The Pokémon Trading Card Game doesn't normally take information from the Pokédex into , but one instance of such produced one of the franchise's most specialized cards. Most of the time such information is nothing more than flavor text with no effect on the game. When the lore of one Pokémon relationship made it into the card game, the effect was noticeable immediately.
The Pokédex offers details about every Pokémon that can be caught in the series, but that information is rarely relevant. Although the feats a Pokémon is capable of are often lauded, the player usually only sees their potential through their moves, ability, and stats. Even the most seemingly dangerous Pokémon can underwhelm Trainers if their performance doesn't match their reputation. Sometimes the lore ties in, such as Metapod, as a stationary cocoon, being unable to learn any moves aside from Harden until it evolves. It seems that Pokémon's Pokédex entries can often be unreliable as a way to gauge their strength, though. However, the card game once used Pokéddex information and weaponized it in the form of a card.
Heatmor & Durant's Relationship Was Recreated Perfectly In Pokémon TCG
Heatmor and Durant are a pair of Pokémon with an obvious relationship. Durant is a Bug/Steel-type in the form of an armored and, and Heatmor is an anteater-themed Fire-type. Even beyond the ant-anteater theming, those familiar with Pokémon weaknesses and resistances will know that Durant's type combination makes it take quadruple damage from Heatmor's Fire-type moves. Not to mention, Durant has low Special Defense and HP, and Heatmor's high Special Attack gives it ample opportunity to knock it out with a single move such as Incinerate or Flamethrower. The Pokémon Trading Card Game developers must have noticed this, because they would soon recreate this dynamic.
Dark Explorers Heatmor Is Durant's Worst Enemy In Pokémon TCG
A Heatmor card from the Dark Explorers Pokémon TCG expansion possessed a move called Hot Lick, which inflicted 10 points of damage. However, if the target was a Durant, it received a 50-point bonus for a total of 60. In addition, all Durant cards were weak to Fire-type Pokémon, which doubled the damage to 120. Unless an effect lowered the damage, this made Hot Lick an instant knockout against any Durant card in the game. While not as overpowered as Pokémon GO's broken Ditto cards, it was a one-card counter against an entire species of Pokémon. In addition, Hot Lick only required one energy of any kind, making it extremely easy to use.
Durant is actually the signature card of a fairly prominent deck in the Pokémon Trading Card Game known as Durant Mill. Durant Mill would use Noble Victories Durant's Devour ability to force the opponent to discard cards from their deck, aiming to cause them to lose by running out. This deck performed rather well in competitive play despite its unusual game plan. However, Dark Explorers Heatmor could instantly knock out Durant with Hot Lick before it started milling despite being relatively average otherwise. It's not the most valuable Pokémon TCG card, but it plays its role well.
The relationship between Heatmor and Durant is one of the most one-sided in all of Pokémon, and it was interesting to see mirrored in the card game. It is also one of the few examples in card games of a card made to be a near-complete counter to another. Heatmor may not be the strongest card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, but it does exactly what its lore said it would.
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