Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

A less diverse format

J

Jaeger

New Member
This format seems far less diverse than the last one, it seems like people take pokemon Lucario, Blissey and Absol and combine them with about anything to make a deck, this is not complaint simply an observation. I guess last year at cities they were dominated by Flygon and Raieggs but never before have so many decks been focused around just a few pokemon. I guess I'm mainly thinking out load any one else want to chime in?
 
I agree that I saw more diversity last year ... but hey, they got rid of the Holon Engine so it's all good right?*

Anyway I'm still bummed that we don't get to see how Banette ex would do against Garde/lade/Absol....



*note this is an attempt at sarcasm.
 
I'd say this format is easier on other ideas, allowing them to be played and maybe even do well. But you are right to a point that certain cards are being used in multiple decks. But I think that says more about how good those cards are. How many cards last format could have been combined with 2-3 different decks and still work very well? The few cards that could be ran with different decks were ran with different decks (Mew ex for instance).

Areas are dominated by a few ideas, and I feel that is true with most areas. You aren't seeing a large variety of decks doing well in one area, but overall, you see a larger variety of decks doing well.

I feel once states rolls around, after the release of GE, we will see a lot more ideas doing well.
 
Really? What about Gallade? I also see Monarchy and even some Flygons running around sometimes. And, of course, Magmortar.

It's just fine in my experience.
 
all the new pokemon that fit into any deck

absol
lucario
blissey
etc.
etc.

Is it really that different from the Holon engine.


Last format we had the Holon engine. EVERY deck (cept a few rouges) played the Holon engine. Now we have "pokemon engines" or certain pokemon that go everywhere or can go into any deck.
 
Lucario, Blissey, and Absol are simply the best bang for your buck (energy) pokemon released in the last 3 sets. Therefore people will try and exploit that as best as they can. Lucario benfited from a complete lack of any Psychic threat fast enough when the sets rotated, without that I'm not sure it would have had as much of a huge impact that it did. Blissey was so good that despite a heavy Fighting presence in the format it was still played, and so versatile that no less than 5 different decks based around it as the backbone are viable in a tournament setting. Absol is another good card that can be put into just about anything because of it's first attack. Imagine how much less play Absol would have if Baleful Wind needed :dark: rather than :colorless to disrupt the opponent.

Despite all that there are still many decks out there that don't use any of these cards. Empoleon, Electavire, Gardevoir/Gallade, Honchkrow, K2, Magmortar, Hurrincane, R-Gon, Inferacatty, and Monarchy can all easily get by without using any of those 3 cards above. Even the vaiants of those decks that do use Blissey or Absol paired with the main focus of the deck are completely different in strategy and effect.

Also remember that the format changes with each new set released, sometimes drastically (looking at you Blissey). So, before you start calling this format stale, wait 2 months when the next set comes out and see how many more options open up for everyone.
 
Darkwalker said:
Lucario, Blissey, and Absol are simply the best bang for your buck (energy) pokemon released in the last 3 sets. Therefore people will try and exploit that as best as they can. Lucario benfited from a complete lack of any Psychic threat fast enough when the sets rotated, without that I'm not sure it would have had as much of a huge impact that it did. Blissey was so good that despite a heavy Fighting presence in the format it was still played, and so versatile that no less than 5 different decks based around it as the backbone are viable in a tournament setting. Absol is another good card that can be put into just about anything because of it's first attack. Imagine how much less play Absol would have if Baleful Wind needed :dark: rather than :colorless to disrupt the opponent.

Despite all that there are still many decks out there that don't use any of these cards. Empoleon, Electavire, Gardevoir/Gallade, Honchkrow, K2, Magmortar, Hurrincane, R-Gon, Inferacatty, and Monarchy can all easily get by without using any of those 3 cards above.
Click to expand...

And they not only get by, they WIN.

I personly don't think that this fromat is less diverse than the last one, if anything there are more good combos than last year. Also remember that when you talk about all the decks that where "big" last year, remember that a lot of them didn't come out untill states.

I will admite that I am sick of G&G though...
 
Though it must be said that Garde/lade/Absol would still be a pain for Banette ex. If GGA runs special darkness or Str. Charm, then Raid for the OHKO on a Banette ex.
 
alright before this turns into a back and forth of I could do this, I could do that here are my two cents:

Around here Lucario has lost it's flare. I believe the reason for this is the energy requirement make it difficult for anything besides fighting to be played with it, same thing goes with Magmortar/Lv. X. Blissey and Absol would be the two cards that you could throw anything with them and it's "good". But I don't see them as being good, I see them as being a cheap deck as far as creativity goes. There are a few combos with them that I find good: Absol with anything else that has hand disruption. Or Blissey with like Arcanine or anything else that discards energy, IE: Delcatty.

Another observation that I saw was that the format turn from a T2 to a set up format.

Before: T2 Blissey, Lucario, and Kricketune.

Now: Magmortar/Typhlosion/Delcatty, Gardy/Gallade, Absol/Honchcrow (yes you do have to set up the Honchcrow) etc.
 
Well, I'd much rather see the same Pokémon in each deck the the same exact trainers. At least now we can comfortably call the game "Pokémon" rather than "Trainermon."
 
What...? If all decks had the same pokemon but different trainers, then it'd be trainers that made the deck. Now that'd be Trainermon.
 
As if last format didn't feature 80% of the decks packing Holon's Castform >.>

Really, I can't see the complaints. Last format around this time all I saw was Raieggs, Flygon, Metanite and Banette. Now you have GG, Magmortar varieties (With/Without Typhlosion/Arcanine), Blissey varieties, Darkwing Duck, Hurricane every here and there, there may not be THAT many more pokemon played, but there are a lot more varieties.
GE will only expand that.
 
Many players play to win. Because of that, they don't strive to be creative and try out new ideas that could do well. What happens is they choose the best deck (in their opinion) and play it. What we see at tournaments a lot is this happening. Players choosing the same few decks to play because they feel the deck is the best. This has been happening since the beginning of the game and happens in every game.

I feel the only difference between last format and this format is that people can actually get away with playing a rogue deck and win tournaments. You see people winning a city championship with Magnezone (SuperTyranitar), or Venusaur (Gymbo ex), or other decks that aren't the popular decks right now. This stands out because people weren't always able to take a decent card and pit it against the popular decks and do well in some formats.

The format is less diverse. I'll agree with that. But it's solely the fault of the players. If the players wanted to try other ideas, they would. The format is less diverse but is more open for new ideas coming and doing well and that is what matters. Because the game dies a little when the format is less diverse and new ideas just don't work against the popular ideas.
 
i used G&G for a bit with absol and JMO that just because you get for options for telepass, it doesnt benefit your setup one bit. thats another reason y this format is less diverse... when absol came out, players, instead of setting up, went for hand disruption, and G&G doesnt need disruption, it needs more speed and consistency. and IMO absol doesnt belong in G&G, but stantler, chingmeco, furret(REALLY GOOD) belongs in it. I know alot of people think differently, and dont get me wrong, its JMO
 
Prime said:
Many players play to win. Because of that, they don't strive to be creative and try out new ideas that could do well. What happens is they choose the best deck (in their opinion) and play it. What we see at tournaments a lot is this happening. Players choosing the same few decks to play because they feel the deck is the best. This has been happening since the beginning of the game and happens in every game.

I feel the only difference between last format and this format is that people can actually get away with playing a rogue deck and win tournaments. You see people winning a city championship with Magnezone (SuperTyranitar), or Venusaur (Gymbo ex), or other decks that aren't the popular decks right now. This stands out because people weren't always able to take a decent card and pit it against the popular decks and do well in some formats.

The format is less diverse. I'll agree with that. But it's solely the fault of the players. If the players wanted to try other ideas, they would. The format is less diverse but is more open for new ideas coming and doing well and that is what matters. Because the game dies a little when the format is less diverse and new ideas just don't work against the popular ideas.
Click to expand...

Yesssssss.
 
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