News 'Rayquaza vs. Keldeo Battle Arena Deck' in September!

Even with their being older cards unfit for standard, these are the most excellent introduction tools to the game. They're not just filler and unusable evo lines like the theme decks; they actually let a new player understand some slightly more complex ideas, like draw support. My only gripe is that they're so few and far between.
 
The Darkrai VS Mewtwo box was great, lets hope it has good trainer cards in it. Do we have a decklist for this product?
 
I'll definitely be picking this up since it's a good deal. Definitely loved my purcahse of the previous battle arena decks! Plus, it does help that I'm short of VS Seeker for two playsets (since I need 8 between me and my younger brother) and I've been pushing off wanting to buy just an uncommon for 10 dollars. :p

Also, it just me, or does that Rayquaza look like it has some jpeg artifacts around the artwork on the packaging...? Either way, looks weird just seeing some RS era Sugimori art right next to BW era Sugimori art with the way his style has changed over the years.
 
These battle arena decks are so much better than normal theme decks! Even though they aren't standard legal, they're still a pretty nice introduction to the game.
 
Chrswrites said:
I hate that these Ex-cards are printed a bit differently than the originals from the booster packs. Not everyone knows the difference, so when I buy cards online I sometimes end up with the wrong version. I still need the original Darkrai Ex instead of the 'matte' from the BA decks. :(
Click to expand...
Of all the things you can complain about with these decks, you have to go with how they're printed just slightly different so only someone with a keen eye would notice?
 
Vexen_IV said:
Of all the things you can complain about with these decks, you have to go with how they're printed just slightly different so only someone with a keen eye would notice?
Click to expand...

I would say its a rarity thing.

Because pulling Rayquaza EX or Keldeo EX out of the booster of the original expansion is rarer than being able to get it simply by getting this box, and furthermore one can get more than one of it from this box.


So if the card passes hands a few times, and someone markets it as being from the original expansion,
one may feel cheated when they find out its actually from these boxes.
(cause it's pretty much a guarantee pull in this case, and it's printed differently. Foil pattern and all)

While it doesn't bother me that much, I can attest to it:
My Next Destinies Mewtwo EX is printed with the gold color much striking, and uses the Vertical Foil present in present day EX cards,
And the Mewtwo EX I gotten from the Arena Decks has the entire card slightly darker,
and the Foil uses LeftUp to RightDown Diagonal foil that is pretty much the type of foil used in present day ordinary Rare Holo cards.
 
Vexen_IV said:
Of all the things you can complain about with these decks, you have to go with how they're printed just slightly different so only someone with a keen eye would notice?
Click to expand...

Actually that is probably the one thing to really complain about with these decks.

It is a product that exists primarily to help players with building their Expanded card pool. That is why the complaints that most of these cards matter for Expanded but not Standard is so empty; I am much more bothered by the lack of a similar product for Standard (or just better made Theme Decks). Always a bad idea to complain about a getting a good thing when the problem is not getting another good thing. ;)

@Frosstoise @Don Pianta

I must concur. When I still played Yu-Gi-Oh, one of the blessings was when something previously exclusive to Japan hit internationally: Structure Decks. Theme decks we would get, but they were designed for new players, and might be lucky to have a few good cards, and were too simple for experienced players to really enjoy. You know, like Pokémon Theme decks. =P The early Yu-Gi-Oh Structure Decks we didn't get were designed to come as close as possible to the decks of characters from the fiction... but we didn't get that. We got something better: periodic releases of decks structured around a monster Attribute or Type (either of which is sort of like a Pokémon Type). They were less focused than a proper, competitive deck but were more coherent than the old Starter decks, and most Structure decks were great fun and well balanced against the others. Unfortunately near the time I stopped playing Yu-Gi-Oh, they seemed to abandon the concept: neither the Dark nor the Light Structure decks were released outside of Japan. Or was it Fairy and Fiend? Well, either way, after a few years of Structure decks following the pattern, it abandoned it.

Pity as someone like me can still go back and enjoy Yu-Gi-Oh with Structure decks. I'd like the same to be possible for burnt out/too busy Pokémon players. let alone it would make the PTCGO better if the Theme Deck mode was really the Structure Deck mode. ;)
 
Well they've put in the product blurb that it has VS Seekers that hopefully means there's going to be more then one. Two in each deck would be a great gift because of it's secondary market value is too silly and needs a curve down. Mewtwo and Darkrai had about two of each of it's powerful Trainer cards so hopefully there is in this set.

Keldeo will most likely have Deluge Blastoise line and maybe a few Safeguard Suicune to slow down Rayquaza. Hopeful Rare with Abyssal Hand Octillery

Raquaza will have it's Dynamotor Eelektrik, Second Coat Smeargle to fix energy and maybe a big basic like Zekrom. Hopeful Rare... not really sure for recent printings.
 
My only complaint about BA is Darkrai/Mewtwo did not have a deck list in the package, whereas Xerneas/Yveltal did.

As folks above me have mentioned, BA EXs have different holo pattern than their set counterpart - I didn't know this. Good to know.
 
The current "patterns" are probably mostly coincidence. And honestly, unless they up the number of EX's per deck, I can't see how they'd properly do a Plasma deck. I guess if I had to pick something from Plasma Storm and something from Plasma Freeze, I'd probably go either Victini or Cobalion vs Thundurus. But I don't see that happening, especially since none of the decks thus far have included an Ace Spec. (Which would be required for Victini.)

Plasma (maybe Thundurus/Lugia or something, rather than doubling up on one legendary) vs Virizion/Genesect seems somewhat more plausible, though with only 2 EX's and no Ace Specs, it's still difficult to picture.
 
Agidyne said:
These cards will not be standard legal though right?
Click to expand...

If they do what the previous Battle Arena Decks did, then no they will not. The cards will have the set symbols and numbering appropriate to one of their previous releases.
 
The decklists for these are now listed on the pokemon center website. Karen is going to be released in the set, and it will contain 2 VS Seeker along with a bunch of other standard staple trainers.
 
Whoah first confirmation of a timeline for Karen in the US! So this is being handled like Trevor was, which is an exclusive to the Battle Arena decks. ...It means I'll have to run out and get one at launch!

I wonder why do it this way instead of just throw it in Evolutions though? It's not like people needed more motivation to pick this up and the Mewtwo/Darkrai box sound through pretty quickly in my area. 2x VS Seeker alone almost makes up the value even if you don't play expanded, but it also includes Keldeo, Rayquaza, Eels, other trainers, a whole bunch of playable stuff!
 
Why include it in this box thing? To drive sales. I have all the supporters and almost all the Pokémon. Karen is the only thing I need so I have to buy it.
 
Wow this product looks very enticing. 2 Seeker, Octillery, Sycamores, Lysandre, and other good staples. What do these retail for again?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top