Steve Lewis
New Member
Because the discard pile is "public knowledge", there are certain cards that can't be played if the content of the discard pile doesn't permit the wording of the card. For example, you can't play Super Rod if there are no energy or pokemon in the discard pile (at least that is what I've been told). Or as another example, you can't play VS Seeker if there are no Supporters in the discard pile (which in both these examples, the opponent can observe this public knowledge and confirm this is the case).
In other words, you can't "throw away" these cards to thin your hand (since there is some rule about a card has to "do something" in order to be played -- it might not be the full wording of the card, for example if you can draw just 1 energy instead of 3, you can still play Super Rod, but it can't be 0 since in the case of no energy or no pokemon the card wouldn't be doing anything).
I assume the Bench is also "public knowledge" and does this mean that Max Elixir can not be played if the Bench is empty? (one reason to do this, if it were allowed, is to thin your hand for a larger Set Up draw -- there are other reasons to).
My daughter and I are asking to make sure on the ruling for this, since we weren't sure what an official ruling would be here -- can Max Elixir be played even if there are no Pokémon on the bench? It could be argued eitherway, since you can "do something" by viewing the top 6 cards of your deck (the action that is the first half of this cards wording). And since the deck is private knowledge, even if there were any energy or not, you don't have to actually attach an energy (whether you actually have any benched pokemon to attach it to or not).
And since the contents of a deck is "private knowledge" couldn't it be argued that the fact that a deck is empty is also "private knowledge"? And therefore Max Elixir could even be played in the rare situation of having no cards left in your deck? That's probably a stretch. But the main question here is in regards to the bench being empty.
Link for Max Elixir wording: http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/xy-series/xy9/102/
In other words, you can't "throw away" these cards to thin your hand (since there is some rule about a card has to "do something" in order to be played -- it might not be the full wording of the card, for example if you can draw just 1 energy instead of 3, you can still play Super Rod, but it can't be 0 since in the case of no energy or no pokemon the card wouldn't be doing anything).
I assume the Bench is also "public knowledge" and does this mean that Max Elixir can not be played if the Bench is empty? (one reason to do this, if it were allowed, is to thin your hand for a larger Set Up draw -- there are other reasons to).
My daughter and I are asking to make sure on the ruling for this, since we weren't sure what an official ruling would be here -- can Max Elixir be played even if there are no Pokémon on the bench? It could be argued eitherway, since you can "do something" by viewing the top 6 cards of your deck (the action that is the first half of this cards wording). And since the deck is private knowledge, even if there were any energy or not, you don't have to actually attach an energy (whether you actually have any benched pokemon to attach it to or not).
And since the contents of a deck is "private knowledge" couldn't it be argued that the fact that a deck is empty is also "private knowledge"? And therefore Max Elixir could even be played in the rare situation of having no cards left in your deck? That's probably a stretch. But the main question here is in regards to the bench being empty.
Link for Max Elixir wording: http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/xy-series/xy9/102/
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