Top 10 BEST And Strongest Blaziken Cards

What’s popping everybody, SaberWolf94 and today I’m excited to rank the top 10 strongest Blaziken cards from what’s printed so far. I’ve mentioned countless times throughout my channel about how Mudkip is my favourite starter but when it comes to cards I’d say the Torchic line has my heart, even if it’s just by a little bit more. It might be because of the 3 hoenn starters the Blaziken line has had the best cards and not to mention all the cool artworks. A number of these cards are also key in some of my favourite pokemon decks ever so I’m sure this plays a role too in why I like Blaziken cards so much.

If you read any of my other top 10 pokemon card articles the ranking rules are the same as ever. Mega Blaziken won’t be considered as it is a mega form and not a base form Blaziken card. Cards will be judged on how good they are as stand alone cards but also how good they are when paired with other cards for combos. Stats, attacks and effects are all part of the equation and it goes without saying that I’ll judge these cards based on their format and era. If I praise the artwork on some of these cards know that it was not a factor on its ranking. Sounds good? Let’s do it.

From gen 5 till now regular stage 1 and stage 2 pokemon have been getting a very unfair treatment. Even if it’s not as bad as now most stage 2 pokemon were still pretty weak in the XY era which is where this Blaziken is from. Its stats are mostly typical if you compare it with other regular stage 2s from that time, but that doesn’t mean it will survive shots from the strongest pokemon ex of that time. What makes it better than other cards that didn’t make the list is being at least semi-reliable with its Heat Blow attack. 100 for 2 will at least guarantee a 2 hit KO on ex pokemon from that time and with a muscle band even secure a 2 hit KO on any mega pokemon. Spreading flames isn’t probably what you want to do with a stage 2 pokemon since it doesn’t hit for any damage but if you’re desperate enough it’s a decent method to power up future pokemon with lots of fire energies.

10 more HP in the Sun and Moon era after XY isn’t much help and in fact, this Blaziken might just be even more fragile given how much stronger GX and tag team GX pokemon were during that time. However, this Blaziken is much more worthwhile to get out because of Firestarter. Energy acceleration is universally useful, especially when coming from the discard pile. This automatically gives this card more utility as if it’s going to be a weak stage 2 like all the others from the time, might as well be good to power up strong pokemon right? Fire Stream is also better than 100 for 2 when you factor all the potential spread damage. In an ideal world this card would be placed a lot higher on this list but the format tells a different story. Modelled after the original Firestarter Blaziken as a newer remake they needed to do a lot more for this card to be better.

Blaziken from ex Emerald probably may not be the best overall Blaziken from its debuting era but it is still one of the better Blaziken cards around thanks to the Blaze poke-body. On its own Damage Burn is solid at the time maxing out at 70 damage for 3 but turning into 110 for 3 in the era is amazing. As a stage 2 with 110 HP Blaziken won’t be killed easily in one shot giving you decent odds for the Blaze body to activate. The main issue comes from your opponent controlling the damage they deal to play around this body. If they can do that then this card’s main attraction might as well be non-existent turning this into just a standard stage 2.

Even if you’re an average GX pokemon you still have an advantage by just being a GX pokemon in the first place. I said this before when talking about Sceptile GX and it holds true with this card as well. Blaziken GX doesn’t have the greatest regular attacks compared with other GX pokemon but hitting for 210 at least guarantees a OHKO on many basic and stage 1 GX pokemon. With a Choice Band you can even kill some stage 2 GXs in one shot. It’s in the same era as Dragon Majesty Blaziken so you could try using that for energy acceleration but it’s a lot harder to do than what it sounds. Either way, even if you don’t use this card for Explosive Kick as a GX pokemon it’s just more suited for its format making it better than trying to use most regular stage 2 pokemon as attackers.

I tie these cards together because they bring similar things to the table in the same era and their minor differences both come with different benefits. Their stats are completely identical so this makes for an obvious tie factor. Not to mention they’re as good as they get in the DP era. Both of their strongest attacks are also very similar dealing high damage for a double energy discard. Platinum deals the strongest damage with 100 but Great Encounters 80 damage also works as a snipe which is invaluable in almost any format especially in DP for killing Claydol in one shot. From here start the few differences.

Maybe you can make an energy discard deck or something and use it for its GX attack, I don’t know. As it stands though it has more advantages and is more consistent than the previous 2 Blaziken cards.

Similar to the GX, VMAX pokemon were the cards to beat in the sword and shield era and the format was suited for them with their own advantages. In the case of Blaziken VMAX it is a lot easier to use and get out essentially working as a stage 1 compared to Blaziken GX. Its stats are standard for most VMAX pokemon in the era and as a rapid strike pokemon it gets even more extra benefits on top of being a VMAX. Max Blaze allows this card to be self sufficient on its own or to work alongside other rapid strike pokemon. Grabbing 2 energies from the discard pile including any special energies means you can continually recycle dual special energies and switch between VMAX attackers after using Cheryl for mass healing. The strategy isn’t perfect of course but it is a lot more viable compared to the other Blazikens we looked at so far.

Even though I think this card is super cool it does sadden me bit that I have to put it above the stage 2 Blazikens from the DP era. However, that is the reality of SP pokemon from the time, they were really that good. Blaziken FB is a basic pokemon, as all SP pokemon were and its stats are excellent for what it is. Even so the main contributor to this card’s rank stems from just being an SP and having all the SP theme of cards available to make it better. Luring Flame is a handy pulling attack and great for messing with Claydol and Vapor Kick is essentially a 30 for 1 hit thanks to Energy Gain. The unique effect of dealing 60 for 1 if your opponent has any water pokemon in play is also very good. Ultimately, it is still a stepping stone for you know who but even on its own it still makes for a solid Blaziken Card.

If you’re a veteran player and also familiar with all the Blaziken cards you probably had an idea of what the best 3 cards would be from the start. It was then a matter of “what’s the order between these 3?” From my perspective Blaziken ex here should take the third spot. The double weakness in probably every ex from that time is overkill but outside of that drawback the rest of the stats are standard and good for a stage 2 ex. Blaze Kick is solid always dealing 50 for 2 or 30 for 2 with auto burn but let’s get straight to the point. What shoots this card on this rank is Volcanic Ash, a phenomenal 100 for 4 that is also a snipe. One of the most common consistency pokemon in the era was Pidgeot, and killing Pidgeot in one shot during a game could be the difference of your opponent winning or losing from that alone.

10. Blaziken (Primal Clash)

9. Blaziken (Dragon Majesty)

8. Blaziken GX (Celestial Storm)

7. Blaziken (ex Emerald)

6. Blaziken VMAX (Chilling Reign)

Hell, just killing any pokemon in one shot is amazing and this is what this attack is all about. Any ex pokemon trying to hide away on the bench? Can’t escape this playa. I can’t remember any form of bench protection in the era outside of Crystal Guardians Dugtrio, a stage 1 too so a snipe attack of this level was truly game winning. But to be fair, this card’s effectiveness is almost completely in the hands of another Blaziken card so I ultimately couldn’t deem it the most important out of the two. And on that note let’s transition into number 2 shall we?

Too many merits and very few drawbacks. Once again, other Blaziken card lovers and OG players would have seen this card coming at least somewhere in the top 3 and at number 1 is where I think it belongs. As the Lv. X of the regular Blaziken FB the card is also an SP pokemon getting all the powerful benefits that come with access to all the SP themed cards from that time. At 110 HP with only one retreat its stats are excellent for an SP Lv. X during that time and it’s quick and easy to use. Burning Spirit pairs up with its regular form able to inflict auto burn and a 40 damage boost is very strong during that time. What’s even cooler is the combo between this body and the auto burn you can inflict with Platinum Blaziken’s poke-power. Good stuff for sure but ultimately the main reason this card ended up being so good and earning this spot here is Jet Shoot.

5. Blaziken (Great Encounters + Platinum)

Firestarter Blaziken is Blaziken ex’s much needed partner and just in general a fantastic pokemon. Unlike the pitiful Dragon Majesty remake, this original print hit the ground running when it released in 2003. Much easier to get out thanks to the original effect of Rare Candy and a stage 2 pokemon back then wasn’t something fragile like now. Admittedly, 100 HP on a stage 2 wasn’t the best when you’re carrying a 2 retreat cost back then; but this was done to balance out the rest of the package. Firestarter was just amazing, powering up this card itself and any pokemon that could make use of its energy acceleration. Fire Stream isn’t a bad attack either dealing a decent 50 for 3 before factoring bench damage.

And on that note these are my rankings on the best Blaziken cards as of now. Thank you guys for reading and I'll see you on the next article. Wazzuuup!!

4. Blaziken FB (Supreme Victors)

3. Blaziken ex (ex Team Magma vs Team Aqua)

2. Blaziken (ex Ruby & Sapphire)

1. Blaziken FB Lv. X (Supreme Victors)

With a lot of pokemon on their bench the total damage of this attack reaches some nice numbers, especially when you consider this card isn’t mainly used as an attacker in the first place. It isn’t just the second best Blaziken card but a pokemon that made it to high tier play in general during its time winning and topping serious tournaments. I was really close to ranking this card as number 1 but I think at number 2 is where it really belongs. Now then, are we all ready for the strongest overall Blaziken card?

Its ease of use makes it more consistent than Furious Fists Blaziken which needs a lot of support to make use of Burning Shot, a solid snipe but one that requires too much gas. It also has a better retreat too.

Grabbing 2 fire energies instead of 1 is the best thing I can think of besides the obvious better stats. I say this because Malamar also did the same thing as this Blaziken and was only a stage 1 in the same era. With a weakened rare candy and one of the roughest formats ever this remake Blaziken was never going to be as effective as the original.

Platinum has a poke-power that inflicts auto burn, a handy effect to shut down poke-powers from your opponent’s active pokemon or make for an awesome combo with Blaziken FB Lv. X. In other words a team player. On the other hand Great Encounters can use Fire Dance an excellent 30 for 1 attack that also accelerates fire energies from the discard pile. This also turns this card into a team player but also makes it self sufficient, as it can power itself up too. Platinum’s Clutch attack is okay but overall, not as good as Fire Dance. You also gotta keep in mind that having a poke-power whether good or bad also grants you a lot of disadvantages against many good pokemon in the era especially Stormfront Gengar; able to hit Blaziken for 60 damage with just 1 energy. All in all, these cards won’t be remembered as top tier cards from the DP era but they’re definitely some of the best Blaziken cards in general.

This attack packed one hell of a kick and perfectly reflects the super cool artwork too. 80 for 2 in D/P is very strong only made stronger when you can also use it for 1 energy. With Energy Gain this turned Blaziken FB Lv. X into a 1 for 80 attacker in SP decks and as a result one of the most aggressive and pressuring attackers in the era. You can favour it as the main attacker in its own deck, whether it’s a pure SP deck or paired up with Platinum Blaziken but in addition, this card made for an excellent tech or back up attacker especially when you wanted to hit fire weak pokemon. It performed as the best and easiest way to deal with Dialga G Lx. X, another super powerful and popular pokemon at the time. Just like Firestarter Blaziken and Blaziken ex this card saw a lot high tier play and was successful in 2009 and 2010. I mean really, some common partners for it are Luxray GL Lv. X and Garchomp C Lv. X. If you make the cut to hang with that type of company, you know you’re high tier.

Originally Written in 2024