Teaching New Players to be Competitive

[Elbow]

Hey guys,
So I am trying to teach my friends about the 'competitive cards' in the game and I'm having a bit of trouble. My friends get all the basic stuff (damage, evolutions, prizes, etc.), and they even know a few popular decks (basically what I've been testing they see), but how to I explain what could be at a tournament scene...aka knowing all of the possible competitive cards...without going through every card in format?
I myself took a year to get into the competitive 'loop,' but is there a quicker way to help newer players understand this? I don't want them to be discouraged.

-Note, please don't refer me to Pokemon's non-updated training game as it is too easy for them and the cards are out of format.
ALSO
-Note, please don't refer me to the Pokegym Compendium as they are still too new to be understanding eevee frozen city-type questions just yet.

Thanks!
~Elbow

 

[Vom]

The only way you can truly learn how a deck works is really experience. You can read as much as you want online, but if you don't actually try it yourself you will never really learn and will misplay more often than not.
If you just got into the game and are not experienced, the most straightforward thing (that doesn't cost THAT much) I can think of is Yveltal EX. Not really complicated in theory, so you should be fine with it.
Here's a list of meta decks main idea, in the parenthesis are the names people commonly call them/variants used:

• Virizion EX/Genesect EX (Virigen): Emerald Slash onto Genesect and then proceed to OHKO with G-Booster. Has trouble with Donphan and Megas.
• Yveltal EX variants: Attach Energy onto Yveltal EX and attack. Ok match-up against most things, bad match-up against M Manetric EX decks.
• M Gardevoir EX/Aromatisse (Fairies): Get Energy into play with Xerneas' Geomancy, powering up Gardevoir to Mega Evolve and OHKO with Brilliant Arrow. Good match-up against slow decks, ok match-up with almost everything else, fast decks can sometimes be a problem if they take free Prizes early-game. Bad match-up against Metal.
• Seismitoad EX decks (CancerToad, ToadBats): Use Quaking Punch to limit the opponent's options, sadly that's all I can tell you about this one as I have never used (or plan to use) this guy.
• Donphan: Use Spinning Turn to damage EXs and promote an appropriate wall for the situation. Good match-up against most EX decks, ok match-up with almost everything else, bad match-up against Seismitoad.
• M Manetric EX (MegaMan): This one is never played alone, but I mention it since it's a thing. Good match-up against Yveltal, bad match-up against Donphan and Fighting decks in general. Of course, it all depends on what you pair it with.
• M Aggron EX/Bronzong-Dialga EX/Bronzong (Metal): Another one I have little experience with. All I can say it's it has a good match-up against Fairies and a not-so-good match-up against faster decks.
• P Groudon EX/Landorus: Use Battle Compressor and Landorus' Shout of Power to power up your Groudons. Good match-up against anything that it can outspeed (not much, really), ok match-ups for anything that doesn't outspeed or is a OHKO deck, bad match-up for everything that outspeeds or is a OHKO deck (a lot of things, really.)
• P Kyogre EX/Manaphy: I have limited knowledge on this one. Main idea is set up quickly with Manaphy and Alpha Growth, then Primal Devolve and start destroying things. Match-ups are off-limits for me, but I guess it's a lot like P Groudon.
• Joltik/Lampent/Pumpkaboo/Mew EX (Night March): Use Battle Compressor to get as many Night Marchers in the Discard as possible, then OHKO EXs with your Joltiks/Mew EXs. Favorable (not necessarily good) match-ups against EX-heavy decks, ok against other things, bad against things that run bats.
• Zubat/Golbat/Crobat (Bats): These aren't played by themselves and provide extra damage that helps get KOs and sometimes to take free Prizes.

Hope this helps!

Just show them this, lol.
I think I'm gonna put this in my notepad Dx

 

[Blah]

Bring them to a tournament.

There's two major issues for someone starting out in a competitive TCG--one, they don't understand what exactly "competitive" means and how the number of good decks are relatively limited, and two, acquiring the vast quantity of knowledge needed to participate in the game. This goes from a simple as just being able to memorize all the competitive cards that exist (which will come automatically with time) to complicated rulings and strategies. It's really hard to explain everything in words, so give them a meta deck (and when I say meta, I mean REALLY meta, not fringe--something that everyone knows is played and very good) to practice with online or against you/each other and then bring them to a tournament. When I started playing two years ago, I had a much easier time getting into the game since I already knew a lot about it, but the thing that really brought me up to speed was just playing a TON of games. Again, there's so much information to learn that you can't really be taught all of it, it just kind of comes with time.

Also, I really REALLY want to emphasize the importance of forcing them to play meta decks to start. The biggest mistake I see new players make is they try all these crazy strategies they think look cool that they find on forums and then wonder why they can't win any games. Learning to build decks will come with time--but don't let that be a barrier between learning the basic competitive game first.

 

[Elbow]

I like the idea of explaining the ideas of tier one/two decks to them. But I don't feel that explaining the point of the deck is useful without an actual visual/deck to see. Do you think I should find videos or recreate decks online to show them more decks that I don't own?

I also like the idea of bringing them to a tournament. The only reason why I haven't thought to bring them to one just yet is because they are still at phase 1 of the learning phase of the game; wheras phase 1 is learning the basics, phase 2 is learning the cards, and phase 3 is learning how to play 'correctly' (ie. when to use an N over Juniper, when to play down audino, what to ultra ball for, etc.). I really want to get them to my opinion of the 'stage 2' phase, because phase 3 comes with competitive tournament misplays anyways. They also are good at the video game, so they get weakness and that stuff pretty well.
Also, the decks they play are provided by me, and usually involve something easy to pilot. They have tried out VG, Yveltal, and Toad stuff so far. I do plan on trying out more tier 2 decks against them. Last thing I want is for them to go into a LC with Toad and play Primal Kyogre and get swamped.
*Side note to the above paragraph. They don't own many cards, so all they really know is what they've seen in my binder and in my decks. I've kinda drilled in the idea of what is 'good' in a deck and what isn't. I let one try me out with Yveltal, then next round with a theme deck of stuff from my binder that went together...and it didn't end well for him with the change.

 

[crann777]

Pooka's videos on Youtube should still be mostly up to date on the top competitve decks. I think if they are ever going to understand "competitive" play then they should be able to pick up on the trends in his videos. I wouldn't advise doing the same six months from now though once the rotation hits.