So let's say you were forced to choose between playing a playset of Trainers' Mail and a playset of Puzzle of Time. While it would be beneficial to be able to run both in the same deck, if you were made to choose between one or the other with no option to run both at once, which would you choose?
Discussion Puzzle of Time vs. Trainers' Mail
- Thread starter Sabaku
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PMJ
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I don't understand why you feel like you have to run one, but not the other. Trainers' Mail is good during the early and mid game where you need to thin out your deck to grab the cards you need, whereas Puzzle of Time works better later on, once you've used up some resources and you actually have the two puzzles to use. It's a bit weak to N in that regard. Trainers' Mail--or, to be more specific, the card you pull with it if you don't play it during that same turn--also shares that weakness, but puzzle is weaker to it since you can't grab cards unless you have two of them in your hand.
Double Puzzle is one of the most clutch plays you can make. Still, I'd generally go for Trainers' Mail in most cases.
Double Puzzle is one of the most clutch plays you can make. Still, I'd generally go for Trainers' Mail in most cases.
I guess it depends on the deck but both these cards do completely different things. If this were a Super Rod vs Brock's Grit type of thing then sure. What deck are you running and a list for it. If you can run both then go for it.
I would run Trainer's Mail in 95% of the situations.
I just consider it much greater than Puzzle of Time.
I know you can play two of them at once and get two cards back from your discard pile, which is a very strong effect.
Remember however that there are other ways to get your cards back: Super Rod for Pokémon, Land Maker for Stadia, VS Seeker for Supporters, Eco Arm for Tools, Special Charge and Energy Recycler for energy cards. The only thing you can't get back in these ways is Item Cards. Items are almost all of the cards I just mentioned.
The reason I do not like Puzzle of Time too much is that it's hard to get two in your hand at once unless you run Skyla, that I never run. When you play just one, you just get to rearrange the top three cards of your deck. In comparison, Trainer's Mail allows you to take any one Trainer card (except Trainer's Mail) you reveal from the top four cards of your deck. If anything, when I used Puzzle of Time, it was mostly to check the top three cards of my deck to see if it was worth it to use Professor Sycamore or if I had to use, say, N instead.
The only decks where I would consider running Puzzle of Time are those that use lots of fast drawing cards like Acro Bike and Unown. For example, it's a great pick for Vespiquen/Vileplume. The reason I think it's worth running here is that you are going to burn lots of potentially important ressources to set up. Because you run through your deck so fast, you should be able to run into two Puzzle of Time to get those important cards back.
I just consider it much greater than Puzzle of Time.
I know you can play two of them at once and get two cards back from your discard pile, which is a very strong effect.
Remember however that there are other ways to get your cards back: Super Rod for Pokémon, Land Maker for Stadia, VS Seeker for Supporters, Eco Arm for Tools, Special Charge and Energy Recycler for energy cards. The only thing you can't get back in these ways is Item Cards. Items are almost all of the cards I just mentioned.
The reason I do not like Puzzle of Time too much is that it's hard to get two in your hand at once unless you run Skyla, that I never run. When you play just one, you just get to rearrange the top three cards of your deck. In comparison, Trainer's Mail allows you to take any one Trainer card (except Trainer's Mail) you reveal from the top four cards of your deck. If anything, when I used Puzzle of Time, it was mostly to check the top three cards of my deck to see if it was worth it to use Professor Sycamore or if I had to use, say, N instead.
The only decks where I would consider running Puzzle of Time are those that use lots of fast drawing cards like Acro Bike and Unown. For example, it's a great pick for Vespiquen/Vileplume. The reason I think it's worth running here is that you are going to burn lots of potentially important ressources to set up. Because you run through your deck so fast, you should be able to run into two Puzzle of Time to get those important cards back.
Land Maker?
@TCG_Destory is referring to the promo regirock. It's first attack, for 1 fighting energy, can put two stadiums from your discard to your hand.