Banette vs Gengar: Comparing Performance in Pokémon TCG

Banette card art from Triumphant (HGSS4)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Banette vs Gengar: a shadowy duel on the tabletop

In the shadowy corners of the Pokémon TCG, Banette stands as a haunting reminder that control can trump raw power. The Triumphant-era Banette—evolving from Shuppet and illustrated by Ryo Ueda—asks players to lean into disruption as a defined playstyle. When pitted against Gengar decks, which often rely on fast aggression and tricky tempo, Banette’s two-pronged toolkit offers a refreshing approach: a coin-flipped leash on the opponent’s energy and a hand-size driven damage calculator. It’s a clash of philosophies—one card that pries at the opponent’s resources, another that punishes the size of their grip—yet both share a love for the dramatic, smoky corners of the game. ⚡🔥

From a collector’s perspective, Banette is a Rare card from the Triumphant set (hgss4). Its stationary HP of 80 sits in that sweet zone where it can threaten early in the game but requires careful protection and support to survive longer combinations in the midgame. The artwork by Ryo Ueda captures the eerie, abandoned-doll vibe that fans remember from the era, making this Banette a standout piece for display alongside its gameplay value. The card’s stage is clear: it evolves from Shuppet, creating a natural upgrade path for players who enjoy building a focused Psychic line to contest the field against looming Gengar threats.

Card data snapshot: what Banette brings to the table

Type: Psychic
HP: 80
Stage: Stage 1 (evolves from Shuppet)
Rarity: Rare
Set: Triumphant (hgss4); Official card count 102 of 103
Attacks:
- Lost Crush — Psychic energy. Flip a coin. If heads, choose 1 Energy card attached to 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon and put it in the Lost Zone.
- Breakdown — Psychic, Colorless, Colorless. Count the number of cards in your opponent’s hand. Put that many damage counters on the Defending Pokémon.
Weakness: Darkness ×2
Resistance: Colorless −20
Retreat: 1
Illustrator: Ryo Ueda
Legal formats: Standard/Expanded status varies by era; this specific card is from a past rotation and is often enjoyed in casual play or as a collector’s piece.

Two attacks define Banette’s approach. Lost Crush tempts fate with a coin flip, offering real disruption by siphoning Energy from an opponent’s active threat—a solid tempo play when your opponent leans on a single powerhouse. Breakdown, meanwhile, scales its damage with the opponent’s hand size, leveraging a very different kind of pressure: the more cards your foe holds, the more punishment Banette can apply. In a Gengar-heavy metagame, where fast, multi-hit assaults can chain into knockout turns, Banette’s ability to whittle away at resources and force a counting game can tilt the match toward a slower, more deliberate rhythm. And yes, Banette’s relatively modest HP means careful timing and shielding are essential, especially against high-damage Gengar lines that can threaten it before it fully establishes board control.

“Banette’s power isn’t just in the numbers—it’s in the mind games. When you flip for Lost Crush, you’re telling your opponent that their energy strategy might be better off elsewhere, even if the coin cooperates just once.” ⚡

How Banette stacks up against Gengar in practice

Gengar, a familiar spectral echo across many sets, is typically associated with fast, aggressive pressure and cunning bench management. In a matchup against Banette, the dynamics swing on a few critical axes:

: Banette’s Lost Crush offers energy denial on a single opponent’s Pokémon, which can stall a solo-Gengar approach that relies on a heavy attacker hitting the bench repeatedly. If the Gengar deck taps energy too aggressively, Lost Crush can slow the tempo in visible, tangible ways.
: Breakdown’s damage scales with the opponent’s hand size. Gengar decks that flood the board or draw aggressively can become oversized targets for Breakdown, but Banette must manage its own hand and mana efficiency to avoid giving the foe too many cards to burn in a single turn.
: At 80 HP, Banette sits in a fragile spot compared with many late-game Gengar attackers. That makes timing and protection (and retreat flexibility) crucial, especially when facing a Gengar with access to enough offense to overwhelm Banette before it can set up deeper lines.

Practical build notes and takeaways

Prioritize a clean Shuppet-to-Banette evolution line to maintain a stable presence on the bench while you shuffle through disruption options.
Pair Banette with Psychic-supporting Pokémon and draw engines that help you reach the Breakdown threshold without sacrificing early board presence.
Use Lost Crush strategically—aim to cripple a key energy attachment on the opponent’s main threat, but don’t rely on the coin flip to carry the entire game plan.
Keep an eye on the opponent’s hand size. Against Gengar decks that try to manipulate resources, Breakdown can punish stacking patterns and create fatigue in the opponent’s pace.
Expect a speed mismatch in some games. Banette shines when you slow things down and force a careful, resource-managed game rather than trading blow-for-blow with a high-damage Gengar line.

Collecting and market perspective

For collectors, Banette from Triumphant is a striking example of early-2010s design: rare, illustrated by a noted artist, and with that unmistakable HGSS-era aesthetic. The price data around late 2025 shows a spectrum of values. CardMarket’s EUR average sits around 0.41, while TCGPlayer’s values for the non-holo Banette hover around the low-to-mid dollar range, with reverse-holo variants climbing higher, sometimes double-digit values depending on condition and demand. This makes Banette a wallet-friendly choice for players testing control-oriented Psychic builds and for collectors seeking Triumphant’s distinctive art style. The set’s overall count—102 of 103 in official terms—adds to the sense that this is a near-complete chapter of that era, a nice target for enthusiasts cataloging the entire HGSS block. The card bears the unmistakable stamp of Ryo Ueda’s artistry, ensuring it remains a memorable piece in any collection.

From a broader market lens, the dynamics of older sets continue to reward players and collectors who value unique mechanics like Lost Zone or hand-size-driven damage. Banette’s enduring charm rests not only on its quirky attacks but on the nostalgia of facing Gengar archetypes in gyms and tournaments of yesteryear. As the Pokémon TCG ecosystem evolves, cards like Banette remind us how design philosophies shift—yet the thrill of a well-timed disruption remains timeless. 💎🎴

More from our network

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Rectangular Gaming Mouse Pad (Non-Slip Rubber Base, 1/16 inch Thick)