Discussion Single-Prize Only format

FourteenAlmonds

Helipotile
Member
I thought about it for a while, looked at a bunch of synonyms to "easy", "single", "basic", etc. and stumbled upon "Prime". It has correlation to "one", as in the number of prizes, and "primeval", as in basic. The absolute best derivative I found is:

Premier

This one gets even better with a direct correlation to a Pokeball. It also just sounds like a format name - "Standard, Expanded, Premier". Let me know if this one sounds good to you.
I think there may be a slight problem with calling these "Premier Events" -- I don't know what the system is where you are, but at least in my area "Premier Events" is a term already used to refer to the more formal events which award points and have a more expensive entry fee (such as League Cups and Challenges), as opposed to your ordinary Leagues and larger Tournament Events... Although I can't say I have a better suggestion.

This naming convention comes straight from the Pokemon Event Locator btw, which I've linked.
 

Yaginku

H-on Will Save Pokemon
Member
I think there may be a slight problem with calling these "Premier Events" -- I don't know what the system is where you are, but at least in my area "Premier Events" is a term already used to refer to the more formal events which award points and have a more expensive entry fee (such as League Cups and Challenges), as opposed to your ordinary Leagues and larger Tournament Events... Although I can't say I have a better suggestion.
Oh yeah, I knew the word sounded familiar.

I might be stuck with "Prime" then. It's different enough from "Premier" and perhaps sells the "oneness" of the term better.
 

FourteenAlmonds

Helipotile
Member
Oh yeah, I knew the word sounded familiar.

I might be stuck with "Prime" then. It's different enough from "Premier" and perhaps sells the "oneness" of the term better.
Somewhat ironically, "Prime" is itself a Pokemon TCG mechanic/gimmick quite distinct from single-prize Pokemon. I imagine at least with the players at your League who have played for 10-ish years, that may be a tad confusing. SPO seems fine to me, and self-explanatory, which is good. I was about to suggest "baby" due to it's current use to refer to the single-prize version of Pokemon with a multi-prize variant, but that can be confusing too. Perhaps borrowing terminology from Smogon/the VG would be useful, with an Ubers/OU/UU/RU/NU/PU/NFE/LC (wow that's gotten so long these days XD) style of naming?
 

Otaku

The wise fool?
Member
Ignoring my own suggestions, so far Single Prize Only (SPO) is still the best. Of course, I'm an old fart so all the terms with a past history we've brought up are familiar to me. I forgot that "Premier" has an official tournament usage, but I didn't like it anyway. It'd be like calling this "Best Format" or "Balanced Format" or "I'm So Smart" Format, etc. XP I know that is not what @Yaginku meant! But unless you want everyone to have to explain that the name was derived from "Prime" anytime someone first learns it or needs a refresher... yeah. ^^'

What I'm not entirely familiar with is the Smogon/the VG terms but... that looks like a real mess there. @_@ Of course, maybe I'm the exception! If everyone else gets it, like how so many use "baby" for single-Prize versions of some Pokémon because the term already has four definitions with respect to Pokémon:
  • Basic Stage for certain Evolutions (dating back to Gen I)
  • Pre-Evolution for a Pokémon originally introduced as a Basic (dating back to Gen II)
  • A subclass of Basic Pokémon from the Neo and e-card series (Official TCG meaning)
  • Pokémon with the "Baby Evolution" Poké-Power (EX, DP, and PL series)
...yeah, I'm picky. >.>
 

Yaginku

H-on Will Save Pokemon
Member
Most of you are already aware that, in the coming weeks, there's absolutely no way to responsibly test this format in-person in your local Leagues. However, I would still like to try it out and I want to propose a minor SPO tournament on PTCG Online.

If you are interested - you have a list in mind and would like to participate - let me know, perhaps by liking this post. If there's at least a couple of people interested, I'll create an additional thread and set up the whole thing.
 
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AngryBokoblin

Guzzlord is fun
Member
Most of you are already aware that, in the coming weeks, there's absolutely no way to responsibly test this format in-person in your local Leagues. However, I would still like to try it out and I want to propose a minor SPO tournament on PTCG Online.

If you are interested - you have a list in mind and would like to participate - let me know, perhaps by liking this post. If there's at least a couple of people interested, I'll create an additional thread and set up the whole thing.
Dang it, I don't have beaches...
 

FourteenAlmonds

Helipotile
Member
Most of you are already aware that, in the coming weeks, there's absolutely no way to responsibly test this format in-person in your local Leagues. However, I would still like to try it out and I want to propose a minor SPO tournament on PTCG Online.

If you are interested - you have a list in mind and would like to participate - let me know, perhaps by liking this post. If there's at least a couple of people interested, I'll create an additional thread and set up the whole thing.
Consider me in if you do end up hosting a tournament!
 

I like pokemon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Most of you are already aware that, in the coming weeks, there's absolutely no way to responsibly test this format in-person in your local Leagues. However, I would still like to try it out and I want to propose a minor SPO tournament on PTCG Online.

If you are interested - you have a list in mind and would like to participate - let me know, perhaps by liking this post. If there's at least a couple of people interested, I'll create an additional thread and set up the whole thing.

I'd be down too
 

Mimikeon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
It would just be KO after KO every turn. You'd need to reboot the whole game to make something like this interesting. There's no reason to not just go with the Pokemon that OHKO everything.
 

Yaginku

H-on Will Save Pokemon
Member
It would just be KO after KO every turn. You'd need to reboot the whole game to make something like this interesting. There's no reason to not just go with the Pokemon that OHKO everything.
You are free to participate and try to prove it.

I feel like there's a pretty good reason to not go with "Pokemon that OHKO everything", if it requires you to fill the bench with 60 HP basics that'll die from spread in a couple of turns.
 

DashKing

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I remember a Uncommon/Common only format that was a ton of fun. That might be a nice format that would solve couple of the problems with a one prize format (Dedenne GX being replaced with Jirachi) and would be the easiest format (financially) for a new player to jump into.
 

jamashawalker

Ikouze!
Member
It would just be KO after KO every turn. You'd need to reboot the whole game to make something like this interesting. There's no reason to not just go with the Pokemon that OHKO everything.

There would be more archetypes to combat this simple playstyle. Spread would be deadly since we are no longer trying to take KOs on 270 HP pokemon. Mill can be a threat if you have no way of dealing with it. And lastly Shedinja combos can throw off prize trading.
 

Mimikeon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
There would be more archetypes to combat this simple playstyle. Spread would be deadly since we are no longer trying to take KOs on 270 HP pokemon. Mill can be a threat if you have no way of dealing with it. And lastly Shedinja combos can throw off prize trading.
In theory. In practice it wouldn't take too long to either shift or for matches to be decided before they even begin. Battles between one-prize decks have been extremely boring for years. Also, on the spread point: unless you mean expanded, with what cards are you spreading? There's Roxie's Caturday, but that isn't good for getting multiple KOs. I love spread, but haven't been using it not because it's weak, but because there aren't any good options.
 

jamashawalker

Ikouze!
Member
In theory. In practice it wouldn't take too long to either shift or for matches to be decided before they even begin. Battles between one-prize decks have been extremely boring for years. Also, on the spread point: unless you mean expanded, with what cards are you spreading? There's Roxie's Caturday, but that isn't good for getting multiple KOs. I love spread, but haven't been using it not because it's weak, but because there aren't any good options.

Weezing UNB, Noivern, Psychic Malamar, a certain Roxie's weezing list which could become creative etc. Here's the thing about Spread. In our standard format, spread needs to do more damage to take bigger KOs on 270 HP pokemon, it is suboptimal. Add another layer on top with healing from Mallow and Lana+ ADP Zacian taking prizes faster than you can spread. So no one is going to experiment with spread. In a single prize format we can now look at some options we have towards spreading damage since it no longer has to combat these threats. Baby Blacephelon CEC would be HUGE in spread decks and can be a game changer in certain matchups. Tapu Lele can close out games like it used to.

Basically everything we know about the standard format with GXs/V pokemon will change completely and we'll have a new format with different archetypes
 

Mimikeon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Weezing UNB, Noivern, Psychic Malamar, a certain Roxie's weezing list which could become creative etc. Here's the thing about Spread. In our standard format, spread needs to do more damage to take bigger KOs on 270 HP pokemon, it is suboptimal. Add another layer on top with healing from Mallow and Lana+ ADP Zacian taking prizes faster than you can spread. So no one is going to experiment with spread. In a single prize format we can now look at some options we have towards spreading damage since it no longer has to combat these threats. Baby Blacephelon CEC would be HUGE in spread decks and can be a game changer in certain matchups. Tapu Lele can close out games like it used to.

Basically everything we know about the standard format with GXs/V pokemon will change completely and we'll have a new format with different archetypes
I guess we'll see. I'm just concerned because I know there's a lot of bias driving the entire idea behind this format.
 
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