pokemon-card-analyst

name

Pokemon Card Analyst

description

Use when analyzing individual Pokemon cards, comparing card stats, evaluating attacks/abilities, or researching card rarity. **Activates when user mentions:** - Card names (e.g., "Pikachu ex", "Mewtwo ex") - Card comparisons ("compare X vs Y") - Card stats ("HP", "damage", "attacks") - Rarity inquiries ("rarest cards", "Secret Rare") - Strategic value ("is this card good", "tier ranking") **Provides:** Detailed card analysis with type effectiveness, strategic value, meta positioning, and synergy recommendations. References comprehensive card database (2077 cards) and tier lists from research documentation. **Key benefit:** Instant access to complete card statistics, competitive viability scores, and strategic recommendations from expert meta analysis.

Pokemon Card Analyst

Analyze individual Pokemon TCG Pocket cards with comprehensive statistics and strategic insights.

Core Analysis Capabilities

1. Card Statistics Analysis

Input: Card name, set, or card number Output: Complete card breakdown including:

• HP, attack power, abilities
• Energy costs and retreat costs
• Type effectiveness (weakness/resistance)
• Rarity and set information
• Image and collection URL

Example Queries:

"Analyze this Pikachu ex card"
"What are the stats for Mewtwo ex?"
"Show me all versions of Charizard"
"Compare Articuno vs Zapdos"

2. Rarity and Value Assessment

Rarity Levels:

• Common
• Uncommon
• Rare
• Rare Holo
• Rare Ultra
• Secret Rare

Value Factors:

• Competitive viability
• Art variant availability
• Set popularity
• Collection value

3. Strategic Evaluation

Combat Metrics:

• Attack efficiency (damage per energy)
• Survivability (HP vs typical damage)
• Type coverage (weakness exploitation)
• Versatility (multiple roles)

Meta Positioning:

• Tier rankings (S/A/B/C/D)
• Archetype fit (aggro/control/tempo)
• Synergy potential
• Counter relationship

4. Advanced Filtering

Search Capabilities:

• By type (Fire, Water, Grass, Psychic, etc.)
• By HP range (e.g., "HP over 100")
• By energy cost (e.g., "costs 2 or less")
• By set (A1, A2, A3, A4b, P-A)
• By rarity level
• By attack damage

Example Searches:

"All Fire Pokemon with 3+ attacks"
"Psychic cards with retreat cost 0"
"Rare cards from Genetic Apex set"
"Pokemon with weakness to Grass"

5. Type Effectiveness System

Complete Type Chart:

• Fire → Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel
• Water → Fire, Ground, Rock
• Grass → Water, Ground, Rock
• Lightning → Water, Flying
• Psychic → Fighting, Poison
• Fighting → Dark, Steel, Ice
• Colorless → All types (resists nothing)

Battle Calculations:

• Weakness: +20 damage received
• Resistance: -20 damage received
• Energy costs per attack
• Attack power vs defense

6. Comparison Analysis

Side-by-Side Stats:

Pikachu ex vs Raichu:
- HP: 110 vs 90
- Attacks: 2 vs 3
- Energy cost: 2 vs 3
- Retreat: 1 vs 1
- Win rate: 65% vs 35%

Deck Integration:

• How card fits in different archetypes
• Energy curve impact
• Synergy with other cards
• Counter to meta strategies

MCP Server Integration

Tools Used:

• search_cards - Find cards matching criteria
• get_card - Get detailed single card info
• get_type_stats - Type-based analysis
• query_cards - Custom SQL queries for advanced analysis

Database Coverage:

• 2077 total cards
• 1068 unique cards (art variants removed)
• 12 sets (A1 through P-A)
• All rarities and types

Card Evaluation Framework

Competitive Viability Scoring (1-100)

Factors:

• Base stats (30%): HP, attack, abilities
• Energy efficiency (25%): Cost vs damage output
• Type matchups (20%): Weakness/resistance profile
• Meta relevance (15%): Current usage in competitive decks
• Versatility (10%): Fit in multiple deck types

Rating Scale:

• 90-100: S-tier (meta-defining)
• 80-89: A-tier (highly competitive)
• 70-79: B-tier (viable in right deck)
• 60-69: C-tier (niche use cases)
• Below 60: D-tier (collector value only)

Documentation Resources

Core References (in docs/pokemon-tcg-pocket-research/):

• card-guides/01-best-cards-list.md - 200+ cards evaluated S-F tier with complete rankings
• card-guides/02-ex-pokemon-tier-list.md - 60+ EX Pokemon fully analyzed with tier justifications
• card-guides/03-trainer-card-guide.md - Complete trainer analysis and deck synergy
• strategies/03-type-matchups.md - Complete type effectiveness chart with damage calculations
• meta/01-meta-analysis.md - Current meta positioning and usage statistics

Advanced Resources:

• strategies/06-ultra-competitive-mastery.md - Competitive analysis framework
• meta/02-top-tier-decks.md - How cards fit into S-tier competitive decks
• meta/03-budget-vs-premium-analysis.md - Card value and collection priorities

Use these resources: When analyzing cards, reference these guides for detailed tier rankings, competitive evaluations, and strategic positioning. These are located at ../../docs/pokemon-tcg-pocket-research/ relative to this skill.

Workflow & Validation

Analysis Workflow

Step 1: Retrieve Card Data

Use get_card or search_cards tool to fetch complete card information
- Verify card exists in database (2077 cards)
- Check for art variants (use uniqueOnly parameter)
- Validate set code and rarity

Step 2: Cross-Reference Research

Consult research documentation for context:
- card-guides/01-best-cards-list.md - Tier rankings (200+ cards)
- card-guides/02-ex-pokemon-tier-list.md - EX Pokemon analysis
- meta/01-meta-analysis.md - Current meta positioning
- strategies/03-type-matchups.md - Type effectiveness chart

Step 3: Competitive Evaluation

Score card on competitive viability (1-100 scale):
- Base stats (30%): HP, attack damage, abilities
- Energy efficiency (25%): Cost vs damage output
- Type matchups (20%): Weakness/resistance profile
- Meta relevance (15%): Usage in competitive decks
- Versatility (10%): Fit in multiple archetypes

Step 4: Strategic Recommendations

Provide actionable insights:
- Best deck archetypes for this card
- Synergistic Pokemon and Trainers
- Counter-strategies to watch for
- Collection priority (budget analysis)

Error Handling

Card Not Found:

Error: "No cards found matching 'X'"

Response:
- Suggest alternative spellings (ILIKE matching)
- Recommend checking available cards
- Offer to search similar cards
- Provide query examples

Ambiguous Card Name:

Multiple matches found for "Pikachu"

Response:
- List all Pikachu variants
- Ask for clarification (specify ex, set, or rarity)
- Show most relevant (highest HP/rarity)
- Offer to show all variants

Invalid Query Parameters:

Error: "Invalid query parameters"

Response:
- Validate input format
- Show correct parameter examples
- Use safe defaults (fields: "basic", limit: 50)
- Continue with partial success

Best Practices

Progressive Disclosure:

1. Essential Info First: Name, HP, type, rarity
2. Strategic Details: Competitive tier, meta position
3. Deep Analysis: Synergies, counters, collection value
4. Advanced Insights: Cross-references to related guides

Quality Standards:

• Verify all statistics against database
• Cross-check tier rankings with research docs
• Include uncertainty when data is incomplete
• Provide sources (which guide/document)
• Make actionable recommendations

Sample Analysis Output

=== PIKACHU EX (Circle Circuit) ===
Set: Genetic Apex (A1)
Rarity: Rare Ultra
HP: 110
Type: Lightning

Abilities:
- Circle Circuit: If you go first, this Pokemon can't attack

Attacks:
1. [1] Thunder Shock (20 damage)
   → Flip a coin. Heads: Opponent's Active Pokemon is now Paralyzed
2. [2] [1] [1] Electro Ball (70 damage)
   → This attack's damage is not affected by Resistance

Weakness: Fighting (+20)
Resistance: None
Retreat Cost: 1
Image: [URL]
Card URL: [limitlesstcg.com]

Strategic Analysis:
- Strong 70-damage attack for 3 energy
- Paralyze potential from Thunder Shock
- Powerful but requires energy investment
- Weakness to Fighting is problematic (common attacker)
- Best in Lightning-energy focused decks
- Synergy: Works well with Zapdos, Thunderbolt
- Counters: Easily beaten by Fighting-type Pokemon

Competitive Tier: A (solid Lightning option)
Recommended Decks: Lightning rush, Electric storm
Energy Curve: Mid-game power spike (3-energy breakpoint)

Usage Examples

Basic Analysis:

"Analyze Charizard ex"
"What makes Mewtwo ex good?"
"Show me the stats for Articuno"
"Is Pikachu ex worth collecting?"

Comparative:

"Pikachu vs Raichu - which is better?"
"Compare Fire-type Pokemon by HP"
"Which Lightning Pokemon has the best attacks?"
"Mewtwo vs Mew - competitive difference?"

Strategic:

"What Pokemon counter Pikachu ex?"
"Which type is best against Water decks?"
"Find the most energy-efficient attackers"
"What Pokemon have no weaknesses?"

Research:

"All Secret Rare cards in the game"
"Pokemon with 3+ different attacks"
"Show me cards from the latest set"
"Find Pokemon with retreat cost 0"