Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Official Announcement regarding rule changes with X & Y Release...

EeveeLover

EeveeLover

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Take a look at some of the rule changes accompanying the launch of the new Pokémon TCG series.


New Pokémon and Energy types aren't the only big news in Pokémon TCG. There are also several rule changes going into effect on the same day the Pokémon TCG: XY—Kalos Starter Set launches on November 8th, 2013!


First Turn

Flip a coin before drawing your opening hand. The winner of the coin flip now decides who goes first. Also, whoever goes first now can’t attack on his or her first turn. If you win the flip, decide carefully if you want the first turn or not!


Errata

Pokémon Catcher
Flip a coin. If heads, switch 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon with his or her Active Pokémon.

Changes: This card now requires a coin flip. (This makes Pokémon Catcher functionally identical to Pokémon Reversal.)


XY1_122_EN.png


Professor Juniper and Professor Sycamore
While there are no functional changes to these cards, you may not include both of them in your deck. That is, you may have up to 4 copies of Professor Juniper orup to 4 copies of Professor Sycamore—but if you have any Professor Juniper cards in your deck, you may not put any Professor Sycamore cards in your deck, and vice versa.



http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/tcg_errata_1013-2013-10-01/
 
Eesh... In some respects, I'm cringing at this. I don't recall there being a time where the first player couldn't attack, and in that respect, I'm intrigued that donk-potential has significantly diminished. On the other hand... the Catcher change is significant.
 
I think it is stupid that you can't have 2 of each Prof in a deck.
At the same token I think it is smart because people'll need to pick favourites! Kalos or Unova?
 
Still not happy about the Juniper/Sycamore rule. They should allow players to use both so then milling can be easy again! :cool:
 
While I overall do not approve of these changes, I will commend TPCi for making it official. It would have been better as a worldwide announcement instead of players wondering about it for the last few days... but better now than any later, and with much as I criticize them I believe in giving credit where credit is due.
 
N still destroys hands people. Who cares if you Beach for 7? Just use N the no skill card and there goes your hand. Oh dont forget to replace The Beach with your own 50 cent Stadium prior to using N. Catcher wasnt the problem its N that is the problem in this game.
 
So the rule is whoever goes FIRST can't attack. I thought I was reading that on the 1st turn NO ONE can attack. Or am I STILL misreading?
 
JohnnyBlaze said:
N still destroys hands people. Who cares if you Beach for 7? Just use N the no skill card and there goes your hand. Oh dont forget to replace The Beach with your own 50 cent Stadium prior to using N. Catcher wasnt the problem its N that is the problem in this game.
Click to expand...

...is it really that big of a deal when a player uses Tropical Beach to draw until his or her hand has seven cards for the opposing player to use N to shrink that hand down to... six cards?

Sure you might shuffle away something important and that is one card of advantage lost (or gained, depending on which player you're referencing), but the reason Tropical Beach is being hyped (perhaps unduly) is because the cost of using Tropical Beach (playing the card and then giving up your attack to use the effect) just got reduced to "using the card" and it was already popular in the (presumably strengthened) set-up decks.

Tropical Beach might not benefit as much as people think by the new rules, but nothing yet has suggested its usefulness will diminish.
 
JohnnyBlaze said:
N still destroys hands people. Who cares if you Beach for 7? Just use N the no skill card and there goes your hand. Oh dont forget to replace The Beach with your own 50 cent Stadium prior to using N. Catcher wasnt the problem its N that is the problem in this game.
Click to expand...


Solid point Johnny Boy, I do agree that N has also been highly toxic to the format in general - but consider this:

When catcher gets nerfed, the bench becomes much safer. The game is starting to let support Pokemon have at least some of the spotlight again. Draw cards that can pad your consistency - such as Musharna and Electrode - can actually be more viable now. They can safely see prolonged bench exposure without constant paranoia of being catchered up and either nuked or left to awkwardly hang in the wind until you have a switch/can pay the retreat cost.

So to me, indirectly, N is not going to be as problematic. After catcher nerf, more cards that can help one get out of N lock can now see the light of day.

That is quite exciting to me.
 
It seems they still do not learn from their mistakes. They need to fix the rules for XY-On. These rule changes only affect BW- on rules. If the XY cards are better designed, then there is no need for a first turn attack rule. A hard rotation is what they need to do. All these rule patches and card erratas are only making the game worse. They need to start from the ground up and not make the same mistakes again.
 
Awesome! I was hoping we would get these changes in November so we could play with them for Cities rather than having to wait until after Winter Regionals :) First Turn rule is something the game has long-needed and the Catcher errata should shake up the game to make room for new strategies even though the next set doesn't offer many new cards.
 
So, the way I'm reading the first turn rule, we have to not only flip to decide who chooses before we draw our hands, but we have to choose whether we go first or second right then? If so, that'd kinda silly. It's impossible to make a good decision when you have no knowledge of what you're hand will be like. It makes the decision completely pointless, and makes everything come down to luck.
 
sToRm07 said:
Solid point Johnny Boy, I do agree that N has also been highly toxic to the format in general - but consider this:

When catcher gets nerfed, the bench becomes much safer. The game is starting to let support Pokemon have at least some of the spotlight again. Draw cards that can pad your consistency - such as Musharna and Electrode - can actually be more viable now. They can safely see prolonged bench exposure without constant paranoia of being catchered up and either nuked or left to awkwardly hang in the wind until you have a switch/can pay the retreat cost.

So to me, indirectly, N is not going to be as problematic. After catcher nerf, more cards that can help one get out of N lock can now see the light of day.

That is quite exciting to me.
Click to expand...

Don't forget that low HP Pokémon still have to deal with Bench hits. Ones that you want in multiples are also vulnerable to [DEL]Warp Point[/DEL] Escape Rope.
 
Raen said:
It's impossible to make a good decision when you have no knowledge of what you're hand will be like. It makes the decision completely pointless, and makes everything come down to luck.
Click to expand...

Everything comes down to luck now! At the very least, with knowledge of your deck and maybe the opponent's deck, the winner of the flip can make decision who should get to evolve and attach energy first and who should get to attack first. It adds one small element of skill to the game.
 
losjackal said:
Everything comes down to luck now! At the very least, with knowledge of your deck and maybe the opponent's deck, the winner of the flip can make decision who should get to evolve and attach energy first and who should get to attack first. It adds one small element of skill to the game.
Click to expand...
I suppose, but it just seems a little silly. It's fantastic that if I win the flip I get to choose whether I go first or second, but it seems unnecessary to not allow me much information at all when making that choice. It makes the choice a lot less useful.
 
Hey i finally got some unused Pokemon Catchers (no one has grabbed them for their decks). Oh wait.

Luckily i have Beaches. Not going to sell them though. They'll probably replace the Catchers once the family finds out about them.
 
sToRm07 said:
Solid point Johnny Boy, I do agree that N has also been highly toxic to the format in general - but consider this:

When catcher gets nerfed, the bench becomes much safer. The game is starting to let support Pokemon have at least some of the spotlight again. Draw cards that can pad your consistency - such as Musharna and Electrode - can actually be more viable now. They can safely see prolonged bench exposure without constant paranoia of being catchered up and either nuked or left to awkwardly hang in the wind until you have a switch/can pay the retreat cost.

So to me, indirectly, N is not going to be as problematic. After catcher nerf, more cards that can help one get out of N lock can now see the light of day.

That is quite exciting to me.
Click to expand...

Musharna and Electrode are a joke. We had things like Delcatty, Pidgeot, Magcargo, Claydol and Uxie in the past and yet we have overpowered exs and trainers and can't get a decent draw-based ability? Blaze is right about N, but it's because our draw is horrible and the worst ever.
 
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