Damage to Energy Ratio

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pokedan24

Aspiring Trainer
Member
One of the things that sticks out in the base set days was how balanced the cards were. Basically, every colorless energy requirement averaged 10 damage. Every specific energy averaged 15 (or 10 plus a statis). There were a few slight variations, but for the most part, it stayed pretty consistent. Even cards like wigglytuff, who could hit for 60 for 3 needed a full bench to reach 60. So to get that cheap damage, you'd need to make a deck around it.

Now, it's all over the place. Well, for evolving basics, it's stayed the same. Tynamo (L for 10 plus paralysis) and zorua (DCE for 20). But then we get to the evolvutions and wow. Flaafy from dragons exalted can do 20 for 1 colorless plus prevent 20 more next turn, something that would have been broken in the base set days Yet the second attack only does a mere 40 for LCC (something quite common in base set). But compared to arcanine from next destinies, who would do 70 for the same cost, he is outclassed. There are even some evolving stage 1s who do more for that cost (charmeleon BC).

That's just one example, but it's like this with a lot of cards. Some cards are just so much better than others. Particularly the EXs who overrun pretty much everything (once they get powered up). I think this might explain why so many cards are deemed unplayable now. Not that the base set didn't have it's share of unplayable or meh pokemon, but at least some could be used as replacements for others until you got the others. Now? It's no contest EXs and a few other strong basics trump all the rest. Even trying to build a deck based around hippowdon would get you laughed out of any league.

I know power creep plays a part and I don't think it's a bad thing, but that lack of balance is making 90% of pokemon not even close to playable.
 
RE: Damage energy ratio

Now? It's no contest EXs and a few other strong basics trump all the rest.
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Base Set was about the same (or even worse) as it is now. All you had was Haymaker and Wigglytuff. Granted, there were a few more decks, but they were far less played than the listed.
 
RE: Damage energy ratio

Infinity said:
Now? It's no contest EXs and a few other strong basics trump all the rest.
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Base Set was about the same (or even worse) as it is now. All you had was Haymaker and Wigglytuff. Granted, there were a few more decks, but they were far less played than the listed.
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But other (non rare) cards could actually compete. Haymaker could be taken down by stronger evolutions (or even just stasis). Now the EXs run over everything, even stage 2 pokemon.

Not saying base set was perfect. Energy and super energy removal were justifiably the most hated cards ever printed. Trainers seemed to be even more broken than they are now. But in terms of pokemon, they were at least balanced.
 
RE: Damage energy ratio

Yeah guys lets play 4 Hitmonchan and get like 4 pluspowers every turn to donk hurrdurr gotta love Oak and Com search.
Hehe garchomp 1 for 60 2 for 100
Charizard 4 for 100
Wigglytuff can do like 70 or 90 or something liek that?
Meet empoleon, who can do 120.
 
RE: Damage energy ratio

^I can't tell if you're just trolling pokedan or on his side, RogueChomp. What you just listed really shows how stupidly unbalanced energy ratios can be though, so I'm thinking on his side? Garchomp can do just as much as poor Charizard for half the energies, Empoleon can do so for one-fourth, and Wigglytuff almost can for how many? Then you have the insanity of over-powered basics that DEFINITELY don't have a good D2E ratio. They're basics and are easy to get out, they shouldn't have attacks as powerful as evolutions, EX or not.

There's a reason I still haven't gotten back into the game, and that is that it's just pure insanity. So really, what's with all the replies in here? He made a good point, and received not a single good reply.
 
RE: Damage energy ratio

SotS said:
^I can't tell if you're just trolling pokedan or on his side, RogueChomp. What you just listed really shows how stupidly unbalanced energy ratios can be though, so I'm thinking on his side? Garchomp can do just as much as poor Charizard for half the energies, Empoleon can do so for one-fourth, and Wigglytuff almost can for how many? Then you have the insanity of over-powered basics that DEFINITELY don't have a good D2E ratio. They're basics and are easy to get out, they shouldn't have attacks as powerful as evolutions, EX or not.

There's a reason I still haven't gotten back into the game, and that is that it's just pure insanity. So really, what's with all the replies in here? He made a good point, and received not a single good reply.
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I gotta agree. But yeah, back then and until now, it's run broken basics or blastoise or die. It's the same before and it's the same now, the only difference is now games become so fast because broken EXs give up two prizes upon death.
 
RE: Damage energy ratio

SotS said:
^I can't tell if you're just trolling pokedan or on his side, RogueChomp. What you just listed really shows how stupidly unbalanced energy ratios can be though, so I'm thinking on his side? Garchomp can do just as much as poor Charizard for half the energies, Empoleon can do so for one-fourth, and Wigglytuff almost can for how many? Then you have the insanity of over-powered basics that DEFINITELY don't have a good D2E ratio. They're basics and are easy to get out, they shouldn't have attacks as powerful as evolutions, EX or not.

There's a reason I still haven't gotten back into the game, and that is that it's just pure insanity. So really, what's with all the replies in here? He made a good point, and received not a single good reply.
Click to expand...
On his side. The cards in this format are too strong, but only to match the EXs. Even some of the bad cards are better than some/most of the old good cards.
 
RE: Damage energy ratio

That's because of power creep. The strength of old Hitmonchan in the old days would be equal to what Landorus Ex does in our format right now.
 
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