Austino
New Member
Prologue
For those of you relatively new to the Poke'Gym, I want to start this article off with a reference to the predecessor of this piece, "Through the Eyes of the Casual Player" so that you can not only see two sides of how the TCG is viewed, but how the transition between those two occurs for some people. While the last article was more of a specific autobiography of my Pokemon adventure up to that point, this will be more of an analysis of Competitive Players. The views expressed here are solely mine and hopefully throughout the read, you might be able to relate and/or give insight on your views as well. All experiences are welcome in the discussion!*Writer's note: I'll be referring to players using the evolution terms Basic, Stage 1, and Stage 2 regarding the level of the player being Casual, Competitive, and Skilled, respectively.
Through the Eyes of the Competitive Player
What is a Competitive Player?
Accurately defining a "competitive" player can be difficult when trying to pinpoint a broad spectrum of players in a Trading Card Game. Many look at factors from players' card collection, their achievements, their experience (or years) playing, their knowledge of the game, to even their amount of time invested (testing, traveling, etc) in the game. Not one definition is the most correct, but I believe a competitive player isn't based on the amount of cards he/she owns, but rather the amount of time put into testing, regularity at events, and general knowledge of decks. Now, the difference a lot of players may make is the regularity of placing in an event, extensive knowledge of metagame, and technical deck building, which compose the differences between competitive players and "skilled" players who can make up a league of their own while still mostly fitting into the competitive player group with a few skilled players being able to run consistent despite lack of active testing. I definitely don't want to claim this as the only definition of competitive, so feel free to give input on yours as well if you disagree or have something to add!Becoming a Competitive Player
Now that we've touched on what a Competitive Player is, let's get down to business. The evolution from the Basic players (Casual Players) to the Stage 1 players (Competitive Players) is generally one that is relatively quick. Most players tend to play at home with family or friends for a while before diving into a league and getting involved in Organized Play (or newly titled P!P). This is always a fun and exciting step for new players for not only the newer players (gaining experience, trading, learning), but also for those running events (higher attendance numbers, ability to help), and other players in the area (more trades, new competition). One more factor that helps further a Casual Player to Competitive Player is friendship, yes, FRIENDSHIP! Making friends in the game is the best way to get involved, and is easily the best way to improve your skills in the game. Finding those who are good players and playing with them (even if you're losing to them on a regular basis, but learning from it) is the best way to improve your game and reach the level of "Competitive". Bridging the gap from Casual to Competitive can take longer for some, which isn't that bad, but deals entirely with the player's ability to recognize AND analyze what is vs what isn't a playable deck. The problem with many Casual Players wanting to be competitive is deck choice combined with card choice. While Casual Players tend to stick with playing decks based around their favorite pokemon, a Competitive Player will lean towards a deck that fits into the meta, or counters the meta (whether successful or not, after all this is about the "Stage 1" Competitive player and not the "Stage 2" Skilled Player). The stubbornness of many Casual Players as well as Competitive Players is what keeps them from becoming Skilled Players. Too often, we see newly Competitive Players sticking to what they consider rogue decks to spite the format, typically accompanied with poor tournament results. Unfortunately, not ALL decks are playable, even when a specific card or combination can be amazing in theory, but falls apart in a tournament simply out of the popularity and effectiveness of other decks. For instance, when Platinum came out, the combination of Ampharos and Manetric was a great combination for not only spread, but shutting down Claydol GE, hindering many decks at the time. However, SP entering the format at the same time took away the competitiveness of the deck as Dialga G Lv. X came out and shut the deck off.
Once Casual Players can learn what decks are playable in an event to yield positive results and follow through with a record > .500 on a moderately regular basis, the evolution to Stage 1 is complete! I know many players may claim to be casually competitive, which is a fine label if that's what you'd like to describe yourself as; there's nothing wrong with the level you play at. Just remember that you don't have to win to be a Competitive Player! There are many factors that go into winning an event aside from pure skill. Your deckchoice combined with the randomness of your pairings (though less random as you progress) as well as the luck that comes with the game are major factors that many players either ignore, or blame a game on. Whether an opponent winning on an "epic topdeck" or you flipping all tails are subject for entirely different discussion that we may discuss in a later article. The main point of this section is to not choose a deck out of bizarre principals or favorites. Chose something that isn't as dependent on luck, runs consistently, and doesn't have hard matchups to popular decks.
Growing as a Player in the Community
Now that you're a Competitive Player, "What's next?" is a popular question that can only be answered by the player asking, however it would be silly for me to not at least prove what I find as an accurate answer that I answered to myself once I became a Competitive Player. That is, once you're a Competitive Player, build on friendships not only with your fellow players, but with your Judges and PTO's. They can do wonders for you when it comes to a tournament time whether it's borrowing cards for an event, understanding rulings, getting in testing before an event, getting involved in the Poke'Community, and improving not only your playing skills, but your sociality. People who are well connected and network with other players are more likely to gain insight on decks and the meta, furthering progress into the level of Skilled Player down the road. As a Competitive Player, it's important to continue attending events to improve and learn from losses. I didn't really emphasize it much earlier, but losing truly is the best way to improve; taking a hard loss to a player is how many (myself included) have learned to better their playing and deckbuilding. I can guarantee you that the best players in the game have taken a few tough defeats that, rather than discrediting them as a player, improved their game for the next tournament and furthered their progression as a player. Don't be discouraged at not meeting your own expectations at an event, and don't let the loss(es) distract you from noting your mistakes. I see too many players get irritated at losses, and it doesn't always reflect the player's general performance. A solid player whether Competitive or Skilled will learn from it in the end.
Utilizing Knowledge to Benefit Others
Knowing your level is something many Competitive Players can't grasp well. There are different levels of Competitiveness that are ignored by many when it comes down to skill and results. This is often a sensitive area for many players that are either arrogant about and/or let it go to their head. I'm guilty of this myself, at times. :redface: Humbleness is something a few skilled players have acquired and it truly sets them apart from the others. Looking at some of our champs and consistent players, they'll be the ones who go into a tournament with a solid deck, solid testing, a great attitude, and will appreciate a good match regardless of the result. Like mentioned earlier, there's nothing wrong with losing, take it with knowledge and gain from it. If I could offer any words of wisdom to Competitive players, it would be to keep it cool. Getting in an argument over Pokemon is something many players find themselves in when discussing matchups, techs, or card counts. Often times, you'll find a lesser player arguing for a bad edit to a deck, anything that can hinder consistency, is counter productive to the deck's focus, or simply absurd. In these cases, it's best to present your side accompanied with solid, factual backing that can educate the player who lacks understanding in the area. Techs are another area that players can get inflated over, I've noticed. Your meta is different from others' meta, so claiming one tech over another is a moot point on public forums. However, bringing them BOTH to light and addressing the pros/cons for each one and letting a player make an informed decision on which one is right for them is an acceptable way to approach an otherwise sensitive topic when it comes to deckbuilding. More often, you'll find people asking for comparisons between cards (Call vs Collector, Bebe vs Communication count, Ambipom vs Dragonite, etc) and it's not that one card is a superior card, but that one fits into a deck better in certain situations. Many players lose sight of the fact that there are two sides to an argument, and to grow as a player, you have to recognize differences and analyze which one (or combination) is the best. If you can't decide, feel free to ask a Skilled Player.
For the Love of the Game
Before coming to a close, I wanted to bring one other topic to the table regarding being a Competitive Player: ENJOY the game! After becoming a Competitive Player on your way to gaining skill, you may find yourself playing only decks that are "Top Tier" and can become boring/mundane. Feel free to build fun decks that may be gimmicky and take them to league! Sure, I enjoy playing decks like Gyarados, LuxChomp, DialgaChomp, etc, but they do get old quick in testing. Quite frequently we'll take an evening to throw together decks like Charizard AR, MightyTank, Gatr/KGL, PDL, or even rebuild old decks with new cards (Dragonite LA/Electrode Prime) simply out of enjoying the game. Going back to the fun, casual level of play is good for teaching newer players as well as simply not having to worry about misplays. It also keeps you active on deckbuilding and can occasionally help find a good counter to decks while building something many have ignored. Keep in mind that a fun deck doing well against other fun or less competitive decks doesn't mean it will have a positive return in an organized event, however.If you've made it this far, I hope you've enjoyed the read. I truly hope some players can grow from this on their way towards becoming a Skilled Player (which I don't feel is something for me to write about at this point in my personal progress as a player) or even that this can propel a Casual player to evolve to the Competitive Player. The thirst for competition is shared by many players, and knowledge is one of the best things you can share with someone, and the more (accurate) knowledge we can spread, the more we can improve the skills of those willing to learn. With City Championships starting soon, get out there, get ready to put your ability to the test, and remember Spirit of the Game! Good luck, Trainers!
Props.
