
| HIGH | 49.99 | USD | |
| MID | 13.40 | USD | TREND![]() |
| LOW | 15.12 | USD |
Snivy, the Grass-type starter from the Unova region, makes its appearance in the Black Bolt set with a simple yet straightforward design.
This Basic Pokémon offers players an entry point into Grass strategies, potentially evolving into more powerful forms.
But how does this particular iteration stand on its own in the competitive landscape?
Offensive rating: 3/10Snivy brings two attacks to the table, neither of which particularly impresses in the damage department.
Tackle requires just one Grass Energy to deal a mere 10 damage, making it one of the weakest attacks in the format.
The second attack, Vine Whip, deals 30 damage for two Grass Energy, giving you a mediocre 15 damage per energy ratio.
With no additional effects on either attack, Snivy lacks the punch needed to threaten even low-HP Pokémon effectively.
Its damage output falls significantly below competitive standards, and without any ability to bypass defenses or apply special conditions, Snivy struggles to make a meaningful offensive impact.
Survival rating: 3/10With just 70 HP, Snivy sits at the lower end of the durability spectrum, even for Basic Pokémon.
Its Fire weakness is particularly problematic in formats where Fire-type attackers are prevalent, as they can easily one-shot this fragile Grass type.
The single retreat cost is the lone bright spot in Snivy's defensive profile, offering reasonable mobility if it ends up in the active position unwillingly.
However, without any built-in defensive abilities, damage reduction effects, or healing capabilities, Snivy will struggle to remain on the field for more than a turn when faced with any competent attacker.
Its survival capabilities are minimal at best.
Versatility rating: 3/10Snivy's versatility comes primarily from being an evolution base rather than from its own capabilities.
As a stepping stone to Servine (and eventually Serperior), it fulfills a necessary role in an evolution chain, but brings little utility on its own.
The card lacks any Ability that might allow it to support teammates or disrupt opponents.
Its attacks are too straightforward and underpowered to adapt to different situations.
Snivy also fails to counter any specific archetypes effectively.
While it does have the advantage of being a Basic Pokémon (making it easy to include in a starting lineup), its overall versatility is severely limited by its simplistic design and lack of additional functionality.
Speed/Setup rating: 7/10As a Basic Pokémon, Snivy requires minimal setup to hit the field - simply play it from your hand.
Its first attack needs just one Energy attachment, allowing it to attack on the first turn if you go second.
The second attack requires an additional turn of Energy attachment unless acceleration effects are used.
While this represents relatively quick accessibility, the payoff hardly justifies even this modest investment.
Snivy benefits from standard Grass-type support cards that can search Basic Pokémon or accelerate Energy attachment, but nothing specific makes Snivy itself more consistent.
The card's simplicity means fewer things can go wrong in setup, but also fewer opportunities for strategic optimization.
To maximize Snivy's potential, focus primarily on evolution support and Grass-type enhancement.
Energy acceleration cards can help reach Vine Whip sooner, while cards that protect Basic Pokémon or boost their HP can improve Snivy's survivability until evolution.
Consider trainer cards that allow quick searching for evolution pieces to transition to Servine as soon as possible.
This Trainer card allows you to skip Servine and evolve Snivy directly into Serperior, drastically improving your setup speed and bypassing the awkward middle evolution stage.
This Stadium card lets you search for Basic Grass Pokémon, helping ensure you have Snivy available when needed while also potentially finding other Grass-type partners to support your strategy.
This Item card provides flexible searching for either Grass Pokémon or Grass Energy, helping you assemble both Snivy and the Energy needed for its attacks in a single card play.
Snivy from the Black Bolt set represents a functional but uninspiring starting point for Grass-type evolution decks.
Its modest HP, weak attacks, and lack of special abilities place it firmly in the category of Pokémon that are meant to evolve as quickly as possible.
In competitive play, Snivy is essentially a placeholder until you can evolve it into something more impactful.
If you find yourself using Snivy's attacks frequently, your deck likely needs refinement.
Focus on protecting it until evolution is possible, using cards like Quick Ball or Level Ball to search it out when needed.
While Snivy itself won't win you games, it remains a necessary component in Serperior evolution lines, making it valuable despite its individual shortcomings.
For serious tournament play, ensure you're running the maximum number of evolution pieces and search cards to minimize the time this Basic Pokémon spends in the spotlight.
![]() | 29 |
The card has been added!
You can find it in the MY CARDS section
The card has been removed!
Our free website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.