Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Thinking, playing, etc. like a champion.

C

Croatian_Nidoking

New Member
I'm a good player who, like most players, wants to become a great player. So I ask you humble folks at PokeBeach this: what is it exactly that makes champion level players tick? How exactly do they build their decks, play their games, and think out their moves that they manage to win (or place well) in so many tournaments? I've been playing for 10+ years and gotten stuck in a rut recently - only gotten 3-3, 3-2, 2-3 in recent tournaments.

So, how do Nationals- and Worlds-level players manage to do what they do?

- Croatian_Nidoking
 
I'm not pro player but I do decently well at tournaments. For me, playing with cards I like works well for me. You should play a deck you like and make it the best you can. Another thing I do is try to not overextend. I dont play cards I dont need to. For example. If I can not play a supporter, I wont. You dont need to play a supporter every turn. If your hand is okay to the point you can make at least one good play, then hold on to it. Also think your plays through. I take all the time I need to make my plays. If my opponent tells me to hurry up, I just tell them to let me play my game. Still be as fast as you can be but dont let your opponents rush you.

The other thing I hate to say is pick a good deck type. I want to see the game grow and become healthy but the only decks TPC seem to care about is are aggro decks. Pick the one you like and tech the heck out of it. For me, I like to build techs into my deck, not just have them there so I can still play a matchup well with the techs. Also know your deck. If a card does not work well for you, reduce its numbers or just cut it all together. Because a Darkrai deck plays for example a heavy Absol or Yveltal EX line, does not mean you have to if it does not work for you. Some cards dont need to be auto 4 ofs. Perhaps find what you dont play much and replace them with something else.

Something that I started doing is keeping an eye on my opponents resources. If I see my opponents has 4 Junipers in the discard pile, I'll give up a few prize cards and save my N's. Doing this will also make my opponents Ns useless and allows me to setup plays. I think what I should be asking is what is your play style? My play style is conservative so I dont make plays unless I have to. My tournament records on average is X-2 when I play.
 
I like all the cards, so it's hard to pick what I like. I like to think that if it's the BDIF, it's what I must play in order to win - no ifs, ands or buts. That's my problem.

Also, how do you find out what your style is? And how to keep track of your opponent's resources? It's hard enough keeping track of my own under pressure.

Should I also think interms of primary, secondary, etc. targets when battling a deck? That's what I tend to do.

- Croatian_Nidoking
 
It may be best to not looks at it like if I dont play BDIF, then I loose. For finding your play style, its best to think about how you best play the game. Do you prefer aggro strats where you just beat down your opponent fast. Perhaps you like strats where you conserve resources and play at your own speed. A deck like The Truth from last format was like this. Maybe its disruption you like. The key here is to look at cards that appeal to you.

Keeping track of opponents resources is easy. Just ask them to see their discard pile and keep track of their important cards. Supporters are normally a good card type to keep tract of. For this like this, you need to have a decent understanding of the meta. For starters, its fine to assume that most decks run supporters in 4 of with the exception of Colress, which are played in pairs or sometimes 3 ofs. Another good card to keep track of are cards like Hypnotoxic Laser. This is another card that is almost a auto 4 of in decks that use them. Its a good idea to keep track of aggressive cards or cards that can "find" them. Pokemon is a hard thing to keep track of buts it should be a good assumption to keep standing mumbers in mind for Pokemon. Like a Plasma deck, from what I've seen would run 3-4 Kyurem, 2-3 Thundurus EX and 4 Deoxys EX. You may run into builds that run Keldeo EX for the free retreat and Absol but that is what you should expect Pokemon wise. In this format, you want to respect the meta so make deck chooses accordingly.

I'm also not sure what you mean by primary and secondary thinking.
 
The difference for me in my opinion, and I have been around this game since it came out. Is play testing. The only time I ever do well at a tournament is when I can write down my entire deck list without even getting my actual deck out of my bag. I have been around people who playtest 3+ nights a week and succeed and others that playtest 1 night a week for a couple weeks before tournaments and succeed. It's all about how your practice. I'm getting off work, but I will expunge at a later time. Tootles.
 
My play style? Frankly, I think I'm just a bully. I like to play weaker opponents so I can win against them at League and get promos, but when I go up against a stronger opponent, unless I can go for one shot, one kill, I run. And I feel that's one thing I've really got to change, because that's a bad attitiude to take.

How can I figure out for sure what my play style is?

- Croatian_Nidoking
 
Play a lot of different decks and see which ones flow right for you. Each deck has a style or something that feels right that makes them work. If you like to be the "bully" type, then perhaps playing a deck with big basics that hit hard for less effort may be the best starting point for you.
 
Problem is, I can't really afford to play a lot of different decks - just 1 or 2. Also, I can never seem to get the T/S/S lines exactly right because nobody can ever give me a good template to build decks around for this format. Everybody says "it all depends!" How does one build a deck like a champion?

- Croatian_Nidoking
 
Honestly in order to be great, you have to play test. The entire time you're testing notice every card in your hand. Think about what could be better in individual situations. Example: I play beachless blastoise and run a 2-2 line electrode. I ran three level balls, and 3 ultra balls. After play testing multiple games I took out a level ball for a heavy ball. I realized then that that was the proper choice. I don't think anyone can just flat out say "here's how to be a good player" and you be magically good. And you'll never get better playing weaker opponents. I try and play against the best people that I possibly can. And when it comes to decklists, you should never be handed one. Maybe a skeleton of the pokemon or something, but YOU should create YOUR decklist. Memorize it, know it by heart. Play test the ever loving God out of it. Then you'll be good.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
Ugh! I can't really afford Genesect. Nice try. Don't really like the in-between moves with Virizion's Emerald Slash. Still too slow for me.

And where exactly can I meet up with the strongest players? They don't exactly show up at Leagues, you know.

And how much playtesting is enough? That's what I'd like to know.

- Croatian_Nidoking
 
Croatian_Nidoking said:
I'm a good player who, like most players, wants to become a great player. So I ask you humble folks at PokeBeach this: what is it exactly that makes champion level players tick? How exactly do they build their decks, play their games, and think out their moves that they manage to win (or place well) in so many tournaments? I've been playing for 10+ years and gotten stuck in a rut recently - only gotten 3-3, 3-2, 2-3 in recent tournaments.

So, how do Nationals- and Worlds-level players manage to do what they do?

- Croatian_Nidoking
Click to expand...

1) This is Pokégym, not PokéBeach.

2) I would not describe the membership of PokéBeach as "humble"; they remind me too much of myself. =P

3) Do you want to be a real champion?

Think carefully about that last part; it may take a while, but the best players I know are also the ones writing articles. Yes, there are plenty of players that write better than they play, but writing articles often forces you to think about what you are doing. It alone won't make you a champ; as many have said you need to practice and see what your natural tendencies are, then both select strategies that align with said impulses while simultaneously learning to master them so that you can eventually play any deck at a high level effectively.

Trying to explain why you can do that involves understanding why, and understanding why just makes you a better player. This is purely anecdotal, but there have been a lot of players I've met that were some of the best in a format... and that is because they didn't really understand why they were winning. That particular format favored something about them or their preferred deck and because they never bothered to learn that, when things changed suddenly they couldn't win.

So...

1) Practice practice practice
2) Sacrifice to afford the cards you need
3) Learn why things work
4) Learn to think several turns ahead

Most of these have more subtle corollaries; for example you'll need to learn to proxy cards (which includes using various unofficial online programs) to see what you should be investing in as well as to learn what you don't play. Remember, even if you hate a deck, to be a top player you'll still have to be familiar with it enough to play it (not to win with it, but to play it).

Another aspect of practice is learning self-control. I am prone to "choking" at tournaments; however I am doing, the pressure gets to me and I panic and make bad moves. The best players both know how to deal with the stress, and have gotten many plays down as reflexive or instinctive. In a tight situation, you won't have time to carefully plan, and under stress people are more likely to go with instinct than careful thought. Either way this means... practice practice practice.

Top players also invest huge amounts of money into the game; if this is something you can't or won't do, give up being a champ. Note that I didn't say it is something you should do; a lot of players dump money into the game when it wasn't the best choice for them or was flat out wrong!
 
So, how can I learn self-control and how to think several moves ahead?

And how much money does one really need in order to become great? How much practice?

- Croatian_Nidoking
 
Croatian_Nidoking said:
...what is it exactly that makes champion level players tick? How exactly do they build their decks, play their games, and think out their moves that they manage to win (or place well) in so many tournaments?
- Croatian_Nidoking
Click to expand...
You've asked a great question. I've been playing in the upper Midwest from "day 1" and this area is the home of many world-class players (e.g., 3x world champion, 2nd place world champion, national champion, and many more top players). Even playing in some of our local tournaments (like State and Regional) have been extremely competitive.

I do a variety of things to maintain/increase my level of competitive play:
  • Like vaporeon stated: "...play a deck you like..." I completely agree with this. I have played "great" decks before, but if I really didn't like it (because it didn't fit my playing style), my tournament results sometimes reflected my inner dislike. I typically don't play metagame decks. If I do, I will put my own "spin" on it. Regardless if I win or lose with it, I still have a lot of fun, because it's MY deck. As an example, I played in a City tournament years ago and ran a rogue deck that I thought was pretty cool. Although I didn't win the tournament (4-4 record, I believe), I was extremely pleased because I beat 3 top Midwest players back-to-back-to-back. To me, that accomplishment alone made my tournament.
  • Again, like vaporeon stated: "...make it (deck) the best you can." One of the most critical aspects of deck building is developing the "proper" Trainer mix to compliment your deck's Poke, as well as your playing style. This is more of an art than science. Reviewing different deck builds in the Deck Forum can help give you some ideas. After building your deck (even if you need to use proxies initially), playtest, playtest, playtest. Tweak some cards in your deck if need be, then playtest, playtest, playtest. After you've arrived at a comfort level with your deck, playtest again against each of the "top" decks in your area. Continue deck tweaking and playtesting until you're satisfied. When you are done, MEMORIZE each card in your deck in preparation for a tournament (Also, you may be able to borrow cards for the tournament too). This will be critical for your game management.
  • Playtest against local players who are "better" than you and share ideas, comments, stategies, etc. during the game.
  • Develop a network of close Poke pals whose opinions you respect and value. Note, you do not have to agree with them (or vice versa), but other players can sometimes see your deck or game-playing strategy flaws you may not readily recognize.
  • Study top deck components (you will see lots of deck examples here on the PokeGym): main and secondary Poke attackers, "typical" Trainer mix, and "typical" energy mix and counts. This will help you estimate what an opponent is playing and help you track your opponent deck's resources throughout a game. Given your deck's Poke, you should develop a strategy on how to counter/defeat each of these decks.
  • During a game when you perform your first deck search (i.e., you ply an Ultra Ball, Skyla, etc.), conduct an "inventory" of available resources. since you've memorized your deck, you should ave a real good idea of what cards have been prized at the conclusion of th e first deck search.
  • For any tournament, my main goal is just to "make the top cut." Of course, I want to win the tournament, but no need to put undo pressure on myself. I try to just win 1 game at a time.
  • In playing a game, recognize the "board" state: your Poke in play, your opponent's Poke in play, what's in your discard pile; what's in your opponent's discard pile, deck size (yours and opponent), hand size (yours and opponent), amount of energy in play, etc. This will help you formulate your next move strategy - recognizing and predicting how your opponent might respond. One of my Poke pals says he can think about 3 turns ahead, but of course, I tend to "mess" him up when I N him... Lol. Also, keep in mind that there are 3 ways to win a game; so, your game strategy needs to be fluid and adaptive.
  • To help with self-control during a game, remember to: draw a card, attach an energy, play an Item and/or Stadium, play a Supporter, guess how my opponent might respond, count the amount of damage that's in play (I sometimes forget this), and/or attack.
Croatian_Nidoking said:
And how much money does one really need in order to become great?
- Croatian_Nidoking
Click to expand...
"Not much," relatively speaking. IMHO, your biggest "expense" will be your time, commitment to your objective and dedication. Money has nothing to do with these things.
Croatian_Nidoking said:
How much practice?
- Croatian_Nidoking
Click to expand...
"Enough" time to make you feel well prepared for the upcoming tournament.

I hope you find these comments helpful.
 
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Croatian_Nidoking said:
So, how can I learn self-control and how to think several moves ahead?
Click to expand...

How did you learn to walk? It is going to be a combination of trial and error that involves a lot of practice. There may be a few "tricks" but I don't recall most of them because they aren't universal and work for some people but not others. General suggestion is disciplining the rest of your life: eat right, sleep right, exercise right, and even study right to exercise your mind.

Learning why your body behaves and reacts to stimuli can be helpful; you can sometimes combat things like your "fight or flight" response kicking in. Why do you not want that response (known by a few other terms) kicking in at an event? Amongst other things it directs your blood flow away from parts of your brain and to your body, actually making it harder to think!

Croatian_Nidoking said:
And how much money does one really need in order to become great? How much practice?

- Croatian_Nidoking
Click to expand...

Too much in my opinion... but it will vary. I am not just talking about investing in cards but both the monetary and time cost for travel. If you are old enough to have a job, you really notice when you have to take a Saturday (let alone a long weekend) off for Pokémon tournaments. Sometimes you can adjust ahead of time by working extra, but sometimes you just have to accept that instead of earning $100 that day, you spent $100 for an effective $200 loss. Sometimes it will be something subjective; quality time spent with friends and family, for example.

Practice is something you will be doing nightly, from what I have heard from skilled players.
 
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Thinking moves ahead is easy man. Don't focus on trying to remember discard piles and item/supporter/trainer usage for both you and your opponent. That's why the discard pile is public knowledge. You can ALWAYS go back and look for reference. To think turns and turns ahead, all you have to do is play the game. I for one, look at my hand, think of all the potential combinations and plays I could possibly have, prior to playing my supporter to use my hand to the most effectiveness. Now what takes your train of thought to the next level and makes those effective plays even more effective is if you can think of the best possible counter your opponent could possibly use to negate or counter play your moves. It get's tricky and it gets to a level hypothetical redundancy. Eventually somewhere in a plane of thought, you have to make the ultimate decision of gambling that your opponent can't make whichever play to counter your play. That's the beauty of this game. It can get as complex as a chess match in where you in your mind can think 2-3 turns even sometimes more ahead, but it all depends on what your opponent can pull together with the cards in their hand (which are obviously unknown to us) to out play you. That is the main reason I am addicted and I love this game.
 
Thinking several moves ahead really isn't that easy for me. It might be for you, but not for me.

Anything (other than chess, which I stink at) I could "crosstrain" at in order to practice thinking sevral moves ahead/anticipating what someone will do in a situation?

- Croatian_Nidoking
 
Croatian_Nidoking said:
Thinking several moves ahead really isn't that easy for me. It might be for you, but not for me.

Anything (other than chess, which I stink at) I could "crosstrain" at in order to practice thinking sevral moves ahead/anticipating what someone will do in a situation?

- Croatian_Nidoking
Click to expand...

Have you considered maybe you don't really want to be a "champion"? XD

Teasing aside, too am terrible about thinking several moves ahead, and while I enjoy chess I am bad at it. So... I just enjoyed the Pokémon TCG for what it was and stopped thinking "Oh I should be qualifying for Worlds!". Which was a bit harder than it sounds because one of the players I knew and used to regularly play has made Worlds like 10 times now. I went from being able to defeat him fairly easy to both him and his little brother being so skilled they could easily school me!

The thing is, they made it a priority and had the chance to make it a priority, and I don't know if I could have and I certainly didn't want to do what was necessary... and I am okay with that.
 
I do want to be a "champion", and I do want to learn how to think that far ahead.

That said, how can one learn to think that far ahead?

- Croatian_Nidoking
 
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