Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

New UK League kit is FANTASTIC.

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ukpokemonpro

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These past few weeks I have been getting increasingly fed-up and depressed at the state of play reference league in the UK.

OP is fine and exclusive OP promo's are nice but when you have had no new league materials since 19 Feb you start to wonder at the commitment to the game.

But today there was a knock on the door and there was a man with a large package for me!

And what was inside blew my mind... 32 Foil Promos I had never seen before as participation handouts, 16 Foil Winner Promos a window sticker, a large and very colourful poster, a copy of the Tournement Management Software and Rulings on CD and .. AND a really great T-Shirt...

It was then I noticed the hit points on the winner foils and thought amazing 6000+ and then it hit me...

I was still waiting for the League kit for pokemon but here was a very nice kit for DUEL MASTERS !

Well with no promo's to give out next week I wonder if I should restock on Pokemon Boosters or just do the sensible thing and order a shed load of Dual Masters ??

There are no other retailers in the UK willing to take leagues, there is no advertising, there is no prescence, there is no commitment!

But I do have more Dual Master promos now than Pokemon ones which should I give out!

Maybe Dave and co can answer me that? Oh and we now have it confirmed no badges in UK league kits but then Dave hinted at that ages ago .. actually it doesn't matter as there are no UK league kits anyhow!

So where is the commitment to not let distributors fail?

Well I have a mind to cancel City Challenges and relax.. after all I can only beg, borrow, trade, swap and buy so much for so long before you get totally hacked off!
 
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Part of me knew you were going to be sarcastic (part of me was hoping that you weren't and were going to report great news for once :/) but i figured it'd be "Got a kit with 8 new promos to cover the dozens of participants." or something like that.

Geez.....
 
Well, if you're not going to get the Pokemon league kits, you may as well hand out the Duel Masters. Duel Masters is finally starting to become the next Yu-gi-oh anyway.
 
Even the local OP provider doesn't know when we are going to get league kits. However thay have confirmed that we won't get badges.

As to the tone of the post. I see frustration in every sentance: there is both the will and desire for pokemon OP to succeed in the UK. Even the local OP provider is becoming frustrted at being unable to support the local leagues.
 
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BJJ763 said:
Part of me knew you were going to be sarcastic (part of me was hoping that you weren't and were going to report great news for once :/) but i figured it'd be "Got a kit with 8 new promos to cover the dozens of participants." or something like that.

Geez.....
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And just how am I supposed to feel? Every week for 5 years I have fought, moaned, blustered and worked to keep a league going. I buy, trade and use every trick I can think of to keep it going. I run the biggest tournaments in the UK and some of the biggest in the world outside the challenges, Nationals and Worlds and all because I do the work. And I AM TIRED, FED UP and SICK TO DEATH WITH IT!

Today after work, myself and NoPoke were printing poster after poster for the CCs and States we are due to run, for weeks now I have had promises of league kit is on the way, league kit is being sent out .. it's got lost and so on. And when I get in for one fleeting moment I thought yes I will have something new and fresh and exciting to give the kids that play at league.

And I DO HAVE SOMETHING NEW AND FRESH AND EXCITING!

BUT it isn't for POKEMON, it isn't any reward for 5 years of work!

And when I speak to our OP provider all they can do is agree it is poor, BUT PUI don't listen to them either!

So hopes shattered, drained and exhausted I find I can't be bothered to work for my next tourneys, to push cajoul and fight to make them a success.

The wrapped Lucky Dip may go unused the prizes I have bought may end up on ebay and I will just become another shark out to take take take from this game ... because I have nothing left to give and there is no reward for those of us that try!

PUI are full of promise and a brighter tomorrow, well since May of last year the only official support we have received is the first 3 Seasons of league kits, and the promo torchics and mudkips as tournement support. Heck we even ended up shipping our own pre-release promos and materials from one end of the country to the other becuase we didn't receive enough for all our tournaments!

Now would you swap all the league kits the states have seen for that, would you swap the target promos, the Ludicolos and the other US only cards?

I am mad, dispondent and can't see any reason to bother carrying on..
 
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You know, I don't post much, but this is one time that someone needs to give ukpoke a clue....
I don't know why you feel or have such a burden that you need to carry on with something that you are not having fun with and/or even don't like. It is freedom of speech to post your bad feelings toward the company support for your league. But when it is to the wrong audience, its just negitive to everything that could be happening for the positive.

Here is your clue: Don't do or follow something unless you enjoy it. Enjoyment makes it easier to take the bad with the good. Lack of enjoyment just puts out to much negitivtiy from you towards others and tares everything apart. It seems your last straw would do you some good and the negivity level on this board if you did take a break from dealing with pokemon or even leave it. Leaving seems drastic, but eveyone has to make the hard decisions from time to time.
 
I'm happy that you liked the Duel Masters package. It truely is a great game and the people running it...WotC, seem to know the "right" way to run a tcg.
 
ukpokemonpro said:
And I AM TIRED, FED UP and SICK TO DEATH WITH IT!
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Hard to know how to answer or remark on something like this. If we ask "then why do you keep doing it?" then we appear to be heartless and unfeeling. If we sympathize it's shallow because we can never really know how hard it has been and how much you have had to bear.
FWIW I think most of us admire the work and effort all of you have put into the game and damned if it doesn't seem unfair that such hard work goes seemingly unrewarded and unrecognized.
We can't tell you to keep up the good fight - we have no right to. Only you know the depths of resolve that you possess. It would seem almost that it's like a gambler at the same one-armed bandit convinced that the next one will be the big payoff. To some lucky people that happens. Others are forced to slink away - broken and bankrupt.
I wish I could tell you the house odds favor your efforts and that the payoff comes with the next pull. I really do. Maybe it's enough to just sit and pull for as long as the bankroll holds out...
 
'Pro think you're reading too much into my post. The "Geez" part is for your actual post, which was vastly different that what i expected the League Kit to be.

Why does he do it? Probably because like other TOs and Judges, he enjoys doing it. Or enjoyed doing it.

Thought Ludicolo was available over there....

I imagine your PLAYERS must appreciate all you do.
 
I hope your players appreciate all the work you and Ian do...and realize that you give up the chance to play in order to make sure that they have a well-run, by-the-rules tourney/league to go to.

I imagine it's the players that keep you going, Ben...since they will be the ones who would feel the effect should you finally throw in the towel in frustration. Sadly, those same players would probably only hear the 'he decided not to run it anymore' part rather than the REASONS behind that decision...which never have been within your control.

I can honestly say that I don't think I could have persevered in the face of all you and Ian have had to deal with throughout the years...and you both have my admiration for all you've both done to keep OP running in the UK. But there comes a time, I know, when for your own sanity's sake you just have to say 'enough is enough'; it sounds as if you might finally be there. And sadly, there will be NO winners in this situation.

Do what you must, Ben...but please don't burn any bridges; leave the 'return' option open and take a break if that's what you need. Lord knows you deserve it.

Take care, my friend...

hugs,
'mom
 
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Let's see, you try, try, try, try, and try some more and get nothing. This is an easy one folks...
 
FWIW league kits arrived today w/ Darkness Foils (both winner and normal), a jumbo Combusken (printing errors were blamed)... 16 normal and 5 Winners were what I got.

~fK
 
Well, ukpokemonpro, you might as well change your name into ukduelmasterspro ;)

No seriously, I think Duel Masters is a very good game.

-The game is extremely balanced, there are no archetypes so far, very much unlike the Pokemon base set. DM base set consist of 120 cards, and there are 5 colors, and every color is represented by 24 cards, which is also a sign of balancing.
-DM has outsold both Yugioh and Magic in Japan for the last 9 months
-The game is made by Wotc USA, the same people behing magic, they took some magic mechanics but improved it.
-No flipping involved, except for who(m?) to start, and it is legal to use rock-paper-scizors for that. ;)
-No mana-drought or something, every card in the game can be used as mana
-Base set starts off fairly simple, later sets will involve major changes to the game
-Commons are actually usable! and I don't mean "base set Farfetched" usable ;)

The only con I see is the game doesn't have a "soul" yet, but I bet that will change once the tv show starts and the hype begins.


I don't wanna sound too fanboyish(oops too late) but I just wanna say: the game is pretty good. :)
 
Guess you need to check the listings on the post below FK there were no oversized Dark Energy Cards :(

http://www.pokegym.net/showthread.php?t=5190

Anyhow I have decided after a nights sleep and the arrival of the kits today, 32 Dark energy promos and 16 winner ones to not give up just yet but I am going to throttle back.

I will run 1 maybe more CCs but only with substantial help from our OP provider.

I will allow our SE Challenge to become a State if there is a reason .. ie some reward and recognition for our work.

Outside of that it's league and monthlies as I have always done. I want to get the fun back for me too not just my players.
 
So guys if you want the Next SE Challenge to also be a regional and qualify extra players for nationals then we are taking volunteers for the judge team now!

What we can offer...

1) You wont get to play
2) No chance to qualify yourself
3) No expenses as we can't afford to pay anyone
4) Our thanks
5) If its a regional you will have to use TMS
6) We still have some old Wotc promos that we can hand out as thanks, and should have a Torchic for each of the judges by May 30th.

With 60+ players and sharks in the waters I'd anticipate needing a team of 6 sharp eyed experienced judges. Rather than just Ben and myself, for our normal friendly SouthEastChallenges.
 
Ben,
I totally agree with you.
It's frustrating to know that we have less support than anyone else.
It's frustrating to know that it's UP TO ME to print some temporary POP ID cards for the Gym Challenge where the distributors should have all the materials (they have to print all by themselves the playmats, and for damage counters we'll use some plastic coins not Pokémon-related).
It's frustrating when you think that we are at the end of April and no one has seen any April League kits. And the italian-language kits are don't-know-where.
It's frustrating to know that for the Gym Challenge next week we don't have the right support, but we are forced to use the City Championship one for now.
It's frustrating to know that no one will receive a simple "thank you" for all this work, for all the tournaments, all the promotion, all the time, money and efforts putted on for that. We are working hard, and we don't even see the Worlds Championship. I'm seriously thinking to play instead of judge at nationals... but "hélas", I'm forced to organize the tournament.

I'm going on only because I'm one of the only 2 people that may help the distributor to make the game growing. They telòl us all the troubles with PUI, we always help them. I personally translated in italian the TO Handbook and FAQs for GCs and CCs to be uploaded on their website. I sanctioned the GC next week. I'm the TO at all effects, but they organize the tournament. It's an odd situation. And PUI don't care. Under WoTC a thing like that was impossible.

Try to keep on the work you've done until now, try to keep on your love for this game. And remember, like Rainbowgym said, that sure an OP program exist (?), but therea re a lot of people that don't care about that and play without tournaments or support. :)
 
Wow, don't know what to say. Scythking and 'Mom seem to have really captured the way I'd feel. I hope things work out better for you, but if not, I'm sure we'll still work on care packages to help pave the way a bit. I know it may sound shallow, but I hope you still keep plugging away. We need people like yourselves to stay. Thanks for helping me out.
 
Thank you guys and girls :clap: I feel heaps better after a good nights sleep and the support of this great Pokefamily of ours :)

To all of you who have helped us past present and future thank you, to all who have PM'd me their support thank you.

I just needed to vent and think through what I, we and the OP provider here in the UK need to do, I am going to throttle back and myself and NoPoke have been talking about SE Challenge 6 and if we get some volunteers to judge then we can offer the UK a state championships with promos and prizes and more places at nationals and a bye in the first round. But we need the Judge support.

So who is up for it?
 
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