Pokemon Lost Origin Review: Return Of The Pokemon Graveyard

thegamer.com:

September’s Pokemon expansion is the penultimate set of the Sword & Shield Era. The massive 247-card set brings even more V, VMAX, VSTAR, Radiant Pokemon, Hisuian Pokemon, Trainer Gallery cards, and if all that wasn’t enough, it also reintroduces the classic Lost Zone mechanic. Sword & Shield has been largely defined by its variety, so it’s no surprise that the assortment of tricks and combos continues to increase, even at the very end of the generation. Late generation expansion tends to have less of an impact on the meta, but the reintroduction of the Lost Zone almost ensures that Lost Origin will have a place in the current meta, and into the next one.

The Lost Zone has shown up in quite a few Pokemon TCG Expansions, going back to the Platinum era when Giratina was first introduced. Most recently, the Lost Zone returned in Sun & Moon’s Lost Thunder expansion. Lost Origin reintroduces the mechanic with a Girantina VSTAR, a card with the ability to one-shot any active Pokemon, regardless of their health. There are a few other Lost Zone combos in the set, but if one makes it into the meta it will most certainly be Giratina VSTAR. The Lost Zone can be a powerful tech option for any deck that doesn’t leverage the discard pile. Adding a Lost City Stadium card to your deck can stop your opponents from rummaging through their discard. Even if you aren’t building a Lost Zone deck, having a small amount of synergy in your deck can still be useful, so I expect it to see a lot of play.

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While Lost Origin is just as bloated as the rest of the Sword & Shield series, it’s nice to see some thematic connections. Hisuian Pokemon like Goodra,