Will Pending Rule Changes Impact Your Deck?

TuxedoBlack

TuxedoBlack

Old School Player
Member
On the main PokeBeach web page you will see the following announcement:
Pokemon.com has announced that the same rule changes coming to the Japanese TCG on November 8th will be coming to the English TCG on the exact same day with the release of the Kalos Starter Sets.
Also revealed is that Professor Sycamore is card #122 in XY.
Professor Sycamore in XY TCG

Flip a coin before drawing your opening hand. The winner of the coin flip now decides who goes first. Also, whoever goes first now can’t attack on his or her first turn. If you win the flip, decide carefully if you want the first turn or not!

Errata - Pokémon Catcher

Flip a coin. If heads, switch 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon with his or her Active Pokémon.

Changes: This card now requires a coin flip. (This makes Pokémon Catcher functionally identical to Pokémon Reversal.)

Professor Juniper and Professor Sycamore

While there are no functional changes to these cards, you may not include both of them in your deck. That is, you may have up to 4 copies of Professor Juniper or up to 4 copies of Professor Sycamore—but if you have any Professor Juniper cards in your deck, you may not put any Professor Sycamore cards in your deck, and vice versa.
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Only the designated player going first can't attack on his/her first turn; the player going second can attack. IMHO, this will have a significant impact on a player's game strategy. Consider the following if you must start the game:
  • If you are running any type of "speed" and NOT able to attack turn 1 as the designated game starter - there will be fewer donks (of course), but you also don't get a chance to inflict T1 early damage pressure either (or even an initial KO of an opponent's strategic benched Poké).
  • No Junk Hunt,
  • No Call for Family,
  • No Turbo Energize,
  • No Raiden Knuckle,
  • No Hammerhead,
  • No Frost Spear,
  • No Emerald Slash, or
  • Any other major T1 attack.
This rule definitely helps any stage 2 or setup deck. And if a player did win the coin flip, why would he/she ever want to go first to start a game???

The actual benefit of a Pokémon Catcher will now be based upon the outcome of a coin flip. Will this alter the total number of Catcher you will include in your decks?

IMO, playing either Professor Juniper or Sycamore rule has NO impact on the game. I could not imagine anyone wanting more than 4 of those cards in any deck.

Although I have not completed my analysis, I do feel the first 2 pending game rule changes will definitely impact my future Trainer mix.

Any thoughts?

Moved to the proper forum, even though it is out of my jurisdiction. ~Kecleon
 
I run VirGen and I hate the Badge engine anyway so I like first turn rule and the Catcher nerf makes Gen's ability even stronger. :D
 
Because of the Pokemon Catcher rule, I think I'll run 1 or 2. While it is a good card, it's kind of like Super Scoop Up. I don't like having to flip coins for this. Maybe Ninetails or Escape Rope will see more play because of this.
 
I really like the change of catcher to reversal. the T1 attacking I'm a little fuzzy on, I think this allows cards that I really like to capitalize on this such as Empoleon and Ninetales, but this also weakens cards that deserve to have a place in the format such as Victini EX, Emolga, and Sableye. Overall, I like this change since this makes the format a little straight-forward and I think the game needed this change to eliminate donks, make the exchange a little more fair, and slides open a door for stage 1/2 decks. I believe that 2 cards will see more play, as many can agree, Tropical Beach and Hypnotoxic Laser, as for HTL, I said this because the remaining straight Darkrai, Plasma, etc. decks are going to want a way to do damage T1. This is an alternative since the damage activates on their turn. Besides my opinion, I think my deck for cities will probably contain Ninetales in one way or another. May that be Darkrai / Ninetales (most likely), Straight Ninetales, or by a slim chance, really stupid Cacturne / Ninetales deck.
 
Awesomeguy76 said:
Because of the Pokemon Catcher rule, I think I'll run 1 or 2. While it is a good card, it's kind of like Super Scoop Up. I don't like having to flip coins for this. Maybe Ninetails or Escape Rope will see more play because of this.
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Ninetails devospray for the win!:D :cool::D
If Ninetails does draw popularity, Bastiose decks may gain advantage in some cases
 
Noting that this thread should not be a thread of whether you approve/disapprove of the rule changes; that can be discussed in the news thread. Please keep this as a discussion of how these changes will affect the competitive game.
 
This rule definitely helps any stage 2 or setup deck. And if a player did win the coin flip, why would he/she ever want to go first to start a game???
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Well, if you have a Pokemon that evolves from your Active Pokemon you might consider going first so you can get an evolved Pokemon in play before your opponent. You also still have the Tropical Beach option.

The actual benefit of a Pokémon Catcher will now be based upon the outcome of a coin flip. Will this alter the total number of Catcher you will include in your decks?
Click to expand...

I'm debating on if I want to run any Catcher. I dislike any flippy cards. I'd rather run another consistency card.
 
In past reversal formats only 1-2 reversals have actually been played. I'm going to assume that it will stay that way. TDK might tech a Genesect instead. Honestly I can't see anyone running more than 3 Catcher/Reversals.
 
Awesomeguy76 said:
Maybe Ninetails or Escape Rope will see more play because of this.
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Agreed. I anticipate increased use of both Ninetails as well as Escape Rope.

Pokewiz1999 said:
I run VirGen and I hate the Badge engine anyway so I like first turn rule and the Catcher nerf makes Gen's ability even stronger. :D
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I also anticipate VirGen decks will definitely become more popular, IMHO. "Stronger," maybe not so much... But time will tell.
 
In my new deck I'm running 2 escape ropes and 2 catchers then again I'm also running sableye so the less copies is fine while still giving me decent chance of drawing into the card .
 
I'd say the new rule changes have impacted my deck to some degree, I can't setup my bench using Call for Family with Shaymin (Boundaries Crossed) like I used to in order to maximize Empoleon's damage output with Attack Command on my 1st turn. With the Catcher errata making the TCG more luck based I'm not able to score crucial KO's to win the game unless I have a viable engine to reuse Catcher like with Sableye's Junk Hunt attack. That and I can't seem to find a good partner for Empoleon aside from Kingdra and Garbodor is meh since it shuts down Diving Draw with Garbotoxin.

But aside from that I don't get to play Pokemon TCG as much as I used to since most of my friends who used to play Pokemon TCG now play Kaijudo and other TCG / CCG's. Infact the card shop that used to host Pokemon League right by my house back when Gen IV was around no longer has League anymore. Pokemon TCG in my area sort of reached a breaking point 3 years ago when Catcher was first printed with Junk Arm in the format and Vileplume from HGSS sort of made the metagame very unstable up to the point where most of the skill the TCG had has been taken away to add more luck with less playable Stage 1 / Stage 2's and more playable Basic's with high HP as a means to keep up with the speed of the format when it needs to slow down.
 
I'm currently playing 2 Sableye and messing around with a few "one-of" cards for tournaments. This will probably make me change around my card numbers a bit.
 
This makes Stage 2 Decks a lot more viable, and those are the sort of Decks I like to use. It also makes Tropical Beach a helpful card but ooo wee is it expensive! Maybe Genesect EX and Virizion EX will see more play, to protect against Hypnotoxic Laser, and compensate for the Catcher errata.
 
I've liked Warp Point back in the day and now that Catcher's gone, I'll gladly welcome a pair of Escape Rope to my deck. I'll still have two empty slots...maybe slots for Bicycle? Hm. I don't like how Beach gets boosted but it is what it is.
 
Pokewiz1999 said:
I run VirGen and I hate the Badge engine anyway so I like first turn rule and the Catcher nerf makes Gen's ability even stronger. :D
Click to expand...
I played about 8 games against a player running VirGen at league and imagined it was post November 8th... Genesect EX's Red Signal will indeed become stronger and even perhaps more popular (i.e. VirGen decks), IMHO.

If you are running a Team Plasma deck, do you think players might tech a Genesect EX into his/her deck just for guaranteed Poké "Catcher" purposes?
 
TuxedoBlack said:
Pokewiz1999 said:
I run VirGen and I hate the Badge engine anyway so I like first turn rule and the Catcher nerf makes Gen's ability even stronger. :D
Click to expand...
I played about 8 games against a player running VirGen at league and imagined it was post November 8th... Genesect EX's Red Signal will indeed become stronger and even perhaps more popular (i.e. VirGen decks), IMHO.

If you are running a Team Plasma deck, do you think players might tech a Genesect EX into his/her deck just for guaranteed Poké "Catcher" purposes?
Click to expand...

Yeah most likely they will. Genesect will probably get a big price bump too.
 
yes it made it think skyla is the best card in the format. i go first cuz i never win the coin toss and skyla for whatever i want.
 
It made Tropical Beach the best card in format, not Skyla. Skyla can be good, but it really won't be as good as Tropical Beach if you are first.
 
Regarding the 1st turn change - I like to play around with Stage 2 decks (have been trying to make a Togekiss deck for a while that can play with the big boys), so in a way I like the change - less likely to have my little unevolved basic catchered too. Will certainly like the changes for those type decks - and yes of course will still want to go 1st to get the jump on hopefully a T2 candy / evolution. Not crazy about the way this seems to help the very popular Blastoise & VirGen decks - for example now don't have to worry about the single Squirtle start / donk, he already has ability damage protection on bench, and tougher to get him brought out to active. Thinking of bringing back Dusknoir too. Does probably spell the end to my Rayquaza EX deck with no Celestial Roar - could choose to go 2nd, but that deck going 1st was a near auto win, not so much 2nd. Simple answer - yes does change my decks & strategy.
 
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