Xerneas EX, Yveltal EX, Venusaur EX, Blastoise EX

[vaporeon]

Its not hard to guess what the game will be like. We see scans of the next gen TCG and big basics are still around and they still hit hard. One of which is a perfect partner for darkrai ex and another that can KO any stage 2 pokemon. Blastoise gets a EX version of itself and a possible mega for the ex. With the new rules and a different best of 3, playing big basics and overpowered bench sitters become even more important.

Other then the rule changes a tournament changes, it does not look like anything is changing. BW started a bad trend. Looks like XY will continue it.

 

[Regis_Neo]

They implemented rule changes.. In my previous comment. You don't know anything and you are assuming entirely too much. Don't be a fool.
These cards won't be released until we are in an entirely different format. Same EX stamps on cards, new game mechanics.

Uh re-think that please, those card are going to be out and in use THIS format by spring likely, and a few changes like best 2/3, simply not attacking T1, and a Catcher nerf isn't enough. Now if they were dropping giant basic EXs, that'd be one thing. But instead, it looks like they're just continuing the status quo, which quite a few people don't like still. So I'll just be migrating to the VGC full time probably rather than trying to play a TCG I'm not finding that much fun now, not to mention the fees.

 

[JandPDS]

Guys don't be so fast to pass judgement on the competitive scene's future so quickly. Catcher now only works 50% of the time. And big basics don't get a T1 attack anymore.
The game is going to be a lot different. So before we all go assuming things, let's buckle up and enjoy the ride. Nobody truly knows what the next format is going to look like with the rule change. We have only seen a few cards from the X&Y generation.

That's like looking out into the universe, and seeing 4 galaxies and assuming you know how the rest of existence is going to work for the next 50,000 years. We know nothing. Be happy the game is still alive and thriving! A lot of people around the world don't even have the luxury to enjoy games period.

No you dont get it. All they did with the new rule was make it so you know want to go 2nd instead of first. Big Basics still attack on the first turn when the player goes 2nd so no change there. Japan has proved that they are not even trying anymore to make the game new or interesting in any way. Creating a new version of Juniper while Juniper is still in format. That caused there to be a first ever rule that a deck can not contain copies of 2 legal cards in a same deck. Lazy and stupidity contopinues with keeping EX's in the format and making basic EX versions of normally evolved pokemon. Just stop printing basic and stage 1 pokemon already there is not use for them. Boring Big Basic decks forever will be the format.

 

[Mekkah]

There's not liking the direction they're taking, and then there's exaggeration. You do not always want to go first or second. Evolution decks will want to go first, since they don't attack anyway. Aggressive decks will want to go first when they don't have an option to attack t1 (to still get that first Energy drop), or second when they do. That's a huge difference that prevents 99% of all donks that would've happened with the old rules.

Will big basic EXes forever be in the format? No, not forever. But for a while to come, and that is a good reason to worry. But some of you are way too quick to judge an entire season of play based on like five revealed cards. What if Pow! Hand Extension were to come back, huh?

 

[TRAINER HEZ]

Pow! Hand Extension wouldn't change the fact that since Black & White they've thrown one of the game's signature mechanics down the toilet. Evolution just isn't appealing now. When you teach a new player now it's "Well you can use the Pokemon you like... but you'll get destroyed, go buy one of those EX tins and come back". Sure someone will cite a few niche evos (mainly support Pokemon) but literally 99% of the time, if you want to attack with an evo, there's a Basic that does the job better.

Regardless of what else is revealed, the 5 cards we know show they are continuing this trend.

 

[HoLoN_TrAiNeR]

Well you can use the Pokemon you like... but you'll get destroyed, go buy one of those EX tins and come back

No matter in which way, but everytime I say this to a newcomer I think to myself "Damn this guy might quit before even starting"

 

[rileysill32]

I'm not rethinking anything. Still, nobody knows anything. Sure, they release a couple strong basic ex pokemon.
There is no reason to make irrational and radical claims about anything.
The fact that you people are freaking out this much, makes me wish none of you were even in the game anyways because you just
bring everybody else down in you cloudy judgment of the future. If you don't like it, we will be seeing you in a couple years when EXs are rotated out.
Bye bye.

 

[vaporeon]

I'm not rethinking anything. Still, nobody knows anything. Sure, they release a couple strong basic ex pokemon.
There is no reason to make irrational and radical claims about anything.
The fact that you people are freaking out this much, makes me wish none of you were even in the game anyways because you just
bring everybody else down in you cloudy judgment of the future. If you don't like it, we will be seeing you in a couple years when EXs are rotated out.
Bye bye.

Im not sure how long you have played the TCG. In each block rotation, the rules of the game were changed to hopefully make it better. They also introduced new game mechanics that could mae the game different from the last block and add to the fun of the game. Some of which stayed around like supporters, because it made the game healthier.

Each rotation, per the words of TPC/i were "to keep the game fresh and exciting for all player, new and old alike" and as players of the game, we more or less hold them to this. The Pokemon Black and White block for both the video game and card game were a train wreck. Both are filled with overpowered things with no work whatsoever in attempt to balance the game, like we were promised. Because a lot of the deck from the Heart Gold Soul Silver deck were overpowered and Pokemon Reversal ruining games, we were hoping that the BW block would fix things. We wanted ex pokemon to return because "Prime" pokemon should have been worth 2 prize cards. later we find out that BW would make things worse. Reshiram and Zekrom showed that. Basics with 130 HP that had 2 very powerful attack. When we finally got ex pokemon, they had 170 HP and could hit hard. They still hit hard today, 2 years later.

Now when we finally get a hint of the XY block set, which is suppose to be different then the BW block, we find out that we still have to deal with big basics. Yveltal EX being a huge addition to darkrai decks as a clutch attacker with DCE and Dark Patch with the ability to use Dark Claw and power up darkrai ex and benefit from darkrai's ability. What we dont know is how the fairy type will change the meta. For all we know, they make a trainer card that says attack 3 fairy energy to one of your pokemon. In that case, Xerneas EX will crush any stage 2 Pokemon with the help of a luck catcher. I dont even need to say how much powerful blastoise decks get with the catcher nerf, a ex version of itself and a mega version for the EX.

After 2 years of wanting a good change for the deck, it looks like we may have another 2 years of big basics and overpowered bench sitters. We also dont like the rule changes. These rule "patches" only seem to work with BW rules. Rather then just doing a hard rotation, bans or what ever else they could have done to make XY new and exciting.

There is a lot wrong with XY right now and from information we are getting, we ll have a right to make judgements on the game to come because we have dealt with most of it before. There is one thing you are right about though, we dont know for sure how the game will be. Perhaps they are releasing the storm before letting the calm come but as it stands right now, big basics are not going anywhere and thats a problem.

 

[signofzeta]

Im not sure how long you have played the TCG. In each block rotation, the rules of the game were changed to hopefully make it better. They also introduced new game mechanics that could mae the game different from the last block and add to the fun of the game. Some of which stayed around like supporters, because it made the game healthier.

Each rotation, per the words of TPC/i were "to keep the game fresh and exciting for all player, new and old alike" and as players of the game, we more or less hold them to this. The Pokemon Black and White block for both the video game and card game were a train wreck. Both are filled with overpowered things with no work whatsoever in attempt to balance the game, like we were promised. Because a lot of the deck from the Heart Gold Soul Silver deck were overpowered and Pokemon Reversal ruining games, we were hoping that the BW block would fix things. We wanted ex pokemon to return because "Prime" pokemon should have been worth 2 prize cards. later we find out that BW would make things worse. Reshiram and Zekrom showed that. Basics with 130 HP that had 2 very powerful attack. When we finally got ex pokemon, they had 170 HP and could hit hard. They still hit hard today, 2 years later.

Now when we finally get a hint of the XY block set, which is suppose to be different then the BW block, we find out that we still have to deal with big basics. Yveltal EX being a huge addition to darkrai decks as a clutch attacker with DCE and Dark Patch with the ability to use Dark Claw and power up darkrai ex and benefit from darkrai's ability. What we dont know is how the fairy type will change the meta. For all we know, they make a trainer card that says attack 3 fairy energy to one of your pokemon. In that case, Xerneas EX will crush any stage 2 Pokemon with the help of a luck catcher. I dont even need to say how much powerful blastoise decks get with the catcher nerf, a ex version of itself and a mega version for the EX.

After 2 years of wanting a good change for the deck, it looks like we may have another 2 years of big basics and overpowered bench sitters. We also dont like the rule changes. These rule "patches" only seem to work with BW rules. Rather then just doing a hard rotation, bans or what ever else they could have done to make XY new and exciting.

There is a lot wrong with XY right now and from information we are getting, we ll have a right to make judgements on the game to come because we have dealt with most of it before. There is one thing you are right about though, we dont know for sure how the game will be. Perhaps they are releasing the storm before letting the calm come but as it stands right now, big basics are not going anywhere and thats a problem.

This situation is like giving the losingest head coach a contract extension.

 

[rileysill32]

Im not sure how long you have played the TCG. In each block rotation, the rules of the game were changed to hopefully make it better. They also introduced new game mechanics that could mae the game different from the last block and add to the fun of the game. Some of which stayed around like supporters, because it made the game healthier.

Each rotation, per the words of TPC/i were "to keep the game fresh and exciting for all player, new and old alike" and as players of the game, we more or less hold them to this. The Pokemon Black and White block for both the video game and card game were a train wreck. Both are filled with overpowered things with no work whatsoever in attempt to balance the game, like we were promised. Because a lot of the deck from the Heart Gold Soul Silver deck were overpowered and Pokemon Reversal ruining games, we were hoping that the BW block would fix things. We wanted ex pokemon to return because "Prime" pokemon should have been worth 2 prize cards. later we find out that BW would make things worse. Reshiram and Zekrom showed that. Basics with 130 HP that had 2 very powerful attack. When we finally got ex pokemon, they had 170 HP and could hit hard. They still hit hard today, 2 years later.

Now when we finally get a hint of the XY block set, which is suppose to be different then the BW block, we find out that we still have to deal with big basics. Yveltal EX being a huge addition to darkrai decks as a clutch attacker with DCE and Dark Patch with the ability to use Dark Claw and power up darkrai ex and benefit from darkrai's ability. What we dont know is how the fairy type will change the meta. For all we know, they make a trainer card that says attack 3 fairy energy to one of your pokemon. In that case, Xerneas EX will crush any stage 2 Pokemon with the help of a luck catcher. I dont even need to say how much powerful blastoise decks get with the catcher nerf, a ex version of itself and a mega version for the EX.

After 2 years of wanting a good change for the deck, it looks like we may have another 2 years of big basics and overpowered bench sitters. We also dont like the rule changes. These rule "patches" only seem to work with BW rules. Rather then just doing a hard rotation, bans or what ever else they could have done to make XY new and exciting.

There is a lot wrong with XY right now and from information we are getting, we ll have a right to make judgements on the game to come because we have dealt with most of it before. There is one thing you are right about though, we dont know for sure how the game will be. Perhaps they are releasing the storm before letting the calm come but as it stands right now, big basics are not going anywhere and thats a problem.

Yes, I understand the POV and I have played the game since base set and on with short periods of "breaks". There will always be a counter to everything. It's how we as trainers put together a 60 card strategy to consistently bring up the deck to bring you to victory. Every pokemon has a weakness. And I will say from a card printing stance. This last set with the release of silver bangle and suicune. They are giving us cards to give other's a chance at bringing down the big basics. Bangle makes a lot of cards more dangerous on the EX front. Who knows what else we will get that could provide similar effects in the future. I will say this, I get it. I'm personally tired of the ex based meta game. I would love for the HP cap to drop back down to 120 and play a game with little to no energy acceleration where it costs 3 energies to hit for 50 damage. Rather than 1 energy for 30+ or 3 energies for 120 like we are seeing today. Eventually the power cycle will end and the game will slow back down. It's just a matter of when and where in the TCG it will happen. Thanks for the debate.

 

[Mekkah]

vaporeon, most of your last post isn't completely outrageous, but please realize that your opinion tends not to match everyone else's. Lines like:

"We wanted ex pokemon to return because "Prime" pokemon should have been worth 2 prize cards."

are just blatantly false. That's what you think. Pretty much everyone else disagrees with you. So unless you are of royalty, this sentence should have started with "I".

 

[vaporeon]

a lot of people I talked to about who know about ex Pokemon said the same things. I just assumed most others did as well.

 

[khit]

This last set with the release of silver bangle and suicune. They are giving us cards to give other's a chance at bringing down the big basics. Bangle makes a lot of cards more dangerous on the EX front.

How exactly does this do anything to stop big basics? Suicune IS a basic pokemon that's like saying lets throw some fire on this fire to put it out.... not gonna work. Even silver bangle, the only cards that really make use of it are basics that attack for one energy or stage 2's that were already too powerful not to play. Big basics does not simply mean EX's. Zekrom and Reshiram from Black and White are just as much big basics as darkrai EX or Deoxys EX. I don't mind ex's only because almost every pokemon that can evolve has crap stats, Like going from 40 hp, to 60, then suddenly 120, and attacks that do 20 damage for 2 energy, THAT is why evolutions are not played, and when they are they are almost exclusively hidden away on the bench. I don't hate the idea of EX's, but they show just how underpowered every non full evolved pokemon in this game is. My only problem is now that they're making stage 2 EX's evolution is completely useless, unless your evolving into blastoise, and MAYBE garbodor.

I think I would be fine if they officially did away with evolution all together so that every card they make could be playable, this would also mean that when I buy a box I wouldn't get 99% cards that might as well be newspaper for all the monetary AND competitive value they have, that's why I'm selling all my pokemon cards and quitting. I'm not buying 20 packs to get 1 playable card anymore. Pokemon has lost a customer thanks to filler. Good work guys. It feels like gambling, your either gonna win big or else you literally just wasted all your money, and when I get that feeling about 3/4 of the times I buy packs, I'm no longer interested in feeling ripped off anymore. I would say you might as well have lit your money on fire but then at least you could be entertained while you watch it burn.

 

[rileysill32]

How exactly does this do anything to stop big basics? Suicune IS a basic pokemon that's like saying lets throw some fire on this fire to put it out.... not gonna work. Even silver bangle, the only cards that really make use of it are basics that attack for one energy or stage 2's that were already too powerful not to play. Big basics does not simply mean EX's. Zekrom and Reshiram from Black and White are just as much big basics as darkrai EX or Deoxys EX. I don't mind ex's only because almost every pokemon that can evolve has crap stats, Like going from 40 hp, to 60, then suddenly 120, and attacks that do 20 damage for 2 energy, THAT is why evolutions are not played, and when they are they are almost exclusively hidden away on the bench. I don't hate the idea of EX's, but they show just how underpowered every non full evolved pokemon in this game is. My only problem is now that they're making stage 2 EX's evolution is completely useless, unless your evolving into blastoise, and MAYBE garbodor.

I think I would be fine if they officially did away with evolution all together so that every card they make could be playable, this would also mean that when I buy a box I wouldn't get 99% cards that might as well be newspaper for all the monetary AND competitive value they have, that's why I'm selling all my pokemon cards and quitting. I'm not buying 20 packs to get 1 playable card anymore. Pokemon has lost a customer thanks to filler. Good work guys. It feels like gambling, your either gonna win big or else you literally just wasted all your money, and when I get that feeling about 3/4 of the times I buy packs, I'm no longer interested in feeling ripped off anymore. I would say you might as well have lit your money on fire but then at least you could be entertained while you watch it burn.

As far as the bolded red goes, I'm unsure about the stage 2's that are too powerful not to play. Because currently there is only 1, Blastoise. And there are no bangles in a good blastoise deck lol.

20 packs @ lets say a flat, $4 a pack. That's $80. You aren't spending your money wisely is all that boils down to even if the 20 pack quote was just a random number you spit out.. I think all the smart players out there that play the game on a budget would agree, that you playtest your deck ideas first on the online, then go buy the singles and trade as opposed to donating your money to Pokemon in exchange for 1 card. And losing in the long run.

 

[JandPDS]

As far as the bolded red goes, I'm unsure about the stage 2's that are too powerful not to play. Because currently there is only 1, Blastoise. And there are no bangles in a good blastoise deck lol.

20 packs @ lets say a flat, $4 a pack. That's $80. You aren't spending your money wisely is all that boils down to even if the 20 pack quote was just a random number you spit out.. I think all the smart players out there that play the game on a budget would agree, that you playtest your deck ideas first on the online, then go buy the singles and trade as opposed to donating your money to Pokemon in exchange for 1 card. And losing in the long run.

Well you would play bangle with Emploeon, but instead of the stupid no attack going first, just put rare candy back to the way it was. The biggest problem is that the game designers are so busy forcing everyone to play Basics only. Back when SP's were out was the first time they tried to do so, but people stubbornly played evolution deck anyways. Now with the current meta the game designers have finally made it impossible to play an evolution deck competitively. This has been the Japanese designer plan and it has worked we are all playing decks with tons of basics and tons of over powered trainers. Just the game is dull and boring now compared to where it was a few release blocks ago. It used to be that a deck had 14-20 Pokémon and you could not run 4 of this trainer and 4 of this trainer and 4 of this trainer. You had to carefully weigh the value of each card in your deck. Now decks run 6-10 Pokémon and it is much easier to run multiples of each and every trainer available.

Just no strategy or originality in deck construction or the game anymore. It is just so very sad that it seems that anyone that ever really cared about the health of Pokémon-TCG in Japan seems to be long gone and now we have a bunch of people just going though the motions. Hence two separately names supporters with the exact same text legal at the same time leading to the absurdity of two perfectly format legal cards being forbidden to be played together in the same deck.

 

[rileysill32]

Well you would play bangle with Emploeon, but instead of the stupid no attack going first, just put rare candy back to the way it was. The biggest problem is that the game designers are so busy forcing everyone to play Basics only. Back when SP's were out was the first time they tried to do so, but people stubbornly played evolution deck anyways. Now with the current meta the game designers have finally made it impossible to play an evolution deck competitively. This has been the Japanese designer plan and it has worked we are all playing decks with tons of basics and tons of over powered trainers. Just the game is dull and boring now compared to where it was a few release blocks ago. It used to be that a deck had 14-20 Pokémon and you could not run 4 of this trainer and 4 of this trainer and 4 of this trainer. You had to carefully weigh the value of each card in your deck. Now decks run 6-10 Pokémon and it is much easier to run multiples of each and every trainer available.

Just no strategy or originality in deck construction or the game anymore. It is just so very sad that it seems that anyone that ever really cared about the health of Pokémon-TCG in Japan seems to be long gone and now we have a bunch of people just going though the motions. Hence two separately names supporters with the exact same text legal at the same time leading to the absurdity of two perfectly format legal cards being forbidden to be played together in the same deck.

I will agree. The game is dull. That's why I quit after Fort Wayne Regionals in the fall of 2012 when 9/10 decks were Rayeels. I said this is stupid, dumped all my cards for cash and said cya later.

 

[khit]

As far as the bolded red goes, I'm unsure about the stage 2's that are too powerful not to play. Because currently there is only 1, Blastoise. And there are no bangles in a good blastoise deck lol.

20 packs @ lets say a flat, $4 a pack. That's $80. You aren't spending your money wisely is all that boils down to even if the 20 pack quote was just a random number you spit out.. I think all the smart players out there that play the game on a budget would agree, that you playtest your deck ideas first on the online, then go buy the singles and trade as opposed to donating your money to Pokemon in exchange for 1 card. And losing in the long run.

I do enjoy opening packs of cards, it brings back the feeling of opening packs as a kid, but I feel the pull rate for playable cards is ridiculous these days, therefore if I want to participate in the pokemon tcg to my full enjoyment I'd need to buy singles AND packs, but I'm not going to do that, I'm not buying anymore pokemon cards whatsoever. Wouldn't it be in pokemon's best interest to make sets that are full of equally powered cards so that people want to buy the packs as opposed to singles? I don't know but I guess not.

I'm glad I didn't even have to mention him by name for you to figure out what stage 2 I was talking about, but that just proves my point that even the two non basic pokemon in format don't use bangle. Big basics abuse it best. The other possible competition for only meta evolved pokemon in format could be garbodor. I honestly just didn't want to draw unwanted flak from the people who think the metagame is going to significantly change in the next set, judging by them reprinting a supporter we already have in format- I think those people are out of their minds.

Spending 150-200$ every three or even six months for the single EX's from the new set to stay with the "best deck" is absurd to me, and there are no other options if you want to win, other than waiting 6 months for a tin to be released, only to realize right before they released those tins they released a bunch of cards to counter it and make it worse.

If they released more than one or two good cards per set maybe single ex's wouldn't be upwards of 40 bucks each, but alas I'm not going to keep giving them money while they figure that out. Spending my money on singles or spending it on packs doesn't change that behind it all, I'm paying for a worthless piece of cardboard. As soon as it becomes unplayable it has no value. I could buy a deck and be happy for three months oooor I could buy a ps3 and have it forever and it's always just as good, unlike a card where, yes you could play it for fun, but not in a tournament and as competitive players that's not what we're paying 50$ a card for is it? We are paying for cardboard I just can't in good conscious pay for paper anymore, and I'd like to think that most people after a few rotations/ ruthless nerfing of cards they JUST reprinted, almost like a slap in the face would get tired of it, but IDK I've never seen the game in this bad a shape either. (Oh you didn't want to pay 15$ for an uncommon card? Don't worry, we're listening! Ohhhhhhh.... yeah see that card we just gave you that you'd been asking to be made cheaper... yeah it's cheaper alright)

I don't expect people to agree but I legitimately believe that with all of pokemon's recent promos, they only release one worth playing IF they nerf it down so that it is no longer as playable first, once again this feels like a slap in the face. Darkrai? Released landorus right after, Mewtwo? Released sigilyph right before tinning, Rayquaza's only real viable deck was with eelektrik, who's also EXTREMELY weak to landorus, once again putting the people who pay more at an advantage* Spring tins just sucked. Keldeo was a good choice but the other two were useless, they were a set late in releasing the hard counters of genesect/virizion. Now these tins, they make the most wanted deck in format affordable! What do they do right before? They release a tool card that unless you scrapper it away or catcher around it the whole game- literally shuts down the deck, If your scrapper or two scrapper are prized or used up and you run up against anyone running silver mirror- you lose. This is something every plasma deckbuilder must account for when building their deck. Also they released drifblim and some other poke's who get advantages from their opponents plasma pokes.

*I guess this is always going to be true in a card game, the people that pay the most win, but that is exactly why I am done with card games, most likely for good, as I've said before, Why pay the price of a video game for a peice of cardboard, that as a competitive player is probably useless on it's own (you can't run a darkrai deck with 1 darkrai) and even when you buy 4 you're still playing the same game, I've never tried a new deck out and had a mind blowingly fun experience that I wasn't expecting or had more fun than playing any other deck- the only reason to keep buying is to stay competitive. I feel this is almost like charging for skins in video games, a superficial way to pump MORE money out of the consumer, I feel like if card games want to have a hope of not being completely eradicated by video games soon they need to make it more affordable, like the card games that give you every card in the meta and release a new box every year, that is the way to go in my opinion. Pokemon is doing the opposite, releasing more and more powerful cards every set so that the old sets become valueless (emerging powers anyone) thus forcing people to only buy the newest cards, increasing the price EVEN MORE. This is only considering full priced games too and completely ignoring the fact that games GO ON SALE and not only that but they recieve major price drops while still being usable and fun.

Oh and while I'm on this mega rant I'd also like to say thank you for making the ONLY regional in my country over 2000 miles away, I'm definately going to be getting those extra hundred points this year! lol NOT.

 

[Otaku]

You people are nuts. The radicalism in this thread is absurd. Quitting the game and you don't even know how the card game is going to play out in the future.

I can't vouch for "our" sanity, but I can vouch for my experience. I've been with this game as long as you have, and I see a disturbing pattern. Going to resist my usual wall of text, but in short problems that have been plaguing this game all along have never successfully been dealt with: why should this time be different?

When I look at what is wrong and then the pending changes (both to rules and coming cards), the latter don't correct the former; they just might be "less wrong". Not just game mechanics either, but distribution. If this was just the game's second chance (its at least its fifth) and the state of the economy in many places, this may be the point where a lot of us can and should say "Enough!".

 

[JandPDS]

I can't vouch for "our" sanity, but I can vouch for my experience. I've been with this game as long as you have, and I see a disturbing pattern. Going to resist my usual wall of text, but in short problems that have been plaguing this game all along have never successfully been dealt with: why should this time be different?

When I look at what is wrong and then the pending changes (both to rules and coming cards), the latter don't correct the former; they just might be "less wrong". Not just game mechanics either, but distribution. If this was just the game's second chance (its at least its fifth) and the state of the economy in many places, this may be the point where a lot of us can and should say "Enough!".

It is just laziness on the game designers. The keep going through the motions putting out the same bad format that they created with the reintroduction of EX's. Everyone was excited to see EXs back. But 170-180 HP basics only was not anything wished for by he players. The mistake Japan made was creating 130 HP basics that could fight with B&W so that when they decided to bring back EX's they had no choice but to boost the HP from that starting point. If they had just made Reshiram and Zekrom as 80-90 HP basics in the first place we would not be stuck in the mess that we are in today.

 

[Furn]

http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/tcg_xy1_update-2013-10-15/

Before playing a Mega Evolution Pokémon to evolve a Pokémon-EX, players must consider the situation carefully—doing so ends their turn immediately, which means they can’t attack that turn! The risky move is worth the reward, however, because Mega Evolution Pokémon exhibit a strength that surpasses that of Pokémon-EX. Hard-hitting attacks and high HP totals make Mega Evolution Pokémon dominant during Pokémon TCG matches.