Under normal circumstances, I would laugh out loud if I saw this kind of title for a thread. However, with most of the best attackers in the game being basics, and with Catcher in the format, I think we've ended up in a crazy format where being able to search all of your basics through a supporter is bad for the game. Before you freak out and flame me, or stop reading, let me explain better.
First all, it's possible we won't have Collector or something similar to it next format. Most players would ragequit if this happened, so unless the card creators really think it's really a bad for the game, they probably wouldn't risk not printing it. Assuming a BW-on or CL-on format next year, Pokemon Collector will be rotated. As of now, there is no replacement for it. However, we still have one more unreleased Japanese set (dragon whatever) that will probably be our August set. If we don't get a card similar to Pokemon Collector or Roesanne's Research, it will be the first time in the game where we don't have a basic-searching supporter since Holon Mentor was printed. Feel free to correct me on that, I didn't play before Mentor and all I remember was that card that let you search three basics of three different types.
Anyway, this got me thinking about how I would build a deck without Pokemon Collector. And the best solution I could come up with was using Level Ball and a card like Elgyem NV to get my basics.
Before I continue, does anybody else remember Furret SW when SW was first released? That was the best consistency we had at the time, and it was used as a starter in GG and various other decks. If Furret was reprinted now, it probably wouldn't see much play. The opponent would just use Collector, Juniper, and Communication to setup a brokenly good basic and OHKO the Furret before it could search out all of a setup deck's components. I realize we had Roseanne and Celio/Bebe at the time, but we didn't have such fast attackers sans Blissey, which Gallade destroyed.
Now, what if we didn't have Collector and Dual Ball? Basics would become just as searchable via Supporters and Trainers as evolutions are. Relying on Communication to get not only all of your evolutions out, but also all of your Pokemon out seems like it's impossible, especially in a format with Catcher. Decks would have to resort to some kind of a starter to get setup.
The first argument that probably comes to your mind is that six corners, ZPST, Durant, and Mewtwo would become too powerful, since they don't have to search evolutions. However, Pachirisu and Shaymin would be rotated at the time, assuming a BW-on format. This ruins ZPST, so we're down to six corners, Durant, and Mewtwo. Now, the key part of this argument is Level Ball. This card can't search any of the OP basics. No dragons, no genies, no musketeers, no EX's. They remain just as searchable as evolutions are. So even these decks would have to resort to Elgyem. Durant, on the other hand, would become incredibly OP with Level Ball, which could be why the card makers opted to create Heatmor.
If every deck in the format is completely reliant on a starter, the format would slow down to an amazing extent. Each player would most likely use Elgyem's attack twice, leaving a 2-3 turn "safety window" for each player to get setup before the KO fest starts. This would be a godsend for decks like Emboar/Blazeiken, which would otherwise be completely outdone by Emboar/Reshiram. Not to mention what kind of crazy decks Dark Rush Venusaur could be the backbone of, if your opponent gives you three or four uses of its Ability. The list goes on.
Also, does anybody remember the Holon formats, where you had 4 Mentor and 4 Transceiver, and therefore eight outs to your basics and in some decks' cases Holon's Castform? That was widely regarded as the best time in the game. Think about this: 4 Level Ball (Transceiver) and 4 Elgyem (Mentor). This is also eight outs, and Level Ball/Transceiver also offer some other mid to late-game uses (searching more basics and middle evolutions, and searching other Supporters respectively.) Is it possible the card creators are trying to give us this type of format back, while also maintaining their marketing-driven power creep?
Of course you're at a huge disadvantage if you don't open Elgyem and your opponent does, which is why I wish they would give us back free consistency attacks. This greatly increases the importance of free retreaters. And while this is a strong argument, think about the game now. If you go second without a Collector, and your opponent hits their Collector T1, you're in deep trouble before you even get a full turn. This would be no different; it's just an unfortunate reality that came with the power creep.
The other issue is Mewtwo-EX. It OHKOs Elgyem for nothing more than a DCE. However, anybody who has played Mewtwo mirrors can tell you that attacking with your Mewtwo before they attack with theirs is asking for trouble. Mewtwo is an incredibly easy card to tech, since it takes Colorless, and so this "Mewtwo rush" strategy would be countered easily.
So in summary, here's a pro and con list of a collector-less format, where Level Ball and Elgyem are how decks set themselves up.
Pros:
-Slows game down
-Promotes use of starters
-Similar to Delta formats
-Allows setup decks to have a fighting chance
-Makes most OP basics less OP
Cons:
-Somewhat abused by Mewtwo-EX
-You have to get Elgyem out very fast, ideally before your opponent does
I only tested a few games with this mechanic, since States and Cities testing is more important. However, the Level Ball + Elgyem strategy definitely seems to be superior to just spamming Communication and Ultra Ball. Sure, you go down a prize in a format that's a prize war, but ultimately you just get a much better setup than they do. I also tried a Level Ball + Pichu strategy, combined with Venusaur and some crazy attackers, and the deck was actually able to stand up to some of the average-speed decks we have today (Stage 1 variants, Chandelure.)
What will probably happen is Collector will get reprinted in the next Japanese set, I'll bang my head on the keyboard a few times for typing this up, and we'll all forget about it. However, I'm still interested in hearing others' opinions on this.
First all, it's possible we won't have Collector or something similar to it next format. Most players would ragequit if this happened, so unless the card creators really think it's really a bad for the game, they probably wouldn't risk not printing it. Assuming a BW-on or CL-on format next year, Pokemon Collector will be rotated. As of now, there is no replacement for it. However, we still have one more unreleased Japanese set (dragon whatever) that will probably be our August set. If we don't get a card similar to Pokemon Collector or Roesanne's Research, it will be the first time in the game where we don't have a basic-searching supporter since Holon Mentor was printed. Feel free to correct me on that, I didn't play before Mentor and all I remember was that card that let you search three basics of three different types.
Anyway, this got me thinking about how I would build a deck without Pokemon Collector. And the best solution I could come up with was using Level Ball and a card like Elgyem NV to get my basics.
Before I continue, does anybody else remember Furret SW when SW was first released? That was the best consistency we had at the time, and it was used as a starter in GG and various other decks. If Furret was reprinted now, it probably wouldn't see much play. The opponent would just use Collector, Juniper, and Communication to setup a brokenly good basic and OHKO the Furret before it could search out all of a setup deck's components. I realize we had Roseanne and Celio/Bebe at the time, but we didn't have such fast attackers sans Blissey, which Gallade destroyed.
Now, what if we didn't have Collector and Dual Ball? Basics would become just as searchable via Supporters and Trainers as evolutions are. Relying on Communication to get not only all of your evolutions out, but also all of your Pokemon out seems like it's impossible, especially in a format with Catcher. Decks would have to resort to some kind of a starter to get setup.
The first argument that probably comes to your mind is that six corners, ZPST, Durant, and Mewtwo would become too powerful, since they don't have to search evolutions. However, Pachirisu and Shaymin would be rotated at the time, assuming a BW-on format. This ruins ZPST, so we're down to six corners, Durant, and Mewtwo. Now, the key part of this argument is Level Ball. This card can't search any of the OP basics. No dragons, no genies, no musketeers, no EX's. They remain just as searchable as evolutions are. So even these decks would have to resort to Elgyem. Durant, on the other hand, would become incredibly OP with Level Ball, which could be why the card makers opted to create Heatmor.
If every deck in the format is completely reliant on a starter, the format would slow down to an amazing extent. Each player would most likely use Elgyem's attack twice, leaving a 2-3 turn "safety window" for each player to get setup before the KO fest starts. This would be a godsend for decks like Emboar/Blazeiken, which would otherwise be completely outdone by Emboar/Reshiram. Not to mention what kind of crazy decks Dark Rush Venusaur could be the backbone of, if your opponent gives you three or four uses of its Ability. The list goes on.
Also, does anybody remember the Holon formats, where you had 4 Mentor and 4 Transceiver, and therefore eight outs to your basics and in some decks' cases Holon's Castform? That was widely regarded as the best time in the game. Think about this: 4 Level Ball (Transceiver) and 4 Elgyem (Mentor). This is also eight outs, and Level Ball/Transceiver also offer some other mid to late-game uses (searching more basics and middle evolutions, and searching other Supporters respectively.) Is it possible the card creators are trying to give us this type of format back, while also maintaining their marketing-driven power creep?
Of course you're at a huge disadvantage if you don't open Elgyem and your opponent does, which is why I wish they would give us back free consistency attacks. This greatly increases the importance of free retreaters. And while this is a strong argument, think about the game now. If you go second without a Collector, and your opponent hits their Collector T1, you're in deep trouble before you even get a full turn. This would be no different; it's just an unfortunate reality that came with the power creep.
The other issue is Mewtwo-EX. It OHKOs Elgyem for nothing more than a DCE. However, anybody who has played Mewtwo mirrors can tell you that attacking with your Mewtwo before they attack with theirs is asking for trouble. Mewtwo is an incredibly easy card to tech, since it takes Colorless, and so this "Mewtwo rush" strategy would be countered easily.
So in summary, here's a pro and con list of a collector-less format, where Level Ball and Elgyem are how decks set themselves up.
Pros:
-Slows game down
-Promotes use of starters
-Similar to Delta formats
-Allows setup decks to have a fighting chance
-Makes most OP basics less OP
Cons:
-Somewhat abused by Mewtwo-EX
-You have to get Elgyem out very fast, ideally before your opponent does
I only tested a few games with this mechanic, since States and Cities testing is more important. However, the Level Ball + Elgyem strategy definitely seems to be superior to just spamming Communication and Ultra Ball. Sure, you go down a prize in a format that's a prize war, but ultimately you just get a much better setup than they do. I also tried a Level Ball + Pichu strategy, combined with Venusaur and some crazy attackers, and the deck was actually able to stand up to some of the average-speed decks we have today (Stage 1 variants, Chandelure.)
What will probably happen is Collector will get reprinted in the next Japanese set, I'll bang my head on the keyboard a few times for typing this up, and we'll all forget about it. However, I'm still interested in hearing others' opinions on this.
