If you’ve played a single game of the Pokémon Trading Card Game lately, you already know the sound of a table flipping. That’s the sound of a Roaring Moon Pokémon card hitting the board on turn one. Honestly, it’s kind of ridiculous. We’ve had big basic Pokémon before, but this ancient relative of Salamence is something else entirely. It doesn't care about your Stage 2 set-up or how many HP your bulky Pokémon ex has. It just says "knocked out," and usually, that's the end of the conversation.
Ancient Paradox Pokémon changed the math of the game. When Paradox Rift dropped, everyone looked at Iron Valiant, but Roaring Moon ex was the one actually stealing wins at Regional championships. It’s fast. It’s mean. It feels like playing a different game where the rules of "building up an attacker" don't really apply. You just dump energy, scream a bit, and take two prizes.
The Frenzy of Frenzied Gouging
The main reason people lose sleep over the Roaring Moon Pokémon card is the attack Frenzied Gouging. Let’s look at the text, because it’s brutal. For two Darkness and one Colorless energy, you instantly knock out your opponent's Active Pokémon. There is no damage calculation. You don't check for Resistance. You don't care if they have a Cape of Toughness or 340 HP. They are gone.
The catch? Roaring Moon does 200 damage to itself.
In a vacuum, that sounds like a fair trade. In reality, it’s a terrifying momentum swinger. If you use Frenzied Gouging to KO a Charizard ex, you’ve traded a Basic Pokémon for a massive Stage 2 that took three turns to evolve. You’re winning that trade every single time. Most players think the self-damage is a massive weakness, but in the current meta, Roaring Moon is often paired with Ancient Booster Energy Capsule. This tool gives it an extra 60 HP and removes special conditions. Suddenly, that 230 HP bird-thing has 290 HP. Taking 200 damage still leaves it with 90 HP, which is surprisingly hard for some decks to clean up efficiently without committing a main attacker.
Speed is the Only Metric That Matters
You can’t talk about this card without talking about Professor Sada’s Vitality. This supporter card is the engine that makes the Roaring Moon Pokémon card viable. It lets you attach a Basic Energy from your discard pile to two of your Ancient Pokémon and then draw three cards.
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It’s the dream opening.
Imagine this: Turn one (if you're going second), you use Squawkabilly ex’s "Squawk and Seize" to dump your hand. You discard two Darkness energy. You play Sada’s Vitality. You attach those energies to two Roaring Moons. You play a Dark Patch. Suddenly, you’re attacking for 220 damage or an instant KO before your opponent has even attached their second energy of the game. It is aggressive. It is relentless. It makes people want to quit the hobby for a week.
Not Just One Moon: The Rise of the "Baby" Roaring Moon
While the "ex" version gets the headlines, the single-prize Roaring Moon Pokémon card from Temporal Forces is arguably more annoying to deal with. This is the one often called "Baby Moon." It has an attack called Vengeful Feathers. It does 70 damage plus 10 more for each Ancient card in your discard pile.
Early in the game, it’s hitting for maybe 90 or 100. Fine. Whatever.
But by the end of the game? When you’ve used Trekking Shoes, Explorer’s Guidance, and Ultra Balls to thin your deck? That thing is hitting for 280 damage. For two energy. On a Pokémon that only gives up one prize card.
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The strategy shifted. Competitive players realized they didn't need to risk two prizes with the big ex version every turn. They could lead with the big one to get a massive KO, then sweep the rest of the game with the smaller versions. It’s a "prize trade" nightmare. If you knock out a Baby Moon, you take one prize. If they knock out your Pokémon ex, they take two. Do the math. You’ll lose that race.
Why Everyone Misunderstands the Mirror Match
If you're playing a Roaring Moon Pokémon card against another Roaring Moon deck, throw the rulebook out the window. It becomes a game of chicken. Who uses Frenzied Gouging first? Usually, the person who "Gouges" first loses.
Why? Because you put yourself at 30 HP (or 90 with the capsule), making you an easy target for a revenge KO from literally anything—even a supporting Pokémon like a Teal Mask Ogerpon or a random Flutter Mane. Pro players like Tord Reklev or Azul Garcia Griego often talk about "resource management," but in the Moon mirror, it's about "damage denial." You wait. You poke with Calamity Storm (the second attack that does 100+120 if you discard a stadium). You only use the instant KO when it’s the last prize you need.
The Real Cost: Market Prices and Rarity
Collecting is a different beast. The "Special Illustration Rare" (SIR) of the Roaring Moon Pokémon card is one of the most beautiful pieces of art the Pokémon Company has put out in years. It features the Pokémon soaring through a prehistoric forest with vibrant greens and deep blues.
Prices fluctuate.
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At launch, the SIR was hovering around $100. It dipped, then spiked again as the deck won more tournaments. If you're looking to build the deck, don't buy the fancy art. The regular "Double Rare" version does the exact same thing and costs a fraction of the price. But for collectors, the SIR is the "chase card" of the Paradox Rift set. It’s the kind of card you grade. It’s the kind of card that defines an era of the TCG.
Technical Nuances You’re Probably Missing
There are some weird interactions with the Roaring Moon Pokémon card that trip up even veteran players.
- The Stadium Discard: Calamity Storm requires a stadium in play to hit for 220. If you discard a PokeStop to get the damage boost, remember that the stadium is gone before your opponent’s turn starts. You can use this to bump your own negative stadiums or get rid of a Temple of Sinnoh that’s hurting your energy.
- Mist Energy: This is the hard counter. If your opponent has Mist Energy attached, Frenzied Gouging does nothing. It doesn't do damage; it applies an "effect" of a knockout. Mist Energy blocks effects. If you see a Lugia VSTAR deck, you better have a plan to discard those energies, or your Roaring Moon is just an expensive paperweight.
- The 220 Threshold: 220 is the magic number. It KOs almost every Basic Pokémon ex (like Miraidon, Iron Valiant, or Chien-Pao). If they have a Bravery Charm, you’re forced to use Frenzied Gouging. Know your numbers.
The Deck’s Biggest Weakness
It's inconsistency. For all its power, the Roaring Moon Pokémon card relies on a perfect "discard and draw" engine. If you prize your Dark Patches or can’t find a Professor Sada’s Vitality, you sit there doing nothing. You are a glass cannon. You hit hard, but you break easily. High-skill players love the deck because it rewards aggressive sequencing, but it can also fail you spectacularly in a best-of-one format.
Future-Proofing Your Ancient Deck
We are seeing more Ancient support in every set. Cards like Awakening Drum (an ACE SPEC that draws cards for each Ancient Pokémon you have) turned the deck from a "rogue pick" into a consistent Tier 1 threat.
If you want to play this deck, focus on the "Ancient Box" variants. Instead of just four Roaring Moon ex cards, run a mix. Use Koraidon. Use Flutter Mane to shut off abilities like Comfey's "Flower Picking." The versatility of the Ancient tag is what keeps the Roaring Moon Pokémon card relevant even as newer, shinier cards like Terapagos ex enter the scene.
Actionable Next Steps for Players and Collectors
If you're looking to dive into the world of Roaring Moon, stop reading and start doing. Here is how you actually master this card:
- For the Competitor: Build the "Ancient Box" version first. It's cheaper and teaches you how to manage the discard pile better than the "Turbo" version. Practice your turn-one sequences until you can do them in your sleep. You need to know exactly how to get three energy into play before your opponent even draws their second card.
- For the Investor: Look for the Special Illustration Rare (SIR) during the "post-rotation" lulls. When a set is no longer the "new thing," prices often dip before they become "nostalgic." Roaring Moon is the face of the Paradox era; it will hold value better than most.
- For the Counter-Player: Start teching in Mist Energy or Iron Valiant’s "Tachyon Bits" to ping those Moons after they use Frenzied Gouging. If they are at 30 HP, you don't even need to attack to win. A well-placed Radiant Alakazam can move damage counters and steal a win without you ever swinging a move.
The Roaring Moon Pokémon card isn't going anywhere. It’s a fast, punishing, and visually stunning part of the modern game. Whether you love the "insta-kill" mechanic or think it's the worst thing to happen to balance, you have to respect the Moon. Just... maybe apologize to your friend before you Frenzied Gouge their favorite Charizard into oblivion. It's only polite.