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Honestly, I think I'd rather buy a booster box of this than Celestial Storm. I've become less interested in collecting due to the pull rates/how massive our English sets have become in the Sun & Moon era (in order to keep up with the billions of sets that are being pumped out of Japan). This is the most excited I've been for the TCG in... about a year, I think?

Set sizes killed collectability of English sets. Not just that they're too big to collect, but that they combine several smaller sets that did have their own themes/motifs, and turn them into a cacophonic mess. XY Evolutions is the only set I've tried to collect since the DP era, and that's because every card in the set did actually fit a singular theme.

A lot of other things have gone wrong with the series, from a collector's point of view – remember when secret rares were actually something to get excited about? – but I'd say size is the single biggest problem. The sets are too big.
 
I understand many are excited because of the nostalgia factor, but this set is just bad competitively. There's a handful of decent cards but I'll spend less than $10 and get the singles I need instead of wasting money on any booster boxes which I try to buy at least one of every set.
 
Set sizes killed collectability of English sets. Not just that they're too big to collect, but that they combine several smaller sets that did have their own themes/motifs, and turn them into a cacophonic mess. XY Evolutions is the only set I've tried to collect since the DP era, and that's because every card in the set did actually fit a singular theme.

A lot of other things have gone wrong with the series, from a collector's point of view – remember when secret rares were actually something to get excited about? – but I'd say size is the single biggest problem. The sets are too big.

Another thing in my feeling that has hurt collecting is how the card numbering changed with the BW sets. Before that it was a lot more organized in my opinion with all the holo rares, rares, uncommon, and common cards all together instead of all spread out by type.
 
Set sizes killed collectability of English sets. Not just that they're too big to collect, but that they combine several smaller sets that did have their own themes/motifs, and turn them into a cacophonic mess. XY Evolutions is the only set I've tried to collect since the DP era, and that's because every card in the set did actually fit a singular theme.

A lot of other things have gone wrong with the series, from a collector's point of view – remember when secret rares were actually something to get excited about? – but I'd say size is the single biggest problem. The sets are too big.
Yes, exactly. Another factor, in my opinion, is that non-holo rares are still a thing that TPCi makes AND they are 2/3 of a booster box, leaving 12 packs split between holos and the thousands of ultra rares. You can't even come close to completing the holos with one booster box--or two! That's why the recent Legendary Collection set (hopefully that's the right name) was so nice. Not a single non-holo rare to be seen. And you hit the nail on the head about secret rares.

I've been meaning to create a topic about pull rates, set sizes, and my personal declining interest in collecting...
 
I just realized Salamence GX/ Slaking is a pretty good combo to play for fun
 
Just thought of something else though, isn't there a stadium now that stops the effects of all tools?

So you play that stadium with these two Mr. Mimes.


But if your opponent draws a field blower your setup is ruined. :)
 
Btw, where the heck is our new Lele or Shaymim? Will there be a rotation without one? Lele is rotating next year. We've got two new sets without a new card like that. We've got the next 2-3 sets to have a new draw supprt or supporter grabber.
 
Btw, where the heck is our new Lele or Shaymim? Will there be a rotation without one? Lele is rotating next year. We've got two new sets without a new card like that. We've got the next 2-3 sets to have a new draw supprt or supporter grabber.

We still have Lele in Standard for a year and a half calm down.
 
I find it odd that the Sneasel from Neo Genesis was reprinted for the third time, yet this one was nerfed even more: It no longer has 0-Retreat anymore! At least the Undaunted one had that, and could be used online for unlimited Weavile-Eggs decks. ;_;
 
I hate to be repetitive but this reveal basically confirms my statement that this set was going to be Evolutions 2.0. All of the playable cards are common/uncommon and there aren't that many (Magcargo, Dunsparce, Sableye, Friend Ball, and Copycat are likely to see play, Ho-oh, Pokenav, Lure Ball and possibly ERS might see some play). Of the GXes, Mr. Mime is cute, but choice band destroys its ability to reliably lock since it turns any odd damage into even and any even into odd. Maybe it'll see play in 2020. Scizor is probably playable but not anything special considering how much playable metal we already have.

I really, really don't get the multiple reprints of obviously bad (in a contemporary context) supporters that do practically the same thing as bad supporters we already have. Why would you ever play Bill's Maintenance or TV reporter over Hau/Tierno/Cheren? Why Expedition when Looker is going to be better 90+% of the time? These cards needed buffs even more badly than the pokemon did to have a chance at seeing play.
 
This set just makes me sad. More useless reprints like Evolutions but with a much smaller audience in terms of nostalgia. We're gonna be stuck with overprinted Celestial Storm and get reduced print runs on future sets that will have decent cards, kinda like how Crimson Invasion has done with the Ultra Prism and Forbidden Light (rumoured) single print runs.
 
HAHA Tyranitar's evolution says "Stage 2 – Evolves from Poopootar" POOPOOTAR!!
 
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