Need Competitive Knowledge Updated From Since the 2013-2014 Format

Ice

Ice

Returnee
Member
I used to be semi competitive back in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 format and have little to no knowledge of the current format. I stopped playing around the time it was announced that they were adding the expanded format (ugh). I remember that Colress, Skyla, Juniper/Sycamore, and N were all staples and Pokemon changing Catcher to be a coin flip but everything after those is very fuzzy to me. I'm probably going to league next week to trade or get some insight into the current format from people there even though most of them are bad at the game (lol). Any Youtubers or Articles would for getting back into the format would be very helpful. :)
 
Colress has been rotated (unfortunately) and nobody plays skyla anymore. Lysandre has the same effect as catcher without a coin flip, but it is a supporter :(. Juniper isn't legal in standard anymore. Everyone is running less supporter cards thanks to the reprint of VS seeker, and oh yeah, you have to own at least two copies of a $50 card to be considered "competitive". In other words, everything went downhill fast....

Great youtubers include Team Fish Knuckles, The meta deck, Omnipoke, google, shaymin says, darkrai TCG, and world renowned heretic.

One more last thing. There's this deck called night march that beats everything except the decks that directly counter it. Both are annoying to play against and naturally, that is what everyone is running. I hope this helped.
 
MaD_DoG said:
Colress has been rotated (unfortunately) and nobody plays skyla anymore. Lysandre has the same effect as catcher without a coin flip, but it is a supporter :(. Juniper isn't legal in standard anymore. Everyone is running less supporter cards thanks to the reprint of VS seeker, and oh yeah, you have to own at least two copies of a $50 card to be considered "competitive". In other words, everything went downhill fast....

Great youtubers include Team Fish Knuckles, The meta deck, Omnipoke, google, shaymin says, darkrai TCG, and world renowned heretic.

One more last thing. There's this deck called night march that beats everything except the decks that directly counter it. Both are annoying to play against and naturally, that is what everyone is running. I hope this helped.
Click to expand...
Bleh thanks anyways I think I'll wait for a more stable format. Without taking into consideration costs do you think the current format is more or less fair/skill based than 2013-2014?
 
A more stable format will be after rotation if nothing gets reprinted. It's hard for me to compare formats, but I think it's less skilled based today because there is less versatility between decks. 2013-2014 was rayboar, blastoise, yveltal, virgen, and plasma right? I know I played a lot in that format, but 2 years is a lot for me to remember.
 
Ice said:
Bleh thanks anyways I think I'll wait for a more stable format. Without taking into consideration costs do you think the current format is more or less fair/skill based than 2013-2014?
Click to expand...

Yeah... @MaD_DoG 's views may not actually represent the views of others. ;)

Keep in mind, I'm the "optimistic pessimist" of the Pokémon TCG. I started playing in 1999 and haven't stopped. Been forced to all-but-stop because of things like school or work, and I actually did try to quit but it didn't stick. I believe the game was at its best in the first few years after Nintendo/PUSA (later Nintendo/TPCi) stepped in but I also recognize that not only could that be nostalgia talking, but the very real difference in information infrastructure. I mean not only has the general body of knowledge for the Pokémon TCG had around a decade to mature, but attitudes about sharing information have changed as well as methods for sharing that information (like Youtube).

So the main thing is the more things change, the more they stay the same. The short version (I'll go into detail if you still have any interest) is that in reality, things are about the same as when you left. Often the same role has just been assumed by a new card, or a card is still good but can now be run in a lower count (N, Professor Sycamore, etc.). Shaymin-EX (ROS) is expensive, but
  • It may be getting some sort of reprint or re-release (seems guaranteed in Japan, up-in-the-air internationally)
  • Since it is in all but one current competitive deck, you do get your money's worth.
  • Proportionately the mark up is similar to other hard-to-obtain staples
It is far too late to try for the World Championships right now, so you've got probably three or four months to see if Shaymin-EX has a price drop or just to find a good deal on them. You could try playing on the PTCGO instead; prices are a lot better there though in roundabout ways (you'll need to trade for them in the program, or violate the EULA by paying real money for the digital version). Otherwise just try to ease back into the game; I don't know if there is a TCG that is worth rushing into anyway.
 
Ice said:
Thanks @Otaku maybe I'll just start by playing for fun this summer at league
Click to expand...

If you were able to enjoy the formats shortly before and when you eventually did leave, you can probably enjoy them now.

If you are just playing casual and not stressing out about winning a trip to worlds or how good you think the game ought to be right now but it isn't because the-powers-that-be are going the safe route like pretty much all major TCGs and... so yeah, if you're not going be like me and over analyze the game design angle, just play to have fun... you actually can! XD
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top