The game is changing - is it getting out of hand?

Pokeman

Pokeman

The great snake rules forever!
Member
Okay, I quit this game a little bit after Cities. This game has very little strategy to it anymore. There are no hand disruption decks, deckout, energy removal, trainer lock or anything like that. It is pretty much this card beats this card, you run this to counter that card and such. The game has way too much acceleration. And basic pokemon have more hp than stage 2. The game is way out of hands and they keep making more and more ex cards. The game is nowhere near how it used to be. It was way better in the old ex days and the level X era. Anyone agree?
 
RE: This game is way out of hands!

I "started" (to visit a league) a bit before SP:s came out, back then everyone complained about how SP (especially LuxChomp) dominates. After that came the HGSS era when everyone complained that there were only like four playable decks, then came BW and every deck was either Reshiram or Zekrom, then came the EX:es, and everything had Mewtwo EX, then more EX:es came and every deck is now EX:es. Now people complain that everything is EX:es.

I dunno. There hasn't been any variety of metagame decks in years, so why quit right now? It's true that EX:s need a nerf though, or at least stage decks need a buff. Even Garchomp/Altaria that has an amazing build-in engine (Dragon Call) and extremely low energy cost can't keep up with the EX:s because of the sheer speed of Energy acceleration in every metagame deck.
 
RE: This game is way out of hands!

If you have been looking at the last few sets, you will notice that the EXs are beginning to get weaker. Take a look at Meloetta EX, the card is absolute trash. They are also trying to slow the game down with better evolutions, like the Plasma cards. Just give it a little more time bud.

But yeah, I agree with you. Right now, all you do is attach energy and do big damage.
 
RE: This game is way out of hands!

Quite frankly the pokemon tcg is undoubtably not as good as it was before. But I seems like exs are more uncommon in the new plasma storm expansion. For example when I was playing in the BC prerelease tournament I got a white kyurem ex and a full art celebi ex in my first 6 booster packs but in the plasma storm one I went to as far as I know no one got more then 1 ex and I only got a ex in my last 2 booster packs so I would guess that there shifting out of it but it will take a few years for them to stop being tournament legal.although I think they should try this idea: make all exs illegal for tournament play and make it so that you may not have more then 1 basic pokemon that does not evolve in your deck. You could try to do that outside of tournaments is you wanted to and maybe even limit yourself to playing cards from sets before black and white. I think I might try this.
 
RE: This game is way out of hands!

I don't blame you. The metagame is very predictable and formulaic. The EXs are the best cards in the game. Combine that with Pokemon Catcher and you pretty much have almost every single deck (and usually combined with various Energy acceleration).

There does seem to be more interesting cards coming out though. Ghetsis, Exeggucute/Exeggutor, and Dragonite are all disruption/lock cards coming out in the next set hopefully. Eventually rotations will rotate the best EX cards out and we'll have more variety. All you can really do at this point is hope for the future and see if anything changes.

dmaster out.
 
RE: This game is way out of hands!

I just keep playing and adapt, what happens happens.
 
RE: This game is way out of hands!

It is pretty broken, but the new EX's aren't so beefy. It's definitely got a Yu-Gi-Oh feel to it sometimes when on card is wiping the floor against the other.

The new EX's are most likely going to play supporting roles though which will make the other EX's still pretty cheap. :p Like the new Thundrus and Tornadus EX cards.
 
RE: This game is way out of hands!

But there is still no strategy and almost every rare/holo is really bad and cannot even be considered for play because the format is so screwed up. The best that could happen is rotate sets out, but that will take too long for me. And I am more focused on school, job, friends, and girls I don't have time for the game anymore at this point I don't even have fun going to tournaments because the decks are all based around the same thing, beef your ex up that counters there and either one shot or two shot them. That is no fun.
 
RE: This game is way out of hands!

I think it's just a phaze. It seemed like tPCI wanted to try something new with the EXs and whatnot, but they went a tad overboard. Now though, with the upcoming sets, it definitely seems like they're at least trying to balance the game out a bit. The new EXs are less good (although still not terrible), and they're making playable stage 2's. I definitely do agree that when EXs first came out, they went overboard and made them too powerful and centralizing, but in future sets it looks like they're fixing it.

(PS: Totally agree the old ex days were better.)
 
RE: This game is way out of hand!

i get what u mean its just ex war or bouffalant terrakion counter. its not gonna change soon because of ether. havent seen a stage 1 or 2 attack in a while not counting attaching energy on blastoise and attacking. the thing i do like is there trainers and supporters are so much better than before relying on claydol but itd be nice if they reprint uxie. the game is predictable i agree but with n and hypnotoxics it'll lessen that. my overview is that i dont like but its not the worst format and with the new cards it might get some people back in the game.
 
RE: This game is way out of hand!

Claydol you had ways to get around there was power spray, there was Blaziken FB to bring it up and burn it and there was a lot of good sniping cards that killed it. Uxie was fun to use aswell espically with Mesprit in the game, I didn't really like Azelf too much, but it was good and it did help. ONE way they could even this game out is if they brought back a Machamp SF into this game.
 
RE: The game is way out of hand!

YoungNes said:
bring back mewtwo lv x
Click to expand...
While I would love that (as long at it is a stage 2) it would completely break the current game. At least every EX deck would need to run Garbodor. lol
 
RE: The game is way out of hand!

Holo Rares usually are worth .50 to a dollar now, it's pretty bad for 4$ packs. And the rares are even worse. (remembers Next Destinies.... ugh)

I do like Plasma Storm's rares though. But the EX's are still all the hype and so most people probably aren't even using ebay to find them unless they're trying to complete sets. But some holos go for more than 5$ which is nice like Klinklang.

I'd love to spend my hard earned money on old cards if y'know they didn't cost like a new game system or camera! Seriously how do they get so expensive!

Yea I hear you, I gotta spend money on groceries, bills, the gym, exercise needs (man nutrition is actually quite expensive...) AND gas for the car. I do make enough to splurge on cards now and then. However I don't go to College, which I should or else be doomed to a Museum for the rest of my life. :B
 
RE: The game is way out of hand!

This is exactly the reason why I play Cardfight!! Vanguard competitively and just judge Pokemon Tournaments. Pokemon is just one broken card after the other. It also doesn't help when you can run over players with the EX decks even when I just borrow the deck and do not even memorize the decklist. (I do know the general strat of the deck but was never told of the deck's techs and whatnot)

You want to win your S/P/T Tournament?

-Choose Stage 2 or Basic

-If you choese Basic, check the scans for awesome looking Pokemon EX
-Add these Pokemon EX along with Pokemon Catcher and Hypnotoxic Laser
-Add supporters and a decent ACE SPEC to the deck.
-You can now have a deck that can win S/P/T

-If you choose Stage 2, you are slightly screwed but meh
-Choose Hydreigon or Blastoise
-Add specific Pokemon EX (Keldeo for Blastoise, Darkrai and other mascots for Hydreigon) along with Pokemon Catcher and Hypnotoxic Laser
-Add supporters and a decent ACE SPEC to the deck.
-You can now have a deck that can win S/P/T


Oh and do not forget, when all else fails, use N to completely lucksack your way to winning by depriving opponent of any stable form of draw. You don't need fancy combos to hand-lock your opponent, all you need is N.
 
RE: The game is way out of hand!

I totally agree with everything being said here. I think there are many reasons why Ex's are so popular. #1 being they look awesome and sell for a high price. From the companies point of view if they can produce Ex cards at the same cost as commons and ppl would pay $25 a Ex you know the general public is going to be buying up boxes of boosters just to get them; thus putting more profit in the companies pocket. Take a second and think of pull rate vs. the money spent to get a Ex. #2 Yea they are super strong! And if you want to go to tournaments and fair well use Ex's. You have to remember the Ex target audience is for kids just entering into the world of pokemon. If they open to boring cards they wont get hooked. For ppl like Pokeman and myself that have been in the game from the beginning Ex's are annoying. #3 I think thats what the company just wanted to do with the black and white series. I feel like they have been building up to this massive Ex popularity. Outside of the TCG Ex's don't play a role. Certainly not in the TV show. I think that once this black and white expansion is over, (and it should be soon I mean come on BW 8 enough is enough) a different metagame will take place and ppl will have something new to complain about lol.
I think you should look on the bright side. They still print decks that work without Ex's. They are still making stage 2 and prints of our beloved original cast. They just came out with a new jigglypuff who doesn't want that? I buy the new set because I look for my fav characters and interesting cards and moves. The only reason I have Ex's (and I dont have many) is because maybe some day they will be worth something. I enjoy playing the game without Ex's and I'm sure there are plenty around that do also. And if I happen to face someone with a Ex I take pride when I beat them because I am just that good.
 
RE: The game is way out of hand!

I agree with everything here: EX's are generally too overpowered. Back in the ex era (pre-DP), ex's were less powerful, and stage 1's and 2's actually had more health than basics. Now? Even our stage 2's like Hydreigon and Garchomp and the like have less HP than the vast majority of EX's (I think the only English ones with less than 160 HP are Victini, Shaymin and Mew). When I play with friends, most of us have only one EX, and it's almost always that one EX that does something significant. Not the stage 1 or 2's, the EX's. Basically it's get an EX then win. Not much strategy in that. But then again, there's always that satisfaction when you knock out an EX without using an EX. Just my two cents.
 
RE: The game is way out of hand!

MrSquarepants said:
Holo Rares usually are worth .50 to a dollar now, it's pretty bad for 4$ packs. And the rares are even worse. (remembers Next Destinies.... ugh)
Click to expand...

The only reason why they are so cheap is because shops like TnT try to be cheaper than everyone else, and because of that cards are either super expensive or dirt cheap. It's all marketing tactics.

Anyway, as far as this EX format goes, I'd say that it is much better than HS-DE and MD-UL. MD-UL was a poor format where you either played SPs or didn't, but pretty much everything had SPs. HS on was even worse, especially when ZPST was running around. Do you like 120 damage T1? I don't. Heck, there wasn't anywhere near as much variety back then as there is now, yes Keldeo, Rayquaza and Darkrai are the fronts of plenty of decks now, but we have fun competitive decks such as Ho-oh, Accelgor, Sigilyph and more. Plus a large number of EXs will go down in value with the release of Plasma Klinklang, EXs can be nerfed completely.
Also, Pokemon Catcher doesn't deserve all of the criticism that its getting, without it Mewtwo would still be over $30, even with the promo and cards like Blastoise, Hydreigon and even Emboar would all be leading the charge and making OHKO's so much easier, and the format would be even stupider. Not to mention stuff like Shedinja would be completely uber.

TL;DR (its not that long though): This is a pretty good format, EXs are meant to be good, but they did go overboard, but they are fixing that problem by making them more balanced now. Japan shows that there is hope for this format.
 
RE: The game is way out of hand!

I don't consider a format that has no other strategy than "beatdown with energy acceleration" as good lol. If I can win games against my peers here despite my lack of playtesting, something is wrong with the format.
 
RE: The game is way out of hand!

The card game is all screwed up and no one should argue it isn't. All it is is beatdown with acceleration. That was the best term I heard for this format.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top