CARD INFORMATION

SUBTYPES:
- Basic
HP: 70
TYPES:
- Dragon
EVOLVES TO:
- Fraxure
RETREATCOST:
- Colorless
- Colorless
RETREAT COST: 2
RARITY: Illustration Rare
FLAVOR TEXT: They use their tusks to crush the berries they eat. Repeated regrowth makes their tusks strong and sharp.
REGULATIONMARK: I

CARD ABILITIES

This card has no abilities

CARD ATTACKS

NAME: Gather Strength
COST:
- Colorless
ENERGY COST: 1
DAMAGE:
DETAILS: Search your deck for up to 2 Basic Energy cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.

MARKET PRICES FOR AXEW 💰

Last updated: 2025/11/21

HIGH	29.99	USD
MID	8.13	USD	TREND
LOW	6.62	USD

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Axew, a humble Dragon-type Basic Pokémon from the Black Bolt set, presents an interesting foundation for energy acceleration strategies.

With its Gather Strength attack, this tiny tusked monster offers resource management capabilities that exceed its unassuming appearance, making it a potential consideration for Dragon-focused deck builders looking for reliable energy setup options.

Offensive rating: 2/10

Axew's offensive capabilities are extremely limited, as its only attack, Gather Strength, deals zero damage.

This move is purely utility-focused, searching your deck for up to two Basic Energy cards to add to your hand.

While this provides no immediate offensive pressure, it does facilitate future turns by ensuring energy availability.

The complete absence of direct damage output severely limits Axew's offensive potential, making it essentially a setup piece rather than an attacker.

Even considering its role as a Basic Pokémon, the lack of any damage-dealing attack puts Axew at a significant disadvantage compared to other Basic Dragon types.

Survival rating: 3/10

With just 70 HP, Axew sits on the fragile end of the spectrum, even for a Basic Pokémon.

This modest health pool makes it extremely vulnerable to being knocked out in a single hit by most evolved attackers and even some powerful Basic Pokémon.

Its Dragon typing offers no inherent resistances to improve survivability, and it carries a relatively steep two-energy retreat cost that can leave it stranded in the active position.

Without any defensive abilities or effects that might mitigate damage or prevent attacks, Axew is fundamentally a glass cannon without the cannon - offering minimal survivability with no compensating offensive threat.

Versatility rating: 5/10

Axew's versatility stems almost entirely from its Gather Strength attack, which provides energy acceleration that can benefit various deck archetypes.

This energy-searching capability works with any Basic Energy type, giving it some flexibility across different builds rather than being locked into a single strategy.

As a Dragon-type Pokémon, it fits naturally into Dragon-focused decks but can potentially serve in multi-type strategies where energy acceleration is valued.

Additionally, as a Basic Pokémon that evolves into Fraxure, it offers evolutionary versatility if included as part of an evolution line.

However, its overall utility remains narrow compared to cards with multiple attacks or additional abilities.

Speed/Setup rating: 7/10

Axew shines brightest in the setup department, where its Gather Strength attack requires only one Colorless energy to activate.

This means it can start functioning immediately on the first turn with any energy type attached.

The ability to search for two Basic Energy cards directly addresses resource consistency, a critical factor in Pokémon TCG success.

By thinning the deck while securing energy, Axew improves future draw quality and ensures energy availability for more powerful attackers.

This kind of setup support can be particularly valuable in the early game where establishing energy flow is crucial, making Axew reasonably effective as a starter Pokémon despite its other limitations.

Axew works best alongside powerful Dragon-type attackers that benefit from energy acceleration, particularly those with high energy costs or multi-energy attacks.

Cards that can retrieve Axew from the discard pile or protect it while in the active position would also enhance its utility.

Additionally, synergy exists with cards that benefit from having energy in hand rather than directly attached.

Perfect Partners examples:

Garchomp

As a powerful Dragon-type attacker, Garchomp benefits tremendously from Axews energy acceleration, allowing it to power up its devastating attacks faster while maintaining energy reserves for consecutive turns.

Rare Candy

This trainer card allows you to bypass Fraxure and evolve directly from Axew to Haxorus, creating a faster evolution line and maximizing the potential of the Axew family while minimizing vulnerability time.

Lance Prism Star

This supporter card synergizes beautifully with Axew by allowing you to search for Dragon Pokémon to put directly onto your Bench, accelerating your setup and providing powerful attackers for the energy Axew gathers.

Axew represents a specialized tool in the Pokémon TCG arsenal - a dedicated energy accelerator with clear strengths and limitations.

While its complete lack of offensive pressure and fragile defenses make it vulnerable, the card excels in its niche of setting up energy resources with minimal investment.

Smart players will use Axew early in the game, ideally from the bench where possible, to fuel more powerful attackers that can capitalize on the energy advantage.

The card performs best in Dragon-focused decks that rely on energy-hungry attackers, where its contribution to overall strategy outweighs its individual weaknesses.

Though not a powerhouse by any measure, Axew finds value as a technical support piece that, when properly protected and positioned, can help establish the energy foundation necessary for more imposing threats to take center stage.