I'm a T.O. for a local Pokemon League and I built as deck that kids/newer players can use that utilize cards that'll peak their interest by using recognizable characters from the cartoon or video games.
Here's what the early version looked like back in March:
POKÉMON: 16
- 4 - Pikachu (SHL Promo)
- 3 - Raichu GX
- 2 - Team Rocket's Meowth
- 2 - Pichu Bros.
- 2 - Mimikyu GRI
- 2 - Mew (EVO)
- 1 - Happy Birthday Pikachu
TRAINERS: 31
- 4 - Lillie
- 4 - Volkner
- 1 - Guzma
- 1 - Here Comes Team Rocket!
- 4 - Great Ball
- 4 - Trick Coin
- 4 - Gym Badge
- 2 - Red Card
- 2 - Random Receiver
- 1 - Pokédex
- 1 - Master Ball (Ace Spec)
- 3 - Healing Field
ENERGY: 13
- 9 - Lightning Energy
- 4 - Unit Energy (LPS)
After 5 months of other players uisng it and watching the deck in action and how it gets used; found a lot of glaring flaws and recently found a way to overhaul it:
- 3 Raichu-GX
New players want to see powergul cards in action, Raichu-GX seemed to fit that bill considering it evolves from the shows frontrunner, Pikachu. The problem came in the form that opponents (who were usually using decks made up of about 18 boosters or a theme deck and some SUPER old cards that an older sibling had) didn't have an answer to it once it was on the field. In the rare instance that they could take one down, another would easily replace it. It felt like a power buff needed to be put in place with how everyone at my League is just learning basics. Raichu-GX felt too powerful for this environment.
-2 Pichu Bros.
This a fun card to see in action, but Confusion is the kind of status condition that new players have a hard time dealing with. Whenever I use ex TR Returns Hoppip and gradually show them the 5 Special Conditions are available, Confusion is the very last one I implement for this reason. Taking Pichu Bros. out was a necvessary power buff.
-2 Mimikyu
The deck felt like it needed more draw power and Mimikyu is apparently a Pokemon used by Team Rocket. The problem is that it almost never got used because players wouldn't see the value of Copycat unless they started the game with it and absolutely HAD TO.
On a competitive scale, it's like convincing players who haven't used baby Celesteela and think its a bad card on why it's actually really good.
-2 Mew (EVO)
Mew is a recognizable Pokemon and a LOT of the new kids played it immediately, even though they didn't read the Ability and check the field. The deck I use to teach new kids is all Basic Pokemon, and the field of decks at the Pokemon League wouldn't help Mew out in a large capacity. Evolutions Mew felt too niche.
-4 Lillie
Lillie is great at the beginning of the game, but as the game would progress, there would quickly not be a need to Lillie at all.
-1 Volkner, -1 Guzma
Took out 1 Volkner because it was drawn too often to where it was a dead card. Guzma was never used because Raichu GX would just annihilate everything and there was no point to it.
-1 Great Ball, -1 Trick Coin
Both cards are great, I felt like that there were too many copies and were often dead cards.
-2 Red Card
I wanted some disruptive cards in the deck. Red Card is great, but players wouldn't use the second copy when they could see that it's not a card that fixes a problem thats on the field. Newer players have a hard time understanding that disrupting an opponents hand is important. I went with a more conventinal disruption route instead.
-2 Random Receiver, -1 Pokedex
Both seemed like good cards to use, that said, Pokedex is sort of a difficult card for kids to mentally sort which cards are going to help at which time. Random Receiver was hardly ever used.
So with all that, I went with a Pikachu-centric build and using Electrode-GX
POKÉMON: 16
- 3 - Voltorb (either EVO or Celestial Storm)
- 3 - Team Rocket's Meowth
- 2 - Flying Pikachu
- 2 - Pikachu Libre
- 2 - Electrode-GX
- 1 - Mew (FCO)
- 1 - Ash's Pikachu
- 1 - Happy Birthday Pikachu
- 1 - Rocket's Wobbuffet
TRAINERS: 29
- 4 - Sophocles
- 3 - Volkner
- 1 - Here Comes Team Rocket!
- 4- Gym Badge
- 4 - Sleep!
- 3 - Great Ball
- 3 - Trick Coin
- 3 - Acro Bike
- 1 - Master Ball (Ace Spec)
- 3 - Healing Field
ENERGY: 15
- 11 - Lightning Energy
- 4 - Unit Energy (LPS)
- Rocket's Wobbuffet is a more easily recognizable character
- Electrode-GX is a GX, which is exciting for new players to see, but its supoer under-powered and serves to just power up the Pikachu's and everyone else.
- switched EVO Mew for FCO Mew since FCO Mew can get Pokemon out of the deck, has free retreat, and can use all of Pikachu's attacks
- added Pikachu Libre and Flying Pikachu for fun variety
- replaced Lillie with Sophocles for better draw support and a way to discard Lightning Energy
- Added Sleep! for immediate disruption. Kids like it and its compatible with Team Rocket's Meowth.
- Added Acro Bike for better draw/discard
- Added 2 additional Lightning Energy for Electrode-GX.
Any ideas? Suggestions? Gripes? Complaints? Grievances?
Here's what the early version looked like back in March:
POKÉMON: 16
- 4 - Pikachu (SHL Promo)
- 3 - Raichu GX
- 2 - Team Rocket's Meowth
- 2 - Pichu Bros.
- 2 - Mimikyu GRI
- 2 - Mew (EVO)
- 1 - Happy Birthday Pikachu
TRAINERS: 31
- 4 - Lillie
- 4 - Volkner
- 1 - Guzma
- 1 - Here Comes Team Rocket!
- 4 - Great Ball
- 4 - Trick Coin
- 4 - Gym Badge
- 2 - Red Card
- 2 - Random Receiver
- 1 - Pokédex
- 1 - Master Ball (Ace Spec)
- 3 - Healing Field
ENERGY: 13
- 9 - Lightning Energy
- 4 - Unit Energy (LPS)
After 5 months of other players uisng it and watching the deck in action and how it gets used; found a lot of glaring flaws and recently found a way to overhaul it:
- 3 Raichu-GX
New players want to see powergul cards in action, Raichu-GX seemed to fit that bill considering it evolves from the shows frontrunner, Pikachu. The problem came in the form that opponents (who were usually using decks made up of about 18 boosters or a theme deck and some SUPER old cards that an older sibling had) didn't have an answer to it once it was on the field. In the rare instance that they could take one down, another would easily replace it. It felt like a power buff needed to be put in place with how everyone at my League is just learning basics. Raichu-GX felt too powerful for this environment.
-2 Pichu Bros.
This a fun card to see in action, but Confusion is the kind of status condition that new players have a hard time dealing with. Whenever I use ex TR Returns Hoppip and gradually show them the 5 Special Conditions are available, Confusion is the very last one I implement for this reason. Taking Pichu Bros. out was a necvessary power buff.
-2 Mimikyu
The deck felt like it needed more draw power and Mimikyu is apparently a Pokemon used by Team Rocket. The problem is that it almost never got used because players wouldn't see the value of Copycat unless they started the game with it and absolutely HAD TO.
On a competitive scale, it's like convincing players who haven't used baby Celesteela and think its a bad card on why it's actually really good.
-2 Mew (EVO)
Mew is a recognizable Pokemon and a LOT of the new kids played it immediately, even though they didn't read the Ability and check the field. The deck I use to teach new kids is all Basic Pokemon, and the field of decks at the Pokemon League wouldn't help Mew out in a large capacity. Evolutions Mew felt too niche.
-4 Lillie
Lillie is great at the beginning of the game, but as the game would progress, there would quickly not be a need to Lillie at all.
-1 Volkner, -1 Guzma
Took out 1 Volkner because it was drawn too often to where it was a dead card. Guzma was never used because Raichu GX would just annihilate everything and there was no point to it.
-1 Great Ball, -1 Trick Coin
Both cards are great, I felt like that there were too many copies and were often dead cards.
-2 Red Card
I wanted some disruptive cards in the deck. Red Card is great, but players wouldn't use the second copy when they could see that it's not a card that fixes a problem thats on the field. Newer players have a hard time understanding that disrupting an opponents hand is important. I went with a more conventinal disruption route instead.
-2 Random Receiver, -1 Pokedex
Both seemed like good cards to use, that said, Pokedex is sort of a difficult card for kids to mentally sort which cards are going to help at which time. Random Receiver was hardly ever used.
So with all that, I went with a Pikachu-centric build and using Electrode-GX
POKÉMON: 16
- 3 - Voltorb (either EVO or Celestial Storm)
- 3 - Team Rocket's Meowth
- 2 - Flying Pikachu
- 2 - Pikachu Libre
- 2 - Electrode-GX
- 1 - Mew (FCO)
- 1 - Ash's Pikachu
- 1 - Happy Birthday Pikachu
- 1 - Rocket's Wobbuffet
TRAINERS: 29
- 4 - Sophocles
- 3 - Volkner
- 1 - Here Comes Team Rocket!
- 4- Gym Badge
- 4 - Sleep!
- 3 - Great Ball
- 3 - Trick Coin
- 3 - Acro Bike
- 1 - Master Ball (Ace Spec)
- 3 - Healing Field
ENERGY: 15
- 11 - Lightning Energy
- 4 - Unit Energy (LPS)
- Rocket's Wobbuffet is a more easily recognizable character
- Electrode-GX is a GX, which is exciting for new players to see, but its supoer under-powered and serves to just power up the Pikachu's and everyone else.
- switched EVO Mew for FCO Mew since FCO Mew can get Pokemon out of the deck, has free retreat, and can use all of Pikachu's attacks
- added Pikachu Libre and Flying Pikachu for fun variety
- replaced Lillie with Sophocles for better draw support and a way to discard Lightning Energy
- Added Sleep! for immediate disruption. Kids like it and its compatible with Team Rocket's Meowth.
- Added Acro Bike for better draw/discard
- Added 2 additional Lightning Energy for Electrode-GX.
Any ideas? Suggestions? Gripes? Complaints? Grievances?