The Best Cards of the Pokémon 30th Anniversary Set

Hello everyone! The whole community is going absolutely insane over the 30th anniversary set that Pokémon released this month. And yes, I get why: it combines the nostalgia of Pokémon cards with a brand-new rarity (Futuristic Rare), fan-favorite Pokémon and stunning artworks. I, myself, haven't been able to get my hands on a single pack, partly because they fly off the shelves the moment they arrive at the store, and partly because I refuse to pay more than the established retail price. But what I had time for is, precisely, testing the new cards. So, if you're interested in actually playing with these cards and want to know whether the new additions to the Standard format will have an impact on the metagame, join me in this article!
Now, before we begin our list, a word of warning: this won't be a traditional top 10, simply because the set is not especially large and it only features Pokémon cards (no Supporters, no Items, no Energies). As a result, the card pool is much more limited than in a regular release. But don't worry, Delta Reign is just around the corner, and we will do a proper analysis when the time comes. Without further ado, let's discuss the best cards!

Espeon

I wanted to add Espeon to this list simply because it's the type of card you keep in your binder "just in case". Its attack can devolve all Pokémon on the field, which has often been a very strong effect in previous formats. The only problem with Espeon is, of course, that it doesn't really do much else. I think Espeon has some potential in control strategies, and it's just waiting for the right player to experiment a bit with it.

Yveltal

Yveltal is the type of card you normally won't see until the format needs it. Let me explain. This Pokémon has a pretty unique Ability that prevents healing. Now, healing is not a determining factor for most decks, but, as you can imagine, it's a very important aspect of control strategies.
As things stand, nothing justifies randomly adding Yveltal to decks in an attempt to stop Jumbo Ice Cream users like  Mega Excadrill ex or Crustle (there are much better ways of dealing with them), and control doesn't hold a prominent place in the metagame.
However, it's very nice to have the option of negating healing if you need it, so I would go as far as to say this is a mandatory purchase. Imagine the post-rotation format evolves so much that a deck with healing capabilities rises to the top. In that case, Yveltal has you covered.

Greninja ex

I wish I could say Greninja ex is the missing piece that finally turns Mega Greninja ex intot a top-tier deck but… that's not how reality works.
This new Greninja is not bad at all. It has a very flexible attack that lets us deal damage anywhere on the field, depending on how many damage counters are already on the Pokémon we choose. The synergy with certain cards is pretty obvious. For example, you can explode a ghost (Dusclops, Dusknoir) and then finish the Pokémon off with Greninja ex for just one Energy. Or you could promote your Mega Greninja ex, use its Ability to place 6 damage counters, manually retreat and attack with Greninja ex (yes, so many Greninja cards, sorry, I hope you're following!).
The problem is that, even if the new Greninja is a card that adds value, the existing strategies are still far behind the top decks in terms of consistency and strength. Mega Greninja ex requires a lot of resources to set up, it's very sensitive to Item lock and, by the time you have successfully evolved your Greninjas… it might well be too late.
So, in conclusion, I think Greninja ex is a good card that helps, but unless the format suddenly slows down after the rotation, it is simply not enough.

Unown

Extra Prizes? Extra Prizes? Where do I sign?
Unown is a very straightforward card that immediately caught every player's attention because it can take extra Prize cards. And yes, that is a strong effect, but let's put things into perspective. Traditionally, cards that accelerate the Prize trade have always seen a lot of play and had a very strong presence in the metagame. I don't need to remind you how incredible Iron Hands ex was in the previous format.
However, for a card to be good, it needs to be usable, and Unown has two very big drawbacks:
First of all, unlike Iron Hands ex, Unown deals very little damage (40, to be precise). So, to unlock its effect, you really need to attack either a Pokémon that already has a ton of damage on it or one with very little HP, like Budew or any other Baby Pokémon. And yes, these situations will come up during a tournament, but not that often.
The second problem is that you need to power up Unown with two Psychic Energy, so not every deck can just run it. Combine this with the fact that there are many strong Psychic attackers (Alakazam, Slowking), and you might not even want to invest resources in Unown at all.
I'm not saying Unown is a bad attacker, but if you're expecting something at the level of previous cards, it will disappoint you. I think it's a great addition to Toolbox decks that run Wondrous Patch and a Psychic engine, as another weapon in your arsenal, but no more than that.
Trivia: It took me a while to realize it, but the Unown in the illustration are spelling "anniversary" with their formation. How cool is that? I love finding these little details in cards!

Jirachi ex

This card is very similar to Yveltal in the sense that it probably won't see play right now, but it's nice that Pokémon is giving us the option of making certain decks more flexible.
See, Jirachi isn't extraordinary per se. Its very low HP would normally make including it in any deck a very bad idea. What's actually interesting, though, is Swift, its second attack, which deals 150 damage and goes through any defensive barrier for three Colorless Energy. So, in theory, any deck that struggles against stall strategies like Crustle could make use of Jirachi, because no matter what your opponent plays, the attack will always go through.
Again, I don't think Jirachi will see play in the short term, but it's comforting to know that if a deck like Basic Box is ever desperate for an out against Crustle, this little guy is waiting in our binder.
(Also, on a completely unrelated note, what crazy artwork this Jirachi has! Akira Egawa keeps proving that she is one of the most talented Pokémon illustrators of the last decade.)

Igglybuff

I'm going to be very honest with you: I hadn't even looked at this card when I first reviewed the set. I remember skimming it and thinking something like "Oh, another Baby Pokémon. Well, whatever, it won't see any play". Then the set was released and I started testing on the official online platform. First deck I face: it has an Igglybuff. It KOs my Pokémon on the first turn. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what just happened when I start another game, only to find another opponent with a similar list who proceeds to destroy me. I panic and start reading the cards again. Meanwhile, the online platform is swarmed with these Baby Pokémon that can KO anything in one turn.
Igglybuff does only one thing, but it does it extremely well: dealing damage for zero Energy. This little guy deals 30 damage for each Pokémon with a maximum HP of 30 on your Bench. If you fill up your Bench, that's 150 damage every turn for (and I repeat) zero Energy. Then, of course, come the damage boosts. If you attach a Brave Bangle to Igglybuff, that's an extra 30 damage. If you play something like Black Belt's Training, you get 40 more. So yes, if you add everything up, that's 220. Not bad, huh?
And suddenly, Igglybuff has become a deck in its own right, and it's not only fun but strong. The idea is to always keep your Bench full and literally roll over anything your opponent plays. If you're feeling "greedy" enough, you can play a version with Area Zero Underdepths and some Tera Pokémon like Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex to play even more Baby Pokémon!
I want to be clear with you all: the deck is real, and it's extremely annoying. Since you don't need to run any Energy, you have a lot of space for cards like Crushing Hammer or Pokémon Catcher, which can completely turn a game in your favor if you flip heads. In fact, after my disastrous first day testing the new set, I dropped everything I was doing to build Igglybuff (or, as I've started calling it, Baby Box).
Now, the deck isn't going to win any Regionals any time soon. There are many problems, from Munkidori to Dragapult ex to… well, anything that can either KO multiple Pokémon with one attack or has access to placing damage counters. But if you want to have fun, don't hesitate. Try this list, and I promise you'll discover a whole new world of possibilities.

Mew ex

When Mew ex was first revealed, I saw two very different reactions from the player base. Half of them started screaming things like "OMG, it's finally coming back!" (I was one of them), while the other half looked at the card with a skeptical expression, saying "Wait, guys, do you think it's really that good?".
Allow me to explain. Mew has an Ability that lets it use any attack from your field, as long as the Energy requirements are met. For example, if you have a Teal Mask Ogerpon ex on your Bench and Mew in the Active Spot with three Grass Energy attached, Mew can copy its attack. The thing is, this is not the first time (and I'm willing to bet it won't be the last) that Mew has been released in the TCG with this same effect (or an even better one), and every time, this legendary Pokémon has been pivotal in its format. So veteran players were hyped about Mew's return because they had experienced firsthand how versatile it was.
Even though Mew ex doesn't have a ton of HP and gives up two Prize cards when it's Knocked Out, it is actually incredibly strong, for many reasons:
First of all, the Ability is absolutely crazy, and we need to understand it properly. There are some Pokémon with very strong attack effects but low HP: think of Bronzong or Budew. If you attack with Mew, you suddenly have a Pokémon that can Item lock your opponent and has 160 HP, which is huge compared to Budew's 30 HP. Sometimes, you will want to copy the attack of a Mega Evolution Pokémon (Lopunny, Lucario) without risking giving your opponent three Prize cards if they have an answer. And sometimes, you can just load Mew up with Energy and switch between attacks as the situation demands, like Basic Box does.
Second, Mew is a Psychic type, which means it benefits from a ton of support. For instance, it can use Telepathic Psychic Energy, the best Energy currently available in the game, to set up your Bench. On top of that, Mew can be powered up with Wondrous Patch while you draw cards with Mystery Garden.
And last but not least, Mew has a FREE Retreat Cost, which makes it the perfect Pokémon to start the game with, as well as the perfect pivot for the mid-game.
All in all, Mew ex is the strongest card in the set and, I would dare to say, one of the strongest cards we've had in the game in a while. It's not a card that will be played on its own, because that has never been its role, but it's a fantastic support for many decks. Mega Lopunny, for example, relies heavily on Mew ex, and some Basic Box versions have modified their builds to give Mew ex a more prominent role.

66th Place Regional Frankfurt - German Arribas Gongora

This list is one of my favorites from the latest European Regional in Frankfurt. As you can see, Mew ex plays a really important role in the deck alongside other psychic-type Pokémon like Latias and Cleffairy. I particularly like the inclusion of Iron Crown ex, searchable as well via Telephatic Energy and capable of dealing some very much needed early damage against decks like Alakazam. There are other versions of this archetype that put even more emphasis on Mew and even include cards like Scream Tail ex but, honestly, I think German’s build strikes the right balance.

Parting thoughts 

The 30th anniversary set is not your regular set, but it never intended to be something as “complete” as a regular, competitive expansion. It is, nevertheless, a really good pack to open, whether you are a collector or a competitive player. My personal suggestion would be to buy the cards from the list and start testing them right away. And yes, in the next article we will probably discuss Delta Reign and the arrival of the Lord of the Skies, Mega Rayquaza ex. Thanks for reading!