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Kyogre ex card art from Nintendo Black Star Promos (np-1)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Kyogre ex is a Basic Water-type Pokémon card that was released as part of the Nintendo Black Star Promos (np) series. With 120 Hit Points (HP), the card presents a straightforward but high-energy requirement attack, Major Flood, which applies utility by dispersing damage across both players’ Benched Pokémon. The card exists in multiple variants within the promo line, including normal, holo, and reverse holo versions, reflecting the promotional distribution methods used for this set. Illustrated by Hiromichi Sugiyama, the card embodies the oceanic power associated with Kyogre, a Legendary Pokémon known for its control over water. The card carries a non-standard footprint in contemporary formats, with legal status listed as not legal in both Standard and Expanded formats. The Nintendo Black Star Promos set comprises 40 cards total, and this particular card is cataloged with the set identifier np (Nintendo Black Star Promos).

Card Information

Name: Kyogre ex
Category: Pokémon
Set: Nintendo Black Star Promos (np)
Dex/ID: 382
HP: 120
Type: Water
Stage: Basic
Rarity: Common
Illustrator: Hiromichi Sugiyama
Variants: Normal, Holo, Reverse (non-Promo variants not indicated as wPromo)
Attacks: Major Flood
- Cost: Water, Water, Water, Water
- Effect: Discard a Water Energy card attached to Kyogre ex. Does 60 damage to each Benched Pokémon (both yours and your opponent's).
- Damage: 60
Weakness: Lightning ×2
Legal in formats: Standard: No; Expanded: No
Image reference: https://assets.tcgdex.net/en/pop/np/1
Evolutionary status: None (Basic Pokémon)
Card count (official set): 40
Pricing data: Not provided in the card data

Gameplay and Strategy

In the historical context of the Nintendo Black Star Promos, Kyogre ex demonstrates a high-energy, bench-wide attacker. The Major Flood attack demands four Water Energy resources, reflecting a significant energy commitment for a single strike. The attack not only targets the active foe but also applies 60 damage to every Benched Pokémon on both sides. This global effect can influence board state in several ways:

Resource management: The attack costs four Water Energy, and the attack’s effect requires discarding a Water Energy attached to Kyogre ex. Players must plan energy acceleration and expenditure carefully, balancing the need to pay the attack cost with the loss of resources from the discard effect.
Board impact: Since the attack damages all Benched Pokémon, both players must consider the risk to their own bench, including potential knockouts on supportive or damaged non-active Pokémon. This can swing tempo in closely contested games and encourage players to manage bench presence strategically.
Weakness consideration: Kyogre ex has a Lightning weakness, ×2. In matchups against Lightning-based decks, this card may be more vulnerable to fast aggression, influencing how and when it is deployed on a board laid out with threats.
Format relevance: The card’s legal status is listed as not legal for Standard or Expanded formats, which places it in the historical or promotional context rather than competitive modern play. In collector-focused or historically informed play, analysts discuss such cards to illustrate early-era design philosophies and promo distribution practices.

Because of its energy-heavy requirement and bench-wide damage, Kyogre ex is typically considered a situational play rather than a consistent finisher in formats where it remains legal, and its value in a deck would hinge on the availability of Water energy acceleration and the card’s synergy with other Water-types or energy-recycling strategies. Competitive discussions of this card therefore tend to emphasize its historical significance, energy economy, and the risk-versus-reward calculus of using an attack that both advances your position and simultaneously harms your own bench.

Collector and Market Information

The card originates from a promotional line rather than a standard set, which commonly influences collector interest and pricing dynamics. As a Basic Water-type with a notable attack that affects both players’ boards, the card features holo and reverse holo variants within the np promo set, reflecting the era’s emphasis on alternate foil treatments for promotional cards. The np set is defined by a total of 40 cards, with the card in question carrying the np designation and the set’s official logo. The illustrated art by Hiromichi Sugiyama contributes to its appeal among collectors who value specific artist portfolios in promotional cards.

Pricing data for this particular card is not provided in the card data you supplied. In general, promotional cards from earlier eras can show variable market values based on condition, variant (normal vs. holo vs. reverse holo), and language, among other factors. For collectors, the presence of multiple variants often influences desirability and potential grading considerations when seeking mint-condition copies.

Art and Lore

The illustration for this card is by Hiromichi Sugiyama, an artist known for contributing to multiple Pokémon TCG artworks across various sets. The Water-type theme and Kyogre’s oceanic imagery align with Sugiyama’s demonstrated aptitude for dynamic, water-themed compositions, frequently emphasizing motion and the power of aquatic environments. The Nintendo Black Star Promos line represents a promotional release strategy that accompanied special events or distribution channels, lending the artwork a sense of exclusivity tied to promotional campaigns rather than standard booster-pack introductions. While the lore of Kyogre within the main Pokémon universe centers on sea-dominant weather control, the card’s artwork and branding place it firmly in the promotional era that showcased notable Pokémon with distinctive foil treatments and collector-focused design cues.

Trivia

The card is part of the Nintendo Black Star Promos (np) set, a promotional line that included a total of 40 cards.
Multiple variants exist for this card (normal, holo, reverse holo), reflecting the promotional distribution practices of the era.
Despite the suffix ex in the card name, the card’s rarity is listed as Common and it is not legal in Standard or Expanded formats, marking it as a historical promo rather than a current-format staple.
Illustration is credited to Hiromichi Sugiyama, a notable Pokémon TCG artist whose work contributed to a number of early promotional releases.
The attack Major Flood has a relatively high energy cost (four Water), and the effect includes dealing damage to every Benched Pokémon, potentially impacting both players’ boards in a single move.

📘 Kyogre ex — Pokémon TCG