It’s not every day that a Pokémon with only 30 HP makes a significant impact on the Pokémon TCG (shoutout to Cleffa; you can take your pick on which one). Budew, however, just might be the best new attacking Pokémon in the Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions expansion. Its Itchy Pollen attack only does 10 damage, but it inflicts a key limitation on the opponent at the same time: they can’t play Item cards on their next turn. Seismitoad-EX, Vikavolt V, and more recently Banette ex all took advantage of this powerful effect as attackers—known colloquially as Item lock—and now Budew is poised to blossom as the latest Pokémon to slow down strategies centered around Item cards.
What makes Budew so good?
Historically, Pokémon with Item-locking attacks have been the core of their own archetype, with the entire deck list built to support their strength. Seismitoad-EX, Vikavolt V, and Banette ex were all paired with numerous cards that increased either their damage output or their durability to allow them to stay on the field as long as possible while maintaining Item lock. Budew is unique because it’s best paired alongside other attackers as a supporting Pokémon that slows down the pace of the game. Instead of attempting to maintain Item lock over the course of the game, Budew is likely to attack for a few turns while the primary attackers get set up on the Bench or to attack in the middle of a match to stall the opponent on a crucial turn.
Budew is strong as a supporting Item lock Pokémon because of a few key traits: It has a free Retreat Cost, attacks for zero Energy cost, and is a Basic Pokémon. Free retreat makes it easy to pivot into the primary attacker when the time is right, attacking for zero Energy cost allows it to be usable in most decks, and being a low-HP Basic Pokémon makes it easily searchable with a variety of Item cards that include Nest Ball and Buddy-Buddy Poffin. The 10 damage can really add up too, potentially Knocking Out lower-HP Basic Pokémon over time or slowly mounting up the right number for another Pokémon to take the KO.
How does Budew slow the pace of the game?
If a player can’t play Item cards, it naturally takes much longer for them to bring a strategy online. With cards like Buddy-Buddy Poffin, Nest Ball, Ultra Ball, and Earthen Vessel all being locked out of play, Abilities and Supporter cards become the only way to find key pieces in the early turns. Budew’s Itchy Pollen can also stop the opponent from playing Item cards in the middle of the game to stop specific combos. Rare Candy? Energy Switch? Prime Catcher? Never heard of them; we only know Budew.
Certain Pokémon TCG archetypes rely on Item cards more than others too. Regidrago VSTAR, for example, is unlikely to set up big attacks without Energy Switch or Superior Energy Retrieval, Charizard ex’s turns are less explosive without Rare Candy, and Gholdengo ex can hardly make it rain without Energy Search Pro or Night Stretcher. Most decks also rely on switching effects to some degree, and stopping your opponent from playing Switch Cart or Prime Catcher for even one turn can make a big difference.
How do you counter Budew?
Budew is good, but it’s not all-powerful. Pokémon TCG decks require Items, but players can include specific Supporter cards, Pokémon Tool cards, and even Pokémon to deal with Item lock. Ryunosuke Murata showcased this with his third-place finish at Champions League Osaka late last year: he included two Lance Supporter cards and Technical Machine: Evolution in his Dragapult ex deck. He still played Rare Candy, but those cards provided a solid backup strategy against players using Budew at the tournament. Murata also played two copies of Budew himself, likely to deal with the quick-hitting Basic decks at the tournament.
Murata included Budew in his deck list, but plenty of players neglected the Bud Pokémon, including the eventual winner of Champions League Osaka, Yota Wakai. Budew isn’t likely to be a format-warping card in the same way that traditional attackers are, but its presence as a potential ringer in any archetype is certain to influence deck construction. Will you play slower decks that take advantage of Budew’s impact, or will you include just the right tech cards to fuel an aggressive playstyle?
Let us know what you dew, Trainers!
