:nonono:
So we’ve already seen a bit of what to expect from our DP4 set, and I have to say that I am very disappointed. According to certain sources, it looks like our set will be completely absent of such wonderful cards as Omastar, Kabutops, Phione, the legendary birds, Call Energy, and the Eeveelutions. Not only that, we’ve also seen pictures of both Garchomp Lv.X and Porygon Z Lv.X, both of which have yet to be released in anywhere but Japan. I want to address this observation from a few different viewpoints, as well as raise questions that others can possibly answer.
From the competitive player’s point-of-view, this decision to cut cards is met with general frustration. Acknowledging the fact that the Japanese players have a much larger cardpool from which to construct a deck, we have seen the number of creative and strategic decks elsewhere in the world dwindle. Our format was at one time saturated with creative deck choices – decks successfully functioned off of strategies such as damage spread, damage output, special condition infliction, stalling (as in Polistall or Grumpig-stall), the “kamikaze” method (think of FRLG Electrode ex), trainer locks, stadium locks, speed, etc. Now, however, what we mostly see are decks that function almost entirely on damage output. One can argue that current strategies differ a bit, but in comparison to what this wonderful game used to have things are very stale. Many competitive players were ready to welcome the aforementioned new cards, but it looks like they’ll have to wait yet again.
Whoever’s decision it was to cut the cards from the new set obviously underestimates the power that a single card has to change the Pokemon TCG. Think about how the current modified format is different because of the absence of single cards; without cards such as Holon Transceiver, Rocket’s Admin, Rainbow Energy, Swoop! Teleporter, etc., this game is obviously different. I was personally looking forward to being able to set up Stage 2 decks other than Gardy/Gallade with such cards as Call Energy and Phione, but that hope is quickly diminishing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure our DP4 set will change the game, but it should be kept in mind that every card counts, and many of the new strategies that people were looking forward to for so long will have to be put on hold.
From the casual player’s point-of-view, this decision is probably a little agitating. I know I’m not the only one who likes to see new Pokemon released in card form, and I was looking forward to getting my hands on the new Eeveelutions (even if I never played with them competitively). If you’re a big fan of fossil Pokemon or the legendary birds, it looks like you’ll be waiting as well. Many casual players are also proud to run decks that involve offbeat strategies, which – just from personal playtesting and general observation – many of the cards cut from the set supported.
The question that has been lurking around in my mind since reading about this decision is WHY? The Japanese DP5 set seems to be on some kind of delay, which could be an underlying reason for why cards were cut. During the delay that we would experience, those cards could be used to make up another set and hold us over until our version of DP5. However, this delay seems to me like the perfect time for the rest of the world to catch up to Japan. The answer to all of this isn’t too difficult or profound – simply release DP4 to the rest of the world without cutting cards and use the DP5 delay to reintroduce a bunch of cards into the format that Japan currently has the opportunity to play with (including alternate art if possible). This was done before with Power Keepers, so why not do it again? Promos from Japan could also fill in a bunch of gaps in the set, that way we wouldn’t get another POP set like POP6, and the entire thing can be called “Legendary Recollections” or something like that – doesn’t matter to me. This would help the rest of the world catch up to Japan, and when Worlds 2008 came about there wouldn’t be such a huge gap between the Japanese metagame and everywhere else. Not only that, the game itself would shift to something more representative of what it actually is in Japan. I’ve expressed my own distaste with the fact that we’re practically playing a game of chess with missing pieces, and I’ve read and heard plenty of concern from other players about our current format. This would be a great way to correct and rejuvenate our current modified format.
Just for the record, if this whole idea is already in plan (that is, if the cards we’re having cut now are going to be combined with reprints for a next set), I still have to express my dissatisfaction with the fact that it’s taken so long for our format to become somewhat respectable again. After having to play for an entire season without acceptable hand disruption (Rocket’s Admin.), I’ve been disappointed recently with what I consider to be very poor choices in the management of the game. Many people were upset with the rotation of Legend Maker, and I’ve joined that group. Imagine what our format would be like if Banette ex, Mew ex, Cursed Stone, or Flygon ex were still playable? Gardy/Gallade might not have taken about 70% of the CC wins this year, and many people wouldn’t feel the need to gripe about Absol as much. I was also let down by POP6, which included nothing but reprints of cards that were already in our format (compare that to some of the other POP sets that included decent cards in addition to reprints of rotated cards).
I know many will view this post as nothing more than sour grapes, but understand that I have waited since Rocket’s Admin. was rotated for our format to shape up again. My frustration doesn’t stem from playing poorly this season (check my signature), it stems from pure boredom with the game. It’s not just cards that are being cut, and it’s not just a lack of reprints, it’s entire ideas, strategies, and playstyles that are being silenced.
…
…
… Discuss…
So we’ve already seen a bit of what to expect from our DP4 set, and I have to say that I am very disappointed. According to certain sources, it looks like our set will be completely absent of such wonderful cards as Omastar, Kabutops, Phione, the legendary birds, Call Energy, and the Eeveelutions. Not only that, we’ve also seen pictures of both Garchomp Lv.X and Porygon Z Lv.X, both of which have yet to be released in anywhere but Japan. I want to address this observation from a few different viewpoints, as well as raise questions that others can possibly answer.
From the competitive player’s point-of-view, this decision to cut cards is met with general frustration. Acknowledging the fact that the Japanese players have a much larger cardpool from which to construct a deck, we have seen the number of creative and strategic decks elsewhere in the world dwindle. Our format was at one time saturated with creative deck choices – decks successfully functioned off of strategies such as damage spread, damage output, special condition infliction, stalling (as in Polistall or Grumpig-stall), the “kamikaze” method (think of FRLG Electrode ex), trainer locks, stadium locks, speed, etc. Now, however, what we mostly see are decks that function almost entirely on damage output. One can argue that current strategies differ a bit, but in comparison to what this wonderful game used to have things are very stale. Many competitive players were ready to welcome the aforementioned new cards, but it looks like they’ll have to wait yet again.
Whoever’s decision it was to cut the cards from the new set obviously underestimates the power that a single card has to change the Pokemon TCG. Think about how the current modified format is different because of the absence of single cards; without cards such as Holon Transceiver, Rocket’s Admin, Rainbow Energy, Swoop! Teleporter, etc., this game is obviously different. I was personally looking forward to being able to set up Stage 2 decks other than Gardy/Gallade with such cards as Call Energy and Phione, but that hope is quickly diminishing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure our DP4 set will change the game, but it should be kept in mind that every card counts, and many of the new strategies that people were looking forward to for so long will have to be put on hold.
From the casual player’s point-of-view, this decision is probably a little agitating. I know I’m not the only one who likes to see new Pokemon released in card form, and I was looking forward to getting my hands on the new Eeveelutions (even if I never played with them competitively). If you’re a big fan of fossil Pokemon or the legendary birds, it looks like you’ll be waiting as well. Many casual players are also proud to run decks that involve offbeat strategies, which – just from personal playtesting and general observation – many of the cards cut from the set supported.
The question that has been lurking around in my mind since reading about this decision is WHY? The Japanese DP5 set seems to be on some kind of delay, which could be an underlying reason for why cards were cut. During the delay that we would experience, those cards could be used to make up another set and hold us over until our version of DP5. However, this delay seems to me like the perfect time for the rest of the world to catch up to Japan. The answer to all of this isn’t too difficult or profound – simply release DP4 to the rest of the world without cutting cards and use the DP5 delay to reintroduce a bunch of cards into the format that Japan currently has the opportunity to play with (including alternate art if possible). This was done before with Power Keepers, so why not do it again? Promos from Japan could also fill in a bunch of gaps in the set, that way we wouldn’t get another POP set like POP6, and the entire thing can be called “Legendary Recollections” or something like that – doesn’t matter to me. This would help the rest of the world catch up to Japan, and when Worlds 2008 came about there wouldn’t be such a huge gap between the Japanese metagame and everywhere else. Not only that, the game itself would shift to something more representative of what it actually is in Japan. I’ve expressed my own distaste with the fact that we’re practically playing a game of chess with missing pieces, and I’ve read and heard plenty of concern from other players about our current format. This would be a great way to correct and rejuvenate our current modified format.
Just for the record, if this whole idea is already in plan (that is, if the cards we’re having cut now are going to be combined with reprints for a next set), I still have to express my dissatisfaction with the fact that it’s taken so long for our format to become somewhat respectable again. After having to play for an entire season without acceptable hand disruption (Rocket’s Admin.), I’ve been disappointed recently with what I consider to be very poor choices in the management of the game. Many people were upset with the rotation of Legend Maker, and I’ve joined that group. Imagine what our format would be like if Banette ex, Mew ex, Cursed Stone, or Flygon ex were still playable? Gardy/Gallade might not have taken about 70% of the CC wins this year, and many people wouldn’t feel the need to gripe about Absol as much. I was also let down by POP6, which included nothing but reprints of cards that were already in our format (compare that to some of the other POP sets that included decent cards in addition to reprints of rotated cards).
I know many will view this post as nothing more than sour grapes, but understand that I have waited since Rocket’s Admin. was rotated for our format to shape up again. My frustration doesn’t stem from playing poorly this season (check my signature), it stems from pure boredom with the game. It’s not just cards that are being cut, and it’s not just a lack of reprints, it’s entire ideas, strategies, and playstyles that are being silenced.
…
…
… Discuss…
