Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Getting into the Game...

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TrainerSpencer

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So, I've been on the site for awhile lol but just decided to get into the game seriously. For the longest tme Yugioh has sucked up most of my TCG money. I was just wondering if you guys could tell me what is the best route to take when buying into the game.. to buy singles as opposed to boxes, and of what sets and what are the top tier decks at the moment.
 
Ok, i expect this to be moved to "Single Cards" bit of the forum lol....

Theres plenty of ways to get started with the game- a lot of it depends on-
-how much money you have to spend?- if you're looking at a budget of $20 a week, probably best to buy a theme deck you like the look of, and then singles to add to it for example. If you've got plenty- perhaps a starter deck and a booster box (around $80 depending on source i guess)

-what you aim to achieve in the game?- are you looking to be creative? or are you aiming to be the best pokemon player in the world? If its the former- you might want to buy half a box of boosters or so (thats 18 packs) and see what you could build from that? If its the latter- you want to be the next world champ- pick an established deck you like the look of (probably better to wait until after the rotation to EX: Holon Phantoms on) and buy the singles for it. Of course- the established decks often cost a fair bit to build, so that's clearly linked to number one. Information on these 'archetypes' is usually available here on the gym in the form of an article, or perhaps in the Deck Help and Strategy forum. There will always be discussion around each deck, and what will be the next big thing- my advice- go with what you think looks fun to play! Whats the point in buying into a deck that is gonna bore you senseless?

If you are looking to buy some boosters, I'd URGE YOU to buy from Holon Phantoms onwards (don't get suckered by ebayer sellers lol!) Thats the following-
Ex Holon Phantoms
Ex Crystal Guardians
Ex Dragon Frontiers
Ex Power Keepers
Diamond and Pearl (1)
Soon to be released Mysterious Treasures (Diamond and Pearl 2).

Theres a lot of discussion on which is best to buy- but I'd suggest Ex Crystal Guardians. A lot of useful trainers (similarly with Ex Dragon Frontiers), with some valuable cards such as Charizard d, the EXs, and the * pokemon which you could either build a deck around, or sell/trade to get what you want. The images from all those sets (except Mysterious Treasures) are available in the gallery, or on www.pokebeach.com.

Theme decks are an excellent place to get yourself started- there is a list of currently available ones here at the Pokebeach- http://www.pokebeach.com/themedecks/. All thats missing from that are the Diamond and Pearl theme decks, which I'm sure have been posted in a thread on here at some point- link anyone??
As mentioned- perhaps find one you like the cards in, then find singles that compliment it? The deck help and strategy forum is good to go to for advice- but stick by the posting rules!

As a final point- I found the way that I got into the game was to get one card that I liked the look of- (it was Flygon from EX:Dragons) and then build a deck around it. You can always progress onto bigger and better things when you want to!

Hope that's helped and hasn't patronised you! I never know just how involved people are when they ask stuff like this....
Anyone else got stuff to add?
 
Thanks!

I'd like to achieve the same amount of sucess I've achieved in YGO. Im sure alot of players have migrated from YGO and vice versa. Im definitely looking for competive play on a regional and nats level. So Im guessing that going with a booster box/singles is the way to go. But def, waiting till the next set rotation. Also, if anyone has AIM and wants to help me out further im TheSBDunkStar.
 
Looking for top level success? Start with a box of each set (ranging from $50-80 each online depending on set, seller, and even time of day), then start going after singles. The boxes give you the trade bait that you'll need in order to get the cards that you really want. I know that I always buy at least one box of each set (possibly 2, depending on the set, such as DF, and MT will probably be a 2 box set as well for me), then get busy with trading. it's also nice to have a collector in your area, because they'll trade good cards that they have extras of for cards that they don't have and you don't need.
 
Just to add to Bullados' post- its always good to look up any specific comic book shops (and the like) that sell trading cards in your area. Always a good place to pick up a bargain or two!

If you're looking for the very top level of success, but just starting out -I would suggest picking an archetype you like the look of at the time of Fall Battle Roads/City Championships, buy it individually on ebay, or trade for it here on the gym or elsewhere, and play it right the way through until states (Feb/March?). You will gain some valuable experience in the game whilst being more and more competitive- a sharp deck in the hands of an up and coming player cannot be underestimated! Not all "archetypes" are mega expensive either- look around, and shop around! When you start out- make sure you don't over-complicate yourself with excessively complex decks!

When Regionals and then Nationals come along (easter through july), you're then on a good standing to branch out into other decks- whether they be your own, pure top-tier decks, or top tier decks with your own personal twist! You will already have experience with one deck, so you can always fall back on that if needs be.

Just MHO! :biggrin:
 
TrainerSpencer said:
Is RaiEggs going to be a playable deck in the upcoming format?
Click to expand...

Thats a whole discussion in itself!

Short answer: The cards are around still, but with the loss of holon transceiver it loses a lot of the consistency that made it the great deck it was. If you asked this question a year or so ago i would have said- go with it!

Best to wait til the start of the season and the release of the next set before you choose your deck :biggrin:

There's countless discussions on what will be big next season, but a lot of it is hype and pure conjecture so I would for the new season for everything to establish itself!
 
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Another great thing about having an excellent deck is that when you win tournaments with it, you win more pack from the most current set(s)! Finishing in top 8 at regionals won me 18 booster of Power Keepers; that gave me a lot of trade bait like Absol ex, Claydol ex, and Jolteon*! I like to trade for the "little cards" like trainers and common/uncommon evo lines and then buying the other cards on eBay that nobody at my league has.
 
The best decks that have been published can be found in the Archetypes section of our Deck forum.
Also some are in the Article section of our Front Page since they haven't been moved over to Archetypes yet.
With the format change about to happen, there is going to be some major changes in what decks are playable, so look for decks that revolve around cards from the newest sets since your just starting out.
 
I'm going to second the suggestion of buying a box of every legal set. That will also guarantee you'll get at least 3 of every Trainer/Supporter/Stadium from those sets for deck construction.
 
lol I figure, I'll be doing some trading on the forums atleast, to get my refs up I don't thing Yugioh refs count! hahah. and Im 17 with a job and nobody to support but myself, so yeh. lol

oh yeh, do you think I'm going to need a Power Keeper's box too?
 
You chose the two best sets released thus far to get boxes of. You'll probably have enough trade bait out of those 3 boxes to get yourself started towards a lot of the "other" stuff that you'll need.
 
Well, whether or not you get a PK box is certainly up to you, but there are a number of good cards there. Here's a few:

Blaziken
Delcatty
Gardevoir (not bad - has it's uses)
Magneton
Battle Frontier
Energy Removal 2
Scott
Steven's advice

plus some very interesting and useful ex's such as:

Ah yes, I did forget Absol ex - good catch Sandslash7!
Metagross ex
Shiftry ex
Skarmory ex
Jolteon* (star pokemon - situationally useful pokemon)

plus some holo energies useful to holo-ize your deck, or to be used as trade bait.

Personally, I'd say yes, grab one if you can.
 
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lol "holo-ize" I'll probably pick one up in the upcomming weeks. thanks peepz. Its Feraligatr a viable deck in the upcomming format?
 
I personally do not like the whole Feraligatr card. I don't get what the hype is all about. I wouldn't worry about making your deck shiny until you are well established!
 
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