'Primal Clash' Set Description [10/23]

[Pikachu6319]

Yeah, that's why the starter pokemon theme deck was option number two. Even then the theme decks could still have a Kyogre or Groudon in them. Swampert and Kyogre go together like clockwork and making the Sceptile deck with ground energy gives it the chance for Groudon, if of course they make regular versions of Kyogre and Groudon in this set. We also cannot exactly rule out a Hoenn starter deck thing like they did for the Kalos starter pokemon, though we haven't seen any evidence of this as of yet.

 

[signofzeta]

Theme decks featuring Groudon and Kyogre will only work if a regular Groudon and Kyogre is in the set. So far, I have only seen the EX versions being in the set.

If the starters are the featured pokemon for theme decks, there is definitely going to be 3 theme decks. All I do know is whether it is the starters or legendaries, Groudon and Kyogre will be shown on the paper two player playmat that comes with every theme deck.

In generation 3, all sets had 2 theme decks, and I think back then, it was one of those stubborn decisions that all sets must have 2 theme decks, and they lifted that restriction in Generation 4. Crystal Guardians did have 3 theme decks, but one of them was exclusive to some stores, and it was packaged in its own box, whereas Storm Surge and Green Cyclone was packaged together in a different box.

In Generation 3, 4, and 5, the first set had starter Pokemon. Due to what I said above, there isn't a ex Ruby and Sapphire theme deck featuring Sceptile. The fourth sets have the legendary pokemon as the cover. ex Team Magma and Team Aqua, DP Great Encounters, BW Next Destinies. In these 3 generations, they have the luxury of doing both because the next main series game came out more than a year after the first games in that generation came out.

From generation 3 to generation 6, every set that is represented by a paired version of games has either the starter or the legendaries as the theme deck cover cards.

ex Firered and Leafgreen has Charmeleon and Ivysaur as the cover cards, to represent the games' Charizard and Venusaur, although I don't know why they didn't want to include the stage 2's in the decks, but I can also say that they can represent the starters with Wartortle missing. As to why Wartortle is missing, read the third paragraph.

For Heargold Soulsilver, they had a choice between the starters or legendaries, and they picked starters.

For Boundaries crossed, due to the fact that the starters for Black 2 and White 2 are Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott, it would be redundant to do them again, so the theme deck cover cards are the legendaries.

For XY, due to the existence of the Kalos Starter Sets, Xerneas and Yveltal are the theme deck cover cards.

Judging from all of this, I think Sceptile, Blaziken, and Swampert will be the cover cards for the theme decks, but I am not guaranteeing this. In HGSS, they picked Meganium, Typhlosion, and Feraligatr over Ho-oh and Lugia.

Looking back, there was never ever a Sceptile theme deck. There was only one Blaziken theme deck, and two Swampert theme decks.

Another word of note is that the video game cover legendary Pokemon from Generation 3 to 6 ended up being the cover Pokemon of the theme deck only in that Generation, and has never appeared as a theme deck cover card in any other generation, which puts another point towards theme decks for this set being the starters over the legendaries.

Another word of note is that in generation 4, the rulebook/cardlist shows the featured theme deck Pokemon, while in generation 5 and 6, they are in the playmats. The exception being HS unleashed showing a picture of Entei and Raikou over Tyrannitar and Steelix. All sets that feature the starters depict the legendaries in the Rulebook/cardlist in Gen 4, and the playmat in Gen 5.

 

[Pikachu6319]

While it's no guarantee, I question if Blaziken will have it's own theme deck. If you look at theme decks since the start of the BW era, the cards chosen are rare cards in the main set and given exclusive holos in the deck. Blaziken I believe is already supposed to be holographic. The only way I see to get Blaziken in a theme deck at all (and probably not its own) is to make one of those decks dual fire and have a non holo only card in that deck. Or they would have to have two Blazikens in the main set, with the other being non holo. This could be doable as that was what happened in Ruby/Sapphire, they each had a holo version and a rare version. Or they could ditch that trend, which could happen too.

For that Blaziken theory or for Kyogre/Groudon, regardless of whether they take the theme deck lead spot or only support it with the starters, we do need those cards to exist. It could happen, we're talking 150 cards in this and we know of only about a dozen of them.

 

[signofzeta]

While it's no guarantee, I question if Blaziken will have it's own theme deck. If you look at theme decks since the start of the BW era, the cards chosen are rare cards in the main set and given exclusive holos in the deck. Blaziken I believe is already supposed to be holographic. The only way I see to get Blaziken in a theme deck at all (and probably not its own) is to make one of those decks dual fire and have a non holo only card in that deck. Or they would have to have two Blazikens in the main set, with the other being non holo. This could be doable as that was what happened in Ruby/Sapphire, they each had a holo version and a rare version. Or they could ditch that trend, which could happen too.

For that Blaziken theory or for Kyogre/Groudon, regardless of whether they take the theme deck lead spot or only support it with the starters, we do need those cards to exist. It could happen, we're talking 150 cards in this and we know of only about a dozen of them.

You have no proof that primal clash blaziken is a holo. Look at furious fists sylveon. Not holo. Rising fists sylveon. Holo.

Dark explorers. Cofagrigus and Zoroark both not holo. Dark rush. Cofagrigus not holo, Zoroark holo.

Rarity in japanese sets don't mean jack.

 

[Luispipe8]

While it's no guarantee, I question if Blaziken will have it's own theme deck. If you look at theme decks since the start of the BW era, the cards chosen are rare cards in the main set and given exclusive holos in the deck. Blaziken I believe is already supposed to be holographic. The only way I see to get Blaziken in a theme deck at all (and probably not its own) is to make one of those decks dual fire and have a non holo only card in that deck. Or they would have to have two Blazikens in the main set, with the other being non holo. This could be doable as that was what happened in Ruby/Sapphire, they each had a holo version and a rare version. Or they could ditch that trend, which could happen too.

For that Blaziken theory or for Kyogre/Groudon, regardless of whether they take the theme deck lead spot or only support it with the starters, we do need those cards to exist. It could happen, we're talking 150 cards in this and we know of only about a dozen of them.

You have no proof that primal clash blaziken is a holo. Look at furious fists sylveon. Not holo. Rising fists sylveon. Holo.

Actually, the Theme Deck Pokés usually "lose" their Holo Treatment when transferred overseas. From all recent Theme Decks, a huge majority had Japanese Holo Rare cards as the mascot while the card outside of the deck is a non-holo rare.

 

[signofzeta]

You have no proof that primal clash blaziken is a holo. Look at furious fists sylveon. Not holo. Rising fists sylveon. Holo.

Actually, the Theme Deck Pokés usually "lose" their Holo Treatment when transferred overseas. From all recent Theme Decks, a huge majority had Japanese Holo Rare cards as the mascot while the card outside of the deck is a non-holo rare.

Another example is plasma storm druddigon. Rare in Plasma Storm. Common in Plasma Gale

 

[Pikachu6319]

Thinking about that, it's because Japan doesn't seem to seperate their holos from their rares like we do. It's either common, uncommon rare or what I assume is really rare (RR) for them. Not only do we have common, uncommon, and rare but then we have regular holo, special holo (like EX's and FA) and secret rares. Phantom Forces Crobat is a rare while Phantom Gate is uncommon for example. I kind of wonder which rarity system is better.

The picture of the Blaziken card, bad of quality that it admittedly is from the Pokebeach scan, looks holographic. Swampert and Sceptile do not. It's not concrete proof but that is what it looks like. It's true that there are cards that switch around rarity and such between Japan and America but unless I'm mistaken starters and legendaries are rarely switched about. They have in fact gone out of there way sometimes to make those holographic. Look at Crystal Guardians Venusaur, Blastoise, and Swampert. Really though, no one has proof that Blaziken isn't holographic either. And it's true they could 'downgrade' it for American release...or 'upgrade' Swampert and Sceptile for American release. Really it goes back to not having enough information to be sure of much.

 

[signofzeta]

Thinking about that, it's because Japan doesn't seem to seperate their holos from their rares like we do. It's either common, uncommon rare or what I assume is really rare (RR) for them. Not only do we have common, uncommon, and rare but then we have regular holo, special holo (like EX's and FA) and secret rares. Phantom Forces Crobat is a rare while Phantom Gate is uncommon for example. I kind of wonder which rarity system is better.

The picture of the Blaziken card, bad of quality that it admittedly is from the Pokebeach scan, looks holographic. Swampert and Sceptile do not. It's not concrete proof but that is what it looks like. It's true that there are cards that switch around rarity and such between Japan and America but unless I'm mistaken starters and legendaries are rarely switched about. They have in fact gone out of there way sometimes to make those holographic. Look at Crystal Guardians Venusaur, Blastoise, and Swampert. Really though, no one has proof that Blaziken isn't holographic either. And it's true they could 'downgrade' it for American release...or 'upgrade' Swampert and Sceptile for American release. Really it goes back to not having enough information to be sure of much.

I say this again, Japanese rarities doesn't mean jack.

Based on history, it is more likely that there will be a Blaziken theme deck if the theme decks are based on the starters, than there not being one.

Most of the non-holo rares came from Japanese U cards. Most of the holo rares came from the Japanese R cards. So what you should really be saying is that Japan does not separate their commons from their uncommons. Then again, Japanese rarities don't mean jack when it comes to English rarities.

Prime example is Plasma Storm Druddigon. Shows a star in the English version, but a C is the Japanese version.

It is also more likely that TPCi will make it so that all 3 hoenn starters and their evolutions will have the same rarity, rather than having one of them with higher rarity than the others. Name one set from Diamond and Pearl onwards that has the three stage 2 starters with different rarities, while all 3 of them are in the same set.

The reason why a theme deck cover card ends up being a rare in the main set may have to do with 2 things.

It makes the theme deck cover card feel more special, despite it being a common card in Japan. A pokemon would look great as a theme deck cover card. The card in Japan is common. It would be stupid if the cover card was a common card. TPCi turns it into a rare instead.

Recently theme deck cover cards have been rares, and when it was a higher rarity in Japan, it became rare when it was brought overseas. Think about it. Theme deck cover cards are easier to get. You just buy the theme decks, so if you got a holo rare theme deck cover card from a pack, it wouldn't feel special anymore.

In Japan, Sceptile and Swampert have the U rarity. Blaziken have the R rarity. I can see TPCi making all 3 of Sceptile, Blaziken, and Swampert having the non-holo rare rarity, and making all 3 theme deck cover cards, over having one of them more rare than others.

 

[Pikachu6319]

I wouldn't say japanese rarities don't mean jack but it does mean it's not entirely reliable. That would again be as I said the way they split their cards compared to ours, on top of the fact that English does things like throw in japanese random promos into our sets (example; fairy Dedenne and the Goodra line, two of them being reprint promos in Phantom Force) which also changes rarities.

History has shown that they are more likely to make three theme decks for the starters as that has been the trend, but only since Diamond and Pearl. Further look into that history shows a few exceptions. The first was in Neo Genesis, the first of the second gen cards. They didn't make theme decks of the starters and didn't even have any cards for the Chikorita line, though granted this was when the ccg was in the hands of Wizards. The second was in Ruby/Sapphire, the first set that Nintendo was solely responsible for. They only focused on the the Blaziken line and Swampert line though Swampert line did have Treecko and Grovyle in it. The third was FRLG were not only was there no deck for the Blastoise line but didn't even have any of the cards in that line in the theme deck. Granted these are not recent examples but it does prove it can happen.

Really without knowing more about what's in this set there is just no way to know.

As I say, I wonder which rarity system is better but I'm not sure there is an answer to that.

 

[signofzeta]

I wouldn't say japanese rarities don't mean jack but it does mean it's not entirely reliable. That would again be as I said the way they split their cards compared to ours, on top of the fact that English does things like throw in japanese random promos into our sets (example; fairy Dedenne and the Goodra line, two of them being reprint promos in Phantom Force) which also changes rarities.

History has shown that they are more likely to make three theme decks for the starters as that has been the trend, but only since Diamond and Pearl. Further look into that history shows a few exceptions. The first was in Neo Genesis, the first of the second gen cards. They didn't make theme decks of the starters and didn't even have any cards for the Chikorita line, though granted this was when the ccg was in the hands of Wizards. The second was in Ruby/Sapphire, the first set that Nintendo was solely responsible for. They only focused on the the Blaziken line and Swampert line though Swampert line did have Treecko and Grovyle in it. The third was FRLG were not only was there no deck for the Blastoise line but didn't even have any of the cards in that line in the theme deck. Granted these are not recent examples but it does prove it can happen.

Really without knowing more about what's in this set there is just no way to know.

As I say, I wonder which rarity system is better but I'm not sure there is an answer to that.

Using examples from before the trend started doesn't really count. A good example is if there was a set after Diamond and Pearl that has only 2 of the 3 starters as theme deck mascots.

I mentioned a reason why Ruby and Sapphire, and Firered and Leafgreen only had 2 decks. Maybe it was a hard and fast rule that all sets must have 2 theme decks, and they broke that rule in Diamond and Pearl. Note that Crystal Guardians is a special case. Storm Surge and Green Cyclone are the two theme decks. Earth Shower is the extra one. Earth Shower is packaged separate in its own box, rather than together with Storm Surge and Green cyclone, unlike what is happening with the current sets that contain 3 theme decks.

Maybe it has something to do with packaging design. Starting with Base set, there have been 5 different packaging changes for theme decks. Base set to ex Sandstorm is the first. ex Dragon to ex Power Keepers is the second. Diamond and Pearl to HS Unleashed is the third. HS Undaunted to Call of Legends is the fourth, Black and White to current is the final most recent one. Maybe the packaging design cannot allow for 3 theme decks to happen for the ones from Base set to ex Power keepers because the number of each theme deck wouldn't be equal in each display case. Let's say that there are 8 theme decks in each box, which is true from Base set all the way to now. 8 does not divide evenly in to threes, which is why we only saw 2 or 4 theme decks per set.

Starting with Diamond and Pearl, maybe perhaps they figured out a way to have 3 theme decks by redesigning the display box design by widening it to make room for 4 more decks. Note that the sets with 2 theme decks have 8 theme decks per display, and sets with 3 theme decks have 12 theme decks per display.

So using examples like ex Ruby and Sapphire and ex Firered and Leafgreen does not count becuase back then, maybe they haven't figured out how to incorporate the same amount of 3 theme decks into one display box until Diamond and Pearl, so the only examples you can make are the ones from after Diamond and Pearl.