What is Changing?

[I1lucky]

The game is changing completely and I'm not just talking about the new mechanics it's changed from big basics to stage 1 and 2 evolutions in every deck I found that every deck I played against at league had at least one evolutionary line ( and also seismitoad slurpuff in every 7.5 decks. get your bodys ready for that stage twos) and I play at a league that is almost all meta. what initiated this sudden change? Megas? Ancient traits? Spirit links? Or even pyroar? All I know is that it started as soon as primal clash came out.

 

[Toro Rosso]

Just the cards really. There's a lot of choices and synergy with the current sets as you noted like evolutions are starting to come out again.

 

[bbninjas]

PCL is really focusing more on powerful evolutions/megas than powerful EXs. Primal Clash didn't release any particularly powerful EXs (excluding Megas), although did release a lot of interesting evolutions, especially with the ATs. Also... some people are being a bit more innovative...

 

[thood]

PCL is really focusing more on powerful evolutions/megas than powerful EXs. Primal Clash didn't release any particularly powerful EXs (excluding Megas), although did release a lot of interesting evolutions, especially with the ATs. Also... some people are being a bit more innovative...

Thank God too. It's about damn time evos got their comeback

 

[GadgetJax]

PCL is really focusing more on powerful evolutions/megas than powerful EXs. Primal Clash didn't release any particularly powerful EXs (excluding Megas), although did release a lot of interesting evolutions, especially with the ATs. Also... some people are being a bit more innovative...

The EX's defenitely won't be gamechanging, but they are quite useful. Wailord fits pretty well in Donphan and Gengar, Trevenant is useful in Fairy Toolboxes and could be strong with Sceptile in XY-on. Camerupt is fun with Emboar, though extremely clunky(I've tried it, and it's fairly annoying to pull off correctly, though strong). Sharpedo is the only one I would call bad, and he isn't even as bad as some other atrocities like Emolga-EX and Excadrill-EX.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

...what initiated this sudden change? Megas? Ancient traits? Spirit links? Or even pyroar? All I know is that it started as soon as primal clash came out.

IMO, based upon some play-testing I've done thus far, as well as having some lengthy discussions with a few accomplished players in my area, the PCL set will have a significant impact on the former meta game. When you consider one simple fact that Garbotoxin can NOT stop the new, PCL Alpha and Omega "super powers" (is there a formal name for these abilities yet?), that affects deck considerations. Pre-PCL, some Mega Poké were quite favored; with the release of PCL, more solid Mega Poké have been introduced. As a result, I believe there will be a shift towards using certain decks based upon more Mega Poké vs. some older solid decks.

Also, several of the new "good" PCL Poké have 210+ HP; so, certain older decks will not be able to "hit" the right numbers easily as they did before.

New PCL cards like Archie and Maxie's HBT adds a really nice twist to how one might restructure some older decks. Teammates also is really nice for some decks too..

In addition, new PCL Items like Dive Ball will entice, as well encourage W deck builds. On top of that, new PCL Stadiums like Rough Seas, Scorched Earth, Shrine of Memories and Silent Labs all encourage and perhaps reward(?) one to strongly reconsider building and running evolution decks.

IMO, some of the older, pre-PCL meta decks will fade into the sunset; for their time in the sunshine has now past... PCL will significant impact the meta, IMO.