Alolan Grimer: Damage-Per-Energy Efficiency for Modern TCG

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Alolan Grimer card art from Team Up (SM9) illustrated by SATOSHI NAKAI

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Alolan Grimer: A Close Look at Damage-Per-Energy Efficiency in Modern TCG

In the ever-evolving landscape of the Pokémon TCG, clever math often drives the edge between a good deck and a great one. Alolan Grimer, a humble Basic Darkness type from the Team Up era, stands out not for raw power but for its intriguing damage-per-energy math. With 70 HP and a two-energy commitment to unleash a fluctuating amount of damage, this little gremlin embodies a pragmatic approach to damage calculation. When you factor in the attack’s quirky scaling—This attack does 50 more damage for each Special Condition affecting your opponent’s Active Pokémon—you get a card that can spike into surprising territory if the board state lines up just right. ⚡

Let’s ground this in the card’s concrete numbers. Alolan Grimer’s attack, Chemical Breath, costs two Colorless energy and deals 20 base damage. That seems modest at first glance, but the real twist is the scale: 20 plus 50 for every Special Condition on the opponent’s Active Pokémon. If the Active is Burned, Poisoned, Asleep, Confused, and Paralyzed simultaneously—a five-condition scenario—the attack would deliver 270 damage for just two energy. That works out to 135 damage per energy in theory, a dramatic efficiency spike compared to typical two-energy attacks. Of course, landing that five-condition setup reliably is a strategic puzzle, not a guarantee, but the potential is provocative enough to rethink how you pace Alolan Grimer into your Expanded-era decks. 🔥

In practice, this is a card that rewards thoughtful sequencing. A standard two-energy hit from a Basic Pokémon is ordinary; a two-energy hit that scales with status conditions is exceptional—if your plan can reliably pressure your opponent into afflictions. This makes Alolan Grimer a natural fit for decks that lean into disruption and control: you pair it with effects that inflict or maintain Special Conditions, turning a modest early-game attacker into a late-game punishment device. The practicality of this approach hinges on opponent mechanics—Poison or Burned conditions sometimes linger; Sleep and Confusion can stall a key attacker long enough for Grimer to swing for a big payoff. It’s not just about raw math; it’s about constructing win conditions that bend the tempo in your favor. 🎴🎮

Key stats and what they mean in play

  • Card name: Alolan Grimer
  • Set: Team Up (SM9)
  • Rarity: Common
  • Type: Darkness
  • Stage: Basic
  • HP: 70
  • Attack: Chemical Breath — Cost: Colorless, Colorless; Damage: 20+; Effect: This attack does 50 more damage for each Special Condition affecting your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
  • Weakness: Fighting ×2
  • Resistance: Psychic −20
  • Retreat: 3
  • Illustrator: SATOSHI NAKAI
  • Legal in formats: Expanded only (not legal in Standard at this time)

From a gameplay perspective, the two-energy cost is approachable in many Expanded builds, especially those that leverage bench pressure and status-effect strategies. The card’s low HP can invite a little risk—Grimer is not a tank—but its ability to spike damage with a favorable status landscape often offsets the vulnerability. In practice, you’re trading a bit of durability for explosive payoff when the board state cooperates. And if you keep your opponent’s Active poisoned and paralyzed while you set up, you might find yourself landing a decisive blow earlier than you expect. 💎

Collector and market insights

The Team Up era gave us a diverse ecosystem of common Pokémon that still finds life in older and budget-friendly decks in Expanded formats. Alolan Grimer is a perfect example: a common card with a notably dynamic ability, accompanied by holo, reverse-holo, and normal variants across print runs. Recent price data paints a practical picture for collectors and players alike. CardMarket shows a baseline average around €0.07 for non-holo copies, with holo variants hovering higher—roughly around €0.30 on average, and trending upward on occasion as collectors chase nostalgic Team Up staples. On TCGPlayer, the standard (non-holo) range sits from a low of about $0.04 up to a mid price around $0.20, with market prices around $0.13. Rarely, a well-timed holo sale on a card like this can flirt with $1.50 for reverse-holo copies in pristine condition. Even as a common, the holo and reversed art variants carry a touch more mystique for binder collectors. 🔍

For modern players, the value proposition isn’t just financial; it’s about accessibility and experimentation. Alolan Grimer remains affordable, making it easy to slot into low-cost decks that value disruption and conditional pressure. Its Expanded-legal status means it’s a staple for players who enjoy revisiting older formats without the price tag of high-demand chase rares. If you’re a budget-conscious collector or a strategy-minded gamer, this little Dark-type can be a fun centerpiece around which to test conditional-control concepts. ⚡

Art, theme, and lore notes

Illustrated by SATOSHI NAKAI, the Alolan Grimer artwork in Team Up embodies a grime-tinged, urban vibe that suits the Pokémon’s stubborn, street-smart charm. The card’s presentation—along with its digressive set, a sprawling cast of Electric, Psychic, and Grass Pokémon—helps tell a broader story about teamwork and scrappy tactics in the Alola-to-Kanto crossovers. The art isn’t just decoration; it reinforces Grimer’s identity as a mischievous nuisance that thrives on the edge of chaos, a fitting backdrop for a card that thrives when the opponent’s strategies leave a trail of status effects in their wake. 🎨

As a collector, you’ll appreciate the way Team Up balanced archetypes and offered accessible, fun options for casual players and competitive-minded fans alike. And because the card’s value is anchored to its holo and reverse-holo print runs, you can chase a small, meaningful upgrade in your binder without breaking the bank. Always confirm the current legality in your local or online play group, especially since expanded formats rotate in and out of standard rotation over time. 🎴

Putting it into practice

  • Build around reliable status-inflicting mechanics to maximize the 50-damage-per-condition kicker.
  • Combine with support cards that stall, spread effects, or keep your opponent’s Active under pressure to stack conditions safely.
  • Keep in mind the weakness (Fighting) when planning matchups; you’ll want coverage to avoid being overwhelmed by Fighting-type walls.
  • Experiment with holo variants for collector appeal without sacrificing budget-friendly builds.
  • Track current price trends and print runs if you’re aiming for a curated, value-conscious collection. 🔎
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