Wow, it's....been a while.

FoolMeNever2

FoolMeNever2

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I was pretty forced to quit Pokemon a couple years back, due to my local League being inactive. But now, a new league has started up close to my area, and I'm thinking about getting back into the game.

But, I need to be filled in on current situations. >.>

1. What exactly is the current metagame like? I quit around the second set of HGSS iirc.

2. What's the current set rotation?

3. Anything else that that I would need to know? I remember an errata on Rare Candy a while back. Something like, it can't be used on a Basic who was played this turn, or something.

4. Oh! Forgot this. Any staples? (When I played, the main staples were Uxie, Pokemon Collector, Bebe's Search, etc.)
 
Meta, is pretty much Yanmega Prime Variants, Donphan Prime Variants, and Magnezone Prime Variants
 
FoolMeNever2 said:
I was pretty forced to quit Pokemon a couple years back, due to my local League being inactive. But now, a new league has started up close to my area, and I'm thinking about getting back into the game.

But, I need to be filled in on current situations. >.>

1. What exactly is the current metagame like? I quit around the second set of HGSS iirc.

2. What's the current set rotation?

3. Anything else that that I would need to know? I remember an errata on Rare Candy a while back. Something like, it can't be used on a Basic who was played this turn, or something.

4. Oh! Forgot this. Any staples? (When I played, the main staples were Uxie, Pokemon Collector, Bebe's Search, etc.)
Click to expand...

1) Lost of Yanmega, Donphan, Reshiram, and Magnezone things

2) HS-EP (once it comes out)

3) Pluspower does damage to you in attacks that recoil (such as Zekroms).

4) Collector, Communiation, Catcher. 3 C's :p
 
^He's got it right there. Although Professor Oak's New Theory, Judge, and Professor Juniper are sort of staples (as well as Pokémon Catcher when it comes out).

To clarify on the Rare Candy errata, you can't play it on a Basic that was played the same turn, and you can't use it on your first turn.

I don't know if you missed this or not, but the person who goes first can now use Trainers, Supporters, and Stadiums.
 
Also on Rare Candy, IIRC, you have to use it to evolve to a Stage 2. There's none of this Stage 1 stuff anymore.

As for the current metagame, it's a bit more complicated than that. Sure, ReshirBoar/Phlosion, MagneBoar, MegaZone, and DYZ are popular, but the Meta is still up for grabs. Because a new season is starting, the 2011-2012 season, the format is largely undecided, as it usually is with the beginning of a new year. And, with the release of Emerging Powers, no one knows what Catcher will do to the format, it could render Magnezone Prime and Reshiram variants to fall out of existence entirely.
 
There was recently a rotation to HS-EP. Also, I quit right when you did and just got back into it as well.

1. Because of the recent rotation, the metagame is still unclear. At Nationals, Yanmega Prime was the clear BCIF and it was used in a lot of various decks. However, Yanmega has a clear downside in that if you go 2nd in a Yanmega mirror you more or less flat out lose. A lot of the better players are moving over to slower decks running a Twins engine. This allows more room to outplay and a smaller disadvantage in going 2nd. This new approach at the game seems to have gone largely un-noticed despite all of the Top 4 decks at worlds using this approach. Some of the top cards will be Donphan Prime, Yanmega Prime, Zekrom, Reshiram, Zoroark, Emboar, Typhlosion (the last 2 with Reshiram) and Vileplume. I'm amazed nobody has mentioned Vileplume yet.

2. It's currently HS-BW but after prereleases are over (sometime next week) it will be HS-EP. Battle Roads will be HS-EP.

3. The new first turn rules. There are NO DRAWBACKS to going first. It now acts as a normal turn - you can draw a card, attach, play trainers, supporters and stadiums. Also, PlusPower is now discarded upon being played and not attached to a specific Pokemon. As far as deck choice, stage 2 main attackers are not going to be a good play. Trainer cards are now called items and Supporters are now Trainer - Supporters. You discard the supporter as soon as you play it now, which is just flat out stupid. You can leave it next to the active at the risk of getting small penalties (that's what I do) or you can turn it sideways in your discard until the end of your turn. Because of the already explained Rare Candy errata and no way to break normal evolution rules, running more of the basic card than the evolution has gained some popularity and it was the most successful approach at worlds - pyramid lines, who would have thought?

4. Pokemon Collector is still a staple. Pokemon Communication has replaced Bebe's Search. Unfortunately, we don't have a direct Uxie replacement - just like Uxie was the closest thing to a Claydol replacement in the format before it. For this reason, decks that can't fit Magnezone Prime or Ninetales have to run 10 or so draw supporters like Professor Oak's New Theory, Professor Juniper and Sage's Training. The format is very lacking in drawpower at the moment, unfortunately. Running a bunch of draw support creates tight deck lists. Also, Pokemon Catcher is staple. It will go down in price in a few weeks though, so don't buy it yet. A lot of decks run 1 Cleffa, although running more than 1 is unsafe. It's a popular donking target, but used for hand refresh when you have no other options. Junk Arm is staple and run in 2-4 copies. Reusing any item is just too good. Most decks are running 1-2 Switch. Other than than, it really varies by deck. Judge and Copycat are popular in Yanmega decks.
 
1) High HP Basics and fast Stage Ones are dominating the format. Some decks you can expect to see are:
ZPS, Reshiphlosion, Yanmega Varients, Kingdra Varients, Stage 1 Rush, Donphan/Dragons, and Bearplume.

2) Heart Gold Soul Silver -on.
Legal Sets are: HGSS, Unleashed, Undaunted, Triumphant, Call of Legends, Black and White, and Emerging Powers.

3) Pokemon Catcher, a reprint of Gust of Wind, is all the Hype, and if you want to play competitively, you should play cards to counter it (ex. Vileplume UD, Gothitelle EP)

4) Some Staples are Pokemon Collector, Pokemon Communication, and Professor Juniper.
 
^Or you can just play Catcher yourself. Juniper, while borderline staple, is basically never run in Stage 2 decks.
 
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