The Real Mountain Smasher
Tyranitar, synonmous with Godzilla, has always had that theme of total destruction with each card this beast has been printed on. Since its debut in Neo Discovery, Tyranitar has consistently had the mantra of “I will consume energy and destroy everything.” In some formats, it has truly shone brightly, but in others it laid dormant waiting for a moment where someone could figure out the right build to accommodate this large creature.
While Tyranitar's first card released in Neo Discovery, and the one that many would first become accostomed to because of the infamous Unown [DARK] Pokémon Power combo, there was another Tyranitar that many aren't as familiar with from the stone ages of Pokémon: Dark Tyranitar (Neo Destiny).
In the short-lived neo saga spanning four sets, Neo Destiny sought to bring us a new era of Dark Pokémon, similar to what the first Team Rocket set did. Though this time, one of the key differences being that Darkness Energy was made available, providing Dark Pokémon with a new tool they previously did not have. Another interesting piece of trivia is that it gave us two Pokémon that were naturally dark in alternate types that could also utilize Darkness Energy; Dark Houndoom and Dark Tyranitar. Ultimately, Neo Destiny brought about the rise of Dark Feraligatr as its poster boy, but Dark Tyranitar would see some success at the East Coast Stadium Challenge held in 2002 by yours truly.
Source: Mike Reynolds - 2nd Place East Coast Stadium Challenge
View other decks from the TR-LC (2002) format here
Dark Tyranitar's first attack, "Mountain Smasher," allows this big monster to start munching on the opponent's deck early, while simultaneously dealing small amounts of damage. (It honors the idea of Tyranitar destroying mountains, but in this case, the deck.) In the days of the of Feraligatr's (Neo Genesis) reign, this could sometimes be a double-edged sword, but of course could also work against Feraligatr, as many ran Parasect or cards such as Trash Exchange. And, in an era with very little recovery and draw, and "evil" cards such as Chaos Gym and Slowking, this gave Dark Tyranitar a taste for disruption that could sap an opponent of their resources. As a personal anecdote, I combined this monster with Slowking (thanks to its mistranslation) to put an opponent's Trainer cards back on top of their deck, only to then completely remove them from play with Mountain Smasher.
Like its predecessor in Neo Discovery, Dark Tyranitar had a second attack that could threaten any 30 HP creatures. In his main format of Team Rocket-on, Baby Pokémon such as Cleffa, Tyrogue, and Elekid ran rampant across the boards of all decks. Dark Tyranitar, in his evil glory, could wipe out two baby Pokémon at once, providing you could flip heads while the infamous Baby Pokémon Ability was active.
While it's unfortunate that this amazing Pokémon did not have much success after its release, I personally look back on titan with fond memories for a multitude of reasons. Ultimately, many associate Dark Tyranitar with those from Team Rocket Returns, but we must never forget the real "OG" that did it first.
Do you have any fond memories of this dark goliath? Any moments where you Mountain Smashed an opponent into their much needed resources to take them out? Perhaps you snatched two prizes off a “Heads!” against two baby Pokémon? Or, like me, you marvel at the incredible art of this and other Neo Destiny cards? Let us know by tweeting us at @PTCG_Legends using the button below, and of course, thank you for reading! If you enjoy what you see, consider supporting us on Patreon, link below!
