Key Items

[LunarWolf21]

*Key Items do not count as regular Items.
*After use, Key Items are shuffled back into the owner's deck (they are not discarded).
*Only 1 Key Item can be used per turn.
*Edit: You cannot use a Key Item if you cannot perform the main effect (i.e. you cannot play it just to shuffle it back into your deck). You only shuffle it back if you first complete the main effect.

Bicycle
[Key Item / Trainer]
After you use a Key Item, shuffle it back into your deck (you do not discard it). You can only use 1 Key Item per turn. Key Items do not count as regular Items.

Draw until your hand has 4 cards.

Exp. Share
[Key Item / Trainer]
After you use a Key Item, shuffle it back into your deck (you do not discard it). You can only use 1 Key Item per turn. Key Items do not count as regular Items.

You may either move 1 basic Energy card attached to your Active Pokemon to 1 of your Benched Pokemon, or, shuffle 1 Energy card (Basic or Special) from your discard pile into your deck.

Mega Ring
[Key Item / Trainer]
After you use a Key Item, shuffle it back into your deck (you do not discard it). You can only use 1 Key Item per turn. Key Items do not count as regular Items.

This turn, whenever you Mega Evolve one of your Pokemon, your turn does not end. You can only Mega Evolve once this turn.

Roller Skates
[Key Item / Trainer]
After you use a Key Item, shuffle it back into your deck (you do not discard it). You can only use 1 Key Item per turn. Key Items do not count as regular Items.

Draw 2 cards.

Sprinklotad
[Key Item / Trainer]
After you use a Key Item, shuffle it back into your deck (you do not discard it). You can only use 1 Key Item per turn. Key Items do not count as regular Items.

Attach a basic :water: Energy from your hand to 1 of your Benched :grass: Pokemon.

Super Rod
[Key Item / Trainer]
After you use a Key Item, shuffle it back into your deck (you do not discard it). You can only use 1 Key Item per turn. Key Items do not count as regular Items.

Shuffle up to 3 in any combination of Pokemon and Basic Energy from your discard pile into your deck.

VS Seeker
[Key Item / Trainer]
After you use a Key Item, shuffle it back into your deck (you do not discard it). You can only use 1 Key Item per turn. Key Items do not count as regular Items.

Add 1 Supporter card from your discard pile to your hand.

 

[Normal guy]

Could these be used so you would never deck out?

 

[czech59]

That's tough because if you have multiple key items in a deck you aren't allowed to look through your deck to determine there are only key items left (since if the text reads 'you cannot shuffle this card into your deck if it will be the only card left in your deck' or something along those lines, you aren't allowed to 'know' that there are only key items left.

I think that if you were only allowed to have one key item allowed in your deck, much like an ace spec, and then had a line about how you aren't allowed to return the card to your deck after playing it if there are no cards currently in your deck it'd work, since it'd be weird to pretty much enable decks to never deck out. Another option could be 'if you can't perform the action described by the key item, discard this card' or something.

 

[Pokealjovin]

At least, add "Flip a coin, if head, shuffle it back into your deck..." But it is a case when you could prevent decking out.

 

[LunarWolf21]

Could these be used so you would never deck out?

You cannot use a Key Item if you cannot perform the main effect. If you can use the main effect, then yes. I apologize for not making that clear in the OP.

If these cards existed, I would also want there to be other cards in the format that can discard Key Items, like a Bench-sitting Pokemon with an Ability that reads "When either player plays a Key Item, it is discarded after use (it is not shuffled back into the deck).", or a Supporter similar to Ghetsis that can discard Key Items in the opponent's hand.

That's tough because if you have multiple key items in a deck you aren't allowed to look through your deck to determine there are only key items left (since if the text reads 'you cannot shuffle this card into your deck if it will be the only card left in your deck' or something along those lines, you aren't allowed to 'know' that there are only key items left.

I think that if you were only allowed to have one key item allowed in your deck, much like an ace spec, and then had a line about how you aren't allowed to return the card to your deck after playing it if there are no cards currently in your deck it'd work, since it'd be weird to pretty much enable decks to never deck out. Another option could be 'if you can't perform the action described by the key item, discard this card' or something.

I was considering making them one per deck like the ACE-SPECs, but decided against it after thinking about it. I figure losing by deck out isn't fun for anyone, not even the person who won the game, since it doesn't really feel like you played a complete game when that happens. So as long as these Key Items don't have overpowered effects, using them once per turn repeatedly doesn't seem like a big issue.

At least, add "Flip a coin, if head, shuffle it back into your deck..." But it is a case when you could prevent decking out.

I wouldn't want to make it a coin flip. My thoughts when making the cards were, if the only cards you have left are, say, Super Rod (as a Key Item), and whatever Pokemon and basic Energy you can get back, you'll probably lose anyway.

 

[Pokealjovin]

I still think it's a bad thing to prevent decking out. With Professor Syncamore or Juniper, the player can freely use them without any risk. I've played against players who had an ok deck, but in the end might have lost by decking out. The strategy at that point can be to deck out the oponent ; this is still a method of winning. Some Pokémons do discard cards.

Though, you could have a stadium that prevents using Key items, or Pokémon that could discard them, but then again, there are cards that allows you to get items from the discard pile, isn't it?

In this case, also, you could win, because you can't deck out, but the oponent will, if they don't have a Key item. What if both have key Items and they are at thier last cards, the game would end up in an infinite loop, no?

 

[LunarWolf21]

I still think it's a bad thing to prevent decking out. With Professor Syncamore or Juniper, the player can freely use them without any risk. I've played against players who had an ok deck, but in the end might have lost by decking out. The strategy at that point can be to deck out the oponent ; this is still a method of winning. Some Pokémons do discard cards.

Though, you could have a stadium that prevents using Key items, or Pokémon that could discard them, but then again, there are cards that allows you to get items from the discard pile, isn't it?

In this case, also, you could win, because you can't deck out, but the oponent will, if they don't have a Key item. What if both have key Items and they are at thier last cards, the game would end up in an infinite loop, no?

I understand your point, except two things. 1) If Key Items were real, I feel they would be as commonplace as any other Trainer card class, so I can't envision a scenario where one player wouldn't use at least one Key Item, so no one would be at a disadvantage (but an 'infinite loop' is possible). 2) Cards that search/retrieve Items don't fetch Key Items, but cards like Dowsing Machine could.

If the only problem is not decking out, I could change them to return to the owner's hand instead of the deck (since you can only use one a turn anyway), and that would also make people seriously think about the risk of Juniper-ing/Sycamore-ing their hand away, and losing all of those Key Items. None of the Key Items in the OP seem to be especially dangerous if used every turn.

 

[AnJaFrIv]

I understand your point, except two things. 1) If Key Items were real, I feel they would be as commonplace as any other Trainer card class, so I can't envision a scenario where one player wouldn't use at least one Key Item, so no one would be at a disadvantage (but an 'infinite loop' is possible). 2) Cards that search/retrieve Items don't fetch Key Items, but cards like Dowsing Machine could.

If the only problem is not decking out, I could change them to return to the owner's hand instead of the deck (since you can only use one a turn anyway), and that would also make people seriously think about the risk of Juniper-ing/Sycamore-ing their hand away, and losing all of those Key Items. None of the Key Items in the OP seem to be especially dangerous if used every turn.

The hand version seems better but i think some sort of frequency restriction is still needed. Perhaps to play one you reveal your hand and discard any other key items found there? Then those cards cant be recovered by an effect on the card that caused them to be discarded?