Omegaruby Alphasapphire's first set in the TCG.

[signofzeta]

The title should have read Predictions for ORAS's first set in the TCG.

I want you to tell me what you predict will happen with the following:

How many ORAS sets will there be? 0 because they are stcking with the XY name? 3 to 4 because the third version of XY might be released, let's say it is Z, so they will start using the Z name? 7 to 8 because Pokemon Z would be released 2 years after ORAS games release?

For the theme decks for the first ORAS set, what do you think the cover pokemon will be? 3 theme decks with Sceptile, Blaziken and Swampert, or 3 theme decks with Groudon and Kyogre? For either case, I hope the playmat that comes with it depicts Groudon and Kyogre on it, much like how Reshiram and Zekrom is depicted in the Black and White theme decks with Serperior, Emboar, or Samurott as the cover cards.

Do you think there will be a Hoenn starter set because it is obvious that there is no way to release the first ORAS set in November? (You can't release entire sets before the Japanese people unless you are making entire sets, and designing each individual card yourself). What if there isn't a ORAS beginning set to base the Hoenn starter set off of?

I just feel that TPCi is in a bind here, unless they let go of the whole notion that ORAS cards must be released so close to the ORAS games release. The fact of the matter is that the games are released simultaneously, but the cards aren't. I have a sneaky suspicion that Japan releases sets in such a way, just to make the international TCG catch up to the Japanese TCG, so even the TCG is released simultaneously, but due to how Japan release their sets, and how the international TCG releases their sets, it is impossible.

I felt that the release of EX battle boost is Japan telling the international TCG to forget about EX battle boost and go straight to the first XY set, and release it in December, rather than releasing Legendary Treasures. I am still sour over the fact that Legendary Treasures never had theme decks. You know they could release Legendary Treasures theme decks as well as Kalos Starter set. Didn't they release some sort of Epic Collection theme decks in 2007 over top of the Diamond and Pearl ones? Even if reprint set theme decks are irrelevant, the existence of Call of Legends theme decks and EX Power Keepers theme decks prove otherwise.

The missing Legendary Treasures theme decks for me is similar to how you are missing one card, and you could never ever obtain it. It's that similar feeling of that hole that you can't fill. Even so, I would have been happier if Kalos starter set decks contained some legendary treasures Pokemon cards, and trainers from the Black and White series, and is constructed the same way as all theme decks since HS undaunted rather than smashing 2 30 card decks together. Let's just say that I want my blanket, but any other blanket other than my blanket won't stop my whining. Yeah, I guess that is how I feel.

So if a situation where you have to release cards for a game, but Japan doesn't have a set released yet, and you have to release precons related to the game, make sure you release them in such a way that they are kind of like the theme decks for the last set of the previous generation. The Kalos starter set could have been the Legendary Treasures theme decks, but due to the way they are constructed, they aren't even theme decks at all. Kalos starter sets are sort of like the patch, but the hole isn't fixed. The only thing that makes this seem like theme decks for Legendary Treasures is the fact that there are Kalos Starter set cards in XY and XY Flashfire theme decks. The kalos starter set decks are also playable online as well, whereas if Pokemon TCG online existed in 2007, the EX Powerkeepers, Diamond and Pearl theme decks would be playable online, but the Epic Collection decks with Meganium ex, Feraligatr ex, and Typhlosion ex wouldn't be playable online, just like the Red Genesect Collection deck.

But enough of Kalos starter set and the missing Legendary Treasures theme decks. Let's talk about what will happen with ORAS.

 

[PokemonTrader]

I don't think they'll keep XY going with a third.

 

[signofzeta]

I don't think they'll keep XY going with a third.

What do you mean? Pokemon Emerald came out a year after Firered Leafgreen, so there is a possibility that they could go back to the XY, or should I say "Z" brand after the ORAS brand.

I think they released ORAS too soon. I would have thought that they would have released ORAS at least in 2015 or something. If the XY brand changes into the ORAS brand for the TCG, that means we would have 3 to 4 XY sets in total, if the November set is an XY set. Let's say that ex Firered Leafgreen is the start of FRLG, which means that there are 5 sets before it between ex FRLG and ex Ruby Sapphire. With Diamond and Pearl, there are 7 sets before the DP sets became Platinum sets. In Black and White, there are 6 sets. Boundaries Crossed is the start of Black 2 and White 2 in the TCG. They don't even have a years worth of XY sets where the XY logo is smaller than the subtitle, like DP majestic Dawn, DP legends awakened, DP stormfront, and all of the Black and White EX pun sets.

Starting with 2007, I can see some sort of pattern with how the set logos are made.

2007 is DIAMOND AND PEARL blah blah blah sets.

2008 is the diamond and pearl BLAH BLAH BLAH sets.

2009 is the platinum sets

2010 is the HS sets

2011 is the BLACK AND WHITE blah blah sets

2012 is the black and white BLAH EX BLAH sets

2013 is the black and white PLASMA BLAH sets

2014 is the XY sets

2015 I would assume is the ORAS sets

2016 might possibly be the Z sets, or it might go back to XY if the games decide to go X2 Y2.


The question is what will they do with the November 2014 set. Will they rebrand into ORAS, or keep it as XY? How are they going to release ORAS stuff if there might be a chance that Japan won't release their first ORAS stuff till December?

 

[treyh37]

I could seem them going either way with rebranding, FR/LG didn't get the rebranding but HG/SS did. not sure if i'd want it to be rebranding to OR/AS though, maybe a different name, maybe MEGA series just like we had EX series.

frankly though I think they needed to release OR/AS this early cause when you look at the released cards for XY-FF we have all the new XY pokemon except the legendaries (and 2-4 that likely just haven't been shown in the FF previews) and the Mega poke

 

[King Piplup]

Mm, it's really not complicated.

XY came out in November 2013. XY TCG came out in February. The Kalos starter sets had never happened before (cards from a generation before that generation's release), and as such, I would say it's the exception rather than the rule. There's no reason to believe cards from ORAS will debut in November in any form.

 

[PokemonTrader]

I just don't see the real point in remaking X or Y in Z.
I know I'll get bashed for this but there weren't enough Pokemon from the new generation in my opinion to justify making a sequel. Unlike Platinum with the abundant supply of legendaries and all that, in X & Y there are 3 legendaries + the few pokemon that are probably going to be released through events.

That being said, the X&Y TCG sets have already shown off almost all of the new pokemon (aside from I believe Zygarde?)
With ORAS coming out in the not so distant future, I don't see why they shouldn't start a new set of ORAS.
BUT if they do end up making Z, then it could be XY ORAS Z.

This isn't that complicated as King Piplup stated.

 

[signofzeta]

I just don't see the real point in remaking X or Y in Z.
I know I'll get bashed for this but there weren't enough Pokemon from the new generation in my opinion to justify making a sequel. Unlike Platinum with the abundant supply of legendaries and all that, in X & Y there are 3 legendaries + the few pokemon that are probably going to be released through events.

That being said, the X&Y TCG sets have already shown off almost all of the new pokemon (aside from I believe Zygarde?)
With ORAS coming out in the not so distant future, I don't see why they shouldn't start a new set of ORAS.
BUT if they do end up making Z, then it could be XY ORAS Z.

This isn't that complicated as King Piplup stated.

That is what I was trying to say. I think they are going to go XY ORAS Z

The problem is that TPCi just has to be stubborn about releasing cards related to the games close to release of the games. That is why Kalos Starter sets exist. I mean, do they even have to release the Kalos starter sets when they could have released the Legendary Treasures theme decks? I guess I am still sour over not having legendary treasures theme decks. I wouldn't be as sour if the kalos starter sets were mixed with legendary treasures cards though. Also look at EX Deoxys and EX Team Rocket Returns. In Japan, the set associated with EX Deoxys came before EX Team Rocket Returns. TPCi or PUSA at the time, swapped the sets to tie in with the movie release. No matter what it is, by November, they are probably going to force some sort of an ORAS TCG product out there, and I do use the term force heavily.

Here is what I think will happen. The only time Japan doesn't release a set in their 4 set schedule is before a set of the new generation, such as Diamond and Pearl, Black and White, XY etc. For the international TCG, we got EX Power Keepers and Call of Legends to fill the void. For the gap before X collection Y collection, we didn't really release anything. All we did was shift the release of XY that would have been in May to February, thus closing the gap between the Japanese and International releases. As for games such as remakes or third versions etc, there aren't any gaps in the release schedule in Japan, which leads me to think there is going to be a fourth XY set, but I can't confirm it.

I wonder if Japan has some sort of a 7 year plan, or some plan where they plan the sets for many years to come, and if Japan allows TPCi to know of the plan so that TPCi can plan their sets accordingly. If they don't, then there might be a time when TPCi has no cards to release because either Japan decide to release theirs later, or TPCi ddin't spread out the cards enough into the 4 sets a year schedule.

Another question I asked is what do you think they will do with the first set's ORAS theme decks? Will it be 3 theme decks featuring Sceptile, Blaziken, and Swampert, or will it be 2 theme decks featuring Groudon and Kyogre? In Diamond and Pearl, they featured the starters. In Diamond and Pearl Great Encounters, they featured Dialga and Palkia. In Heartgold Soulsilver, they featured the starters. There isn't any set in the HS series featuring Ho-oh and Lugia in theme decks because those cards are legend cards, rather than regular cards. In Black and White, they featured the starters. In Black and White Next Destinies, they featured Reshiram and Zekrom. In Black and White Boundaries crossed they feature black Kyurem and white Kyurem. In Legendary Treasures, ahem, Kalos Starter set, they feature the kalos starters. In XY, they feature Xerneas and Yveltal.

So for the first ORAS set, do you think they will go starter or legendary? Let's say there will only be 4 ORAS sets total. Do you think they will go both starters and legendaries, for example, starters in the first set, and legendaries in the third set?

 

[Maverick Nate]

When set predicting future sets (not set predicting what cards will be in the current set) you have take a deep look at the peripherals of the cards: checking out specific trends that have lasted throughout all the sets released within the generation, (and even then, it is extreme speculation where no one can assume anything until we start actually getting those expansions). For XY, there haven't been that many peripheral trends, but for me, the trigger is the Pokédex entries. Every single XY card up to this date in both English and Japanese have had Pokédex entries only from Pokémon X. It is a possibility that we won't see a switch to OmegaRuby & AlphaSapphire at all, and the only changes will be the focus of which Pokémon they feature (being Generation 6 to Generations 3&6) and that the dex entries will flip to Pokémon Y.

 

[signofzeta]

When set predicting future sets (not set predicting what cards will be in the current set) you have take a deep look at the peripherals of the cards: checking out specific trends that have lasted throughout all the sets released within the generation, (and even then, it is extreme speculation where no one can assume anything until we start actually getting those expansions). For XY, there haven't been that many peripheral trends, but for me, the trigger is the Pokédex entries. Every single XY card up to this date in both English and Japanese have had Pokédex entries only from Pokémon X. It is a possibility that we won't see a switch to OmegaRuby & AlphaSapphire at all, and the only changes will be the focus of which Pokémon they feature (being Generation 6 to Generations 3&6) and that the dex entries will flip to Pokémon Y.

Let me get this straight, are you trying to say that they have to release each Pokemon at least 3 times?

I still think they are going to switch to the ORAS brand. If not, they XY would have been called Mega XY, then Mega Flashfire, then Mega Furious Fists, then Mega something, then Mega ORAS. The fact that it is called XY something leads me to think that they will make a set called ORAS, then ORAS something. The branding stayed the same in the third generation because all the sets in that generation was preceeded by an EX, like EX Ruby and Sapphire, EX firered and Leafgreen, EX Emerald etc. This isn't the case here.

For Generation 4 and Generation 5, There are 7 DP series sets, and 6 BW series sets. Enough to release 2 of each new Pokemon in each generation. This isn't the case for XY. ORAS was released too soon. This means that there will only be at most 4 sets before they have to rebrand into ORAS.

If you look at the Japanese BW sets vs the international BW sets, here is what I observe. The BW logo in the Japanese sets remained the same between Black Collection White Collection to Megalo Canon. There are slight differences from before Red Collection to Psychodrive Hailblizzard onwards. In the international market. The logos are pretty much the same between Black and White and Dragons exalted. You can see a slight difference when Next Destinies starter, that is, the Black and White logo is smaller, but when you get into Boundaries crossed, to coincide with Black 2 and White 2, we see a bit of blue on the word Black, and a bit of red on the word White. Japan doesn't do that with their counterpart. The logo remains the same. This leads me to believe that Japan might rebrand, but TPCi probably will most likely rebrand into ORAS.

I think there will be a third version to the XY games, Pokemon Z, which leads me to suspect that they will rebrand ORAS into Z when Z comes out. The question now is, how many years of generation 6 cards will there be? 3 or 4? If there are 4, then with the Z sets, they could do all the Y pokedex entries for one year, and Z pokedex entries for the other. To be honest, I hope they do X2 Y2 though. I like third versions to be sequels rather than a re-do.

 

[tutti]

I just don't see the real point in remaking X or Y in Z.
I know I'll get bashed for this but there weren't enough Pokemon from the new generation in my opinion to justify making a sequel. Unlike Platinum with the abundant supply of legendaries and all that, in X & Y there are 3 legendaries + the few pokemon that are probably going to be released through events.

That being said, the X&Y TCG sets have already shown off almost all of the new pokemon (aside from I believe Zygarde?)
With ORAS coming out in the not so distant future, I don't see why they shouldn't start a new set of ORAS.
BUT if they do end up making Z, then it could be XY ORAS Z.

This isn't that complicated as King Piplup stated.

There's so much they could do though. Storywise, they could explain the great Kalos war in much more detail. Pokémon wise, Zygarde is obviously begging to be fleshed out quite a bit, and if there aren't enough other pokémon they can patch them in - the recent revelations regarding ORAS show that they're willing to include things in the new games that would need to be patched into the old ones (or, alternatively, be hidden so well in the code that nobody's found them yet).

 

[Poke Trainer J]

With speculations as to what could get printed or reprinted in ORAS, I'd like to see alot of the old RSE Era staples return to help balance the format out such as Steven's Advice and Professor Birch. I do wonder If we'll see a return of Delta Species in ORAS like in the old RSE sets although it doesn't seem like that's the direction they're heading, instead we'll keep getting more Mega Evo's as Big Basic's which has been a trend starting with X/Y with hopefully more support for Stage 1 / Stage 2 Evolutions which doesn't seem likely according to PCL (Pokemon Card Laboratories) or TPCi.

 

[signofzeta]

Now that we know that there is a fourth XY set, it seems that TPCi is backed into a corner. Unless they get rid of that stubbornness to release a product related to the video games when the video games are released.

I'd be very pissed if we got Hoenn starter sets instead of XY4 theme decks.

 

[King Piplup]

Signofzeta':

That "stubbornness" is not a trend. Legendary Treasures was all reprints in the first place. When BW came out, the games were in November, and the first BW set was in February.

XY was likely an exception due to LTR's nature as a reprint set. Giving something that wasn't a reprint was certainly more desirable then a theme deck of reprints?

 

[signofzeta]

If that's the case, then why was EX Deoxys released after EX Team Rocket Returns? In Japan, it was the other way around.

Also look at EX Firered Leafgreen, EX Emerald, Diamond and Pearl, Platinum, Heartgold Soulsilver, Black and White, and Boundaries Crossed. They all happen to be released close to their respective games. I am very sure that TPCi would so anything to try to get an ORAS product out close to the games' release.

I still think they are stubborn when it comes to having to release something related to the games when the games are released. Even if they had to release the XY Kalos starter sets in lieu of Legendary Treasures theme decks, I wish they mixed some Legendary Treasures cards in them, rather than make the deck 2x beginning set half deck combined. What's done is done, and I hope that they realize that the games come out at the same time, while the TCG won't, unless they figure out a way to sync with the Japanese releases. What this mean is I hope they let go of the notion that a set or product in the TCG related to the games must not be forced to be released near the release of the games.

I mean, how many people even care that they want a TCG product related to the games to be released near the release of the games? Look at some other franchises. I don't see a certain franchise release a TCG, a Video game, a movie, a toyline all at the same time. So why should any new product related to the video game be released at the same time?

Now me, I'd rather have Legendary Treasures theme decks over the kalos starter sets any day, even if the set were all reprints.

I also notice that Pokemon TCG product always comes in boosters or theme decks, and nothing else. There are some exceptions like the epic collection decks, the Red Genesect collection, Dragon Vault, and Kalos Starter set, well sort of. Kalos starter set is weird in that it is both categorized as theme decks, and as a special set. Considering how the Kalos starter set was supposed to replace the Legendary Treasures theme decks (they could have released both), it shows that Pokemon TCG doesn't really have a lot of special sets.

So basically saying, they want to release a product tied to the games close to the games' release, but yet, they don't want to release anything other than booster packs and theme decks, and a compilation box set or tin.

I do wonder which has more priority to TPCi. The desire to release a product related to a release of a game or movie close to the release of the game or movie, or the desire to not release any products beyond the 4 booster sets and 8 or 9 precons per year. With Legendary Treausres and Kalos Starter set, it seems to be the latter, but Dragon Vault and Red Genesect collection shows that it if the former.

Now about the first ORAS set, assuming they are going to do the rebranding. What will the theme decks be? The video game cover mascots, or the hoenn starters? Typically the first set of every generation starting from Diamond and Pearl had the starters, and then the set that comes out the following February has the video game cover mascots. This is true when the series spans 2 years.

For example, Diamond and Pearl had the starters, but Great Encounters, the set that came in the February after, had Dialga and Palkia.

For HGSS, we got the starters with the first set, but we never got a set whose theme decks contained ho-oh and lugia. HGSS only lasted one year. There weren't any Lugia or Ho-oh cards that are theme deck worthy in the entire HGSS series as they are all legend cards. Speaking of which, they could have done Ho-oh and Lugia as theme deck mascots in Call of Legends, and I wonder why they didn't do that.

Black and white is same as Diamond and Pearl. First set was starters, the set released next february, or next destinies, contained the legendaries.

Boundaries crossed, contained Black and White Kyurem, and that was the first Black 2 and White 2 set, and there was no need to repeat the Unova starters again.

XY lasts for a year, assuming that they rebrand to ORAS. With this, they did both starters and legendaries by releasing the starters as theme deck replacements to Legendary Treasures, and they did the legendaries with the main set.

Now assuming that ORAS would last one year, that is 4 sets worth, what do you think TPCi would do to the theme decks, 3 theme decks related to the starters, or 2 theme decks related to the legendaries?

 

[PokemonTrader]

Here's something fun!

In September a new set featuring Mega Gengar is coming out.
It's XY
There is also a deck with Dialga EX and Aegislash EX coming out.

 

[signofzeta]

Here's something fun!

In September a new set featuring Mega Gengar is coming out.
It's XY
There is also a deck with Dialga EX and Aegislash EX coming out.

Now how would TPCi manage to get something ORAS related out in time for the ORAS games' release? My suggestion? Don't. Just let things flow naturally. Let XY4 be released in November, with their respective theme decks. Leave the XY4 theme decks alone. Again, what do you think the February 2015 set, or the first ORAS set theme decks are going to be about? Groudon and Kyogre, or Sceptile, Blaziken, and Swampert?

In Japan, I think they are going to make beginning sets for the first ORAS set. They made the national beginning set for Black 2 and White 2, whose cards ended up in Boundaries crossed, so I would assume that they will do the same with ORAS.

Legendary Treasures was a reprint set, and X and Y are brand new Pokemon games. XY4 is not a reprint set, and ORAS is a remake of the third generation games, so I would wonder how TPCi would release something ORAS TCG related in November. As I said before, I hope TPCi lets go of this notion that they must release a TCG product related to the games every time a game comes out, because the games come out at the same time in Japan, but the TCG doesn't.

Also, how likely is it to release a deck or a booster pack beyond the main 4 booster pack sets, and the 8 or 9 theme decks? With the Kalos starter sets, they essentially replaced the Legendary Treasures theme decks, but at the same time, they could have released both Kalos starter set and legendary treasures theme decks. Didn't they release some epic collection decks back in 2007 as a side product?

According to TPCi, is Kalos starter set a main product more than a side product, which means they have to omit the Legendary treasures theme decks, because there has to be 8 or 9 precons that aren't side products like the world champ decks, or red genesect collection deck?

What I am trying to say is, is the Kalos starter set lumped with the set associated theme decks, and is the "legendary treasures theme deck", or is it lumped with the special set precons like the world champ decks, red genesect collection deck, and the epic collection decks, as well as the trainer kits?