Before I begin, I am not a representative of The Pokemon Company, nor am I making a petition to ask for the format to be changed. This is merely a discussion.
As you should all be aware, last year Pokemon changed the rules regarding Swiss rounds in tournaments, excluding League Challegnes to be best of three as opposed to single game, thirty minutes. This has become a topic of debate among both players and tournament staff, as the reactions to this are somewhat mixed. While the rule change last year regarding going first and Pokemon Catcher's errata were generally accepted, the 50 minute tournament structure has mixed opinions.
Below is what I believe to be the pros and cons of this format.
Pros:
- A player who is donked in one game does not necessarily lose the match. This reduces the luck factor somewhat.
- It is less likely to win against an unfavorable matchup that, in theory should beat your deck (say Pyroar vs TDK), but due to dead draws the unfavorable deck won. This also bumps up the skill factor and forces players to study the metagame and plan accordingly.
- Players have additional chances to read their opponent's strategies and adapt. While Pokemon does not allow sideboards like other games, a player can still come up with creative responses to an opponent's play style.
Cons:
- Ties occor far more often due to unfinised games. As Pokemon does not have official tie-breakers in Swiss rounds, this can potentially ruin both players' chances of making top cut, rather than allowing one to move on. As such, it encourages players to use randomizers to determine the game outcome, which is against the rules. i have seen players do this and get disqualified.
- Slow play is encouraged if time is running out and the player who would otherwise lose can force a tie. The three additional turns after time is called does help with this, but doesn't eliminate the problem completely.
- Playing decks that require a lot of setup (such as Flygon or Empoleon) becomes harder. While a veteran player may be able to play these slower decks under pressure, someone will less experience may have trouble winning two games in fifty minutes. This reduces the number of viable deck types seen at large tournaments.
As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantges to both formats, and there isn't a clear answer on what the "best" one is, or even which adheres to the Spirit of the Game more. Personally, I think 50 minutes isn't enough time to play three games and expect a victor almost all the time, but obviously niether the players nor the staff want the event to last all night. I think a fair tie breaker, such as the number of remaining prizes like in the old days should be employed to discourage ties. AGain, while this won't solve all of the problems with best-of-three, it will help somewhat.
What are your opinions on the current tournament structure? Do you like or dislike it? Is there anything you would change if you could?
As you should all be aware, last year Pokemon changed the rules regarding Swiss rounds in tournaments, excluding League Challegnes to be best of three as opposed to single game, thirty minutes. This has become a topic of debate among both players and tournament staff, as the reactions to this are somewhat mixed. While the rule change last year regarding going first and Pokemon Catcher's errata were generally accepted, the 50 minute tournament structure has mixed opinions.
Below is what I believe to be the pros and cons of this format.
Pros:
- A player who is donked in one game does not necessarily lose the match. This reduces the luck factor somewhat.
- It is less likely to win against an unfavorable matchup that, in theory should beat your deck (say Pyroar vs TDK), but due to dead draws the unfavorable deck won. This also bumps up the skill factor and forces players to study the metagame and plan accordingly.
- Players have additional chances to read their opponent's strategies and adapt. While Pokemon does not allow sideboards like other games, a player can still come up with creative responses to an opponent's play style.
Cons:
- Ties occor far more often due to unfinised games. As Pokemon does not have official tie-breakers in Swiss rounds, this can potentially ruin both players' chances of making top cut, rather than allowing one to move on. As such, it encourages players to use randomizers to determine the game outcome, which is against the rules. i have seen players do this and get disqualified.
- Slow play is encouraged if time is running out and the player who would otherwise lose can force a tie. The three additional turns after time is called does help with this, but doesn't eliminate the problem completely.
- Playing decks that require a lot of setup (such as Flygon or Empoleon) becomes harder. While a veteran player may be able to play these slower decks under pressure, someone will less experience may have trouble winning two games in fifty minutes. This reduces the number of viable deck types seen at large tournaments.
As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantges to both formats, and there isn't a clear answer on what the "best" one is, or even which adheres to the Spirit of the Game more. Personally, I think 50 minutes isn't enough time to play three games and expect a victor almost all the time, but obviously niether the players nor the staff want the event to last all night. I think a fair tie breaker, such as the number of remaining prizes like in the old days should be employed to discourage ties. AGain, while this won't solve all of the problems with best-of-three, it will help somewhat.
What are your opinions on the current tournament structure? Do you like or dislike it? Is there anything you would change if you could?
