Considerations for Conquering Seismitoad-EX “I cannot remember where I’ve heard it, but there’s a saying that in order to know one’s enemy, one must become them. I’m intrigued by the nature in which players approach Seismitoad-EX — in one breath they criticize it to no end and attribute all the game’s lost potential to it; in the next, they’re announcing Quaking Punch, literally the only attack they may use for the entirety of the game. A few too many players have become that which they despise. There’s an argument for why players who “hate” Seismitoad-EX also play it: they openly recognize just how dang…
A Piece on the Spectrum on Teching “Teching Fundamentals The Beartic Dilemma Hard and Soft Teching Teching in Today’s Metagame Conclusion In its history, players of the Pokemon TCG have utilized techs successfully, to the point that one’s claim to fame can often come in the form of one or two cards being added to an otherwise standard deck list. Teching is very much a useful skill to have in this game, and within the past couple of years it’s only seemed to grow in importance. Teching also carries with it vagueness. Does a card have to be a Pokemon in order for it to be a…
The Mental Map to VA Regionals “What Can We Expect? Charting a Course The Next Step Last Thoughts Notes on Primal Clash Conclusion Let’s spell things out a little with the “story” that represents what happened during City Championships. To me, there are three main parts to this story. See if you agree with them: When City Championships started, players quickly asserted Donphan PLS as the best card in the game. As a result, decks based around this card placed very well while everything else struggled to keep up the pace. I should note this was mainly a result of poor deck construction. Most decks early…
An Examination of the Open-Air Meta “What’s Behind the Current Success of Rogue Decks? No Deck List is Created Equal (Anymore) Rogue Decks Seen During CC’s Conclusion There are a few arguments for why rogue decks are enjoying great success currently. Many claim that City Championships aren’t “as serious” as other tournaments, meaning that players are motivated to experiment more with their deck choices. At the same time, the winter months are historically a creative time for the Pokemon TCG. This is because City Championships are normally underway after the release of a new set (an exception is last season when Legendary Treasures got released just…
A Mini-Guide for Those Playing to the Tune of 300 CP “Post-Cities Assessments Teching in the Current Format “Strategic Dissonance” Revisited Rogue Meanderings Conclusion Normally I encourage a proactive approach to this game, one in which players thoughtfully form a list and playtest preemptively for whatever the occasion. Lately, however, this has turned into a strict case of “do as I say, not as I do.” Like I mentioned before, I’ve recently taken over the role of “stay-at-home dad” with my family, and kids as young as my daughter eat or destroy cards, not play them. Add to that the disinterest I’ve had with the game because of the lacking details…
They say that any patisserie visited by _______ is guaranteed success and good fortune. (Milcery)
In-Game Skill, Part 2: Thinking Strategically “”Playstyle is a Myth” Developing a Game Plan Technical Play Scenarios Strategic Play Scenarios Help Wanted! Conclusion One of the first things we as players need to change is our comprehension of what playstyle is as compared to strategy. For a long time, I was confused about playstyle. It kind of made sense when I saw other players win a game with an offbeat approach. One could point at a scenario like that and state that playstyle had a hand in the victory. Still, when I tried to identify my own playstyle, I kept coming up with a category of…
On Playing the Pokémon TCG Optimally “Some Strategies That Aren’t Currently Important Playstyle Adaptability Going Rogue Identifying Weaknesses in the Metagame and Format Metagaming In-Game Skill Endurance Basic Arithmetic and Powers of Observation Conclusion It’s strange to talk about the strategies that exist in the Pokemon TCG – to even admit there are multiple strategies to this game. We often think of strategy as something more simplistic than it is. “Practice,” “plan ahead,” “counter X with Y”… these are the most common bits of advice that float around in the Pokemon TCG. But these are different strategies entirely. So while Jenga requires only finger stability and…
The Overt Simplification of the Pokémon TCG “First Things First: The Label A Changing Current Compare and Contrast How Does This Affect the Game? Is There Hope? Conclusion At some point, the packaging for Pokemon TCG products changed to reflect a younger suitable age range for those wanting to play the game. When the game debuted, it was recommended for those 10 years and older. Currently, packaging reflects the “6+” age range. When I think about how the game is now recommended for those as young as six, I think back to the complex interactions many cards in the past had. Could a six year-old play a…
In-Game Skill, Part 1: Technical and Strategic Play “Why the Focus on In-Game Skill? Technical Play Strategic Play Conclusion As I was thinking about this article, I made a keen observation regarding in-game skill: it seems to be the holy grail of Pokemon TCG “skill.” Players often comment on the practice of “netdecking” (that is, copying a deck off the internet card for card) by making a bold statement that “it doesn’t matter what deck you have if you’re not good at the game.” It’s a romantic notion, isn’t it? That even the best deck list in the world doesn’t grant one an ounce of reputable skill. As…
Summarizing Arithmetic, The Little Rogue That Could “So, What is Arithmetic? Breaking Down the Deck A Reflection Conclusion In all honesty, I don’t know where Jimmy Ballard comes up with the names for the decks he expertly crafts. I faced an entire day of slight embarrassment at the 2007 US National Championship when I played another Ballard deck oddly named “The Sausage.” No matter though – I would gladly play a deck named “Droopy Glowworm MAX Propellor” if it gave me the best chance to win a tournament. Also, “Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer” by deadmau5 just popped up on my playlist. So, you know, titles for things.…
Its majestic horns are meant only to impress the opposite gender. They never see use in battle. (Dubwool)
Strategic Standards in Expanded and Standard Formats “On “Smart Mistakes” Again What We Know About Standard “Strategic Dissonance” Did Next Destinies Just Get Released? Responding to Standard What We Know About Expanded Expanded Tricks and Tips Conclusion In Brit Pybas’s latest article, he addressed my notion of “smart mistakes,” highlighting a couple of areas where he felt my logic was misguided. I’m actually glad he spent a portion of his article on this, since it helps open discussion on the idea. If parts of it are misguided, it’s better to have considered it first and see where it doesn’t work than just blindly follow what everyone else is…
Trading In Conventional Wisdom for a Better Deck “”Smart Mistakes” Where Do These “Mistakes” Come From? An Example: Weavile PLF/Lopunny FLF Can You Spot the Problems? What You Can Do to Avoid “Smart Mistakes” Conclusion My idea for this article originated when I saw players posting lists online of their Yveltal-EX/Garbodor LTR decks. This happened some time ago, during the National Championships that were taking place all around the world. Over and over again, I saw lists that included four copies of Yveltal-EX, and it just didn’t make any sense to me. These were decks that were performing well too, mind you, and yet I could not wrap…
A Brief US Nationals Recap, the Player vs. Judge Perspective, and a Little Something to Count On Come Worlds or Next Season “Blast from the Past: “Scrambled Eggs” A Brief US Nationals Recap The Player vs. Judge Perspective On Card Counts Zero Copies of a Card One Copy of a Card Two Copies of a Card Three Copies of a Card Four Copies of a Card Remember the Context! Conclusion Our “Blast from the Past” today will feature one of my all-time favorite cards: Electrode ex! In terms of balance, I think Electrode ex was one of the best cards ever created. Its Poke-Power was unbelievably fair, since it was unthinkably powerful but at the cost of two Prize cards. Its attack was…
2014 US Nationals Deck Options for Varying Levels of Readiness “Blast from the Past: “Scythe” A Quick Word on the Format If You’re Prepared If You’re… Kinda Prepared If You’re Not Prepared At All Conclusion For today’s Blast from the Past, I share with you a hidden artifact of a format past: my brother’s ’06-’07 “Scythe” deck! First, though, a little bit of backstory. The ’05-’06 season was the first time my brother and I played the Pokemon TCG competitively. After winning two Gym Challenges, placing 3rd at the Southeast Regionals, and getting top 32 and top 16 at Worlds, it would stand to reason that we would continue this…
Alternate Strategies to Victory “Blast From The Past: Delcatty ex/Electabuzz DF Strategizing Complementary Strategies Alternate Strategies Vulnerabilities “In A Pinch” Conclusion For this month’s Blast From The Past, I decided to ask myself one simple question: What’s the funnest deck you have ever played? That question produced a rich number of results, but many of them are well-known to the Pokemon TCG community, and I wanted to offer something this month that many of you might have never seen before. Therefore, we are going to talk about Delcatty ex/Electabuzz DF today. In the time “Energy Draw” Delcatty graced this game of ours, it found its…
It stands in grasslands, watching the sun’s descent from zenith to horizon. This Pokémon has a talent for delivering dynamic kicks. (Stonjourner)
