Phazon Elite said:
Thanks votalesin. We need more posts like yours and IMex's in this thread.
Heh, thank you!
Phazon Elite said:
In my opinion, the Ban List is not really needed. Everything you listed has an easily accessible counter. For example, one thing Dark Plume and Slowking have in common is their huge retreat costs. By bringing them out and disabling their Powers with a Pokemon like LM Roselia or DS Hypno, you can effectively cripple your opponents lock. In fact, you can lock them with their own lock. Then, if they catch on and start using Fluffy Berry, you can use Aerodactyl ex (haven't tried it since the Fossil Rulings, but still...). What, they're using Phoebe's Stadium? Well, that means they can't be using Chaos Gym, right? et cetera. Everything really has a counter, and I just explored a few ways to counter a few cards.
I completely agree; there are counters for every card. However, the main problem is the
number of viable counters a given card has. For example, the most effective way to stop Energy Removals is by Slowking as it can fit in all decks. Neo1 Pichu can easily destroy a bench full of Slowkings with impunity. But other than Pichu, what other counters could fit comfortably in a deck? While those LM Roselia and DS Hypno are effective techs against Dark Vileplume and Slowking, I really think that Dark Vileplume is not as ban-worthy as other players make it out to be anyways and Slowking does not come alone; most decks that contain Slowking have a switch or two anyways (in case, a GoW gets lucky.) So theoretically, since (S)ER is staple in all decks, Slowking is in practically in every deck, and then Pichu floods every other deck. That is not countering; that is forcing a player to dedicate a large portion of cards they do not wish to use in order to counter a few cards.
Phazon Elite said:
Sick of ER/SER? Don't use expensive attackers!
Great. Now only about 10% of all Pokemon (in
Unlimited!) fit under that category reasonable, so much for variety. :/
votalesin said:
InfiniteMasterEx: Awesome job using the words "unlimited" and "restricted" in the same sentence.
I assume this is sarcasm but if I am wrong, please excuse me.
Would Unlimited still be "unlimited" if those few cards I previously stated were not restricted? Or will they still keep their stranglehold on almost all Unlimited decks?
votalesin said:
There are broken cards in this format. Plain and simple. There are also broken cards in Type 1 Magic, yet somehow, Magic players don't complain about it whether they have the cards or not. It is played for rankings, there is OP and prize support, and the format is great to compete in. Why in the world do people gripe and whine so much about Pokemon unlimited? It is not about going first, or having a good hand and going second. Play the game to enjoy it for God's sake.
Type 1 Magic players do not complain because they enjoy the format. Those that complain already probably moved on to Type 1.5 format.
Is there a Type 1.5-like format in the Pokemon TCG?
votalesin said:
Sneasel is just as broken without Slowking. I used FR/LG Raticate to back him up for a long time.
No disagreement there.
Here in Washington we have a strong unlimited group of players. No two decks are the same, and it goes down to player skill, not coin flips. We play every month or so at a league that meets in a library, allowing kids with older cards to play with the adults well tuned unlimited decks. Every year at Sakuracon there is an unlimited Pokemon tournament as well. We get 15-20 players and everyone has a blast. The real enjoyment is in the winners attitude at the library,
I truly commend those groups for their motivation on innovating the Unlimited format. There has been a lack of them lately due to misconceptions and paranoia existing within the enormously larger mass of Modified players. :wink:
Phazon Elite said:
I find it funny that the people who are complaining about Slowking, Vleplume ex and Sneasel being too broken are the same individuals who gladly play in a sanctioned format in which three or four Pokemon have a stranglehold on everything else.
Those cards are choking up the format but that does not mean one can still be creative with their decks. One odd deck I invented was a Dark Porygon2 + Elekid deck for example. It involves picking Holon circle back from the discard repeatedly while Elekid fires away, going through the barrier.
There is a multitude of strategies that can be made. Going back to what votalesin said about the unlimited-restricted issue, the number of combos would dramatically rise and be easier to pull off if only a few cards vanished though...