Do we spend too much time worrying about deckbuilding?

[gashmoigidy]

I agree, when I first started I thoguht I could take a deck that won a huge tourny and win a BR easy. This does not work. About the whole thing about deckbuilding for your style: I don't really believe in this. Make the list the best, it's easy to adapt. I agree with the OP that learning play skill is important, but the reason good players spend so much time deckbuilding is because there's nothing left to learn

 

[Skull Hatter]

My two cents.

I went to my area's BR, and i decided on kingdra. I made a build not really thinking(14 energy :] ) and I still went 5-1, and in my recent playing of a very basic Gengar deck, i've gone like, 13-2, and I'm by no means a good player, yet am not in an uncompetitive area.

Deck building is important, but in the age of Gengar, Beedrill, Kingdra and the like, it's just as easy to build a basic deck and win because of the sheer cheapness of it.

 

[yoyofsho16]

I'm a little late, but I want to say that at the higher tables where there is a pool of notoriously good players that realistically could beat any other member of that elite corps given the right circumstances, deckbuilding is everything.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

For example, for the BR I went to I used Gyarados. I didn't build it from scratch, I grabed a decent looking list off the beach. However, unlike the people who you'll find at the bottom tables, I took the time to change it to my liking. I added a few creative techs, made some adjustments to what I knew my meta was, and in general made tweaks untill I was happy with the list.

So basically, you netdecked, but came up with an excuse that makes it so you didn't TECHNICALLY netdeck, so you don't look like a hypocrite?

 

[DarthPika]

I'm a little late, but I want to say that at the higher tables where there is a pool of notoriously good players that realistically could beat any other member of that elite corps given the right circumstances, deckbuilding is everything.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:



So basically, you netdecked, but came up with an excuse that makes it so you didn't TECHNICALLY netdeck, so you don't look like a hypocrite?

It's not netdecking to grab a basic list to use as a base for your own list. Only an idiot builds a list from scratch if there is already a proven one out there that is available to use as the base for your own list. :/

 

[prodigal_fanboy]

So basically, you netdecked, but came up with an excuse that makes it so you didn't TECHNICALLY netdeck, so you don't look like a hypocrite?

In Michael's defense: you've never adopted and tweaked a list you found on Hatter and then ran it? And you've never used another list you've seen IRL as a starting block for your own builds?

 

[Lehuere]

In Michael's defense: you've never adopted and tweaked a list you found on Hatter and then ran it? And you've never used another list you've seen IRL as a starting block for your own builds?

Adding on to the post above.
All in all when it comes down to it even if someone "netdecks"you cannont copy a persons playing style, familiarity with the cards, how the deck plays out in general, and how to get out what you need when you need it makes all the difference when it comes to that sort of thing. Plus as he mentioned before changing it up with new creative techs can completely change the feel of the deck even though the center, a good example would be gyarados who has many variants, remains mostly untouched. Style is just as important as substance!

 

[yoyofsho16]

In Michael's defense: you've never adopted and tweaked a list you found on Hatter and then ran it? And you've never used another list you've seen IRL as a starting block for your own builds?

Sure I have, but I'm not running around telling people that netdeckers are demons and need to die in a pit.

And Michael, I am fairly certain that 99% of netdecks are tweaked at least minimally.

 

[Prime]

It's not netdecking to grab a basic list to use as a base for your own list. Only an idiot builds a list from scratch if there is already a proven one out there that is available to use as the base for your own list. :/

You were against the posting of any kind of list, general or not, because you felt even your general list was better than the average lists out there.

what I find messed up is that you are happy to take a list someone else posted yet aren't willing to contribute your own lists.

 

[baby mario]

I'm pretty sure that every single competitive player has used another list as a starting point at some time. Doesn't matter if they come from the Gym, a private forum, a Worlds deck, or a friend.

I can't be the only player who doesn't go to every single tournament with a completely original deck which I built from scratch.

 

[waynegg]

I can't be the only player who doesn't go to every single tournament with a completely original deck which I built from scratch.

I do. When I win, I want it to be me who wins. I feel like playing someone else's list only proves that they know what they're doing. To me that just isn't fun.

On that note, I already have a deck built and tested for when Legend is released which is showing a ton of potential. It just needs a few key cards to complete

 

[Prime]

You're right, and I have cleaned that up.

 

[gashmoigidy]

Who cares if you built the deck or you tweaked it or you netdecked it? Does it give you more rating points if you win with a deck you made? But yeah most of the decks I play are completely made by me.

 

[DarthPika]

I don't mind people "net decking" if this means using a list as a base for their own deck. I've done this from time to time, mostly for smaller tourneys, or when I don't have the time to start from scratch my self. Not to mention, it's stupid to start from scratch if someone else has posted a decent list to go off of.

Why don't I post my own lists? Personal preference. I don't mind helping people with lists, or telling them what would make a list better, but I just dislike sharing my own. I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything, I just dislike other people knowing my deck card for card.

 

[Prime]

I don't mind people "net decking" if this means using a list as a base for their own deck.

I just dislike other people knowing my deck card for card.

If you post a starting list, similar to the type of list you borrowed off of Pokebeach, they won't know your tournament list card for card.

It would be great to see more 'starting lists' contributed, as it can help the new players and even the experienced players like you.

 

[Naki Feralkin]

Net-decking isn't a good nor a bad thing. I will never take someone elses list and run it C&P the same way they have it built as that really isn't my style. I always have to alter trainers/supporters and even some energy counts and maybe a change of techs to fit my metagame.

On the plus side, net decking gives you an idea as to what there is that is solid out there. For instance, Flygon right now is really big and you could make a bread and butter one right now. Net-decking isn't so much copying and pasting someones list as it is just learning what is very strong right now.

On the negative side, those people who tend to net deck try to copy and paste every single card that is in the list. While you may be taking the positives from their specific list, and the perks that make said deck strong, you will also inherit every problem with the deck as well.

This is the part where you can alter these decks to your liking, in that it isn't so much a net-deck anymore, its altering a strong meta to cater to your preferrence. Some people may not like so much of a specific supporter in their deck, and I may always stick to my vanilla 4-4-1 Roseannes/Bebe/Lux Ball line. I may like a certain tech in this deck more than one you placed in there.

So basically, you netdecked, but came up with an excuse that makes it so you didn't TECHNICALLY netdeck, so you don't look like a hypocrite?

So this attack is very unneeded. I sometimes do this too. Does this make me a hypocrite? Some people just like running a deck their way instead of someone elses.