Elitism in the Pokemon TCG

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Card Slinger J

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Have we gotten to a point in the game where Pokemon players are just like how Yu-Gi-Oh! players are they only care about winning, going undefeated, making topcuts while treating players that don't with inconsistent decklists like trash? Where they don't care about age or how old you are, and If they ask about your record they are only pretending to care to make you feel better when they really don't? You're disrespected when you are criticized for not playtesting your decks enough, make a couple play mistakes that cost you the game, or you lose because you don't get what you need on time because of the luck of the draw?

People say that elitism doesn't exist in the Pokemon TCG like it does in Competitive Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh! but it's there and it's gotten worse in HGSS-On. I mainly play Casually in Magic anyway so that doesn't bother me and Yu-Gi-Oh! well I could care less about cause it's too expensive anyway and players are moving to CFV cause it's more affordable, balanced, although after playing a few games and 1 tournament the TCG itself has more luck over skill. There's no equal balance between luck and skill in CFV and Pokemon, where as Magic and WoW TCG have that balance dead on. I'm just tired of losing competitively in Pokemon especially when there are so few affordable decks to choose from.

All the good Pokemon decks are like $200+ because of the $50 price tag on the EX's and it's stupid. ZekEels and Terrakion are affordable If you exclude Mewtwo out of the equation, and Durant well it's done with because Heatmor DE exists as an insurance policy to counter it but Darkrai can do it just as easily while having consistent matchups against most decks. It's sad that Japan is playing in a more balanced format than we are right now while we're stuck with a very niched metagame where most good decks have a $200+ price tag. I love Pokemon and I don't want to quit the Pokemon TCG but this format has been so frustrating to the point where I'm not having any good matchups or something and the Time Limits in Swiss Rounds make it harder as well too.

Has elitism gotten worse in the Pokemon TCG?
 
I hate to say it, but I agree, three years ago it was more abut having fun, since then prizes have gotten better and only the wealthy are only ones who constantly perform well. I stilllike to play and I don't have problem with money, but I feel sorry for those who come to play some fun games and get a nice experiance.
 
Maybe it's just the areas I play in, but no, I don't think Elitism has gotten worse, in fact, I've only seen one person who acts like that.
 
CSJ, you're going off on a tangent in your first post. You begin to shift from the elitism topic to the current format (which isn't elitism).

Anyways, elitism is something that exists in every game. Pokémon is no different; there's just less of it compared to other TCG's.
 
Well, don't hang out with the jerks that only care about winning. I used to be over-competitive and all serious about every game, but I changed. It really lights people up when one of the players in top cut really takes the heat off everyone's shoulders and just jokes around and plays for fun. If the people who only care about winning bother you that much, just turn it around and troll them. If they say: "Ha, I'm 2-0 and you're not," say: "Anyone can go 2-0, but it takes skill to go 0-2." If you do stuff like this enough, they'll either back off or join in and have more fun with the game. Also, if you don't care tons about winning (Like the meanies), use a fun rogue deck. If you do, you:
1. Save money
2. Are expected to lose (And are awesome if you win)
3. Have more fun.
 
my only real complaint about elitism is that http://google.com/.com charges $15 subscription fee for their underground articles...

pokemon is definitely one of the better TCGs out-there, (the most expensive pokemon card I've seen was a 2004 world championship promo skitty, at £99/$160), so we should be grateful that we have so few money/chase cards, but also because outside of the donk, we have no one-turn-kill decks. you can play round a mewtwo/darkrai with enough skill, but you can't stop being rushed by inzektors or wind-up solitaire (if you don't follow yu-gi-oh, this won't mean much to you. just know that it's very powerful and very annoying)...

there will always be a certain amount of elitism, but I prefer to think of it as healthy competition. Just have fun and play your best game possible.
 
You're completely wrong imo. There is barely any elitism in Pokemon in comparison to Magic and Yugioh.

In terms of money, once again, this is one of the cheaper card games out there with still an extremely good competitive base. $50 is nothing for the best card in the format atm (Darkrai ex or Mewtwo ex). Yugioh is hideously worse and I shudder to think how expensive Magic can get.

You also have to respect that the majority of tournaments in the USA are completely free (I think you only have to pay for prereleases). I'm guessing that P!P have to pay for the rent, the staff and the prizes. I don't know whether you have to pay for Yugioh or Magic tournaments but in the UK, you always have to pay an entrants fee unless it's Nats.
 
Hmmm...Sounds to me like this topic got started due to a recent experience.

(tl; dr - I give the Pokebeach nation a motivational speech on taking heart and keeping up spirits vis-a-vis jerks.)


Yes, elitism exists in the Pokemon TCG, but you make it sound like it's a massive problem when it isn't. Let's address each of your very different points...

* :...they only care about winning, going undefeated, making topcuts while treating players that don't with inconsistent decklists like trash?:

-As long as a player operates within the rules of the game, winning as one's only motivation is perfectly acceptable IMO. Of course, players who act like jerks tend to have more going on than "just" the will to win; otherwise they wouldn't treat people like trash, would they?

Showing outight disrespect, rather than just neglectfulness, takes effort - effort that could be spent on the game. People who feel compelled to act like jerks over Pokemon TCG likely have some sort of inferiority complex. It may sound very trite and cliche, but "bullies are mean because they hurt inside" holds true even here! They feel like they can't surpass the truly great players of the game, so as a result they take it out on the hapless newbies.

"Where they don't care about age or how old you are..."

That said, I rarely see bullying of younger kids by older seniors and masters players. And when it's between masters and seniors, it can actually be a good thing: since senior players tend to be at an age of scrappiness and eagerness, they get arrogant, and thus need to be knocked down a few pegs. On my own message board, I've seen this sort of process mold relatively immature seniors into mature, reasonable masters.

"and If they ask about your record they are only pretending to care to make you feel better when they really don't?"

I can't name anyone who wastes time to ask this sort of question. They may not be obsessed with your experiences, but odds are high that if someone took the time to ask a question, they actually care about the answer! Even if they don't, then their hearts are in the right place if the intent is "to make you feel better."

"You're disrespected when you are criticized for not playtesting your decks enough..."

You deserve to be criticized, and your opinion on the matter ought to be disrespected because it most likely holds no weight; however, you as an individual should not be disrespected unless you become unreasonable and irrational.

"...make a couple play mistakes that cost you the game..."

You deserve to be criticized, but not insulted.

"...or you lose because you don't get what you need on time because of the luck of the draw?

You _might_ deserve to be criticized, because Pokemon TCG is such a probability-intensive game. The fact of the matter is, if you engineered it so that you only have a 50/50 shot of drawing that game-winning card as opposed to a 100% chance, then that is a failure!

Nevertheless, personal failure doesn't warrant insults or disrespect - it just is what it is. Odds are high that if you're being made fun of for in-game mistakes, then this is simply someone projecting their insecurities about their own skill on you.


"People say that elitism doesn't exist in the Pokemon TCG like it does in Competitive Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh! but it's there and it's gotten worse in HGSS-On. I mainly play Casually in Magic anyway so that doesn't bother me and Yu-Gi-Oh! well I could care less about cause it's too expensive anyway and players are moving to CFV cause it's more affordable, balanced, although after playing a few games and 1 tournament the TCG itself has more luck over skill. There's no equal balance between luck and skill in CFV and Pokemon, where as Magic and WoW TCG have that balance dead on. I'm just tired of losing competitively in Pokemon especially when there are so few affordable decks to choose from."

This right here seems to be the heart of your troubles: you're a competitive player who tried to break into Pokemon, but got knocked down a few pegs. Whatever you do is your prerogative, but know that just about every person who's ever been truly successful has had to take hard losses, bite the bullet, and continue improving.

"All the good Pokemon decks are like $200+ because of the $50 price tag on the EX's and it's stupid. ZekEels and Terrakion are affordable If you exclude Mewtwo out of the equation, and Durant well it's done with because Heatmor DE exists as an insurance policy to counter it but Darkrai can do it just as easily while having consistent matchups against most decks. It's sad that Japan is playing in a more balanced format than we are right now while we're stuck with a very niched metagame where most good decks have a $200+ price tag. I love Pokemon and I don't want to quit the Pokemon TCG but this format has been so frustrating to the point where I'm not having any good matchups or something and the Time Limits in Swiss Rounds make it harder as well too."

I agree with you: this format is terrible. However, you make a much bigger deal about the price than you should. $200 is at least somewhat of an exaggeration: as long as you know where to shop, keeping the cost of a Darkrai/Tornadus deck below $150 is feasible, and keeping it below $200 is exceptionally easy.

As for time limits? Wow, what a tangential thing to throw in, but if you have a problem with time limits, then you haven't been playing long enough. As flawed as HGSS-on might be, the time situation is actually the best its been in years: almost all decks in the format fly by SUPER fast, so you should very rarely have to go to time. Of course there are exceptions to this, but not enough to make it the problem you think it is...


All in all, elitism exists, and it "is" a problem...But it's not a widespread one. It's very clearly a problem for you, though, so I'd evaluate two things: the people you play with, and the way that you view the game.

*Are all of these complaints indicative of the crowd you play with at large, or just a few bad apples? Are these "elitist" players actually any good, or are they scrubs who are just overcompensating for their own mediocrity?

*Don't let yourself off the hook, either. Is YOUR attitude as positive as it needs to be? Are you really going to give up on your competitive fire just because of one or two bad experiences? Moreover, are you the graceful winner, graceful loser, and all-around good sport you hope that others would be to you?

P. S. http://google.com/.com charging for content isn't elitist. If anything, the people who hate on its subscribers are the ones being elitists (not saying you "hate" on them, 27th - just saying that there are people who do have unfair, irrational criticism of those who pay for premium content).


This, this, and again, this. ~Glace
 
There is a lot of elitism in Pokemon. There is always going to be elitism in every single thing you will ever do, as there are always people who are better than others. The fact that Pokemon has all of these public forums where the elite help out the newbies should show that there is quite a lot less than other TCGs, sports, or the like. I don't know who you are talking to, but I have never, ever seen someone disrespected because they made a misplay. So what if some elite people are watching, all I have ever seen them do is give them advice after the match is over.

You can't really complain about losing. Either try to become better or just stop playing, whining about losing will not improve your skill. Luck only plays a limited amount in whether you win or lose, and if you can't use even an unlucky situation you just plainly aren't a very good player. If luck was such a big part, amazing players would not consistently do well at tournaments. They do well at most tournaments because they are skillful, much more than other people.

As for the price of decks, either sacrifice the $200 that every single other Pokemon player needs to, or just play another cheap TCG like Cardfight! Vanguard or Shadow Era. It's not like your the only person needing to spend lots of money in order to play a top tier deck. Find some way to make more money, or just suck it up and play a bad deck. If you only play Pokemon for the point of winning, you obviously don't care that about it as you wont pay the necessary money that is needed in order to be able to even try to win.

TL;DR: You obviously only play to win, so either suck it up or quit.
 
^to add, even if the do criticize them after a match, they are usually joking around and mean it constructively.

EDIT: Also, decks have to be expensive or this game qouls go out of business
 
alexmf2 said:
As for the price of decks, either sacrifice the $200 that every single other Pokemon player needs to, or just play another cheap TCG like Cardfight! Vanguard or Shadow Era. It's not like your the only person needing to spend lots of money in order to play a top tier deck. Find some way to make more money, or just suck it up and play a bad deck. If you only play Pokemon for the point of winning, you obviously don't care that about it as you wont pay the necessary money that is needed in order to be able to even try to win.

TL;DR: You obviously only play to win, so either suck it up or quit.
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I play to have fun and win, you already admitted that the ZekEels list I'm running is very inconsistent and not up to par with a list that has a better chance of going undefeated and making topcuts. I know some people where I play cards at that play Pokemon to have fun and some that just play to win but that doesn't give them the right to trash talk their opponents If they are already elitists. When I used to play the Naruto CCG there was a guy I knew who trash talked me so badly that it made me hold a grudge against him cause of the way he disrespected me of how I played back then. That was the Naruto CCG, this is about Pokemon TCG.

The cost of the Pokemon TCG isn't too bad but it could be a whole lot better If they made good cards that aren't Secret Rares being the Pokemon EX's of the most recent sets. But yeah Trainer/Items, Supporters, and Stadiums are fairly cheap to get ahold of. My gripe on this is that they don't make enough good Pokemon that aren't Secret Rare, why can't we have more good Pokemon that are Normal Rare or Uncommon that are competitive ya know? Back in DP-On or even MD-On we had that sort of thing but it wasn't to the point where Secret Rares overshadowed cards of other rarities Pokemon wise.

JEKyl said:
This right here seems to be the heart of your troubles: you're a competitive player who tried to break into Pokemon, but got knocked down a few pegs. Whatever you do is your prerogative, but know that just about every person who's ever been truly successful has had to take hard losses, bite the bullet, and continue improving.
Click to expand...

Well I've been playing the Pokemon TCG since DP-On when Diamond/Pearl: Majestic Dawn was the latest expansion that was Modified legal. Back then nobody got onto me for breaking into the Pokemon TCG and as I later progressed at the TCG I've had some successful records with some decks I've played before at events like Mother Gengar (Gengar/Nidoqueen), FlyChamp (Flygon/Machamp), and Charizard. I also did okay with MewPluff with a 3-2 Record until Kyurem neutered it and back then I had a great time, sure I didn't topcut but I hope to eventually someday and at least be respected for it.

My problem is that I'm a very sensitive person and I'm too hard on myself cause I'm used to feeling guilt alot of times. The people I know that I hang out with that play the Pokemon TCG may be jerks at times but just because I might not be doing as good as they expect me to do doesn't give them the right to push me around to hurt my ego, get in my head to insult me, or whatever. My grandpa once told me that I will have very few friends in life and people who I think are my friends will go and stab me in the back when I least expect it, maybe he was onto something when he said that to me...

JEKyl said:
As for time limits? Wow, what a tangential thing to throw in, but if you have a problem with time limits, then you haven't been playing long enough. As flawed as HGSS-on might be, the time situation is actually the best its been in years: almost all decks in the format fly by SUPER fast, so you should very rarely have to go to time. Of course there are exceptions to this, but not enough to make it the problem you think it is...
Click to expand...

Well I've been known to drag some games a bit long and time usually isn't that bad of an issue but there were a couple of games I've played in events where I lost to time even though I was 1 prize behind or 1 prize ahead, it's been a long while though so it's hard to remember unless I posted it as a Tournament Report for Battle Roads or Cities or something.
 
Card Slinger J said:
I play to have fun and win, you already admitted that the ZekEels list I'm running is very inconsistent and not up to par with a list that has a better chance of going undefeated and making topcuts. I know some people where I play cards at that play Pokemon to have fun and some that just play to win but that doesn't give them the right to trash talk their opponents If they are already elitists. When I used to play the Naruto CCG there was a guy I knew who trash talked me so badly that it made me hold a grudge against him cause of the way he disrespected me of how I played back then. That was the Naruto CCG, this is about Pokemon TCG.

The cost of the Pokemon TCG isn't too bad but it could be a whole lot better If they made good cards that aren't Secret Rares being the Pokemon EX's of the most recent sets. But yeah Trainer/Items, Supporters, and Stadiums are fairly cheap to get ahold of. My gripe on this is that they don't make enough good Pokemon that aren't Secret Rare, why can't we have more good Pokemon that are Normal Rare or Uncommon that are competitive ya know? Back in DP-On or even MD-On we had that sort of thing but it wasn't to the point where Secret Rares overshadowed cards of other rarities Pokemon wise.
Click to expand...

If your ZekEels list is inconsistent, that is your own fault. It is not the fault of a bad meta, expensive cards, or people trash talking you. You just need to improve your deck building skills, and you can't do that by complaining, which is all I have ever seen your posts be about.

Exactly. That was Naruto, this is Pokemon. You just added on to my point, what were you trying to do there?

Remember Claydol? Uxie? Those were expensive. I'd guess you probably complained about those too. While I can see your point in that there were a lot cheaper decks, the meta has evolved and it calls for Ultra Rares. Nobody likes it, but there isn't anything anybody can do about it.
 
i dont think there is not that much elitism in the pokemon tcg where i live (the netherlands)
also at my league we all play for fun there micht 1 or 2 players that only care only about winning
also the league leader there used to play magic
he quited because it was no more fun and thats because of the elitism in magic
 
@OP:

First of all, what do the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs have to do with the point you're trying to make? Just wondering. :/

Anyway, this is going to vary area-by-area. Some areas are great, some have rude or elitist players. In my area, everybody is friendly and talks to everybody. It doesn't really matter how good you are; the people who consistently go 2-4 are perfectly comfortable talking to the people who consistently go 5-1. And the better players help the worse players out; I've given quite a few people deck advice, and I have a couple friends who have done it way more than I have.

Sure, on occasion, we might smile or laugh a little when a new player says something ridiculous like, "man, if only I had hit my Catcher to bring up your Vileplume" or, "wow, I feel sorry for the guy who got paired with David Cohen first round!" But that's kinda hard to control. :rolleyes: It's not intended to be rude or degrading or anything.

Other areas might not be this friendly, though. I remember when I lived in a different state, there were some downright mean players; I remember 11-ish, a 25 year-old started laughing at me for using a Nidoqueen/Nidoking deck because I couldn't afford a Plox deck. But I just didn't talk to that guy or let him get to me. I made friends with more friendly people. That's what you should do, too.

Anybody who makes fun of you for misplaying is downright rude. Anybody doing that kind of thing probably takes the game way too seriously and needs to relax a little. Just don't let those people get to you; ignore their rude comments. Easy enough, right?
 
Card Slinger J said:
My problem is that I'm a very sensitive person and I'm too hard on myself cause I'm used to feeling guilt alot of times. The people I know that I hang out with that play the Pokemon TCG may be jerks at times but just because I might not be doing as good as they expect me to do doesn't give them the right to push me around to hurt my ego, get in my head to insult me, or whatever. My grandpa once told me that I will have very few friends in life and people who I think are my friends will go and stab me in the back when I least expect it, maybe he was onto something when he said that to me...
Click to expand...

Some thoughts:

-If you're a very sensitive person, you might assume things too quickly, or get frazzled by things not meant to be offensive. Assuming you're a guy, remember that the insulting shtick is a common "guy" thing.

-I have no comment whatsoever on the friend thing: they could be jerks for all I know, or perfectly great people. That's something you have to figure out on your own - that is, what type of company you want to have.

-Your granddad sounds like a bitter old man, lol.
 
On the general note of elitism, I have a story to share, and I guess I kinda wanted opinions.

At the League where I play, we have quite a few younger kids (but what League doesn't I guess?) and something that bothered me is that when the League Leader was playing an introductory game with a child who's never played before (or has only played at home with Bro/Sis), they'd bring out their Tournament-level deck with Item Lock and other zaniness against a kid with maybe a slightly modified theme deck.

I remember this because I was on the receiving end of this. I only started going to the League last Septemberish, and when I showed up with my slightly-modified Green Tornado deck, the League Leader took me to school with Gothitelle/Reuniclus (This was HGSS-EPO, so Gothitelle/Reuniclus was a tournament worthy deck, if I recall... it feels like so long ago). I remember not doing anything that game. Sure, I got my Serperior up (the bad one that came with the theme deck, mind), but only dealing 60 per turn against his ability to move damage and then Max Potion it away, as well as having all my Items Cards sealed... it was more than a little discouraging. I have seen this happen with other children the months I've been there. I mean... it doesn't seem fair to these kids to go up against someone who has super-powerful decks when they're just getting started. And many times, I have seen a kid lose badly and have their confidence shattered, and then give up and go home and never come back. One girl, a daughter of the person who owns the shop (not the same as the League's runner) has stopped playing the TCG all together because of this "Stop Having Fun Guys" mindset.

I mean, yes, that's reality and maybe the people who get beat should know a little more about winning and losing and being a good sport and all that... but it just doesn't seem right. If the League Leader is supposed to teach these kids about playing the game, then crushing them in 10 turns (or less) isn't the way to go about doing it. I guess I see it as elitist (or perhaps just being a bully) to these new players who have no idea what they're stepping into.

Since my arrival (and because of my eagerness to help out) I've been allowed to run the League a few times (mostly when everyone else is out of town at a tournament, since I don't travel to them), and I make that when I run League, I have a demonstrably "bad" deck to play against these children with. It'll either by slow, or gimmicky (Hi, Volcarona DEX) or even just a gussied up theme deck, but the point of it is the same: To give the kids a fighting chance at let them actually play their cards and not just sit there while I win.

I mean, am I wrong? I wouldn't do something like that at a tournament (where play-to-win is very much the order of the day) but at a casual event like a League, it seems like I can help people have more fun by playing with a handicap.
 
JEKyl said:
Some thoughts:

-If you're a very sensitive person, you might assume things too quickly, or get frazzled by things not meant to be offensive. Assuming you're a guy, remember that the insulting shtick is a common "guy" thing.

-I have no comment whatsoever on the friend thing: they could be jerks for all I know, or perfectly great people. That's something you have to figure out on your own - that is, what type of company you want to have.

-Your granddad sounds like a bitter old man, lol.
Click to expand...

Yeah alot of the stuff you just mentioned here sounds alot like what I'm going through right now, deep down I know the friends I hang out with playing Pokemon TCG aren't really jerks at all and I've known some of them for years now getting along just fine, it just seems like their jerks cause of that insulting shtick being a common "guy" thing as you put it.
 
Purim said:
On the general note of elitism, I have a story to share, and I guess I kinda wanted opinions.

At the League where I play, we have quite a few younger kids (but what League doesn't I guess?) and something that bothered me is that when the League Leader was playing an introductory game with a child who's never played before (or has only played at home with Bro/Sis), they'd bring out their Tournament-level deck with Item Lock and other zaniness against a kid with maybe a slightly modified theme deck.

I remember this because I was on the receiving end of this. I only started going to the League last Septemberish, and when I showed up with my slightly-modified Green Tornado deck, the League Leader took me to school with Gothitelle/Reuniclus (This was HGSS-EPO, so Gothitelle/Reuniclus was a tournament worthy deck, if I recall... it feels like so long ago). I remember not doing anything that game. Sure, I got my Serperior up (the bad one that came with the theme deck, mind), but only dealing 60 per turn against his ability to move damage and then Max Potion it away, as well as having all my Items Cards sealed... it was more than a little discouraging. I have seen this happen with other children the months I've been there. I mean... it doesn't seem fair to these kids to go up against someone who has super-powerful decks when they're just getting started. And many times, I have seen a kid lose badly and have their confidence shattered, and then give up and go home and never come back. One girl, a daughter of the person who owns the shop (not the same as the League's runner) has stopped playing the TCG all together because of this "Stop Having Fun Guys" mindset.

I mean, yes, that's reality and maybe the people who get beat should know a little more about winning and losing and being a good sport and all that... but it just doesn't seem right. If the League Leader is supposed to teach these kids about playing the game, then crushing them in 10 turns (or less) isn't the way to go about doing it. I guess I see it as elitist (or perhaps just being a bully) to these new players who have no idea what they're stepping into.

Since my arrival (and because of my eagerness to help out) I've been allowed to run the League a few times (mostly when everyone else is out of town at a tournament, since I don't travel to them), and I make that when I run League, I have a demonstrably "bad" deck to play against these children with. It'll either by slow, or gimmicky (Hi, Volcarona DEX) or even just a gussied up theme deck, but the point of it is the same: To give the kids a fighting chance at let them actually play their cards and not just sit there while I win.

I mean, am I wrong? I wouldn't do something like that at a tournament (where play-to-win is very much the order of the day) but at a casual event like a League, it seems like I can help people have more fun by playing with a handicap.
Click to expand...

Maybe that isn't elitism so much as just negligence: negligence of a LL's duty to help out newbies, to build a new deck to achieve this duty, etcetc. Sometimes, though, the league leader wants, in actuality, to give his or her players a taste of what the competitive world is like - perhaps to spark some interest. Perhaps it differs from group to group, but I've for a fact sparked at least a few players' interest in competitive play by showing them my States or Regionals-winning concoctions.

IMO, it all comes down to not how powerful the deck is, but how the LL conducts him/herself. If you accept new players with the patience they deserve, make them feel good about wins, and (MOST IMPORTANTLY) encourage them to take heart after losses, then you'll get good results; if you act like a snide "stop having fun guys" type and try to cram meta down the other person's throat before he/she's ready, then you're gonna have a bad time.
 
^ I agree completely with you JEKyl, the LL was doing his/her thing, and was just showing what the WWF (world wide format) is like.
 
Purim said:
On the general note of elitism, I have a story to share, and I guess I kinda wanted opinions.

At the League where I play, we have quite a few younger kids (but what League doesn't I guess?) and something that bothered me is that when the League Leader was playing an introductory game with a child who's never played before (or has only played at home with Bro/Sis), they'd bring out their Tournament-level deck with Item Lock and other zaniness against a kid with maybe a slightly modified theme deck.

I remember this because I was on the receiving end of this. I only started going to the League last Septemberish, and when I showed up with my slightly-modified Green Tornado deck, the League Leader took me to school with Gothitelle/Reuniclus (This was HGSS-EPO, so Gothitelle/Reuniclus was a tournament worthy deck, if I recall... it feels like so long ago). I remember not doing anything that game. Sure, I got my Serperior up (the bad one that came with the theme deck, mind), but only dealing 60 per turn against his ability to move damage and then Max Potion it away, as well as having all my Items Cards sealed... it was more than a little discouraging. I have seen this happen with other children the months I've been there. I mean... it doesn't seem fair to these kids to go up against someone who has super-powerful decks when they're just getting started. And many times, I have seen a kid lose badly and have their confidence shattered, and then give up and go home and never come back. One girl, a daughter of the person who owns the shop (not the same as the League's runner) has stopped playing the TCG all together because of this "Stop Having Fun Guys" mindset.

I mean, yes, that's reality and maybe the people who get beat should know a little more about winning and losing and being a good sport and all that... but it just doesn't seem right. If the League Leader is supposed to teach these kids about playing the game, then crushing them in 10 turns (or less) isn't the way to go about doing it. I guess I see it as elitist (or perhaps just being a bully) to these new players who have no idea what they're stepping into.

Since my arrival (and because of my eagerness to help out) I've been allowed to run the League a few times (mostly when everyone else is out of town at a tournament, since I don't travel to them), and I make that when I run League, I have a demonstrably "bad" deck to play against these children with. It'll either by slow, or gimmicky (Hi, Volcarona DEX) or even just a gussied up theme deck, but the point of it is the same: To give the kids a fighting chance at let them actually play their cards and not just sit there while I win.

I mean, am I wrong? I wouldn't do something like that at a tournament (where play-to-win is very much the order of the day) but at a casual event like a League, it seems like I can help people have more fun by playing with a handicap.
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What I've done in this situation is to play one game using my metagame deck, and explain what I'm doing and why, and then trade decks with the new player, letting them obviously win, but explain the best choices they have available with their deck in each situation as well as much as they care to hear it. This way they see that strong decks are strong but still get the chance to win one of the first games they play at league, and I can make suggestions about how to improve the deck they already have based on actually having played it once (and in some cases just hand them cards to use to do so; we have a big pile of them donated by a member, and I have a whole lot of spare trainers about to rotate that I will just give to young players).

I don't think you're wrong, but I don't think using a weakened deck is the only way to make introductions to the competitive game fun and fair.
 
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