CARD INFORMATION

SUBTYPES:
- Basic
HP: 100
TYPES:
- Grass
WEAKNESSES:
- TYPE: Fire
- VALUE: ×2
RETREATCOST:
- Colorless
RETREAT COST: 1
RARITY: Illustration Rare
FLAVOR TEXT: It uses an up-tempo song and dance to drive away the bird Pokémon that prey on its flower seeds.
REGULATIONMARK: I

CARD ABILITIES

This card has no abilities

CARD ATTACKS

NAME: Lively Needles
COST:
- Grass
ENERGY COST: 1
DAMAGE: 20+
DETAILS: If this Pokémon was healed during this turn, this attack does 100 more damage.

NAME: Pierce
COST:
- Grass
- Colorless
ENERGY COST: 2
DAMAGE: 50
DETAILS:

MARKET PRICES FOR MARACTUS 💰

Last updated: 2026/01/16

HIGH	16.00	USD
MID	2.80	USD	TREND
LOW	2.07	USD

Check the latest prices on:

Tcgplayer
(link)

Cardmarket
(link)

Pokechange
(link)

Maractus brings a unique healing-based damage boost mechanic to the table in the Scarlet & Violet: Black Bolt expansion.

This Grass-type Basic Pokémon offers an intriguing risk-reward proposition with its Lively Needles attack, potentially delivering substantial damage for minimal energy investment when properly supported.

Offensive rating: 7/10

Maractus features two attack options with varying potential.

Lively Needles costs just one Grass energy and deals a base 20 damage, but jumps to an impressive 120 damage if Maractus was healed during the turn.

This creates a powerful output-to-energy ratio when the condition is met.

The secondary attack, Pierce, delivers a consistent but underwhelming 50 damage for two energy.

Without healing support, Maractus struggles offensively, but with proper healing cards like Potion or healing-focused Pokémon abilities, it can punch well above its weight class, especially for a Basic Pokémon at this energy cost tier.

Survival rating: 5/10

With 100 HP, Maractus sits at an average health pool for a Basic Pokémon, making it vulnerable to being knocked out in a single hit by many evolved attackers.

Its Fire weakness is particularly problematic in metas where Fire-type attackers are prevalent.

The single retreat cost offers decent mobility, allowing for strategic pivoting without excessive energy commitment.

However, Maractus lacks any built-in defensive abilities or damage reduction effects, making its survival entirely dependent on its modest HP and potential external healing support—which is ironically needed to maximize its offensive output as well.

Versatility rating: 5/10

Maractus shows limited versatility overall.

Its effectiveness is heavily tied to healing mechanics, creating a dependency on specific support cards or abilities.

This narrows its potential deck inclusion significantly.

While it can function as a decent Grass-type attacker in the right setup, it struggles to fulfill other roles effectively.

The healing condition creates interesting strategic options but also means Maractus performs inconsistently across different matchups.

It does have the advantage of being a Basic Pokémon, allowing immediate deployment without evolution requirements, and its typing provides favorable matchups against Water and Fighting types in certain metagames.

Speed/Setup rating: 8/10

As a Basic Pokémon, Maractus requires minimal setup time to hit the board.

Its primary attack needs just one Grass energy, meaning it can start attacking immediately with the right opening hand.

However, reaching its full potential demands healing support on the same turn, adding a significant complexity factor to its optimal deployment.

This conditional power spike requires careful deck construction and sequencing.

Fortunately, with cards like Potion, Hyper Potion, or Pokémon with healing abilities, this condition can be met fairly consistently with proper deckbuilding.

The card shines in its ability to potentially deal significant damage very early in the game.

Maractus thrives in decks with reliable healing options and energy acceleration.

Building around this Pokémon requires including healing cards like Potions, healing-focused Supporter cards, or Pokémon with healing abilities.

Energy acceleration helps ensure consistent attack availability, while damage modifiers can further enhance its already impressive conditional damage output.

Perfect Partners examples:

Blissey

Blissey variants with healing abilities create perfect synergy with Maractus, enabling its 120-damage attack consistently while providing additional board sustainability. This partnership forms the core engine for maximizing Lively Needles turn after turn.

Potion

This straightforward Item card instantly activates Maractus's damage boost without requiring complex setups or additional Pokémon. Having multiple copies ensures consistent access to the healing effect needed for Lively Needles to reach its full potential.

Leafeon VSTAR

Leafeon VSTAR provides Grass-type energy acceleration and creates a strong offensive partner that shares energy types with Maractus. This pairing allows Maractus to serve as both an early-game attacker and a backup option if your primary attacker gets knocked out.

Maractus represents an interesting budget option for players looking to incorporate conditional high-damage output into their Grass-type strategies.

While its effectiveness is heavily dependent on healing support, when properly built around, it can deliver surprising value as an efficient attacker.

Its greatest strength lies in the potential to deal 120 damage for just one energy, creating early-game pressure that opponents might not expect from an unassuming Basic Pokémon.

However, its modest HP, Fire weakness, and reliance on external healing make it more suitable as a complementary attacker rather than a deck centerpiece.

In the right build—particularly budget-friendly or novice competitive decks—Maractus offers a risk-reward proposition that can catch opponents off-guard and deliver efficient trades against more resource-intensive Pokémon.