New Player for Next Season, Aiming for Worlds

[caccialli]

Yes, a lofty goal, I know, and most likely impossible in the first year. I've played Pokemon TCG on and off casually since Ruby/Sapphire came out on the Gameboy and have been playing a lot of Pokemon TCG Online as of late but have recently gained a huge interest in the competitive scene. I have a few questions about the scene in general, and then additionally I request any other tips or tricks you guys have when it comes to getting into the competitive scene and learning and mastering all of the things that you need to know to succeed.

1. Where do players get their cards from? Is investing in packs a solid method of gaining cards or do people buy their cards individually from private sellers? Do people drop $200 to form new decks every time theirs falls short in the new metagame or is there a better way of collecting the necessary cards?

2. Do you have to attend events every weekend or so to get enough Championship Points to qualify? I'm dedicated to this and would be willing to travel freely on the weekends and possibly during the week to Premier Events and other tournaments to help me qualify. Is it necessary, though, to go to all of these events? And even if it isn't necessary, is it beneficial to understand how the scene works and learn the metagame while receiving practice?

3. What is the current metagame? Is there a centralized location with different guides and tips to help you learn everything you need to know about the current state of Pokemon TCG? How do you go about adjusting to the current metagame or realizing that the metagame itself is changing around you without reading forums like this, or is that the only way?

4. How can I learn the intricacies of the metagame and the cards themselves? There are a lot of niche effects and very specific refined details that shape the perfect decks and I'd like to know how one would go about learning these things.

5. Sort of banking off the first question, does competing require a large monetary investment? Besides the initial investment into a starting deck of course, I'm going to be a first year college student so local travel is obviously easy and within the budget but are there any hidden costs that I should know about?

6. Are there any other tips or tricks that I need to know about when beginning my journey to be a world champion?

Thanks a lot, everyone!

 

[bbninjas]

1. Where do players get their cards from? Is investing in packs a solid method of gaining cards or do people buy their cards individually from private sellers? Do people drop $200 to form new decks every time theirs falls short in the new metagame or is there a better way of collecting the necessary cards?

For a new player, it is often best to get a bulk of decent cards for trading. Getting a Booster Box could be good. Otherwise, you could go about buying singles on various online shops or from other players. To avoid dropping about hundred for a deck and then discovery it falls short, players will often use either a simulator or proxies. It should be noted that many of the same cards are used in each different deck.

2. Do you have to attend events every weekend or so to get enough Championship Points to qualify? I'm dedicated to this and would be willing to travel freely on the weekends and possibly during the week to Premier Events and other tournaments to help me qualify. Is it necessary, though, to go to all of these events? And even if it isn't necessary, is it beneficial to understand how the scene works and learn the metagame while receiving practice?

If you're good and can win or get top placings in the large events, you shouldn't need to participate in every event to gain points. That said, it is definitely helpful to understand the metagame and practice lots. If you're a new player and are wanting to qualify for Worlds this year, I'm afraid that it is a bit too late at this point.

3. What is the current metagame? Is there a centralized location with different guides and tips to help you learn everything you need to know about the current state of Pokemon TCG? How do you go about adjusting to the current metagame or realizing that the metagame itself is changing around you without reading forums like this, or is that the only way?

You may like to check out the Metagame Deck Discussion for good decks tiered with skeleton lists available. At the moment, there is a very large amount of Night March decks floating around. To counter these, Greninja BREAK and Trevenant BREAK have become popular, as they are some of the only decks that have good matchups.

4. How can I learn the intricacies of the metagame and the cards themselves? There are a lot of niche effects and very specific refined details that shape the perfect decks and I'd like to know how one would go about learning these things.

One of the biggest things is practice. Practice making decks from scratch as well as practice tweaking lists after practicing with them. It would be advisable to observe decks that have won tournaments, which you can find here, and see what they have in common. Observing our your deck performs while practicing is also advisable. Finally, talking to other players is very helpful. Showing your decklists to them and getting their feedback is great. You could also check out the front-page articles, many providing justifications for card inclusions.

5. Sort of banking off the first question, does competing require a large monetary investment? Besides the initial investment into a starting deck of course, I'm going to be a first year college student so local travel is obviously easy and within the budget but are there any hidden costs that I should know about?

The hidden costs would be sacrificing time for playtesting and buying the cards for the decks and potentially not using them again for some time. Also, some venues will have an entry fee, but I believe this is rare. If you are planning on going for Worlds, you will often need to travel to the larger events such as Regionals and States, which will result in accommodation costs and larger travel costs.

6. Are there any other tips or tricks that I need to know about when beginning my journey to be a world champion?

Practice, get involved with the community (I suggest both the forums and a local league or playtesting group) and be persistent. Also being willing to learn and even teaching yourself will make other more experienced TCG players more willing to help you. Good luck!