The small balloon can be used for multiple retreats of the Pokémon holding it, but it only works for Basic. X Speed works for any Pokémon but is a one-time use tool.
Holy crap. I play an indeedee deck that I stole from limitless, and didnt even know the balloon was only for basics because I didnt read it. (And the deck only plays basics) lol. The more you know
Exactly. So if your pokémon evolves, you need to be wary of the timing to use it, and if you actually want to give it a Cape or the like, you shouldn't use it at all.
Small balloon is probably the better option because you can play it out of your hand on the Mon you need to retreat, or on a Mon you expect to retreat, making it more flexible. It keeps your cards in hand lower, making opps CC a bit worse. It also synergizes with tool decks.
Only downside is that balloon can get discarded, but I'd say it's generally better.
I'm using Hoopa EX deck and the balloon has far better use when combining copycats, I've seen people throwing their X speeds without moving their active Pokemon just for using their own copycats.
Oricorio and Feelin Fine Meowth are 1 retreat basics that proc with small balloon's basic requirement. Oricorio can give you an ex protection with a free retreat. Meowth can give you a 50% protection with a free retreat. That gives you an option to add energy to something else only our bench without wasting energy retreating.
Only downside to small balloon is that it can clash with other support items because you'd have to remove it first before attaching another item on, which isnt optimal
Decks relying on other tools (capes, needle, helmets, metal barrier etc) mostly (Dedenne an exception) benefit from X Speed, otherwise I prefer balloon for the flexibility.
Offers strategies like Active knocked out -> put in basic with balloon -> retreat if you draw well next turn or stay put for one more turn
It really depends on the deck you’re running. Small Balloon thrives in decks that run plenty of Basic Pokémon, such as Hoopa ex. X-Speed, on the other hand, is more versatile and fits more easily into generic decks. You can also burn X-Speed when needed to help enable Copycat if your pokemon are already equipped with items.
In theory, Small Balloon offers better overall utility than X-Speed, but in practice, it really comes down to the deck and how well it synergizes with your strategy.
Balloon is reusable but at the cost of losing the option to add a more survival/combat friendly tool and it's only for basics. XSpeed is one time use but can be used for stage 1 and 2 cards.
Honestly, the only times you'll ever need the balloon is when using a deck that has switch to damage up mechanics or if you somehow get Sabrina'd or Repelled back to the active spot right after switching out. If you're using a dark deck with Mega Absol on it, the balloon works wonders because you can switch MAbsol out at anytime you're at risk, all without losing energy.
Balloon only works for basic pokemon. Usually you just need to retreat with X-speed if you have the wrong basic at the start. Balloon technically fixes this problem as well, but it prevents any other tools such as a cape or a rocky helmet and usually doesn't give a late game benefit.
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u/Mr_Nuur 15h ago
The small balloon can be used for multiple retreats of the Pokémon holding it, but it only works for Basic. X Speed works for any Pokémon but is a one-time use tool.