I was wondering that too
Sword & Shield TCG Set
- Thread starter Water Pokémon Master
- Start date
*sigh* You know they almost got it right. I've been having BW and XY full art Nostalgia, and I think these colourful and interesting backgrounds on the new full arts are great, though the CG is boring (that Torkoal looks great though, and I don't mind the Zamazenta). I was so happy to know that they were limiting the hyper rares to only vmax Pokemon, which in Japanese (let's be honest who's even gonna attempt collecting English sets anymore when they have 10,000 cards) means they'll be limited to like 1-3 per set. I've always disliked gold trainers but meh, fine, they were harmless really. But now we have hyper rare supporters... WHY? We now have even more set bloating! And the Gold Zacian and Zamazenta probably means they'll release at least one per set, meaning golds will have no value. So once again, we have a card with 3 different arts in one set. I'm so done with this, and I might stop collecting anything past the best of XY/Evoloutions now.
Sorry one more thing. This means that already (not including regular textured VMAX), this means there's gonna be 30, plus whatever extra in that next Japanese set coming out before english sword and shield, let's guess another 12. So like 42 ultras in the English set. and then 4 textured VMAX. And also all those V's in the Japanese decks.
Pretty much my sentiments are shared with @Frost and @Skeleton Liar about this one.
It’s weird because this has some things I really like and some things I really don’t. I’m pretty sure overall I’m satisfied, I mean the new Full Arts being unique make me happy, and the Pokémon-V in general I’m really digging. They’re sleek and they’ve got really nice full arts and all that. And when that’s all we knew about it I was overall really excited! But then...
They revealed Rainbow VMAX cards, which stung, lol. That gave me a bad gut feeling. Then I realized it’d only have been for VMAX Pokémon and I thought I’d have been fine with it. I mean, that’s how they should have done rainbows in the first place (I always said they’d be okay if it was reserved for 1-2 Pokémon per set). Then came gold Zacian and Zamazenta which was whatever. And gold items, which again, whatever, but those are to be expected I guess. It was a few things but I could get used to it-the set bloating isn’t as bad as Sun and Moon currently.
But then...Trainbow Rares. (I’m going to refer to them as this from now on). Seriously, who asked for this??? They’re...They’re people. It’s some of the most pointless cards I’ve ever seen, they really don’t even look good. I am glad it’s not for EVERY Pokémon in the set but it’s still disappointing nonetheless. Oh well, I just won’t collect them. It’s a shame that there’s now TWO eras I’m not going to 100%, but I’ve said it before I couldn’t be bothered.
But hey, at least regular full arts are pretty great and they’re not bloating sets with a Hyper-Metal-Rainbow version of them or something.
It’s weird because this has some things I really like and some things I really don’t. I’m pretty sure overall I’m satisfied, I mean the new Full Arts being unique make me happy, and the Pokémon-V in general I’m really digging. They’re sleek and they’ve got really nice full arts and all that. And when that’s all we knew about it I was overall really excited! But then...
They revealed Rainbow VMAX cards, which stung, lol. That gave me a bad gut feeling. Then I realized it’d only have been for VMAX Pokémon and I thought I’d have been fine with it. I mean, that’s how they should have done rainbows in the first place (I always said they’d be okay if it was reserved for 1-2 Pokémon per set). Then came gold Zacian and Zamazenta which was whatever. And gold items, which again, whatever, but those are to be expected I guess. It was a few things but I could get used to it-the set bloating isn’t as bad as Sun and Moon currently.
But then...Trainbow Rares. (I’m going to refer to them as this from now on). Seriously, who asked for this??? They’re...They’re people. It’s some of the most pointless cards I’ve ever seen, they really don’t even look good. I am glad it’s not for EVERY Pokémon in the set but it’s still disappointing nonetheless. Oh well, I just won’t collect them. It’s a shame that there’s now TWO eras I’m not going to 100%, but I’ve said it before I couldn’t be bothered.
But hey, at least regular full arts are pretty great and they’re not bloating sets with a Hyper-Metal-Rainbow version of them or something.
It is very shortsighted to assume that everyone collects cards in the same way you do. People are usually very hyped for full-art supporters and they retain decent prices - now these people have another level of rarity they can collect if they want to.
But nobody is putting the gun to yours or anyone's head to get them. They are not playable pieces, you're not going to lose a tournament without having them. The only value of having them is having them.
You can criticize their look all you want - they do look goofy. But the game does not have to adhere to one specific type of collector at the cost of competitive and casual players, collectors, traders and game stores. I'd take 30+ Secret Rares over $18 regular holo Rares every day of the week.
But nobody is putting the gun to yours or anyone's head to get them. They are not playable pieces, you're not going to lose a tournament without having them. The only value of having them is having them.
You can criticize their look all you want - they do look goofy. But the game does not have to adhere to one specific type of collector at the cost of competitive and casual players, collectors, traders and game stores. I'd take 30+ Secret Rares over $18 regular holo Rares every day of the week.
Rainbow Rare FA Supporters are ridiculously stupid and I'm gonna be annoyed every time I pull one (except maybe my boy Gordie, assuming they make a card of all the Gym Leaders) but whatever, at least there isn't a Rainbow for literally every single V in the sets anymore lol
also the Gold versions of Zacian and Zamazenta are gorgeous tbh, if any new Pokemon should get Gold cards, it should be them <3
also the Gold versions of Zacian and Zamazenta are gorgeous tbh, if any new Pokemon should get Gold cards, it should be them <3
Wheres them heckin' Swordward and Shielbert Full Arts? 
Really happy to see gold outlines back, and interesting backgrounds. Also glad they mostly featured pokemon that haven’t been in sets, especially Snorlax. Also happy to see Lapras get a good full art, the Sun and Moon version kind of disappeared with the blue outline and background.
This exactly... at least are vmax only.. trainers could see coming a mile off im surprised didnt happen 4/5 sets ago.. but glitter effect is cool, lets just hope the pull rates improve from the team up on era - even take a leaf out of the japanese book and guarantee 1 SR, 3 FA or whatever from each box and ill go back go buying a case! Too much of a punt at the minute.. they should really be stocking boosters down my local betting shop
I kinda thought rainbow rares would be exclusive to Sun & Moon because
-Hawaii is the Rainbow State
-Sun & Moon was codenamed Project Rainbow
-7 colors of the rainbow i.e. Gen 7
-the various references to rainbows in the games (Minior's core colors, the colored bits that make up Necrozma's face, Rainbow Rocket, the battle transitions)
Oh well.
-Hawaii is the Rainbow State
-Sun & Moon was codenamed Project Rainbow
-7 colors of the rainbow i.e. Gen 7
-the various references to rainbows in the games (Minior's core colors, the colored bits that make up Necrozma's face, Rainbow Rocket, the battle transitions)
Oh well.
how is ballon 5, its just a worse float stone
why didnt we just get float stone
Right... So basically, no one is allowed to voice their opinions if it's negative and does not align with yours. And everyone should be hyped for anything Pokemon-related--because it's Pokemon, the flawless franchise! Yeah, I can speak in sarcastic hyperbole too.
But in all seriousness, it's comments like this and the quip you made earlier that clue me in on the fact that you don't understand why others don't like an overabundance of ultra rares in every single set. Of course we don't expect everyone complete every single set. Of course no one is forcing us to do so either.
I think the thing that you're missing is that, for a collector like me, I want to collect each set. Collecting the cards is fun. Completing an entire set is very satisfying. That is why I have spent so much money on this hobby, collecting the cards in this manner. It is enjoyable to me, and I know many other collectors feel the same way. That's important to keep in mind as I go into the explanation of why the continued increase of ultra rares has become undesirable and frustrating to collectors like me.
Back when I starting collecting cards again after a hiatus of a few years, I got a booster box of HS Unleased. With that one booster box, I nearly completed the set. It felt awesome and, again, satisfying. I was only missing a few holos, Primes, and Legend pieces. I could later either trade or buy the missing cards, and I'd be done! Later on with the BW and XY sets, I would buy a booster of every new set. With EX's, FA's, and secret rares in every set, I wouldn't get as close to completing each set as I did with that Unleased box, but it was at least a fair amount of the set completed. It might take a bit longer and there might be a few more expensive cards to get, but it was manageable and still fun to collect and complete.
Then we get into the SM sets, where TPC decided to add a third rarity on top of GX's and FA's, and that Japan would get a new set nearly every month (if not every month). Meanwhile, TPCi had no choice but to create giant sets in order to keep up with Japan, if they wanted to keep their release schedule of a new set every 3 months. So now we have 30 to 50 ultra rares in every single set. In a booster box, you'll get 6 ultra rares. One or two might be a full art; perhaps you'll get one of many rainbow rares or gold cards, but you're not guaranteed. You'll barely put a dent in the amount of ultra rares. In fact, you won't even get half of the holos in the set from a booster box. It's underwhelming and unsatisfying. With so many ultra rares to get, if you want to complete the set, it becomes really daunting, financially. If someone was to just buy one of every single card in Cosmic Eclipse, for example, they'd be out hundreds of dollars. Multiply that four times a year. (And if you tried your luck with booster packs, it seems unrealistic. There are videos on YouTube of people opening 1,000 SM-era packs, and they did not get a complete set.)
So now because there is an overabundance of ultra rares in every set, the notion of completing these sets--something that I enjoy--is no longer feasible. I can no longer afford the hobby that I have had for about 20 years. As a result, I've lost interest in buying most TCG products, and that's a very frustrating feeling.
I would hope that actually explains why others and I have been so negative about ultra rares--especially rainbow rares. I really don't think it's so much the fact that rainbow rares exist, it's just how superfluous they are when other versions of the same card already exist. I doubt anyone would say people aren't allowed to like these cards, though.
And now that I'm seeing the entirety of each sets' secret rares, I can say that it seems like they took a few steps in the right direction to find that balance between a variety of ultra rares and not going overboard. But then there's the rainbow rare Supporters, which are again superfluous, and thus why they were the main topic of disinterest in the comments.
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No.
I love that you've highlighted words like "to me" and "I want", in response to a post criticizing people for basing their opinions on selfish desires, right after you've tried to poorly criticize me for acting selfish.
The most expensive card in the whole of Unleashed is now 2.50 Euro, with nearly a 100 pieces of it available. Do you have to explain why this is bad for everyone BUT people who want to collect all cards from these sets?
You do realize it's absolutely terrible for the long-term value of each set, if it can be completed with a single booster box? You are not supposed to buy randomized packs in hope of getting the cards you need - that's called gambling.
This is why cheap, small sets are awful for everyone - there's no way to open anything of value. Every card you open from tournament prizes is trash, no powerseller can ever make their money back, people lose interest, game dies. Even worse, because they have no expensive counter-parts, cards that are playable in Standard rise to ridiculous double-digit prices and then immediately fall to 50 cents after they rotate out, draining everyone's resources and giving nothing in return.
The game is more popular than ever now. I am not saying that's 1:1 correlation, but I am saying that stores are Local Game Stores much more willing to stock Pokemon product. The EV is higher and "shiny" cards boost over-the-counter sales.
One - you can collect your sets without secrets. Secrets are already counted "beyond the set".
Two - you should be happy that your collectible cards are finally collectible. Your collection might now actually hold value, not be something that anyone can buy for ten euro.
Three - if you keep these cards in good condition, they're an investment. A risky one, for sure, but normally these cards will grow in value and become more scarce. You're not technically losing money (as you would with buying worthless cards nobody else wants to buy).
So, again - you are talking from an extremely niche perspective. To fulfill that perspective, TPCI would have to work against every other consumer and their own profits, to deliver you a mass of worthless paper rectangles with no actual collectible value.
Expensive collectible cards are great for: competitive players, casual players (siphoning cost away from playable cards), casual collectors (giving them more options to collect), game stores and distributors (higher EVs and sales), powersellers and traders (cards people WANT). It's only if you're forcing yourself into this paradoxical mindset of wanting to have these cards despite not actually wanting them, is where you'll have a problem.
You've literally characterized me as a Pokemon fanboy in your first paragraph. If that's your answer, you never had a point to begin with.
Mhmm. And then in the majority of what I said, I explained why others could possibly have issues with too many ultra rares. I gave my own personal take on it too, in order to make the explanation more relatable, giving the abridged version of how one gets to this conclusion.
Basically, everyone has different opinions. And whether intentional or not, you sounded like you were talking down on anyone who didn't like some of these cards.