat-weaker version of it (Jirachi could look for any Trainer card from the top 5 cards of your deck at the cost of falling Asleep while Tatsugiri is limited to Supporters but loses the Sleep effect and looks at an additional card), it even has an
Escape Board equivalent in the form of
Rescue Board.
Accompanying Flute is a card that
everyone in competitive scene groaned at, it's basically tailor-made for the Snorlax Stall decks that have been plaguing the game for a while now.
I kind of laughed at
Handheld Fan when it was first revealed but prereleases made me see that can be
really annoying in practice. And, as if fate had it out for me, it's apparently used in Japanese Snorlax Stall decks.
How fun.
Seeing
Enhanced Hammer getting a reprint makes me feel a bit better, some decks need a good reminder that it isn't safe to attach Special Energy all willy-nilly even with
Giacomo in the format.
The ACE SPECs introduced here are a mixed bag.
Unfair Stamp is basically another "go-to" ACE SPEC like Prime Catcher because hand disruption is that crucial. The
Scoop Up Cyclone reprint is nice to see and will more than likely see some niche use in certain decks.
Secret Box looks broken on paper but in practice there are very few decks that can pay the three-card discard needed to play it, let alone benefit from pulling one of each Trainer card type at once.
Legacy Energy is an interesting card (a
Rainbow Energy that has also has a one-time
Life Dew effect) that's seeing some play in Lugia VSTAR decks over in Japan.
Survival Brace is a meme.
The supporters are kind of "meh" but some are seeing usage:
Carmine is a 3-to-4-of in Lugia VSTAR decks,
Lana's Aid is a one-of in some Lost Box decks,
Lucian was sighted in a Japanese Gouging Fire ex deck as a two-of, and the rest are kind of shit. I'll give
Kieran some leeway since boosting damage isn't anything to scoff at but I'm not hopeful.