Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Is the TCG going downhill?

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Still, they are basic... What on earth do you want? An uber chancy? Tough luck kid, Chancy has an evo now. *sighs*
 
Wish I could sig that entire conversation.

On topic: I don't see a problem with power creep in Stage 2's like Tyranitar that can't win T1, but I think that all the support for cards that do 60+ for one energy is too much.
 
There absolutely is a power creep, but I don't think donks are THAT huge of a problem. Donks are a reality of the game. Since day 1 they've existed, and OP recognizes that, thus the format for Nats this year. Luck is a huge part of Pokemon, though. Deckbuilding and draw power help mediate the effects of luck on draw, and as far as flips in the game on "overpowered" Pokemon, like Gengar SF, those can be avoided through proper in-game strategy. The deck isn't just about dealing bench damage or "lol cheap prizes", it's about making the opponent adapt. That includes making them play around Fainting Spell. There are ways to do it, so just trying to run through Gengar and getting KOed in return isn't something to complain about. It's an avoidable risk that a player has to deal with. That isn't cheap. Machamp, an argument can be made for....but Machamp is becoming more and more a non-factor as the format evolves over time.

But back to the original point. Donks are something a player has to anticipate the possibility of and, through deck building, try to minimize the possibility of. Sometimes you just get a bad start. It happens to the best of us. They would be even harder to overcome without some of the trainers available to us. They increase the level of parity in the game. Some decks can get quick starts, but dedicated donk decks don't usually do too hot. The deck builder just needs to keep up with trends. Yes, there's a power creep. Yes, some decks set up very fast. Nothing is invincible, though. "Auto-decks" don't achieve real success against good players with decks tuned to the metagame.

"Parity" is the key word for the format right now, I think. There's a fairly level playing field. So much is playable, and the trainer engine that some have derided is a big part of that. "Set up" decks are only one class of many out there, and to try to shut out those that can deal damage early is NOT a way to "fix" anything. The key for decks that require heavy setup is the ability to weather the storm, then strike back and sweep. If your deck can't do that, then it needs work. Real simple.
 
I HATE SP!!!! i think its super cheap that some1 can have a stage 1 or 2 pokemon out on first turn and level x it its just cheap. and i hate turn 1 donk decks. i have only turn 1 killed some1 once and that was cause they got a evee as there only poemon.
 
^ Technically, the pokemon aren't even Stage 1 or 2's though, hence the word basic pokemon. Theres nothing cheap about the decks at all, heck, most can't even start attacking until Turn 2.
 
The format is fine the way it is. I am not a huge fan, but this is my first year playing competitively and I guess this is just how it is.

Back in the HP-On days I had a great deal of fun playing rogue decks and Ex decks. That is what made HP On much more fun. The Ex's gave a great number of different possibilities both rogue and competitive, and that is all that matters. My decks were ridiculous, but they were not shut down by common decks. Playing Rogue decks nowadays requires the use of a lot of Trainers (since tossing Claydol and Uxie in a rogue deck is just stupid) and when Gastly and Dialga can lock an entire hand, then you know there is a problem.

Decks have also become a lot more simple. Back in the day I could play a 3-2/1-1/1/1/2 Gardevoir Ex line and it would work pretty well, now I am stuck with a 4-2-4 line of pretty much any stage two.

4-2-4 Something
2-2 Claydol
2 Uxie
1-0-1 Tech of Choice

That is boring to me, and it doesn't look like it is going to change too much either.

As far as the power creep goes, it is alright. I don't have any issues with it, other than the fact that playing rogue becomes slightly more difficult. I would highly suggest that the power creep gets put in line and that it slows down a little bit. Otherwise we will be hitting ridiculous amounts of HP and damage. If they wanted to, Nintendo could slowly bring us back to the days of Base Set, but it is all going to remain in proportion.
 
ya this is my first competive year 2 but i have always played at school so ive known the rules and the meta game because of competeive freinds. i refuse 2 play the list that u put up i make strange decks that work =0
 
Too many people are picking on the donk argument, and not the actual issue with the game, which is luck as a whole.

The game is too fast to recover from a bad hand, and it's in a game that has no mulligan rule (which is absurd).

Add in things like Fainting Spell (a flip-based game-changer), which is something you can't work around nearly as well with Nidoqueen, and you have an entirely luck-based meta/game.

While I've only been playing this game a couple months, I've been around CCGs for 11 or so years, and had a decent amount of success in a couple of them. This meta is the worst I've seen as far as being decided by the time you roll the dice to see who goes first, and it's by a decent margin. Not the worst meta (hooray variety!) at all, but terribly limited based on how you/your opponent's first 7 cards end up.


My guess is that next year's cycling will alleviate the problem, the real question is how many of that record player attendance bolts before it happens.
 
I started the game when Base Set came out and went on a years long hiatus when the e card series came out. I didnt get back into the game untill platinum came out. Yes there have been changes throughout the years. Higher HP and more damage done in attacks. I am mostly a collector so playing takes a back seat. The cards are awesome on a collectors standpoint even though the second hand market value is pitful for everything but Level X's and the Meta Cards, like claydol and uxie. I wish i had never got out of the game. On the collectors side of things, i think the game is doing just fine.
 
SuperWooper said:
Uphill, downhill, whatever. If you love the game, play the game. If you don't, don't.
Click to expand...

This.

Not only this, its how you choose to play the game. I don't like playing competitively because of the luck based and to be honest the lack of skill needed to be good at game however I still really enjoying playing at league where nobody plays stupid donk cards and other fun killing cards (Dialga G lvl x shutting off tons of bodies and therefore tons of decks) and we basically just have fun. That's how I and others choose to enjoy the game and how I have done it since base set.

The power creep is a bit ridiculous yes but some simple rule changes (e.g allowing pokemon search based trainers and/or supporters on T1) will help resolve the donk. Not that it'd happen but there's almost always has been some problem with the game, its been hard for me to accept but its the reality.

In base set to skyridge the problem was that so many cards were so weak they were completely unplayable. You couldn't even think of a combination or even want to because there were a handful of cards that were so much better that made 95% of cards look very ordinary. It's odd but the same problem does seem to be occuring now but in a different way.

In any case, I still enjoy the game how I choose to enjoy and play it.
 
Hopefully something will be done to this power creep, but looking at the next 2 sets it dosen't seem so.
I hope pokemon won't go the way of yugioh.
 
okay, i think everyone has to admit to the number of T1 knock outs and donks in this format.
A lot of people were against Gardevoir Gallade from Secret Wonders, Combo'd with the Double Rainbow Energy and Team Galactic's Wager..
And MANY wanted the 2 cards to be BANNED for worlds...
I think this is ridiculous...If you want it to be banned that much, why not just give up playing?
i know i'm not getting anywhere about the Donks we're having this season, but the main thing is...

There is nothing we can do.

its not like they will Ban a few cards like Machamp or Dialga. I think without those cards, this game wouldn't be called a game. A Proper game (i recall) is a game where at least one or a few decks are leading in the metagame..
Without those few decks leading, there will not be as much competition...
T1 Donks are a part of this game now, and this is how the Japanese want the game to be.

Also another thing i have been thinking about was..
I guess its easier for the Japanese to admit to the donks because its not like they spend near $6 USD on each Booster pack... They spend about $2 USD on a booster..

I wouldn't think there will be any Rule changes until maybe the next season afterwards, when they cycle out ALL DP sets and Keep all the DPt Sets...just live for one more Season? then Machamp will be gone..
 
This format is the worst since the days of babies and Focus Band flips. Those formats during the STS's were 8 years ago. There is little to no recovery now, and the lack of real draw cards does not help the current situation. The upcoming sets introdouce more power creep. The only card I see being able to maybe turn this around is that new tool that gives +20 HP and +20 to attacks and allows the opponent to take 2 prize cards when that Pokemon is KOd. At least this may speed the game up and give decks some kind of ability to comeback in games.
 
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