Elite Trainer Box feedback

[ExoByte]

When I was at US Nationals, I was happy to see lots of ETB boxes & dice on the tables. Now that you've had them for a few months, and the next one is about to come out. I'd like to get some feedback on them.

Specifically, how do you feel about the box/dice/markers as gaming accessories. Are the dice good? How do you like the box? Do you use the markers? etc.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Raen]

For the most part, I quite like the dice and markers. However, I do have a few little problems with them.

With the dice, the randomizer is great, but I personally dislike having a special symbol on the 1 for damage counters. Since it's for counting damage, I prefer having the actual number representation there to aid in easy counting. This is a really small gripe, but still something I dislike a little bit.

For the status markers, I think they look great and are made of a fantastic material; that said, I also think they are much too big. About half their current size would be much better in my mind.

 

[AnUnown]

I LOVE the status markers. The dice, I could live without, but that's mainly because #1 I don't like using small dice and #2, while I liked the larger die, the blue pips are hard to see, leading me to use a states die for flips instead.

The deckbox was useless to me.

 

[Tapin]

I agree that the deckbox was useless (although I *was* able to trade it for a couple bags of Canadian candy to someone who wanted to use it as a joke), and I like the dice -- I'm always looking for interesting dice -- but: I'm probably in the minority here, but I kinda hate the theme-deck poison/burn art. I've never once put a band-aid on any burn I've ever had, much less two. So I didn't end up using the two status markers.

That said, everything I've heard about the new ETB makes me want to buy at least a couple of them. I'm not complaining just for the sake of complaining.

 

[espeon200]

I love the fact that I can use it to carry around multiple decks of cards inside their deck boxes. It's actually becomemy favorite way to store my decks, and I know several people at my local league who do the same. I also like the acrylic poison burn markers, but I'd like to see new designs on them in the future. I don't use any of the dice. The flip die because the colors of the pips don't contrast well enough. The damage dice because I like to use multiple colored damage dice in case I need to use one in a pinch for a flip.The deck box was basically useless. The energy was nice to have, but I wish it had something to differentiate it from other basic energy. Even using the B&W style background would be enough.

 

[SMP88]

Make the outer box just a fraction wider and longer so that it can fit 3 large Japanese boxes without being too tight.

 

[sdrawkcab]

The burn and poison markers were a success by far.

For the dice, I'd agree that the plasma symbol should be on the 6 rather than the 1, for the use as damage counters. That, and the dots on the translucent die needs to be easily visible.

I'm looking forward to seeing the sleeves in the next box!

 

[FREAKAZOID175]

I like that the deck boxes can fit a sleeved deck, but I still prefer plastic deck boxes when I use them. I love the box everything comes in, I will use a box like that over one of the tins any day.
I prefer to flip a coin rather than roll, but I love that it came with a die that meets all of the requirements to be used as a randomizer. The other dice for damage counters are nice as I am begrudgingly starting to use dice instead of the original glass damage counters. Some people get confused about my "every one is 10 damage, the color does not matter" system, and with a lot of Pokemon having well over 100HP the dice are a lot tidier.
The status markers are great. So much better than the card board ones that come in theme decks.
The energy was nice. Not that I needed them by any means, but having extra energy on hand is great for running League sessions. I would have loved and hoarded the energies if they were a bit fancier though.

The sleeves in the next one are a huge selling point for me, that alone will make me pick up 2 or 3 of them instead of just one.

Overall I think the ETB's are fantastic, they are great for beginners and veterans alike. I'd much rather buy an ETB over a tin or the boxes that tend to come with a giant card and/or figure.

 

[ExoByte]

On the topic of the box itself, how does everyone like it? Does it hold up being beat around in your bag? Does it get dinged up too much?

 

[Bigbowlr1037]

The box is awesome. It doesn't hold up to getting run over by a toyota Highlander(oops) but aside from some edge wear the box can take a serious beating.

 

[HappyHaunter]

I love the burn and poison markers. I wouldn't mid it if we got extras of those though just in case we were to lose them. I use the big die but the rest I don't bother with.

 

[bullados]

I absolutely LOVE the ETB. This is a product that IMO should have been around YEARS ago. The status counters are the second best that I've ever seen or used (props to TCC for their design). I love that dice and a box are in there as well.

Some suggestions for improvement...

1) The deckbox was beyond useless. Crumbled on first use. Do not want.

2) The card box itself. It's rather oddly proportioned. There's a ring of cardboard at the top of the box that I think is supposed to keep the box at an appropriate height above the bottom part. The problem? When you put sleeved cards inside the box, that cardboard ring sits on top of the sleeves, instead of on top of the box. And, if you remove the cardboard ring, the top of the box settles low enough that the lip catches on the bottom of the lower portion. I would suggest either (a) make the lower portion of the box taller, or (b) make the cardboard insert thinner.

3) The flip dice. I love that it exists. I hate that it's so darn difficult to see. There has to be a color easier to spot on a clear surface than blue. White is probably not a great choice, as I know a lot of gaming stores have those white-plastic tables. You need to find a color that stands out both against a wood surface, and a white plastic surface.

4) The damage-counter dice. Oddly enough, my biggest issue with these things is that they're too small. Too easy to knock over simply by knocking the table. And, personally, I would LOVE to replace my Professor Dice in their box with these things, but the fit is just, well, *bad*. I'd like these things to be a bit bigger, the same size as the flip dice, but obviously solid in color. As far as the symbol, I've got no problems with it. The number 1 is where most-to-all custom artwork is on dice, so that's generally fine. The only place I've ever seen artwork on the 6 is on the Professor dice.

Overall, I absolutely love the product. I plan on purchasing one of the Plasma Blast ones in every gaming store I enter that has them. Every time I enter that store. I love these things that much.

 

[acktacky]

I love it, and I can't wait for the next one!

As for a breakdown on each piece of the product:
1. The deck box I never even bothered to use. I have too many plastic ones at this point to even give it a shot. I think I'm using it to hold Pokemon plastic coins--which is good enough for me!

2. The card box my boyfriend is using and he doesn't seem to have any qualms about it. It fits the prerelease deck boxes just fine, and it can fit enough of them to make it so it's the only box he needs to bring to league. I don't even think it's banged up at all yet, either. Very happy with it.

3. I will have to agree that it's hard to see the pips. I'm sure the semi-translucent ones that are used for Regionals die and such are more expensive, but something with a transparent color die with the color pips on top would probably be the best.

4. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the damage counter die! I love the size! I love the color! I don't even mind or care about which side the symbol is on (and I feel like it NEEDS to have the set symbol, or what's the point of putting the cool die in here?). Keep making them! I can't wait to get a healthy collection of set die to play with.

5. The status condition markers are awesome, but I don't use them, as I've painted my own before the box was released. The boyfriend uses them though, and there's really no complaints there either. They're reliable and beautiful.


Point being... I love these so much. SO. MUCH. ah.

 

[camerongira]

the box is good design it can withstand my back pack and being dropped by me. The markers are great love them, i actually like the symbol on the 1 though.

 

[Flare Starfire]

Going to add to the pile here:

Deckbox no good. Most cardgamers use plastic boxes at a minimum.

Status counters: Beyond awesome! I would've bought the box just to have the burn / poison coins.

The card box itself holds up to a beating and then some.

The dice I didn't really need since I have a nice classic colored set that I like to use.

 

[FREAKAZOID175]

I have the box at the very top of my bag as the last thing crammed in there (where most of the abuse is taken) and there is only one corner that shows significant (although completely functional) wear and tear after months of use. I would load my bag up with a whole bunch of these boxes if it were not easier to keep a majority of my decks in a larger plastic case. As much as I love Tetris, I want to spend as little time as possible, packing and unpacking my bag at League sessions.

 

[Widdi]

My only qualm with the box itself is the ridge on in the inner part of the upper box. It can catch card sleeves or cards bending and tearing them.

Everything else is awesome. I even like the cardboard deck box.

That being said I would really love to see some bigger Pokemon themed storage boxes. Those ones ultra-pro put out that are roughly the size of two ETBs stuck side by side would be a amazing addition to my collection.

 

[MegaVelocibot]

Are the dice good?

At first, I wanted to own 36 of them, to stack them four layers, three by three, deep in a dice container. As time progressed, though, the inability to clearly convey 10 damage via the unique Plasma symbol relegated them to retirement in my bedroom. I appreciate the unique dice, and feel it would have been worse to make the 6 instead of the 1 the Plasma symbol if any side were to be so, but my opponents and I tend to find it to be a bit too distracting to use comfortably.

How do you like the box?

The box? The box... hm. One of them houses my holo Energy cards for use at prereleases. The other hasn't really been put to good use just yet. I still use some of the old Kyogre/Groudon/Rayquaza tins to put my decks and loose cards into. The box is sturdily constructed, but it surprisingly doesn't fit as well as the tins do in the bag I use to transport my Pokemon supplies.

Do you use the markers?

I purchased two copies of the first ETB just to make sure I had two of each counter, one for myself, one for my opponent. They're of good quality, maybe a little rough around the circular edges... maybe if they could be smoothed/rounded just a tad more, I'd be at my happiest. Nonetheless, the four of them sit atop my large dice (12 six-sided transparent dice + container) that I use for my damage counters and/or randomizers. Eleven generic dice, and one Professor die.

etc.

I show the booklet that was included to some of the younger players interested in it at the League I help run, and that has helped them with some of their strategic thinking. One deck box remains unfolded to minimize any structural integrity issues as experienced by the other copy I tried to use to store the cards. I am half-tempted to find some way of laminating the deck box, fold it up, then heat it at the seams with a heat gun, so that the plastic on it stays melted and leads to something sturdy enough to hold the deck in it.

 

[Profesor Bain]

Again, what about releasing it into other non-english speaking markets? It is a really good product for both newbies and pro players.

 

[AnUnown]

Again, what about releasing it into other non-english speaking markets? It is a really good product for both newbies and pro players.

I'd imagine they'd want the product to "prove itself" before spreading it elsewhere. As it is, exo said we'd get this one, then not another until 2014 - I assume so they can analyze the performance.