I find that it's much easier for the competitive modified-format players to meet the casual players at their level than it is for the casual unlimited-format players to suddenly gain a competitive and modified-legal deck.
Honestly, I feel I will be in for an disadvantage when I go to League after the rotation because those unlimited players will be able to take advantage of great League promos such as Claydol, Uxie, Rosanne's Research, Bebe's Search. I find that a challenge. It'll show if my HGSS-on decks are actually decent.
But what happens when League ends? When tournament play begins? That same philosophy applies- League players will have a difficult time to gain a competitive and modified legal deck. And those that can't will admit- Why bother, when the promos, free things, incentives, products, and so forth have been pushing for Majestic Dawn cards forward right up to the moment they get rotated.
At the same time, the cardpool has DROPPED significantly. Look at these numbers:
Majestic Dawn: 100
Legends Awakened: 146
Stormfront: 106
Platinum: 133
Rising Rivals: 120
Supreme Victors: 153
Arceus: 111
Discluding reprints and energy cards, that's 869 cards LEAVING.
HGSS: 124
Unleashed: 96
Undaunted: 90
Triumphant: 102
Call of Legends: 106
The HGSS series has only 518 Cards at most. This, however includes two KEY factors. First, Energy Cards are in both HGSS and Call of Legends. Second, there is a limited number of cards unique to Call of Legends. Realistically, we may be looking at a total of roughly 450 unique cards on a good day.
Black & White: 115
Black & White brings a HGSS rotation to a present stop at roughly 550 different cards. I say roughly because I don't include any HGSS promos or BW promos.
Now add in to the fact that unlike other card games, Pokemon has a rule that no more than 4 pokemon of the same name can be in the same deck. Therefore, pokemon such as Pikachu, Eevee, the Unova Starters, and many of the basic BW pokemon also limit that number because you can't run everything (Irrelevant, know, but felt the need to point that out). Additionally, if you consider running 4 Pikachu from BW, that means you can't run any Pikachu from previous sets. Why you would, don't know, but your options are further limited in that the other variations of Pikachu are not something else you may need for a deck. This works reverse, as well. Voltorb-Electrode now has a strict evolutionary line in that your selections on Voltorb are down to one with two variations of Electrode.
So my point in this big scheme of things is this: Everyone is complaining about a Sabledonk format. Well is this the alternative? A Limited cardpool of 500 cards, possibly less due to pokemon variations, all battling for a power-creep instead? You all say there is no diversity, and yet here we are with a small selection. It won't take long for players to grab on to a new top-tier-deck; and now that we are mimicing Japan, players will just copy their decklists instantaneously.
Again, I welcome change, but I feel that mere conformity to Japan is a poor way to do it.