Overrated Pokemon in the TCG

[Tepig4321]

Hey guys I was wondering in your opinion what pokemon are OVERRATED in the Pokemon TCG
Yes I know @Purrloin has a Neglected pokemon thread but I think this would be kinda fun to discuss!

Overrated Pokemon In my Opinion -
Trevenant (break, ex, fa)
Hawlucha (been in like every set)
and Pikachu & Meowth I dont really count considering they are the 2 main mascots of Pokemon

 

[Otaku]

What you are describing isn't overrated, but overused. A lot of those cards are poor. So far there has been (for example) a single good Hawlucha, though it is a very good one. Not sure how long it has been since we had a Meowth worth running.

 

[Rusery]

Awweee, the Meowth that deals 30 damage for 1 energy is pretty good. Also, Turmoil strike meowth is really good dealing 50 to anything with counters already. The issue is that they don't have 180 hp and 2 energy setup that deals 120+ dmg... OH WELL.

 

[Otaku]

Awweee, the Meowth that deals 30 damage for 1 energy is pretty good. Also, Turmoil strike meowth is really good dealing 50 to anything with counters already. The issue is that they don't have 180 hp and 2 energy setup that deals 120+ dmg... OH WELL.

All cards are of course relative, but for the record there are a lot of issues with this game. I know because I've been around for most of it.

Meowth doesn't need 180 HP. Even a two Energy attack that deals 120+ damage isn't required. We have cards that are used in multiple competitive decks that don't fit either let alone both of those criteria. Think of Night March (like anyone currently playing can ignore it ); none of the Pokémon typically run in that deck fit both criteria. Yes they can hit hard, but they are tiny! Shaymin-EX (ROS) may be a Pokémon-EX but it doesn't have 180 HP or an attack that deals 120+ damage for two Energy. It does have an amazing Ability. So does Exeggcute (PLF, PLB), and it isn't a Pokémon-EX either. Note that I wouldn't call any of these cards balanced.

I don't want any Pokémon dealing 30 or more damage for a single Energy, at least for a while, until the-powers-that-be remember they need to design cards that including after combos can't attack for a KO the first turn or two of the game. Why? Because that leaves time for attacks that set up. With that, you have something useful to decks for Evolving Basics to do and you can allow first turn attacks again and Evolutions have time to Evolve, so that they can be competitive without

• overpowering Basics (don't laugh it actually happened for several formats, though none recently!)
• being blatantly overpowered themselves and/or having a shortcut to hit the field (see current successful Evolutions).

 

[Rusery]

All cards are of course relative, but for the record there are a lot of issues with this game. I know because I've been around for most of it.

Meowth doesn't need 180 HP. Even a two Energy attack that deals 120+ damage isn't required. We have cards that are used in multiple competitive decks that don't fit either let alone both of those criteria. Think of Night March (like anyone currently playing can ignore it ); none of the Pokémon typically run in that deck fit both criteria. Yes they can hit hard, but they are tiny! Shaymin-EX (ROS) may be a Pokémon-EX but it doesn't have 180 HP or an attack that deals 120+ damage for two Energy. It does have an amazing Ability. So does Exeggcute (PLF, PLB), and it isn't a Pokémon-EX either. Note that I wouldn't call any of these cards balanced.

I don't want any Pokémon dealing 30 or more damage for a single Energy, at least for a while, until the-powers-that-be remember they need to design cards that including after combos can't attack for a KO the first turn or two of the game. Why? Because that leaves time for attacks that set up. With that, you have something useful to decks for Evolving Basics to do and you can allow first turn attacks again and Evolutions have time to Evolve, so that they can be competitive without

• overpowering Basics (don't laugh it actually happened for several formats, though none recently!)
• being blatantly overpowered themselves and/or having a shortcut to hit the field (see current successful Evolutions).

Sure, but lets not bring Vespi or NM into this because those are a couple examples that are currently broken and are extremely unique. MOST decks have high HP/Damage Exs as attackers, even you can't deny that. That was my point. I wasn't also being literal about the numbers, but the masses value high HP and high attack basics in their lineups, therefore meowth and his counterpart Persian have absolutely zero value since there is an ex to take their place with much less effort.

They are doing an OK job at balancing stage 2 evolutions with Exs but there is still too much of a dip in power. Exs HP should be knocked down to 140 mark as a high end, and 90 as a low. Stage 2s need a 180 end and a 120 low considering you need 3 cards to get 1 stage 2 and there are alot of stage 2s that are MUCH weaker than Exs which makes no sense.

No poke should do more than 30 with a single energy, i 100% agree here. Greninja is an example of severe power-creep that even blocks every removal strategy, basically outclassing most stage 2s with its 1 energy 80 damage setup. Garchomp is rediculous as well with 1 energy dealing 60+ energy retrieval and his 2 energy setup deals 180 to exs??? Or Lucario-ex hitting the field T1 and then double strong energy into muscle band hitting me for 90 damage on T2....?

Sometimes i wonder what they were thinking over at the pokeHQ with this crap.

 

[Otaku]

@Rusery

We probably agree more than we disagree, but I also realize if I keep going we will so derail this thread. XD

So some over used Pokémon... the Simi- Evolution lines all got multiple releases when they were new, and not even all that spread out.

 

[Serpens]

Talonflame. There's waaay too many Talonflame cards.

 

[RiverShock]

I'm fine with the number of Gen 6 cards. We always get more Pokemon from the newest generation than previous ones, and it's warranted since they have less cards by default. (It's also much more apparent this time because Gen 6 introduced by far the least new Pokemon of any generation.)

Things like Meowth and Staryu is where I draw the line. I know Meowth is popular and all, but... We've seen him a lot lately, though at least most were from decks and such. And how have there been three MAIN SET Staryu from XY on? (Four total, the fourth originating from a deck in Japan, which is more forgivable.) Water is one of the biggest types, there are so many Pokemon they could have picked instead. >.> I pick on Staryu a lot in these types of thread, but... It's not even a popular Pokemon, so it really bothers me that it's gotten so many cards for seemingly no reason.

 

[crystal_pidgeot]

Talonflame. There's waaay too many Talonflame cards.

Really, Talonflame is the target for you while Charizard has had like 12 prints over the life of BW and XY. Mewtwo has a whole set dedicated to it. Talonflame has like 4 card collectively with the new one. Heck, Pikachu has like a card every other set AND has an EX for no reason as well as all the Pokemon where he cosplays as Pokemon who want an EX.

 

[Tepig4321]

Really, Talonflame is the target for you while Charizard has had like 12 prints over the life of BW and XY. Mewtwo has a whole set dedicated to it. Talonflame has like 4 card collectively with the new one. Heck, Pikachu has like a card every other set AND has an EX for no reason as well as all the Pokemon where he cosplays as Pokemon who want an EX.

well charizard is different because EVERYONE liked charizard one way or another so he deserved a set

 

[Otaku]

Really, Talonflame is the target for you while Charizard has had like 12 prints over the life of BW and XY. Mewtwo has a whole set dedicated to it. Talonflame has like 4 card collectively with the new one. Heck, Pikachu has like a card every other set AND has an EX for no reason as well as all the Pokemon where he cosplays as Pokemon who want an EX.

1) Nothing says both Pokémon can't be over used.

2) Talonflame is sixth generation Pokémon. It is misleading to compare its three (soon to be four) releases from its only generation of existence to the releases of cards that have been around longer, sometimes by over 15 years! While releases during the BW-era are relevant, they ought not be used for a straight up comparison, as that will merely pad numbers in favor of newer cards.

3) Charizard has only had one release during the XY era, and that was as part of Generations. During the BW era, it had one card released three times. @Tepig4321 didn't specify whether we were including reprints (which I prefer to filler "new versions" of cards) or actual unique iterations. Still, that means only two Charizard or four Charizard, not 12. There are three different Talonflame already released with a fourth on the way, and that is just in the XY sets.

4) Also not sure if we ought to count cards that are mechanically distinct from each other, but if we do, then there are soon to be five Talonflame cards: the three currently released Talonflame, one soon to be released, and Talonflame BREAK. As for Charizard yes this gives it a lot more releases. Still was only one Charizard released three times in the BW-era, but now there are eight distinct Charizard-themed cards released in the XY-era (including Generations). One is an actual Charizard. Four are Charizard-EX cards (one released three times, another twice), and three are M Charizard-EX cards (with two of them being released twice).

5) Charizard and Mewtwo are Pokémon from the first generation; that means they have had 20 years to build a fandom. While I disagree with Pokémon getting so many new iterations as well as reprints until the entire assortment has solid representation, since that doesn't seem to be something the-powers-that-be worry about (possibly they can't)... then yeah it makes sense that those two who are almost as iconic as Pikachu are going to receive many more releases.

 

[dwarfstar]

3) Charizard has only had one release during the XY era, and that was as part of Generations. During the BW era, it had one card released three times. @Tepig4321 didn't specify whether we were including reprints (which I prefer to filler "new versions" of cards) or actual unique iterations. Still, that means only two Charizard or four Charizard, not 12. There are three different Talonflame already released with a fourth on the way, and that is just in the XY sets.

Minor correction: there were also two Charizard-EX cards in the Flashfire expansion (plus a full-art of one of them, but that's standard procedure), plus one of each Mega form of it in that set. Your overall points are completely right, though.

 

[Tepig4321]

any cards that have been reprinted too much, pokemon that are used too much, and overrated cards in the tcg playing is what i mean

 

[Otaku]

Minor correction: there were also two Charizard-EX cards in the Flashfire expansion (plus a full-art of one of them, but that's standard procedure), plus one of each Mega form of it in that set. Your overall points are completely right, though.

Actually, I think it was the version from Generations I forgot, as it was released only once while the versions in XY: Flashfire each have multiple releases. I also think I had a math fail anyway; 3 BW-era and 1 XY-era Charizard cards plus six Charizard-EX cards (three distinct versions) and five M Charizard-EX (but only three distinct versions). That makes 14, not 12. ^^'

any cards that have been reprinted too much, pokemon that are used too much, and overrated cards in the tcg playing is what i mean

Hmm... guess that makes sense. So yeah, Charizard has a lot more representation than Talonflame, but one is from the current (soon to be last) generation while the other is one of the heavily promoted originals, so while I think there are too many Charizard-EX cards, at least I can understand why.

 

[crystal_pidgeot]

To be honest, I dont think there's any reason as to why they print some Pokemon. I really don't think they have a program that tells them which Pokemon has been printed to much, not enough or not at all. The gen 5 monkeys had a new card like every other set in not back to back for no reason at all.

As for what I consider overrated, well times change with the format. There will always be a new deck that people play but right now, the Dark, Fighting, Fairy and Psychic type are currently overpowered due to the amount of support they have so I guess these types are overrated but like Otaku said, the game shifted to OHKOs as fast as the player can get them so to be honest, any Pokemon that can do 100+ damage the turn they come out or the next turn and require like a energy or two to attack, they the will be played.

 

[StriatonIsMagic]

Really, Talonflame is the target for you while Charizard has had like 12 prints over the life of BW and XY. Mewtwo has a whole set dedicated to it. Talonflame has like 4 card collectively with the new one. Heck, Pikachu has like a card every other set AND has an EX for no reason as well as all the Pokemon where he cosplays as Pokemon who want an EX.

Agreed. Talonflame is underrated, and Pikachu? Don't get me started on his overrated-ness.