Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Professors, Are you for or against new changes so close to worlds?

I

Ice'Cold

Active Member
Allright, I realise that there is another topic aobut this in the TCG News Discussion but my goal here is different. The current pokemon professors are those who, a majority have been with this game for many years. My question is simple. There have been several rules changes which I hope you are all aware, and if you are not please allow me to bring them to your attention. First was the change in the fact that certain cards that could normally break the regular rules for evolution(I.E. Rare Candy, Ascension, and Wally's Training Method) can now do so on the first turn of the game. But wait, theres something wrong there, another ruling stops one of those cards from working first turn. If you look at

http://op.pokemon-tcg.com/home/rules_change.asp

The pokemon-tcg official website, we see that another change has been made that stops supporters from being able to be used on the first turn of the game. (Please note a few other changes on there as well)

Well my question is this, since we all know alot about this game, I would hope our opinion would mean something. I would ask that anyone replies answer these two questions to the best of their opinion. I would hope not to get off-track or into arguments like so many other topics on this boards. This isnt a post to fight in, though this is open to a free debate. No name calling or attacks on a single person please. So here are the questions.

1) Are you in Favor of these changes? Are they for the better of for the worse OVERALL.

2) Are you in Favor of these changes so close to our World Championships? Is it a good idea to make pretty sicnificant changes to this game only weeks before hundreds of us will gather in Orlando to test who is the best?

Now after that, I will put in my own opinion.


1) Do I like these changes? Of course, overall I think they are changes that give more balance to the game overall. I also think that they give a better balance to the player stuck going second. One particular problem I have with rare candy though, is that however unlikely, it is possible to have a game pretty much locked turn one, bringing back the whole ive won first turn thing that we did away with on tyrogue and cleffa.

2) Am I in favor of these changes weeks before worlds? A big NO. These changes are sicnificant in the way we play the game. Both myself and my younger brother will be playing in different age categories in worlds. Now I know these will throw me off a bit, and they will take some pactice to get used to, but its not myself Im worried about. Around where I live its hard to get anyone together for a pokemon tournament, once a month is about the odds of getting a tournamen going, we have no regular league play. This could mess up how he performs at worlds, as oppose to if there were no changes. Also my thought dwells on some smaller childrean, specifially those 10-. If I may, I know that Meganiuim45 has young kids of his own who will be playing at worlds, and though these changes will affect them, Im sure he will be practicing like mad to make sure that they are well prepared. I am concerned for other small kids who are going to have a big problem with these changes. And if they arent removed before worlds (which I doubt they would ever be) that at least the judges at worlds should be very lenient when it comes to small kids and new rules.


Theres my $0.02 And thanks for listening.

~Ice
 
1. I don't mind the changes, only not being able to draw a card when going first should be changed back. When you have to go first you have 2 things working against you (no supporter and no draw), which is in my opinion a bit to much.

2. No problem with the change I told my 7-9-11 years old players and their reaction was "O we have to look out for that ruling". They didn't feel the need to change their desk, giving as reason it worked before it will now.
Meaby they are right, don't rely to much on a first good hand.
 
I guess I don't have a good feel for why Supporters are being disallowed on the first turn.

If it is to "balance" the ability to evolve on the first turn, I think it's overkill. I doubt that the first
turn evolve is going to have much of an effect.

If I win the flip to go first 100 times, unless I have a God-hand, I'm going to choose to go 2nd
probably 95 of those 100 times.
 
davechri said:
If I win the flip to go first 100 times, unless I have a God-hand, I'm going to choose to go 2nd
probably 95 of those 100 times.
Click to expand...

Note that you have to choose before you look at your hand.

Remember that the person going first still gets the jump on energy placement and normal evolution.

I think some decks may choose to go first, some may choose to go second.
It certainly does make one think about which to do.
 
1. I personally love these changes. They appear to make the game more level to the player that goes second (Supporter) while still giving some incentive to going first (Evolution). The only thing I don't like is the Mulligan rule. From what I see, it gives the peson going second an ultimate advantage, not having to resolve Mulligans until the first player finishes with his or her mulligan situation.

2. I don't like it, but I can see where it came from. They didn't want to announce it before the Stadiums, thus keeping everyone in the big tourneys on equal footing, but they also wanted it to come in for Worlds. Thus, it was necessary to announce it after the Stadiums, but gives us enough time to adjust to the new rules.
 
bullados: That's not how mulligans work now. Both players resolve their Mulligans together if they double Mulligan.
 
Remember that the person going first still gets the jump on energy placement and normal evolution.
Click to expand...

Pop - before I make a mistake, is normal evolution allowed now than. I don't know how?
first turn you have a basic in play face down. you flip it over and can evolve?????
A normal evolution is placing a stage 1 on a basic, but this is not allowed at the turn de basic comes in Play.
 
No, normal evolution is not allowed on the first turn.
What I meant by what I said is that the first player does get to do normal evolutions first, on their second turn.
 
PokePop said:
Note that you have to choose before you look at your hand.

Remember that the person going first still gets the jump on energy placement and normal evolution.

I think some decks may choose to go first, some may choose to go second.
It certainly does make one think about which to do.
Click to expand...

This ruling changes nothing regarding energy placement and normal evolution.

At the point when you decide if you are going to go first or second, the only thing different now is the fact that you know you won't be able to play a Supporter if you choose to go first.

Unless you have a deck specifically geared to attempt a FTKO, I see no reason to choose to go first.
 
We played with the new rules yesterday.
(all the players agreed)
It seemed fine. Nobody seemed to learn anything new about their decks. :)

Three weeks to adjust is fine. The lead time is ok.

I assume it gets us in line with rules around the globe.
 
This is a World Championship we're talking about.

A World Champion, in any division, should be a person who can adapt to new rulings.
 
I agree, but still this changes how you might decide to construct your deck, and gives a really good reason to want to go second for most people. However I am happy that Wally is not going to be allowed first turn.
 
Boy, you are right, we have been training with the new rules for a good deal this weekend, and the boys seem to be adapting well.

I hope that all of the players realize these rules before they hit down to Worlds. I am doing a special mailing for the 10- players I know of, so that they are informed, and can be prepared...easy to figure out who from my Memphis Gym (Taylor and Kevin) and my St. Louis Gym (Zak and Andrew) I need to look out for.

I am going second ALMOST every time at this point, and have upped our basic counts slightly to watch out for the FTKO/2nd turn KO problem.

'tis a nasty game, with all the rule changes, but that is why we love it.

M45
 
Just note that the supporter rule is in effect in Japan since Hidden Legends and that was a well-known fact. So it is not understandable for me, why it was not changed with Hidden Legends in US as well.

Three weeks is not enough to test this rules for this wide metagame we have.
 
I hosted a small sanctioned tournament last saturday with the new rules....things went well..


I agree with the changes....
 
Glumanda said:
Just note that the supporter rule is in effect in Japan since Hidden Legends and that was a well-known fact. So it is not understandable for me, why it was not changed with Hidden Legends in US as well.

Three weeks is not enough to test this rules for this wide metagame we have.
Click to expand...
Would you have wanted to have the change take place immediately before or midway through the Stadium Challenges?
I can see the complaints that would have been posted if that had happened.
 
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Yes, changes in the middle of a tournament season wouldn't make any sense at all. They could have announced when the changes would take place?
 
Then you have the confusion of "is this rule in effect for this tourament or not?"
And some people thinking it is, and some not.
It's not an easy decision.
 
yeah, it wasn't bad, actually during pokeplayer's tournament, a lot (I mean A LOT) of the worlds invites were trying out the new rules. It's a real pain in the posterior, but everyone seemed to adapt.
 
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