Alolan Ninetales GX: Deck-Build Synergies With the Ninetales Line

In TCG ·

Alolan Ninetales GX card art from Guardians Rising

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Connections Across the Ninetales Line: Alolan Ninetales GX and Its Predecessors

Few Pokémon lines in the TCG shimmer with as much frost-kissed storytelling as the Alolan Ninetales family. From its humble beginnings as Alolan Vulpix to the majestic crescendo of Alolan Ninetales GX, this lineage embodies how evolution and environment shape a deck’s rhythm. In Guardians Rising, SM2-22 arrives as a Ultra Rare centerpiece that not only hits hard but also invites players to weave a narrative: how a single line links early bench pressure, mid-game tempo, and a dramatic GX finisher. ⚡🔥

At the heart of the line is the leap from a nimble early-game presence to a formidable, late-game threat. Alolan Ninetales GX sits on 210 HP — a sturdy throne for a Water-type attacker — and it borrows the elegant, moonlit aesthetic of its Alolan home. The evolution from Alolan Vulpix isn’t just about stronger attacks; it’s about a deck-building philosophy: prepare a reliable path from a fast, bench-summoning vixen to a high-HP finisher capable of swinging two or three Prize cards in a single swing when the moment is right. The card’s artwork by 5ban Graphics captures that icy majesty, a reminder that connections in the line are as much about flavor as raw numbers. 🎴🎨

Lineage, Synergy, and the Art of Transition

The Ninetales line thrives on a simple but effective concept: leverage a smooth evolution curve to threaten the opponent’s board while distributing damage in a way that opens up opportunities for the “Ice Path GX.” This GX attack is the line’s dramatic crescendo—Move all damage counters from Alolan Ninetales GX to the opponent’s Active Pokémon. The trade-off is explicit: you can’t use more than one GX attack per game, so the timing must be impeccable. That constraint makes the other two attacks—Ice Blade and Blizzard Edge—critical to set up the perfect GX moment. Ice Blade serves steady board pressure, delivering 50 damage to a single opponent’s Pokémon, while Blizzard Edge punishes an overextended board by dishing 160 damage at the cost of discarding two Energy from Alolan Ninetales GX. It’s a mechanic dance: build momentum with Ice Blade, accelerate with Blizzard Edge, then finish with Ice Path GX. 💎

Practically, this line invites a thoughtful Evolution path. Start with Alolan Vulpix to get things moving, then evolve into Alolan Ninetales (the standard, non-GX form) and finally into Alolan Ninetales GX when you’re ready to unleash the big finish. This path naturally pairs with Energy management and early-stage support Pokémon that help you stall or accelerate your drawn Energy. The line’s Water typing also informs type matchups—its Metal-type weakness is a real consideration in the broader metagame, pushing players to design swaps and cover strategies that minimize exposure to heavy Metal archetypes. 🪙

Deck-Building Synergies: Practical Paths and Pairings

  • Evolution acceleration: Prioritize a clean evolution line from Vulpix to Ninetales and, when feasible, bring in Alolan Ninetales GX for the knockout punch. Supporters and Trainers that fetch or accelerate evolutions shine here; Rare Candy remains a classic tool to get to GX power sooner rather than later. The payoff is a mid-to-late game where Blizzard Edge can wipe out sizeable threats, and Ice Path GX can flip the board in a single blow.
  • Energy discipline: Blizzard Edge requires a solid energy base—two Water and one extra Energy typically—so deck design should optimize Water Energy retention and recovery. Plan turn-by-turn energy lines so you can attach consistently, then pull the trigger with Blizzard Edge to threaten a major swing while keeping a plan in motion for Ice Path GX’s post-attack repositioning.
  • Target selection: Use Ice Blade to chip away at the opponent’s—especially benched—Pokemon to force retreat decisions and draw out the key defender you’re aiming to break through with Blizzard Edge. This creates a tempo that can open a clean line to Ice Path GX’s payoff.
  • Support and resilience: Include cards that smooth draws and resistances, so you can reach the GX moment even after a rough start. The line benefits from a steady supply of drawn Water energies, and evenly balanced counts of the Vulpix/Ninetales mini-archetype help weather losses when the opponent counters your GX timing.
  • Opponent awareness: Because Ice Path GX moves all damage counters off Alolan Ninetales GX, you can pivot from a fragile to a resilient board state mid-game, placing pressure on opponents who rely on spread or on bench-heavy strategies. Watch for Metal-weak matchups and plan your energy use to withstand those lines.

From a collector’s perspective, Alolan Ninetales GX stands out in Guardians Rising for its striking holo presentation and the enduring appeal of the Alola aesthetic. The card is rated Ultra Rare, and its value has fluctuated with the broader market. Cardmarket shows a recent average around €4.30 with a typical spread from €0.50 to higher values, illustrating how condition and holo status can shift prices. On TCGPlayer, holofoil copies have been observed in a range from roughly $1.57 to $9.00, with a market price near $3.93 and a direct-low possibility around $4.85. Those figures reflect both the line’s popularity in competitive play and its nostalgia factor for collectors who remember the Sun & Moon era. 🔥

Art, Lore, and the Guardians Rising Theme

The illustration by 5ban Graphics captures the ethereal glow of Alolan Ninetales, echoing Guardians Rising’ s guardians motif—protectors of a region’s sacred sanctuaries. The card’s design and the line’s lore blend a chilly elegance with a tactical toolkit, inviting players to tell their own stories of how a single line can govern a game’s tempo across multiple turns. It’s not just about high damage or big numbers; it’s about timing, adaptation, and the quiet art of reading an opponent’s plan as you pivot from one source of pressure to another. 🎴

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