Exploring Cofagrigus Evolution Across Archetypes in Pokémon TCG

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Cofagrigus card art from Plasma Freeze

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Evolution Lines, Archetypes, and Cofagrigus’ Quiet Power

In the Pokémon TCG, the cadence of an evolution line—how reliably a deck can push from base to evolved form while maintaining tempo—often determines a card’s true value across archetypes. Cofagrigus, a Psychic-type Stage 1 from Plasma Freeze ( BW9 ), provides a fascinating case study. Evolving from Yamask, this rare gem nods to the elegance of evolution pacing: the line might not shout loudly in every matchup, but it whispers strength in the right builds. For players navigating old-school archetypes and newer puzzle-box strategies alike, Cofagrigus offers a reliably disruptive toolkit that rewards thoughtful timing and bench management. ⚡

Let’s set the stage with the card’s essentials, because understanding the raw numbers helps illuminate why and how this line appears (or doesn’t) across archetypes. Cofagrigus sits at 100 HP, a sturdy marker for a Stage 1 in its era. It is a Psychic-type with a careful balance of offense and control, evolving from Yamask to demonstrate the classic, patient sculpting that archetypes crave. The set symbol—Plasma Freeze ( BW9 )—anchors it in the Black & White era, a time when psychic-matrix control decks vied for tempo and inevitability. The card’s rarity is Rare, and its illustrated charm comes from 5ban Graphics, whose art style captures the eerie grace of a House of Nightmares come to life on cardboard. 💎

Cofagrigus at a glance

  • Set: Plasma Freeze ( BW9 ) • Rare
  • Type: Psychic
  • Stage: Stage 1 (evolves from Yamask)
  • HP: 100
  • Attacks:
    • Elongating Arms — Cost: Colorless. This attack hits 30 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon (no Weakness/Resistance applied to Benched Pokémon).
    • Crazy Slap — Cost: Psychic, Colorless, Colorless. Flip 4 coins; this attack deals 40 damage times the number of heads.
  • Weakness: Darkness ×2
  • Retreat: 2
  • Illustrator: 5ban Graphics
  • Legal formats: Expanded only (Standard eligibility is False)
“A patient evolution with the right support can swing a game from a grind to a lock.” — Cofagrigus in the field

The flavor of Cofagrigus isn’t just in its ghostly design; it’s in the way its line demonstrates evolution tempo. Yamask is the gateway, and Cofagrigus is the quiet enforcer who can apply pressure with Elongating Arms while threatening with the more explosive Crazy Slap. The 100 HP gives it staying power through a few turns of attrition, and the defensive economics—retreat cost of 2 and a Psychic type that can leverage special energies in your deck—align with archetypes built around mid-game containment rather than pure late-game raw power. In practice, this line rewards decks that value a stable midgame and the option to push a decisive swing when the opponent’s board stabilizes. 🔥

Archetype frequency and evolution pacing

Across archetypes, the frequency of the Yamask-Cofagrigus line is a study in format constraints and tempo mathematics. In Expanded play, older sets like Plasma Freeze remain accessible, allowing players to slot Yamask and Cofagrigus into control, stall, or psychic-duel archetypes that prize disruption and bench control. The line’s speed is deliberately tempered: Yamask becomes Cofagrigus, not in a single turn sprint, but through a measured investment of turns and protection. This makes it a natural fit for archetypes that value board presence, fatigue-based win conditions, or subtle knockouts through repeated, low-variance damage. And because the line’s attacks don’t rely on heavy energy acceleration, Cofagrigus can coexist with other midrange threats in a single deck, weaving in for utility while other cards shoulder the heavy lifting. ⚡🎴

In modern Standard rotations, you’ll see the line disappear from competitive play due to set rotations. Yet in the Expanded universe, Cofagrigus remains a practical demonstration of how an Evolution line can anchor a deck’s midgame strategy. The balance between its 30-damage first attack and the coin-flip damage potential of Crazy Slap invites a blend of consistency and upside—an appealing proposition for archetypes that prize tempo and probability management. This is the kind of nuance that helps players understand why some lines appear frequently in certain archetypes while vanishing in others, reinforcing the concept that evolution pacing often defines a deck’s identity more than raw power alone. 🔮

Collector insights and market trends

From a collector’s perspective, Cofagrigus’ rarity and holo/normal/reverse variants offer a snapshot of era-typical value. The card’s pricing data paints a nuanced picture: Cardmarket shows holo variants with average values around 2.44 EUR and trends near 2.86 EUR, while non-holo baselines hover closer to the 0.28–2.83 EUR spectrum depending on condition and market fluctuations. TCGPlayer provides useful real-time context as well: normal copies hover with low prices around USD 0.38, mid-values near 1.19, and highs approaching 3.75 for uncommons of the era, while reverse-holofoil copies can command higher ceilings—often around 4–10 USD depending on market demand and print run viability. The dataset shows holo pricing climbing in some windows, underscoring that, for collectors, the line’s appeal isn’t only playability but the collectible story of Plasma Freeze and the 5ban Graphics illustration. This is a classic example of how scarcity, variant popularity, and nostalgia shape a card’s market journey. 💎

The broader takeaway for collectors is that even cards with modest single-card power can carry enduring resonance when their evolution line ties into a beloved era or archetype. Cofagrigus embodies that balance of function and fandom—the sort of piece that often threads through a player’s journey from casual to serious collector, especially for those who chase the deeper lore of Yamask’s haunting ancestry and the quiet authority of Cofagrigus’ ghastly embrace. 🎨

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