News 'Scizor-EX Box' in April!

Both of your hypotheses are interesting and would make sense. I think it could also be a simple appeal to the retro phase that's been going on for a year or two now, especially among fans of Nintendo franchises. 20- and 30-somethings are buying old systems and N64 games, getting back into Pokemon cards that have their favorite characters on it seems like a logical extension. Pokemon Go also brought out a lot of pseudo-fans, which ties into my previous point.
 
Juliacoolo said:
Both of your hypotheses are interesting and would make sense. I think it could also be a simple appeal to the retro phase that's been going on for a year or two now, especially among fans of Nintendo franchises. 20- and 30-somethings are buying old systems and N64 games, getting back into Pokemon cards that have their favorite characters on it seems like a logical extension. Pokemon Go also brought out a lot of pseudo-fans, which ties into my previous point.
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This is going to be anecdotal, but as a 20-/almost 30- something brought back into collecting TCG by the one-two knockout of Sun/Moon video games and the de facto Base Set reprint, neither the Legendary Birds boxes appeal to me because the Team Plasma theme to them is completely without context to me, and the way Pokémon-EX are handled is completely unappealing to me.

From my perspective, it's fine to have a Mewtwo-EX be a basic Pokémon because it is one, but why is Pidgeot-EX a Basic Pokémon as well? It should be a Stage 2 EX (like they did in the original set of EX cards), or else it should be something like a Lv. X put on top of a Stage 2 Pidgeot. This is a bigger deal when it's a Pokémon from a generation I might've skipped and pull it as an EX and won't realize e.g. Hydreigon is actually a Stage 2 pseudolegendary, not just some super-strong Basic / actual legendary.


So if it's pandering to people like me, it's not really doing it right. I have no interest in a Scizor-EX or a Kingdra-EX box and would've rather seen Scizor-GX, Kingdra-GX, etc. boxes.
 
DMYSYS said:
This is going to be anecdotal, but as a 20-/almost 30- something brought back into collecting TCG by the one-two knockout of Sun/Moon video games and the de facto Base Set reprint, neither the Legendary Birds boxes appeal to me because the Team Plasma theme to them is completely without context to me, and the way Pokémon-EX are handled is completely unappealing to me.

From my perspective, it's fine to have a Mewtwo-EX be a basic Pokémon because it is one, but why is Pidgeot-EX a Basic Pokémon as well? It should be a Stage 2 EX (like they did in the original set of EX cards), or else it should be something like a Lv. X put on top of a Stage 2 Pidgeot. This is a bigger deal when it's a Pokémon from a generation I might've skipped and pull it as an EX and won't realize e.g. Hydreigon is actually a Stage 2 pseudolegendary, not just some super-strong Basic / actual legendary.


So if it's pandering to people like me, it's not really doing it right. I have no interest in a Scizor-EX or a Kingdra-EX box and would've rather seen Scizor-GX, Kingdra-GX, etc. boxes.
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Pidgeot is a EX because of the way the game turned. In the BW era, all the EX Pokemon were legendary Pokemon but they ended up being so good that they would be all people used. Even the non EX basic Pokemon were so good at having 130 HP. If Evolved Pokemon were used, they were things like Stage 1 Pokemon that could KO something, like Zoroark.

Pretty much being a Stage 2 Pokemon was a death sentence and Evolution cards weren't really used so they just made the all Basic Pokemon and went on from there. I personally don't mind the design of evolved Pokemon as basic but the whole balance of the game is off. I dont like the fact that they are still making EX cards when GX cards are coming but if they insist on making them and giving them promo numbers, I do want a reprint of Pidgeot EX and M Pidgeot EX as promos.
 
I am starting to think that the lack of cards on the shelves isn't so much of a supply/demand problem rather than a possible corporate order to pull these items from shelves at major retailers. Typically, the same vendors service the card sections at both Wal-Mart and Target so it makes me think that something else may be afoot...
 
I think that they sold so much with monthly Generations sets this year that they're out of ideas for next year. "Straight reprints of old cards on box sets? ...sure, people will buy them!"
 
Funnily enough, the stores that I went to a couple days ago were actually pretty well stocked with cards. Granted, they may have restocked by that time, but I don't think the TCG's popularity has risen that significantly in Australia.
 
Another note is that so far both the EXes they are reprinting are Pokemon that evolve from first gen Pokemon. They may be appealing to people who collect cards much more so then players. Another thing is that they most likely don't have many GXes they can fling into promotional boxes along with them needing more to play if they're evolving ones making an EX easier to sell to collectors/ players on a budget.

That said I'm sure players want a different EX reprint and for me if they're going to keep doing straight reprints and not promos get that Set Up Shaymin EX going. The Pokemon Company should know it would sell to preexisting players. If it's current secondary market value would say anything.
 
crystal_pidgeot said:
Pidgeot is a EX because of the way the game turned. In the BW era, all the EX Pokemon were legendary Pokemon but they ended up being so good that they would be all people used. Even the non EX basic Pokemon were so good at having 130 HP. If Evolved Pokemon were used, they were things like Stage 1 Pokemon that could KO something, like Zoroark.

Pretty much being a Stage 2 Pokemon was a death sentence and Evolution cards weren't really used so they just made the all Basic Pokemon and went on from there. I personally don't mind the design of evolved Pokemon as basic but the whole balance of the game is off. I dont like the fact that they are still making EX cards when GX cards are coming but if they insist on making them and giving them promo numbers, I do want a reprint of Pidgeot EX and M Pidgeot EX as promos.
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Hasn't the TCG had a problem with encouraging people to use a greater diversity of cards - in this case, more than just Basics and Basic-EXes and consider using Stage 2 evo lines - for the greater part of its history? My understand is that Haymaker and Haymaker-like decks defined the meta in the early days, and DP had a bias towards Lv. X cards that evolved from Basics, and then Pokémon-SP were pretty much a concession towards the meta (despite the existence of Broken Space-Time) in the Platinum era.

BW's when I stopped paying attention, but it sounds like Basic EXs started taking off, but they never even tried to introduce Stage 1/Stage 2 EX cards to see if they'd survive. Again, a concession like SP. I know BREAK cards exist but I'd be surprised if they've done very well, effectively being a Stage 3 card in some cases.


As has been said, I'm more of an anomaly - most collectors are gonna *like* the embossed shiny Pidgeot-EX - but I know when I pulled one, I was a bit bummed out that it didn't evolve from Pidgeotto, and if I could trade it for a Ruby/Sapphire era ex, I likely would.
 
Its interesting because the back of these boxes state the card is a promo. But the badge in the bottom right doesn't say it is. And also the fact that there is a Gengar box with the phantom forces badge. This is an outdated card. But im not sure if its classed as a reprint though?
 
DMYSYS said:
Hasn't the TCG had a problem with encouraging people to use a greater diversity of cards - in this case, more than just Basics and Basic-EXes and consider using Stage 2 evo lines - for the greater part of its history? My understand is that Haymaker and Haymaker-like decks defined the meta in the early days, and DP had a bias towards Lv. X cards that evolved from Basics, and then Pokémon-SP were pretty much a concession towards the meta (despite the existence of Broken Space-Time) in the Platinum era.

BW's when I stopped paying attention, but it sounds like Basic EXs started taking off, but they never even tried to introduce Stage 1/Stage 2 EX cards to see if they'd survive. Again, a concession like SP. I know BREAK cards exist but I'd be surprised if they've done very well, effectively being a Stage 3 card in some cases.


As has been said, I'm more of an anomaly - most collectors are gonna *like* the embossed shiny Pidgeot-EX - but I know when I pulled one, I was a bit bummed out that it didn't evolve from Pidgeotto, and if I could trade it for a Ruby/Sapphire era ex, I likely would.
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I guess I can understand that but the real issue here is how cards are designed and game mechanics. Back then in the base set days, with cards like Energy Removal and Super Energy Removal, you couldn't really play much, so Haymaker was the play. "Big" basics with cheap attack cost and huge damage with the only other deck that could compete being Blastoise Articuno so even then, we had stage 2 bench sitters supporting "big" basics. With the last ex format, stage 2 Pokemon were overpowered and the basics not being that good. Sure we had basic ex Pokemon but many of them were bad but things felt balanced since many of the stages had cards you could make decks around. There was diversity then but the cards were designed in a way to where skill mattered, unlike now. Nowadays you put Pokemon in a deck that can nuke something and draw 40 cards a turn to do it.

I believe the game was most balanced around the time of D/P and HGSS days. SP Pokemon were cool and the LV X mechanic was nice. I wish that is how the mega mechanic worked. As for break Pokemon, the only good one is Greninja because of how good the stage 1 is. The game just turned into big basic with heavy focus on trainer cards, something that hasn't ever happened and EX cards are shiny and fun to look at so they thought it would be a better investment to make them all Basic Pokemon but this isn't the first time we had evolved Pokemon as basic. Overall the quality of the game degraded but it seems it was done to have faster games. Things are looking up with sun and moon for sure.

I'm just glad I'm able to play with a Pidgeot in a competitive format again so maybe I'm biased but I do think the way EX Pokemon were handled this time around was correct. I'm just glad to see evolution coming back to the game though. I just wonder how they are going to handle mega evolved Pokemon in the sun and moon sets.
 
bbninjas said:
Funnily enough, the stores that I went to a couple days ago were actually pretty well stocked with cards. Granted, they may have restocked by that time, but I don't think the TCG's popularity has risen that significantly in Australia.
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I think the bigger problem is how much products they sent out. As much cards as I see people buy in my local Walmart, they just get filled back up with products. is that a good thing? I mean, sure. However, I'd really like to see less reprints of old cards.



At least Scizor will become very cheap to run( excluding the darn shaymin)
 
Actually makes sense since the cardshop in my area told me ever since Pokemon Go was released their sales of the TCG increased 2 fold.
 
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I can understand pokemon that have megas getting EX cards, but reprints like these make no sense. I mean sure they're not as strong as some of the other EXs out there, but they're better than most of the GXs out right now.
 
Just think that in italy we don't have quite nothing of tpci products... Even league promos here are somewhat rare to have!
 
LGsniperz said:
Its interesting because the back of these boxes state the card is a promo. But the badge in the bottom right doesn't say it is. And also the fact that there is a Gengar box with the phantom forces badge. This is an outdated card. But im not sure if its classed as a reprint though?
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It is technically a reprint since they have likely been printed especially for these boxes, but the release of these boxes don't mean the card is legal for Standard play again, because they retain their original set symbol.

As a collector and a player, I don't really see the point of these boxes. For me they have no collectable value because they're NOT Black Star promos, although in the same breath it does make sense that they're not promos, because they will be phasing EXs out (one would assume) and giving them a promo would mean they could see play for at least another year. Also, so far these boxes have featured EXs that weren't really that great for decks (Gengar possibly being the exception, I know that saw play when it was released). I actually may pick up a Scizor one though, since I'd like to have a 4-3 Scizor EX line since it's a decent deck, and currently I only have 3-3.

I think Pokémon has has something of a comeback in the last year (particularly in the UK I feel, where prior to last year product was almost impossible to reliably come by except for online), so they're just churning out as much as possible to make money *shrug*. And it's probably worked. Whether or not the 20th anniversary and Pokémon GO have had a hand in this I don't know. It's just a shame that, for the most part, they're not releasing quality product that appeals to actual players of the game (Shaymin EX reprint - whether as a promo or not - would've been nice to calm the secondary market down a little!). Battle Arena decks are the only thing that have come close, to be honest, with good staple cards and shiny energy for deck pimpin'.
 
In north america, I am given to understand that tpci rent the space or shelves in retailers like walmart and manages their product independently. The move to market EX pokemon is most likely an indication that a large shift in the standard format will make those cards unplayable in that format. Tpci has always made large numbers of recently rotated or soon to be rotated cards available in the north american market at exactly the right or wrong time, especially aroundgift givibg holidays when less informed parents might be fooled into buying the mega gyarados box which doesn't include a mega gyarados, if you catch my drift. Even the battle decks are full of great cards, but they were not released at a time that allowed thise cards to be played in the standard format. It's a gross money grub when you compare it to the black and white on standard format of japan, which releases theme decks that include rare EX on a regular basis. Foul. Where is our EX theme deck?
 
flashpaka said:
Wait, didn't they take out EX's?
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While EXs are being to be replaced with the new GX mechanic, EXs are still going to exist in both the Expanded and Standard formats until the entire XY block rotates away. Since this Scizor-EX print will be keeping the set symbol from BREAKPoint, as oppose to becoming a Black Star Promo, Scizor-EX will only remain Standard legal for as long as BREAKPoint is Standard legal. :p
 
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