📘 Tangela — Pokémon TCG

Category: Pokemon TCG · Created: · Updated:

Tangela card artwork from Twilight Masquerade sv06-001

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

The card presented here features Tangela, a Basic Grass-type Pokémon, as it appears in the Twilight Masquerade expansion (set code sv06). Representing a classic early-game staple, this card emphasizes inexpensive energy requirements and straightforward damage output that made it accessible for new players while remaining a usable option in certain deck archetypes during its era of play. With a modest 80 HP, two basic attacks, and a low retreat cost, this Tangela serves as a representative example of the simple, colorless-to-Grass energy interactions that characterized many early-stage Grass Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG).

Card Information

  • Name: Tangela
  • Pokedex number: 114 (DexId)
  • Set: Twilight Masquerade (sv06)
  • Card number: sv06-001
  • Rarity: Common
  • Type: Grass
  • Stage: Basic
  • HP: 80
  • Illustrator: Yoriyuki Ikegami
  • Attacks:
    • Gentle Slap — Cost: Colorless; Damage: 10
    • Vine Slap — Cost: Grass, Colorless; Damage: 30
  • Retreat Cost: 2
  • Weaknesses: Not listed in the card’s data provided here
  • Evolution: Basic Tangela; Evolves to Tangrowth in the Tangela lineage (Tangrowth is the next-stage evolution in the broader line).
  • Regulation/Playability: Regulation Mark H; Legal in Standard and Expanded formats
  • Variants: Normal and Reverse variants exist for this card; first edition is not indicated in the provided data
  • Set details: The Twilight Masquerade set’s card count at the time includes official 167 cards, with a total print pool of 226 across all printings, reflecting a diverse range of Grass- and other-type Pokémon in the era

Gameplay and Strategy

In the context of deck-building and matchups, Tangela’s role hinges on its low energy cost and predictable damage output. The first attack, Gentle Slap, requires only a single Colorless Energy and delivers a modest 10 damage. While modest, this move can contribute to the early game’s retreating and energy development, enabling Tangela to poke while the player accelerates additional resources or builds setup for later pressure. The second attack, Vine Slap, costs Grass and Colorless Energy and delivers 30 damage, offering a more efficient payoff for a Grass-energy invested turn. In practice, Tangela functions best as a stabilizing two-energy attacker in a Grass-focused or diversified early-game plan, using its basic status to establish board presence before evolving into Tangrowth or being supported by other Grass-type threats and draw-supporting Pokémon. Strategies commonly employed with Tangela in this archetype include: - Early aggression cap: Using Vine Slap to apply early pressure while setting up Grass energy attachments for future turns, potentially stringing together two-attack sequences with other Grass Pokémon. - Energy-cycling synergy: Pairing Tangela with cards that accelerate Grass energy or enable quick energy retrieval to maximize Vine Slap’s value on key turns. - Evasion and retreat management: With a retreat cost of 2, Tangela can be maneuvered to absorb marginal damage or to cycle back into the bench for favorable matchups, enabling a staggered board progression rather than a single-punch finish. - Evolution lines and tempo: As a Basic Pokémon, Tangela serves as a platform for evolving into Tangrowth, which can bring higher HP and more impactful attacks, thereby shifting the game plan from early pressure to mid-game dominance. Beyond pure speed considerations, Tangela’s Grass typing aligns with generic Grass-centric deck themes that leverage Efficient Grass attackers, Supporter cards for draw and energy acceleration, and stage transitions that maximize the utility of evolving lines. While not a centerpiece in every modern meta, Tangela’s basic presence illustrates the core mechanics of energy costs, attack power progression, and the tactical choices players faced when managing resource allocation in the Twilight Masquerade era.

Collector and Market Information

Rarity and presentation play a significant role in Tangela’s market profile. The card is listed as Common, reflecting broad distribution in its set and ease of acquiring multiple copies for collection or deck-building. Specific pricing data from CardMarket shows a provisional market snapshot as of late 2025: - CardMarket (EUR): average price approximately €0.03, with a low around €0.02; a modest upward trend (around €0.03) in the observed period - Holo variants: average around €0.08, with lower bounds near €0.02 and a trend around €0.07, indicating a modest premium for holo appearances - Updated market data: 2025-10-31 for CardMarket, with continued activity reflected in the listed figures The card has no listed price data from TCGPlayer in the provided dataset, which is not unusual for older or less frequently traded base-level cards. Collectors often weigh the presence of reversible or reverse-foil variants, which can alter perceived value, though this Tangela’s base card in standard non-foil printing is widely accessible. The association with Twilight Masquerade, a set known for its thematic artwork and diverse Pokémon roster, contributes to its historical interest among collectors who track set composition, print runs, and the broader evolution of the Tangela line in the TCG ecosystem.

Art and Lore

The artwork for this Tangela is provided by Yoriyuki Ikegami, an illustrator recognized for crafting nature-infused Pokémon imagery with distinctive line work and textured shading. Ikegami’s contribution to Grass-type cards in various sets has been noted for capturing the plant-like aesthetic of Tangela, with emphasis on the tangled vines and organic color palette typical of Grass Pokémon representations. While the in-universe lore of Tangela centers on its vine-covered body and elemental affinity with Grass, the card’s illustration emphasizes the naturalistic, parkland-inspired motif that underscores its connection to the Pokémon world’s flora-based creatures. Twilight Masquerade, as a set, couples its thematic silhouettes and masquerade motifs with familiar Grass-type silhouettes, inviting collectors and players to engage with both the mechanical and aesthetic facets of the card.

Trivia

  • This Tangela card is part of the Twilight Masquerade set (sv06) and bears the sv06-001 designation, indicating it is among the early printings of the expansion’s Pokémon roster.
  • Variant availability includes Normal and Reverse holo forms, though first edition was not indicated in the provided data.
  • The card’s regulation mark is H, which places it within a specific window of standardized play rules and helps determine its legality in different competitive formats across generations.
  • Illustrator Yoriyuki Ikegami contributed artwork for this card, aligning with a broader slate of Grass-type illustrations that emphasize the naturalistic, botanical aesthetic of Tangela and related Pokémon.
  • Market data points underscore a stable, low-cost entry point for collectors and casual players, with holo variants showing a modest premium relative to the common non-holo print.

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