The Advantage to going Second
by
, 01/03/2012 at 11:17 AM (3567 Views)
I said this in a thread, and I want to just make it a blog because...well I just want it to get out there because I made the idea of it up on a whim and as I thought more about it I liked my own reasoning. This is an explaination on why going second isn't so bad, and is sometimes beneficial!
The advantage to going second is that you are able to respond to cards played and work strategies around the type of deck you are playing against. The first turn player, without a card effect, will not know what cards are in their opponent's hand or deck and is only aware of the active pokemon and any benched pokemon in play.It's easier to react as a 2nd turn player because hand sizes will be lower and you'll know more about the contents in your opponent's deck as they play them.
When going first, you're one turn ahead in everything except thinking strategies. You don't know what someone is playing until roughly their third card played in the game, so unless you can gain a significant advantage in damage, prizes, or field presence on the first turn, you are subjectable to tech cards lack of planning. As far as strategies, you are second to be able to play tech cards in your deck because you will not know what you are up against (unless your opponent tells you or floods the field with Pokemon during set-up).
Example: If you're playing against a Durant deck and they begin the game with a single Cobalion (which isn't a terrible start), the first turn player has no way of knowing it's a Durant deck. Playing a couple of dual balls, Pokemon Collector, or cards to draw could be detrimental to the game down the road, especially if Durant gets moving quickly.