Let’s rewind briefly to October of 2005. My brother and I had just started playing the Pokémon TCG, and we were looking to jump into the competitive scene. Since Prereleases back then costed less, boasted substantial prizes for the top finishers, and offered free admission to the next Prerelease for the winner, we saw them as easily one of the best ways to start building a collection for anyone looking to get into the game. As such, we planned on attending 3-4 Delta Species Prereleases.
In the weeks leading up to the Prereleases, I saw an odd thing happen. Whereas normally scans of the Japanese version of the set would have been revealed, this time they weren’t. As the first round of Prereleases inched closer and closer, players were in the dark about what most of the set contained. Eventually, it was revealed that the Japanese version of Delta Species (Holon Research Tower) would be released after the English version, a first for the Pokémon TCG.
The Delta Species Prereleases were some of the funnest I’ve ever attended, mostly because players didn’t know what to expect. I remember watching a player pull a Holon Transceiver at the first Prerelease I went to — the card looked strange, only semi-useful, and out of place. Little did I know it would essentially become that format’s version of Pokémon Catcher (nearly every deck played 3-4 copies of it, and its limited pull rate guaranteed the card to jump up to about $15 in no time).
In a sentence, the delay of Delta Species set information coupled with a quickly approaching series of City Championships led to an unusual occurrence: a near-absence of card “hype” from players both casual and competitive. Players seemed confused at first, and it took quite awhile for decks like LBS (Lugia ex/Blastoise ex/Steelix ex) and Flariados (Flareon ex/Ariados UF) to catch on — though I have to admit that MetaNite (Metagross δ/Dragonite δ) was seen right away.
Now, let’s return to the game in its current state, nearly 8 years later. The error that delayed the release of the Japanese version of Delta Species has never been repeated, so Pokémon TCG players enjoy information on every set before they are released. Not only is that information available, it’s also discussed and analyzed long before tournaments even start. Sites like The Deck Out even provide valuable information on Japan’s metagame; it’s a glimpse of what our game will be like weeks — even months — in advance.
With this information readily available, players often have an international conversation on what cards are good, what decks will rise, and what can be expected at tournaments. This, in a single word, is known as “hype.” It affects how players see the game, it alters a person’s deck choice, and it can even lead some astray, playing with cards or decks that have a very small chance of leading one to victory.
In today’s article, I discuss this phenomenon, looking at how you can benefit from it. I’ll explain its importance, provide some excellent examples, and open the discussion on the future of the Pokémon TCG (with reference to the simultaneous release of Pokémon X and Y). Here’s a table of contents for your reference:
Table of Contents
- Why is Hype Important?
- Hype = Play
- Hype and Prereleases
- Hype Can Detract
- Hype is Different in Pokémon
- The New Age of Hype
- “We’re Going Back to the Old Days”
- Believing The Hype: The Fast Road to Success or a Dead End?
- Overhype, Underhype, and Anti-Hype
- Misinformation and Deception
- Key Examples of Hype (and What We Can Learn from Them)
- Conclusion
WHY IS HYPE IMPORTANT?
We just finished having a new set released into our format, and now Battle Roads tournaments have begun. Some countries are having their National Championship at this time, and the World Championship is on the horizon. So why, then, is hype important?
Hype is important because it dictates, in various ways, what we will see in a metagame. When certain cards and combos receive a lot of hype, players either play those cards or they play against them. This, of course, is overly simplified, but it carries an enormous bearing on how you as a player might fare at any given tournament.
Hype = Play
Within the realms of social psychology, there is a lot to be said about the manner in which groups of people conduct their business. Group intelligence, the process by which groups of people agree on certain basic truths, is at the very root of hype that occurs before tournaments, after sets release, etc.
In the Pokémon TCG, the general advice holds that if it’s hyped, it will be played. I will get into the reasons for this later, but be wary of talking yourself out of preparing for what everyone agrees will be the “best deck in the format” (BDIF).
I nearly did this at the 2011 National Championship when, after reading through countless discussions of MagneBoar (Magnezone Prime/Emboar BLW) being the BDIF, I officially deemed it overhyped. At the last minute though, I ditched my own deck choice in favor of what my brother was playing: Donphan Prime/Yanmega Prime. When I faced Magneboar in the very first round, I was glad I did.
The truth is that there are a number of players who have little choice but to believe in the hype, even if the cards being hyped aren’t all that good. Consider the following:
New Players
They are coming into this game all the time, and with blogs and sites like the one you’re reading now, they can become “metagame literate” quickly. They will usually believe the hype. It doesn’t mean they will always play the cards being hyped (after all, there will always be players who want to go against the norm), but they will at least make their deck choice with the hyped cards in mind.
Returning Players
Returning players are at a main disadvantage: in many cases, they simply haven’t kept up with the game. As a result, they lack the knowledge required to make good decisions about the metagame. I saw this very thing happen when a friend of mine got back into the game while SP-Pokémon were popular. He used a Machamp SF-based deck at a time when most players were using Gyarados SF and Gengar SF. He believed the hype that said that SP-based decks were king, tried to counter that truth, then found himself in a precarious position.
Veteran Players
The anecdote I offered above about the 2011 National Championship is a great example of how even the sharpest players can psych themselves into a corner. Many veteran players approach the game with strategy on their mind. As a result, they are more inclined to think “one step ahead” when listening to the general opinion of other players. They may view the BDIF as the deck with the biggest target on it, then plan on playing effectively against the counter decks (rather than the BDIF itself).
Veteran players may find themselves become the victim of something known as groupthink, though I will get into that later. The main thing to remember here is that hyped cards/decks will usually find their way into tournaments in one way or another. Later in this article, I’ll get into the origins of a card’s popularity, as well as cover ways in which you can determine whether a card is being overhyped or not.
Hype and Prereleases
Another reason hype is important is that it can help you benefit greatly during the trading that occurs at Prereleases. When you know that certain cards are more desirable than others, you can make trades that help you out immensely. If you’re lucky enough to pull some of those highly desired cards, there will always be people willing to trade nicely for them.
Please note that I’m not encouraging anyone to “rip off” other players in this manner. Do not use the knowledge you have regarding card value to prey upon those who don’t know any better. With that said, there are players who will trade extensively for the newly hyped cards, and you can use this to your advantage, especially if you’re a new player to the game with a limited collection or you have no interest in the hyped cards at the moment.
Though I cannot make any remark on the Pokémon TCG after the X and Y set is released, a fairly obvious pattern can be seen with this game as soon as Next Destinies was released. As sets were released, attack costs for EX’s got smaller and smaller while counters to popular cards were seen with nearly every new set. Mewtwo EX was challenged by Darkrai EX, which met its match with Rayquaza EX/Eelektrik, which was nearly overshadowed by Landorus-EX, and so on. This is most evident with the future release of both Virizion EX and Genesect EX, as they both directly counter Hypnotoxic Laser and Keldeo-EX.
I mention this because it’s important to think about the future value of cards. Cards that receive a lot of hype initially might not be around for long. If you are wanting to get the most out of your much sought-after cards, do so before something else eclipses the value of them. If the pattern holds true, we might see an ultra rare Fire-type Basic Pokémon from X and Y dealing with Virizion-EX/Genesect EX decks.
Hype Can Detract
Another important word about the hyping of cards is that when certain cards garner a lot of attention, it naturally detracts from other powerful gems that might be hidden in a set. Rather than piecing together various cards from earlier sets to create powerful combos, many players look for the newest set to bring new decks to the format.
A current example of this showed up at the Norwegian National Championship that just happened, where David Hovland Jensen took first place with Gothitelle EPO 47/Accelgor DEX. With Float Stone being the final piece to the effective combo that gave Jensen his first place finish, many players were probably left wondering how they missed such an obvious deck choice.
As Plasma Freeze started to be talked about, players were pointing at recent Japanese tournament results, noting the popularity of Thundurus EX/Deoxys-EX decks. Eventually, the cards took center stage in the format, while Float Stone was seen as little more than a nice little treat for Keldeo-EX to use.
With every new set, you should be analyzing each of the cards, recognizing new threats while respecting old combos. Try not to let the allure of powerful new cards like Deoxys-EX blind you to a card like Float Stone that has the ability to completely change the game.
Hype is Different in the Pokémon TCG
There’s a big difference between games like Magic: The Gathering and the Pokémon TCG when it comes to hype. The Pokémon TCG, in my opinion, has almost always been a game of strong, solid concepts. It’s the reason players immediately saw a use for Empoleon DEX when it was printed: the idea of manipulating damage output based on the number of Pokémon one has in play is no stranger to the game.
There is, however, another reason that players saw a use for Empoleon, and it is the same reason players have tried so hard to get Lugia EX to work. These Pokémon are popular! The Pokémon TCG is a game loved for its fun characters, and some people just cannot let a card of their favorite Pokémon come and go without giving it a try. I have even seen a player say on more than one occasion that they’ll “make [insert Pokémon name here] work, no matter what!”
Lugia EX is a good example of just how troublesome this idea of card hype can be for some players. Before the release of Plasma Storm, there was a post on the PokéGym showing “the power of Lugia EX.” While some players were skeptical, others agreed that Lugia EX looked to be a scary contender in the upcoming format. Since it was Lugia EX, I know of more than a few players who tried very hard to make the card work, even going so far as to play with it in tournaments. Currently, Lugia EX has had little success, but that hasn’t stopped some players from playing (and doing poorly) with it.
Of course, it isn’t just popular Pokémon that find favor in the game. As I mentioned earlier, the Pokémon TCG is a game of strong, reliable concepts. When these concepts or mechanics are recycled back into the game, you will often find a category of players who get behind those ideas. Since these players have been around long enough to know what they’re doing, their advice carries considerable weight.
A great example of this is with Hypnotoxic Laser, a card that ended up having a huge amount of hype. When people tried to voice their skepticism, there were plenty of players who jumped at the chance to talk about Crobat G and Poké Turn from Platinum. They used math to solidify their arguments, and talked about Laser’s superiority to PlusPower, all to prove that Hypnotoxic Laser was the real deal.
From what I saw, only a few players touched on something I thought was equally significant: the fact that Hypnotoxic Laser was damage in Trainer form, something that is normally very powerful in the Pokémon TCG. To these players, it instantly called to mind the annoying Crobat G / Poké Turn combo that was so effective in a previous format — essentially, it was a new look to an old concept.
The New Age Of Hype
In the Pokémon TCG, information is the most important commodity. Players have literally been handed a decklist moments before a big tournament, only to go on and win that tournament. When it comes to the hyping of cards, this piece of advice stands true.
Because of the ease with which players can accumulate and share bits of information, the hyping of cards normally has legitimate roots. With Hypnotoxic Laser, players first saw the Japanese scans and dubbed Laser a “triple PlusPower.”
Then, with Japanese tournament results, players could officially point at examples of the card doing well. Through online sites just like the one you’re reading, players could take a professional’s word for it: Hypnotoxic Laser is definitely a game-changing card. And all of this before any actual playtesting was done.
We live in a fast-paced world, and so it’s no surprise that cards and combos get figured out long before tournaments even start. In many cases, “believe the hype” holds true. Which is why things might get interesting in the near future, primarily because…
“We’re Going Back to the Old Days”
Remember the story I told at the beginning of this article, about the Delta Species Prerelease that had everyone clamoring for some clarity in terms of what decks were good and what wasn’t? Essentially, we are headed in that same direction. For years now, the world outside of Japan has enjoyed getting a glimpse of their future metagames by reading about popular decks in Japan. With what appears to be a scheduled worldwide release of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, this seems destined to change.
Japan currently has a set of notable B&W series reprints to get through before X&Y, leading many to believe that the Pokémon TCG will also enjoy simultaneous worldwide releases. With this, there will be some HUGE changes to how players disseminate information concerning the Pokémon TCG metagame:
No More Early Scans
I can currently look at scans of all the Megalo Cannon cards that will comprise our next set, Plasma Blast, even though the name of that set was only revealed this past Saturday. I can use proxies to build decks and test out a format that I won’t see for months. In the future, this will no longer be the case, leaving players with less time to discover effective combos.
No More Japanese Tournament Results
This is a fairly large blow to the way we players project what the metagame will look like for our tournaments. Normally, blogs like The Deck Out or posts like this one on the PokéGym provide us with deck ideas — we don’t have to do any work whatsoever to reach these conclusions. We then take those ideas and chisel them into extremely competitive lists. Without this starting point, there will be some major gaps in understanding what ideas are competitive and which ones aren’t.
We Are All In This Together
If set releases and tournaments occur at roughly the same time for everyone, we won’t be looking at the Japanese for an indication of what the metagame will look like. Rather, we will all be looking around together for clues. If this is the case, my prediction is that metagames will be shaped much, much slower than before.
While it’s true we will still be able to gather some information about Japanese decks before tournaments, I believe the information will be scattered at best, at least until tournaments get underway (which of course leaves me curious about what the tournament schedules of Japan and the rest of the world will look like).
Not knowing what to expect at every turn presents a unique challenge for players, comparable very much to the mid-season rotation that occurred before the US National Championship in 2011. Many of the players during that year looked to the Canadian National Championship results to distinguish what was competitive and what wasn’t. In this type of environment, networking with other players becomes exponentially more important, while information remains the most valuable commodity in the game.
BELIEVING THE HYPE: THE FAST ROAD TO SUCCESS OR A DEAD END?
Whether it be the release of a new set or pre-tournament speculation, players will generally hype up new cards or combos as they discuss the game they love. Differentiating between legitimate deck ideas and pure hype is important for you to be successful in this game. As such, consider the following as you read through various articles and threads concerning the game:
Is there a proven track record for the cards or deck being hyped? For most of the world, we look at tournament results in Japan to steer us in the right direction. If certain patterns show up there (ex: nearly every deck featuring the use of Hypnotoxic Laser and Virbank City Gym), then we can trust the hype to be valid.
Are there format/metagame differences we should know about? In 2011, when the US received a mid-season rotation before their National Championship, many players looked to Canada’s National Championship for guidance on deck ideas. There were some detractors, however, who noted some questionable tournament results at Canadian Nationals in the past. Knowing that the Canadian player base had matured significantly over the previous few years was instrumental in taking the results seriously.
What are other players seeing? If you don’t already, you should have a community of players you can turn to when trying to decide on what to play for a tournament. Consider the level of skill and experience of each player as you listen to their advice, but take that extra time to have a conversation on what those players are seeing. If their playtesting results back up projections made by other players, then you have a clearer view of how good a card or combo may be.
Be wary of “misinformation.” In a lot of cases, the hype surrounding a card starts as the result of a joke. At one point in the game, a few players tricked the Pokémon community into thinking that Claydol ex was part of a highly secret deck. Demand for the card soared as players tried to figure out how to make the card work. In actuality, the hype was a dead end.
Also be wary of unfounded information. As you read through threads and posts about new cards or decks, you might come across a player or two who sounds very confident in what they’re talking about. They might have even written an article about a certain deck or combo that rests outside of the mainstream. Be careful when listening to players like this. They might not mean to misinform, but it’s common for a player — especially beginners — to have a certain bias that causes a skewed perception of the game.
When in doubt, test it out. At any given time, I have on hand a deck that can accurately “set the bar” for anything I playtest. If a deck idea can compete with that deck, then I know it’s worthy of further testing. If you’re unsure about whether a card or deck is being overhyped or not, put it to the test. When I was testing Hypnotoxic Laser, I had a Darkrai EX deck on hand as the format “standard.” I built another Darkrai EX deck, but included the Lasers. In the end, my testing proved the Hypnotoxic Laser/Virbank City Gym combo as truly effective.
OVERHYPE, UNDERHYPE, AND ANTI-HYPE
It’s always interesting to me how certain cards receive certain amounts of attention. Some cards are viewed by competitive players as being ineffective, yet they end up being overhyped for various reasons. Other cards are barely talked about at all, yet they show up prominently in the game within no time. And still other cards are just seen as bad cards, tossed aside before they’ve ever been given a chance.
Here I will distinguish between the varying amounts of hype a card receives, looking back at that concept of group intelligence. Sometimes, the main thing that shapes a card’s destiny isn’t its playability, but rather the perception of playability as seen by the players.
When a card or deck becomes overhyped, it has effectively crossed over into a land of unreasonable expectations. Though there are a few players who maintain the card “isn’t that good,” their view is overshadowed by players who simply don’t know any better.
When this happens, I am happily reminded of the concept of groupthink, a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people in which “the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome” (definition from Wikipedia). When this happens, players create their own reality of the metagame, ignoring important pieces of information in favor of a perceived “commonly held belief.”
The best example of a card being overhyped I can think of is with LostGar (Gengar Prime with Lost World), the deck that was supposed to completely rule the format. This projection, of course, never came true, but players maintained for a very long time that it was the undisputed BDIF. This occurred for a few reasons, but mainly because of a misunderstanding of Japanese tournament results.
Some cards receive very little attention, only to show up later as unexpected game-definers. These cards are considered to be underhyped, as they simply do not get the attention they deserve. Currently, one of the biggest reasons a card is underhyped is because it isn’t an Pokémon-EX. That might sound too simple, but consider that the game currently revolves almost completely around Pokémon-EX. They’re powerful, they’re shiny, and they’re Legendary Pokémon.
As a result, cards that are neither Pokémon-EX or Legendary Pokémon normally get dismissed right away. Even if the card has massive potential, players might be too busy thinking of combos for the new Pokémon-EX to notice it. A couple of cards that fit into this category are Garbodor DRX and Sigilyph DRX, both of which had incredible Abilities but generated very little discussion.
Lastly, we look at cards that receive criticism rather than hype. Instead of just being overlooked, these cards are quickly acknowledged and dismissed by players who perceive them as being “too bad” for competitive play. Once again, group mentality plays a large part in this. If everyone’s stance is that a card is so bad it’s not even worth testing, will you plan on testing it? I refer to this phenomenon as anti-hype.
Ho-Oh EX from Dragons Exalted fits nicely into this category, as it was dismissed pretty quickly after its release. Players traded this card away with ease, certain that it would never amount to much. Pretty soon, however, Ho-Oh EX was recognized for its synergy with Energy Switch and showed up in multiple decks. Had we all just listened to what “conventional wisdom” told us, Ho-Oh EX would have never surfaced in the game.
MISINFORMATION AND DECEPTION
As we inch closer and closer to the worldwide release of Pokémon X and Y, I must issue a warning. If the Pokémon TCG goes the way of the video game — that is, being released in all parts of the world simultaneously — we might very well face a whole new breed of misinformation and deception. I mentioned before that information is the most valuable commodity in the Pokémon TCG, and so players might be more than willing to misinform others about what decks are effective.
In The Art of War, the classic text about war strategy, Sun Tzu places an inordinate amount of attention on the act of spying. He concludes that spies are the most important part of one’s army, that wars are won or lost on the basis of misinformation and deception. In the Pokémon TCG, players use deception every now and then for a tactical advantage, but it’s very subdued. If one has a reasonable counter to the deck everyone is claiming as the BDIF, for example, one might have no problem promoting that BDIF.
When we as players miss out on early scans of cards and the benefit of analyzing Japanese tournament results, our view of the metagame will be rather foggy. Some combos will certainly be obvious, but others won’t be. I expect an increase in the amount of misinformation as a result, as players will find this as a way to gain an advantage.
Of course, I could be wrong here. But even if players remain honest, it doesn’t mean that misinformation won’t spread around anyway. Without early scans or tournament results, many players won’t be able to get a good grip on the metagame until a few weeks into a particular tournament series. Speculation will be everywhere, and players who have done their fair share of playtesting won’t be so inclined to tell others their secrets.
KEY EXAMPLES OF HYPE (AND WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THEM)
So, now that we know the ins and outs of “hype” and what it can teach us, just what are some of the most hyped cards in recent memory? In this section I’ll look back at some of the cards that received a notable amount of hype, determine whether or not that hype was well-deserved, and try to draw a conclusion about what we can learn from it all.
Lost World + Gengar Prime
With that said, let me first introduce the most overhyped combo of all time: LostGar! Gengar Prime and Lost World created an enormous stir in the game for a number of reasons. Released just before State/Province/Territory Championships, this combo was examined from multiple angles and had some players dismissing it outright while others claimed it would dominate the format. Let’s look right quick at the reasons this combo became the “perfect storm” of hype:
Card Popularity
Not only was it Gengar (an immensely popular Pokémon), it was also the introduction of a new win condition, the first in the entire game’s history. A new game mechanic that bent the very rules of the Pokémon TCG matched with an equally awesome Pokémon… you can bet people had their eye on this.
Misunderstood Japanese Tournament Results
Players who claimed LostGar would dominate the format cited recent Japanese tournament results as their evidence. The problem? These results were from tournaments in which the format was DP-on, a format that included Claydol GE, arguably one of the best “setup” Pokémon ever. Without Claydol, the deck was much more inconsistent, but that didn’t keep players from claiming the deck as a force to be reckoned with.
Tournament Time!
With State Championships coming up, players were scrambling to discern the information available to figure out whether or not LostGar was even remotely competitive. When the stakes are high, so goes the hype.
He Said, She Said
Eventually, a couple of prominent Pokémon TCG players made reference to how powerful LostGar was. In a community already begging to figure this deck out, this only fueled the flames.
In the end, the whole LostGar concept ended up being an addition to VileGar decks (Vileplume UD/Gengar SF), but not a full-fledged deck itself. It also didn’t make a significant splash in the metagame, though it was projected to.
Status: Over-overhyped
What We Can Learn: Unfounded speculation and comments from prominent players in the game can go a long way in shaping how we perceive a card or deck. If we want to use tournament results or other evidence to back up a claim, we had better use it in the correct context. And finally, try to avoid groupthink when at all possible — you don’t have to conform just because someone says you should!
Hypnotoxic Laser
This next card is one that every competitive player should currently be familiar with. Hypnotoxic Laser called math into question and prompted many threads and articles to answer a simple question: Is it worth it? “It” being deck space. This card received hype for the following reasons:
Recycled Mechanic
Many players saw a direct correlation between the power of Poké Turn and Crobat G from Platinum and this card. Knowing that Trainer cards that increased damage before had proven effective (PlusPower, Expert Belt, Poké Turn and Crobat G, etc.), players instantly saw a “triple PlusPower” as being too good to give up.
Japanese Tournament Results
Before Hypnotoxic Laser found its way into most of our decks, it was featured prominently in Japan. The use of Hypnotoxic Laser led people outside of Japan to test it out, to the point that it was considered a staple for any “Big Basics” deck.
Pokémon Catcher, Part 2?
A lot of players discussed Hypnotoxic Laser not from a playability standpoint, but rather with the question of how rare it would be. With Pokémon Catcher clocking in at around 2-3 per box (not even a playset), players were understandably concerned about how rare this card would be. Fortunately, a box of Plasma Storm normally yields a playset or more of the card, and the conversation fizzled.
Hypnotoxic Laser is now considered a big part of the game, prompting players to combat it with cards like Switch, Escape Rope, Float Stone, and Keldeo-EX. Until Verizion EX gets released, you can expect four turns of poison and an average of one turn of sleep during your games.
Status: Understandably hyped
What We Can Learn: Trust your instincts. So far, it’s become clear that if a card increases damage without requiring a flip (Venture Bomb, Poké Blower +) or a Supporter designation (Buck’s Training, Black Belt), it might very well become a staple.
Ether
When Boundaries Crossed was released, some players were understandably upset at the absence of certain cards. One card in particular was sorely missed — Ether. Currently, it is nowhere to be seen in competitive play today, which is surprising given the amount of hype it received when revealed by early scans. What happened?
Unclear Japanese Performance
As soon as people saw the scans that revealed Ether, they wanted to know how it was performing in Japan. Initial reports were a bit mixed, but a few decks utilized the card with Tornadus-EX DEX and Landorus-EX to do massive amounts of damage as quickly as possible. This trend apparently didn’t stick, as decks after these initial reports altogether ditched Ether, but just that little bit of information was enough to get people thinking.
Overestimation of Energy Acceleration
While it’s true that many decks benefit from cards that accelerate Energy, not all cards that do this are worth it. I remember trying in vain many years ago to get Energy Pickup to work. The card stated, “Flip a coin. If heads, search your discard pile for a basic Energy card and attach it to 1 of your Pokémon.” In short, the coin flip was too much to overcome. For Ether, the chance that you might reveal something other than an Energy card is what does it in.
The Professional Opinion
When Ether was first revealed, it found favor among many top players. These players first paired it with Lunatone BCR, then with Pokédex as they continued to try to make the card work. It was all done during playtesting, but the card by many reports seemed to have so much potential, as though just the right combination of cards would bring its power fully to light. To date, this combination has yet to be found, but many players were left with the misguided thought that Ether was the next Dark Patch.
In time, Ether fell out of the spotlight. Most players hardly even think about it anymore, and yet at one point it was seen to have enormous potential. Maybe one day, it will shine.
Status: Overhyped
What We Can Learn: If you’re unsure about the usability of a card, don’t be afraid to test it out. At a time when even top players were convinced of Ether’s functionality, a few hours of playtesting would have proven otherwise. This, of course, means that you enjoy a sizable advantage.
Triumphant Primes
When Triumphant was released, players were mixed on most of the Prime cards that came from that set. While Magnezone Prime was viewed as having the most potential (since Lost World was being saved for Call of Legends), most of the other Primes seemed too risky or much too weak for competitive play. Some of them, such as Electrode Prime and Celebi Prime, were initially viewed as outright awful. Then, as the game continued to develop, new uses were found for almost every one of the Primes (barring Absol… poor Absol).
Of course, it took some time for players to realize the full potential of some of these cards, but the initial reaction was one of near-disgust. Add to that the attention being given to Gengar Prime, and you have a set that was at first viewed as awful, only to become considered “one of the best” as time progressed. So, what is there to say about this set?
Excellent Poké-Powers Overlooked
At the time Triumphant was released, LuxChomp (Luxray G LV.X/Garchomp G LV.X) was still widely played. Since Power Spray was still around, most of the Primes from Triumphant were rendered useless. Even still, wise players stocked up on many of these cards, since the Poké-Powers themselves were undeniably good.
LostGar!!!!
Yes, the absence of Lost World caused a stir, while Gengar Prime itself still found a nice little spot in the format. The commotion here caused most people to simply disregard the other Primes, while most of the format was comprised of decks that had no use for “useless” Poké-Powers on Pokémon with such low HP (referencing the Primes themselves or the Pokémon they evolved from).
I put these Pokémon on my list to show another example of anti-hype. In this case, the Primes would later find success, but you definitely would not have known it from the way people reacted back then. If you look solely at the Poké-Powers and Poké-Bodies, however, they consist of practically everything in the game’s history that has proven to work: Celebi and Electrode provided Energy acceleration, Magnezone had variable damage and draw power, Mew could copy attacks, and Yanmega could attack for 0 Energy.
Status: Anti-hyped
What We Can Learn: If the attack, effect, or Ability is good enough, it will find it’s time to shine at some point. Okay, okay, maybe not all the time, but in Triumphant’s case it did! Admittedly, Ho-Oh EX is a better example of anti-hype, and it was viewed in the same manner as the Triumphant Primes: out-of-place, underpowered, and “just not good enough.”
Plasma Basics
Spring Battle Roads are underway, and so I thought I’d comment on the most recent hyped deck out there: Plasma Basics. This deck was hyped from the moment an intriguing tournament report was posted on The Deck Out. Of course, the deck has popped up everywhere, though time will tell whether or not it has enough staying power. With unrivaled speed and the accompaniment of Trainer cards like Hypnotoxic Laser, this deck has quickly become an archetype in today’s metagame. What contributed to its hype?
Eye On Japan
Keep in mind, my friends, that soon enough there won’t be early information like this for everyone to test out months in advance. The aforementioned tournament report from Tokyo was posted on January 18th, over 4 months ago! That has given players outside of Japan a long time to test and perfect a decklist for TDK.
Card Popularity
Good gosh, even I’m a fan of this deck just because it’s comprised of some of the coolest Pokémon ever. Thundurus EX has morphed into some kind of monstrous snake, Deoxys-EX is an alien, and Kyurem PLF is one of the coolest dragons ever (pun definitely intended). I’d almost play the deck without even knowing anything about the cards. Oh yeah, and they’re all Plasma Pokémon too, utilizing a new game mechanic.
Simply put, the hype on this deck was spot-on. Players didn’t go overboard by stating it would dominate the format, proven results could be found all over Japan, and players seemed confident in this deck (not just hopeful).
Status: Reasonably hyped
What We Can Learn: For those looking forward to Nationals, go ahead and enjoy the early results while you can. Soon enough, that information will be much harder to come by, forcing players to adapt once again to not only to a new format, but a new way of playing altogether. Information will still be the most important aspect of this game, but deck creating, deck construction, and proper metagaming will all get a boost in importance.
CONCLUSION
Hype is an important thing in the Pokémon TCG. It helps us determine what will be played, which in turn gives us an edge when we metagame correctly. Sometimes, however, hype gets the best of us, forming doubt and uncertainty. At its worst, hype can lead us to a dead end, and we might find ourselves at a tournament with the wrong deck at the wrong time.
Using some of the concepts I described in this article, you can be more mindful of card hype when it occurs, making the correct decisions and seeing through to what cards and combos will be effective in competitive play. You will also avoid the pitfalls that occur when people in groups arrive at faulty conclusions.
And finally, consider this article both a primer and a warning for the future of the Pokémon TCG. With the worldwide release of Pokémon X and Y, we may finally have TCG sets released simultaneously starting at the end of the year. With that tidbit comes a great deal of confusion, misinformation, and unknowables. Be prepared so you aren’t left behind!
LASTLY!
Take some time and let me know what you would like me to write about for next month! Below are some options, or you can make a suggestion of your own:
- Most Common Misplays and Their Psychological Origins
- Top 10 Well-Designed Cards… And Why!
- Erik Nance’s Focus On: The Lightning Type (or any other type; a history of Lightning-type Pokémon in the Pokémon TCG)
- How to Play the Pokémon TCG and be in a Serious Relationship at the Same Time
- A Comprehensive, Exhaustive Look at Various Strategies in the Pokémon TCG
…and that will conclude this Unlocked Underground article.
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