CARD INFORMATION

SUBTYPES:
- Basic
HP: 70
TYPES:
- Fire
EVOLVES TO:
- Volcarona
WEAKNESSES:
- TYPE: Water
- VALUE: ×2
RETREATCOST:
- Colorless
- Colorless
RETREAT COST: 2
RARITY: Common
REGULATIONMARK: H

CARD ABILITIES

This card has no abilities

CARD ATTACKS

NAME: Ram
COST:
- Colorless
ENERGY COST: 1
DAMAGE: 10
DETAILS:

NAME: Steady Firebreathing
COST:
- Fire
- Colorless
ENERGY COST: 2
DAMAGE: 20
DETAILS:

MARKET PRICES FOR LARVESTA 💰

Last updated: 2025/10/11

HIGH	4.99	USD
MID	0.07	USD	TREND
LOW	0.01	USD

Check the latest prices on:

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Larvesta (sv8-24) enters the Pokémon TCG arena as a humble Fire-type Basic Pokémon with 70 HP.

While it may seem underwhelming at first glance, this pre-evolution to Volcarona deserves consideration for its role in evolution-based strategies and early game setup.

But does this fiery larva have what it takes to ignite success in competitive play?

Offensive rating: 2/10

Larvesta's offensive capabilities are limited, offering just two simple attacks with no additional effects.

Ram deals a mere 10 damage for a single Colorless energy, while Steady Firebreathing outputs 20 damage for a Fire plus Colorless energy requirement.

With a damage-to-energy ratio of 10:1 for both attacks, Larvesta falls significantly short in offensive power compared to other Basic Pokémon.

Without any bonus effects like status conditions, energy disruption, or damage modifiers, Larvesta can't apply meaningful pressure to opponents or threaten KOs on anything but the weakest Pokémon in play.

Survival rating: 4/10

With 70 HP, Larvesta sits in the middle range for Basic Pokémon, offering reasonable durability against weaker attacks but remaining vulnerable to any moderately powerful hit.

Its Water weakness is a significant liability in a meta where Water-type attackers are common, turning its modest HP into an easy one-hit knockout opportunity.

The two-energy retreat cost further hampers its survivability, making it difficult to pivot away from unfavorable matchups.

Larvesta lacks any defensive abilities or effects that might mitigate damage or provide protection, making it a straightforward target with limited staying power on the field.

Versatility rating: 3/10

Larvesta's versatility primarily stems from its role as an evolution pathway to Volcarona rather than its standalone capabilities.

The card offers minimal utility outside this evolutionary function, with no abilities to support teammates or disrupt opponents.

Its typing as a Fire Pokémon gives it access to Fire-specific support cards, which is beneficial in certain deck archetypes.

However, its attacks require both Fire and Colorless energy, limiting energy acceleration strategies.

Larvesta functions strictly as a stepping stone, waiting to evolve while occasionally chipping in minor damage.

Its singular purpose restricts its adaptability across different deck builds and strategic roles.

Speed/Setup rating: 6/10

Larvesta scores reasonably well for setup speed simply by virtue of being a Basic Pokémon, allowing it to hit the field immediately without prerequisites.

It can attack on the first turn with Ram if you attach a single energy, providing minimal early game pressure while building toward evolution.

However, its true purpose is evolving into Volcarona, which requires waiting a turn under standard rules.

The two-energy cost for its stronger attack means it typically needs two turns to reach full (albeit limited) offensive capacity.

Larvesta benefits from standard Pokémon search cards like Nest Ball or Ultra Ball for consistency but offers nothing exceptional in terms of setup acceleration.

Larvesta's effectiveness hinges entirely on pairing it with Volcarona for evolution strategies.

Energy acceleration cards like Magma Basin or Welder can help it power up faster.

Consider cards that protect Basic Pokémon while setting up evolutions, such as Manaphy or Bench Barrier Mew.

Fire-type support cards including Fire Crystal for energy recovery create a more cohesive strategy around this otherwise underwhelming Basic.

Perfect Partners examples:

Volcarona

As Larvesta's evolution, Volcarona is the essential companion that justifies including Larvesta in your deck. The evolved form should offer significantly better attacks and possibly helpful abilities that make the evolution chain worthwhile.

Magma Basin

This Stadium card accelerates Fire energy attachment, helping Larvesta power up its Steady Firebreathing attack sooner or potentially setting up a newly evolved Volcarona to attack immediately.

Rare Candy

Bypasses the waiting period for evolution, allowing you to evolve Larvesta into Volcarona immediately if it's been in play since your previous turn, dramatically improving the evolution line's setup speed.

Larvesta functions primarily as an evolutionary stepping stone rather than a standalone powerhouse.

Its modest 70 HP, mediocre attacks, and lack of abilities position it firmly as a transitional card waiting to evolve into something more impactful.

In competitive play, Larvesta's value depends entirely on how powerful its Volcarona evolution proves to be.

When including Larvesta in your deck, focus on acceleration strategies to evolve quickly while minimizing its time in the active position.

Consider protective support Pokémon or switching cards to mitigate its vulnerability while setting up.

If you're committed to a Volcarona strategy, accept that Larvesta represents a necessary investment phase with minimal immediate returns.

In the current fast-paced meta, this evolution line would need significant payoff from Volcarona to justify the setup time and deck space required.