MegaVelocibot
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Forgive the Sun Tzu sayings; there will be a few of them, but only because they apply well.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
One recommendation: always assume your opponent has the best possible cards in their hand to defeat you in any given situation, unless otherwise proven by the game state. What might they do to disrupt your strategy? Is your plan clear as day to someone trying to defeat it? If it is that apparent, is there anything they can do to stop it?
Example: your opponent has played no Pokemon Catchers during the game. They may be playing none at all, or they could just be holding them all back. Would your current situation be jeopardized by them getting heads? What would they take from your Bench to make your situation as bad as possible? Might they be playing Sableye with their Darkness Energy deck to get it back? What about Dowsing Machine? If you have reason to believe they are unable to play any more Pokemon Catchers (four in the discard pile, no apparent way of using anything to get them back), adjust your play accordingly.
Likewise, if they need a three-card combo to achieve something, even if they have only two in their hand, one might be a Professor Juniper (or other hand refresh card). However, if they are playing in a way that leads you to believe they don't (failing to refresh their hand multiple times in a row), don't use a card like N that could get them a better hand.
On that note, never expect your hand to remain the same between turns. Do the best you can with your turn, but don't invest too heavily in the next turn unless you are certain you'll be able to achieve what you want with what you have done to try and achieve it. I often keep my hand face-down, as I know what's in my hand already, and if my opponent wants to N it in, there's nothing I can do to stop it.
"All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near." "Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him."
There is nothing against presenting your position as stronger than it may seem to be. It may lead your opponent to making plays that would seem questionable, even terrible, if they had any knowledge of what your true situation was.
"If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected." Your opponent has a strategy. Identify it as quickly as possible, in addition to whatever your deck has to deal with that strategy. If you realize game after game that you are unprepared to deal with a strategy, analyze whether it is worth sacrificing the reliability of your deck in order to be better prepared to defeat a deck that would otherwise defeat yours.
There are a great many other things that can be applied to Pokemon or any other game of strategy that is not mathematically "solved" already (See: Connect 4, tic-tac-toe). To see more, just look up some Wikiquotes of Sun Tzu.
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