Any ideas for good teaching decks?

[Croatian_Nidoking]

As someone who runs a small but growing Pokemon League in South Florida, I often find myself trying to teach people how to play the Pokemon TCG. Trouble is, I think the decks I normally use are too complex (not to mention too precious!) for teaching the game to others. Therefore, I'm looking for ideas as to what would make good decks for teaching the basics of the game. You folks have any ideas?

- Croatian "running a league ain't easy, but it sure is fun" Nidoking

 

[regice froze you]

Theme decks are easy to learn and teach with.

 

[Hot Mustid]

yea, just use theme decks, they suck, but who cares

they are very basic and usually dont have any pokemon that do very complex things,

It is much easier to just use a theme deck than to try and build an "easy to learn" deck

ok mods, you can lock this post

 

[SuperWooper]

Energy Manipulation.

It's what makes the world go round in this format.

See, ALL HIGHLY COMPETITIVE decks today involve SOME SORT of energy manipulation:

Gardevoir Psy Shadows.
Blaziken Firestarters.
Swampert Water Calls.
Expedition Ampharos (put into Ampharos EX decks most of the time) uses its power (can't think of name) which moves energy from the bench to the active.
Sceptile Energy Trans's.
Muk uses Roselia's speed growth.
TA Lanturn and TA Manectric are in a lot of rogue decks, and together they can do some cool shtuffz.
Kingdra Aquapolis Water Calls (usually in Kingdra ex decks).
If Boost energy counts, then that pretty much gets everything.

You need to introduce them to energy manipulation as fast as they can grasp it. It's what makes decks, so it's essential to new players. Energy Manipulation also comes in forms of certain energy:

Recycle Energy is Energy Manipulation. Revelation Kingdra just pwned other decks into the EARTH with Recycle Energy.
Entei's Howl power was energy manipulation. That also pwned during Eon. Mareep from Aquapolis, I believe, has an attack that powers it up EXTREMELY fast, depending on the number of Mareep in play, which powered Rev. Amphy back when it was F34R3D by ALL!!!

Blastoise = Energy Manipulation
Venusaur = Energy Manipulation

It's been around since the beginning of time (ie base set '99 ) and it's ABSOLutely essiential. Get them introduced to the rules, then shove energy manipulation into their faces, give them a jump start, hope to see some rising stars!

Woopah

 

[Cyrus]

But Wooper, the next batch of new folk won't be ready until after the tournament season, when energy manipulation won't be quite what it is now. Through our playtesting, you've seen many good decks that don't really need it.

Don't train the players on a mindset of Energy Manipulation=pwnage forever. Keep people open, not just to be limited to what's accepted as good and what's accepted as bad. That's the first lesson that should be taught, yet it's always neglected...

Well, to stay on topic, one of my personal favorites for teaching kids the ropes is the Team Magma Haymaker: simple, fast, efficient, and Groudon's Poke-body might be the only confusing thing out there for a youngyun! Other than that, it's just damage counters galore!

~Patriarch

 

[SuperWooper]

Through our playtesting, you've seen many good decks that don't really need it.

In this format, energy manipulation = pwnage.
In the next format, energy manipulation = still pwnage, but you're right, not as much.

Leading decks in EXon or RSon will use energy manipulation:

-Blaziken (still rockin'): Firestarter
-Blastoise ex (go go go stoise! only thing holding Blaziken down): Energy Dance
-Metagross ex (speedy and deadly): Starter deck Metagross's power
-Our SECRET DECK *twilight zone theme plays*: Exp. All -_-
-Our OTHER SECRET DECK (might make the cut as an archetype, might not): Roselia for powerup-age of SECRET POKE'S deadly attack! Yay!
-Gardevoir (probably will die out...:sadface: Psy Shadow

Thanx much.

 

[Physics Squirrel]

SECRET deck? Ooh, the suspense. Is it yet another one or do I already know about it.

Wooper, I think his point was that stuff like that is hard for a n00b to understand. So show them decks with two different energy types thrown in but no particular strategy (theme decks) then go on to the good stuff.

As for what makes a good deck.

Speed: which requires either energy manipulation, jamming, or cheap attacks.
Energy Manipulation: All that shtuff Wooper said,
or
Damage Manipulation: He stands alone.. Alakazam. Well there's Strange Bahavior Slowbro. But not really
Then there's Power. This is required in almost any deck for it to survive. You have to knock out pokemon to win after all (or you could stall, but I won't go there)

 

[SuperWooper]

SECRET deck? Ooh, the suspense. Is it yet another one or do I already know about it.

Wooper, I think his point was that stuff like that is hard for a n00b to understand.)

In response to the first question, no. You do not know about this deck, but I will give you two hints:

1: It beats WalREIGN fairly consistantly.
2: It is not Metagross ex.

You can probably see why I don't even want the idea floating around *coff*the first hint*coff*.

------------------------------------

Secondly, I stated hit them with energy manipulation AFTER they learn to play. It needs to be the thing they learn RIGHT AFTER they learn the mechanics, because it's going to continue to be a dominating factor as long as the game's alive.

Woop

 

[Cyrus]

No no no, my point wasn't that it'd be too hard for a new person, so much as they shouldn't be brainwashed into thinking energy manipulation is the only thing that ever works.

As for the secret deck, since when has it been ours, huh? ;P
('though you could technically say all products, even individual ones, are pieces to the Archetype Bros. puzzle =D)

 

[SuperWooper]

Archetype Bros. puzzle =D)

HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT...YOU TOOK THE ARCHETYPE BROS. OFF YOUR SIG!

YOU
WILL
PAY!!!

Anyways, energy manipulation IS WHAT WINS. You advertise this yourself by playing Niniken...ENERGY MANIPULATION. You're talkin' a lil' tounge in cheek there, bud.

Wooper

 

[Cyrus]

I advertise it, but I don't limit the possibility to just energy manipulation alone winning. Oh, how i love my Alakatech dream world ^^