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Expedition Card Explorations: Supporters, Part Two
By Dark Master Trainer Mike
Welcome to the second installment of our exploration into the Trainers that are available in Expedition. This week we look at two more of the "Supporter" Trainers from the set, as well as a Pokémon Tool and a Technical Machine. All of the Supporters come with the following instruction text:
You can play only one Supporter card each turn. When you play this card, put it next to your Active Pokémon. When your turn ends, discard this card.
This means you can play only one Supporter a turn. You should also note that putting the card next to your Pokémon is not the same as "putting it in play." You put it there only as a marker to indicate that you have played a Supporter this turn. For example, this means that a Chaos Gym can affect it. Now, let's start with Professor Elm's Training Method.
Professor Elm's Training Method
 This Supporter has the following text:
Search your deck for an Evolution card, show it to your opponent, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.
While this is a pretty good way to get the Evolution card you need, I'm not sold on the overall value of the card. You can play only one Supporter a turn, and this would take up that Supporter spot. There are also alternative card-drawing engines that, while they don't get you an Evolution for sure, can still net you one. Professor Elm, Professor Oak's Research, Master Ball, and Copycat come to mind. I don't think this Supporter is worth a spot in your deck, though that does depend on what other cards you're playing. If this is the only Supporter card you want to use, then it might be worth a look.
It's time to look at Professor Oak's Research, the last Supporter I want to talk about today!
Professor Oak's Research
Its text reads as follows:
Shuffle your hand into your deck, then draw 5 cards.
Professor Oak's Research is one of the best of the Supporters! It does not stop you from playing Trainers after you play it like Professor Elm does. It gets you 5 cards when you might need them most. You can combine it with Professor Elm for great card-drawing possibilities. Draw, play cards, play Professor Oak's Research, play cards, play Professor Elm (the one you drew from Professor Oak's Research), and play cards. It allows you to not discard your hand, hence forestalling decking yourself. All in all, it's a very valuable resource.
Now let's turn our gazes to Multi Technical Machine 01, which is a Technical Machine card.
Multi Technical Machine 01
 This Technical Machine card comes with the following instructions:
Attach this card to 1 of your Pokémon in play. That Pokémon may use this card's attack instead of its own. At the end of your turn, discard Multi Technical Machine 01.
The attack for one Colorless Energy allows you to make the Defending Pokémon Paralyzed.
I have been in the position of not being able to attack, or not wanting to in the case of Cleffa, many times. Paralyzing the Defending Pokémon would sure have been useful in those situations. This card would beso much more valuable if it could stay in play, though! As it is, I'm just not sure that it deserves a spot on your roster. It could come in big, however, when combined with Burn or Poison -- especially in Team play. I'm not sure how it will do in Modified, though.
Now we come to the last Trainer for today: Strength Charm.
Strength Charm
Take a look at the text on this Pokémon Tool card:
Attach Strength Charm to 1 of your Pokémon that doesn't have a Pokémon Tool attached to it.
Whenever an attack from the Pokémon that Strength Charm is attached to does damage (after applying Weakness and Resistance), the attack does 10 more damage. At the end of your turn in which this happens, discard Strength Charm.
Unfortunately that damage does not apply to the Bench, but it does apply to self-damaging effects! It can't stack up like Plus Power. I suppose if you had an attack that needed another 10 damage to make it worthwhile then -- who am I kidding? I don't think this card is worth space in any deck. It just does not do enough for you to make it worthwhile!
Well, that's it for the Supporter, Technical Machine, and Pokémon Tool cards from this set! Next time Gengar and I will start to look at the other Trainers available in Expedition.
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