Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Lugia-EX, Magnezone, Dowsing Machine revealed

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Jason said:
That means...

My old itemfinders...

Useful...???


Ermahgawd
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Allow me to nip this one in the bud.

Unlike Comp Search, which has the same name as the original card, Dowsing Machine is a clearly different name from Item Finder. Even disregarding the Ace Spec ruling (which I disagree with), neither Item Finder nor Junk Arm could be played as the new Dowsing Machine because they are different named Trainers.
 
Actually, that's untrue. Their Japanese names are identical. (And given since Gen 4, the Item Finder has had this new name outside Asia this makes sense.) Similarly to Exp. All (which is in an IDENTICAL situation, given it's always had the same name in Japan, but changed here in Gen 2) being legal, that wouldn't prevent this being used.

How Computer Search was ruled, however, does kill this.
 
Victini EX's first attack is where it shines. Two energy from the deck energy excel is really good. Unfortunately, its HP is to low for an EX lead. Giving up two prizes at the cost of putting a ton of energy on the board doesn't seem like a good trade off to me, but maybe, if it's paired well, it could work someday.
 
losjackal said:
Hmm....Dowsing Machine vs. Computer Search? Tough call.
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I think Computer Search wins this hands down - it's a consistency boost if you need it early, searches out more than just trainers (clutch DCE much?), and Dowsing Rod only shines if you have already exhausted all your resources, since if you haven't blown all 4 Catchers, Computer Search will do the same thing.
 
ShuckleLVX said:
I think Computer Search wins this hands down - it's a consistency boost if you need it early, searches out more than just trainers (clutch DCE much?), and Dowsing Rod only shines if you have already exhausted all your resources, since if you haven't blown all 4 Catchers, Computer Search will do the same thing.
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I have to disagree. In the short term, when you play the Ace Spec (Dowsing Machine or Computer Search), you get the same result if the target is a trainer. It plays out differently in the long-run, however. Let's say you need a supporter, Juniper in this case. You've already played a Juniper, so you have three in the deck. Computer Search discards two and gets it out of the deck, leaving you with 2 for the rest of the game. Dowsing Machine does the same thing, but since it gets it out of the discard pile, you still have 3 left in the deck. Same thing if you have 1 Catcher left. Computer Search gets the last one, but Dowsing Machine leaves you with one.

Computer Search still has the advantage of versatility and is great early- and mid-game. Dowsing Machine, on the other hand, is great mid- and late-game and is helpful in managing resources. I don't think either is a clear winner between the two.
 
Plus, you're dealing with a single piece of expensive-but-high-quality search or a single piece of expensive-but-high-quality-recursion, unless you're running something like Sableye. You also have to draw into it unless you run Skyla... and if you run Skyla and are using it to snag Computer Search, it just became a 3-for-1 with about half your likely picks already legal targets for Skyla.

Decks running Ultra Ball further whittle down on what you need Computer Search to find, and if you can afford room, a TecH Energy Search means something of low importance is Prized or Skyla can also snag a basic Energy card once (and really, how often are you going to need to do that?).

Dowsing Machine can't reclaim anything, but the other options for discard recursion all have other substantial limits; Recycle is a flip, Energy Retrieval is of course just for Basic Energy, Super Rod shuffles into the deck, and everything else I can think of is an attack and may also be limited in selection. The ability to reclaim a Trainer from the discard, even once, is very valuable and less common than solid search options.

Frankly, I am looking forward to Scramble Switch (assuming I got the name right); select a Benched Pokémon, move the Energy from the Active to the Benched Pokémon, then promote the selected Pokémon while Benching what was your Active. At the very least, you surprise your opponent with a renewed offense and force them to expend extra effort to claim a Prize that should have been theirs. Best case scenario you've got Max Potion to combo with it!
 
What would you guys think if they ruled that old Item Finders are legal in place of Dowsing Machine (but the Comp Search ruling remained the same)?

Like the way these rulings have been handled I wouldn't be surprised, but it would be funny.
 
I think there will be four Ace Specs that are actually playable, depending on a deck. While I'm absolutely not happy rest of the format, the ace specs are well designed and balanced imo.

Computer Search -> best option for any setup deck that needs a consistancy boost, great combination with Sableye (example: Hydreigon/Darkrai)
Gold Potion -> good for any EX decks that don't need other ace specs... but will probably be outclassed by Scramble Switch in most of the current candidates (example: Terrakion/Landorus/Garbodor)
Dowsing Machine -> helpful in decks that have a lot of different (tech) items and Skyla in their engine, and could end having resource problems (example: Empoleon, maybe RayEels)
Scramble Switch -> great for energy-heavy basic decks with no other means to move/recycle energy (example: Tornadus/Landorus/Mewtwo)
 
Argyris said:
I have to disagree. In the short term, when you play the Ace Spec (Dowsing Machine or Computer Search), you get the same result if the target is a trainer. It plays out differently in the long-run, however. Let's say you need a supporter, Juniper in this case. You've already played a Juniper, so you have three in the deck. Computer Search discards two and gets it out of the deck, leaving you with 2 for the rest of the game. Dowsing Machine does the same thing, but since it gets it out of the discard pile, you still have 3 left in the deck. Same thing if you have 1 Catcher left. Computer Search gets the last one, but Dowsing Machine leaves you with one.

Computer Search still has the advantage of versatility and is great early- and mid-game. Dowsing Machine, on the other hand, is great mid- and late-game and is helpful in managing resources. I don't think either is a clear winner between the two.
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It's a dead draw early game. It's useful for managing resources once you have expended resources, but useless before. In a format where decks are running 12 or more early game dead draws already, with Catchers, Dark Patch, Energy Switch, Switch, SSU, Super Rod, Eviolite, Energy Retrial, Rare Candy, etc., I'm not giving up any more early game consistency.
 
ShuckleLVX said:
It's a dead draw early game. It's useful for managing resources once you have expended resources, but useless before. In a format where decks are running 12 or more early game dead draws already, with Catchers, Dark Patch, Energy Switch, Switch, SSU, Super Rod, Eviolite, Energy Retrial, Rare Candy, etc., I'm not giving up any more early game consistency.
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That's true, but Computer Search won't help you if you need a catcher late game after you've used all four. As mentioned above, Computer Search is great early and mid game, but Dowsing Machine's late game power is too strong to ignore. I'm not saying it's flat out better than computer search, you just shouldn't rule it out because it's a little weaker early game.
 
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