Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

What makes you a "Good Trainer"?

Status
Not open for further replies.
then Mediocre trainers steal Arthos idea's and run away with them, lol.... but I am far from Mediocre....

T-tar, did that really happen. I feel sorry for those kids who did this to him. They have no respect for anything/one that is different. They just want atention, and will do anything to get it... its just sad. Glad to see it didnt effect your friend that much, I hope he is doing ok, and proper action was taking against those others.
 
I was definitely joking lol. I don't think I've made a serious comment this entire thread outside of ruling all if your name is Chris Fulop or Levi. I mean HONESTLY that just has to make you infinitely cooler than everyone else. Another way to be a GREAT trainer is to spam up the boards and get yourself banned horribly like my friend Ray. While I will admit I do not condone what he did, I will also admit I found it HILARIOUS. He got what he deserved though. Anyways, heres a few serious answers to how to be a good trainer. I'll go by the definition that this means how to succeed at the game and win. Thats the only real definable answer.

1.) Play to the best of your ability. Learn from your mistakes, dedicate yourself and keep playing. You WILL get better, and usually it happens in peaks. You'll hit a certain point, things start to dawn on you, and you'll progress slowly, than step up a notch. Some advance faster than others.

2.) Follow the net. You'd be surprised how much good reading good decks and strategies does. Recognise the top decks, realize what makes them win, and you'll understand winning concepts better and eventually be able to design your own and succeed easily. This is a surefire way to get better. I suggest those struggling with deck ideas go and copy a proven" Net Deck" as some call it. Sure, it takes away from creativity, but it works and wins. Not only does this help prevent you from feeling unsuccessful, but it helps in that your given a strong weapon with which to familarize yourself with what works and what doesn't. By using good decks you realize what makes it strong, and what other top decks use, and you can soon end up weeding through your own ideas and test them out while keeping them strong. It helps familarize you with draw engines, the right Pokemon ratios, how much energy is needed, and to focus decks. It also shows off how strong combos can be, but how they need to be reasonable and not overly complex. Sure, its using others work to jump start yourself, but you learn alot by experiencing success too as well as losses. Another key is that if you play and get creamed every game, what do you really learn? Give yourself good games, wins, or close losses, and you learn why you lost and why you won much quicker than if you have been murdered 6 prizes to zero every game.


As for STAYING a good trainer, you just have to stay updated with the formats. Follow what decks are getting hyped and make sure your prepared for them. Know how your deck matches up with them and what strategies give you the best shot at beating them. Know that if something happens, you lose. Know the match ups the best you can. Knowledge IS power, and while thats corny as heck, it applies a TON. I've seen strong players play 0 games for 6 months, but follow the net, and come back and win major events. Once you've became a good trainer, you've achieved the mindset required to win and its entirely up to how aware you are of the format your playing in.
 
yea right Chris, quit downplaying the Mountain Dew.....
Good trainers:
-Make and succed with rogue decks
-Help perfect archetypes
-Forms own ideas and opinions
-Cares about winning above all
-Has accomplishments to brag about
-Own 79+ tyrogues (myself and this REALLY "Random" kid named Jon)
-Knows how to legally stall to win
-Not nessarily know all the cards but knows EVERY card in his deck by heart and every other tier 1-3 by heart)
-suceeds in other games as well (i.e. Poker, heroclix, MTG,YGO doesnt count)

In addition to hundreds of other things i could name
 
Ok being a good trainer is several layers deep to be quite honest. It's partly your deck but there's more to it than that.

1)Courtesy and Respect. This is something you learn in kindergarden really. If you don't know it, learn it. We're all out there to play the same game and you need to keep in mind that everyone out there is putting out just as much effort to try and win as you are. So you need to take and respect that about them. After all we were all once noobies at this game and I don't think that anyone would appreciate being laughed at for making a mistake or for not winning a game. So the short version, always be courtious. That person you're nice to today maybe the one that teaches you a new stratagy you never thought of later.

2) Understanding 'Luck':Without any exception there is not any game on the market that I can think of that doesn't have some level of luck involved with it. Be it DBZ, Magic, or whatever. Pokemon is by no means an exception to that rule. To be as good as one can be you need to understand that principle and find out how to turn the luck into something a bit more concrete. Finding Pokemon that rely on coinflips and using them probably isn't the best stratagy in the world. Understanding that there is luck and how to take that factor out of your deck as much as possible it important.

3) Weakness and ways around it: There quite simply is no perfect deck out there. There are some better than others but knowing your own weakness and ways of countering it are key to being able to win games. I'm not just talking about Fire against Water ect. I'm also talking about maybe if a deck has a combo that lets it do more damage than you can maybe try something that can disrupt that combo. In the case of Rayquaza try using something like Crystal Shard. It makes your pokemon colorless and thus can more easily defeat Rayquaza. But then you're banking on your opponent playing that deck. But on the other side of that if you're playing a Psy deck and use the shards for the same reason you can also use it to overcome a bothersome dark or dragon type that has resistance to your type. Things like that must always be considered.

4) Making Sacrafices: You can't be afraid to let something go down on your side simply because your oppoent will get a prize. While you generally don't want to let that happen often you have to understand that if you gain more form letting whatever it maybe just go down then the effect is more worth it. Say putting up a strong pokemon with damage just to hit something hard. Yeah it may go down but if it's an EX or a key to your opponents combo then the sacrafice will more than likely pay off in the end.

5) Think Strategy: Many people forget that there are 3 ways to win in this game. Making 'kills' isn't always the way. While this is the most common way you should remember that if the game drags on and you just can't make the kills then try stalling and making them deck out. This is often harder than it sounds but it's still a fighting chance.

6) Stay Alert: Take care to realize EVERYTHING on the field of play. Your's and your opponent's pokemon and Trainers in play. You really don't want to miss the chance to capitalize on soemthing that could be vital to a victory. Remeber that they may miss something and that could be something to pick you up a quick prize. And on the otherside of that you don't want to make a mistake where they could pick up the same advantage on you.

7) Again Respect: I know I said this already but I can't stress this enough. Being a player of both this and Dragonball Z there's a huge difference in the players attitudes. DBZ players are much more harsh and unfogiving than players of the same age in pokemon and hence the reason I enjoy playing this game that much more lately. Again this is simply my opinion based on the area I play in.

All of the above are what I think makes good trainers and that of course will differ from the others out there. Critism is welcome but please be constructive. Thanks for your time.

-Saturn Knight
 
Ok, i hate being the " BAD PERSON " who brings this up, but being a good player/"trainer" as some like to call it is one thing. Everyone says respect, coutresy and everything. Thats called being a good person. Theres a difference. To succeed at the game it doesn't apply. That should be something you are anyways. This shouldn't be a morals thread. I think everyone should develop their own morals.
 
Everyone is way too philosophical about this. The answer is win. I agree with Tyranitar and Venusaur. Player and Person are different things. Although the very very best players don't get cocky, because they have experienced the come from behind losses, the 5-0 deficits, they've won, they've lost, they know the game. So they don't get arrogant because they've been playing since the beginning. So to be the best player, you can't be cocky, because that just screams, "I'm a noobie who just started playing and the only match I've ever won was a TRASH TALKING CONTEST!" But a good player can be, because we're only judging the player, which is to say we're judging their ability to play. Hope that helped, Goroy, even though it probably didn't. :p
 
Winning isn't everything. If a person had to cheat or use an illegal deck(on purpose), he/she's not good at all. Everyone despises cheaters...except the cheater him/herself. A good player recognizes his own playing style, builds it in to his/her deck and gives the opponent something to worry about within the game almost every time.
 
Xeno said:
Winning isn't everything. If a person had to cheat or use an illegal deck(on purpose), he/she's not good at all. Everyone despises cheaters...except the cheater him/herself. A good player recognizes his own playing style, builds it in to his/her deck and gives the opponent something to worry about within the game almost every time.
Click to expand...

I meant winning by
1) Taking your last prize
2) KOing your opponent's last in play pokemon
3) When your opponent is unable to draw at the beginning of his or her turn.

Where did I say that you were good if you cheated. If you cheat you're certainly not good, in fact, you're the opposite. Cheating shows your lack of skill at something because you are forced to rely on unfair circumstances to make yourself win. Of all players, cheaters are the worst. That's why I dislike people who refuse AIM battles because they're afraid they'll get cheated. Where is your "benifit of the doubt"? Don't give me any of that "how do I know for sure" crud. Why don't you just play? If you really were "good" you wouldn't worry about it because you know you'd win. It all comes back to winning in the end, but not cheating is important. Win without cheating, and have a good attitude. That's what the best of the best do.
 
The most important thing is attitude... as in being helpful, humble, and happy. ;) I don't care how much you win, or how good you are in the game, if you lack those three, you're not going to last long: if you aren't hlpful, people will play you less, if you are arrogant, people will actively avoid you and if you aren't happy, maybe you shouldn't be playing. I am not speaking of depression or the like, just the "ultra-pessimists" one runs into, who are always going on about how the game will end next Tuesday. ;) Those people don't fit with the above find themselves having fantastic win records... cause they can only play newbies or their own entourage. You know people who say that to be good you must be named Chris Fulop or Levi Canfield. ;)

Also note, to be a good Trainer requires you must be a good person. I don't care if you are undefeated and all "1337"-if you act like a punk, then you are a bad Trainer. Thats why its so hard to be a good Trainer-learning how to play and build decks is easy compared to being helpful and humble. You know you're a good Trainer when many different people, even ones you can't stand, come to you for help, and tell people you are good player.

Note-I have no clue who they are-though it does remind me of the Slashtaps on Pojo, and while they may have had skill, as a group, they were annoying.
 
Last edited:
A side note on AIM battles, agreeing/disagreeing to these is irrelevant, but I mean, you are parinoid about a bunch of people you may play in AIM, that have no desire to cheat, and if they did, what good would it do? It makes them no better, and you no worse. AIM battles are an easy way for non App players to test their decks, gain some knowledge of what does/doesnt work, and correct them or scrap them if need be. It is meant for fun play, with nothing up for grabs, therefore there should be no need to cheat. And if you are cheating, seriously, why??? For the satisfaction of knowing you can cheat to win? Big WHOOP!! Not that I think anyone I have ever battled here on AIM cheated, its just that cheating really serves no purpose, and most if not all of us knows this
 
Venusaur said:
You can't avoid playing the person you are paired with in a tournament. :p
Click to expand...
Yes you can. You do this by not entering tournaments with the offending party. See, there are rules on conduct. You don't meet them, one can file a complaint about it, and enough of those complaints can get you booted from official stuff. Its even easier for non-official stuff-if someone is a jerk, they can and often will be asked to leave. They will find that they may win a tournament or two from people forfeiting to avoid them, and that sounds good, until the tournaments get canceld because only you (the jerk) and your two lackeys have entered. THen ther eis the fact that when you tick off everyone, everyone tends to gun for you. You can't play anyone, other than a lackey, 'cause then roughly a third of the people will "counter-deck" you (another third plays what you said you were playing, and then the last counters the counter). It sounds confusing, but its not if I use examples. Say you play Mindgames (NG Mukrow/SLowking/Snesel). if there are 18 other people, 6 will select the anti-sneasel deck of their choice, 6 will play a similar sneasel deck, and 6 will play the other archetypes, so as to squash you no matter what.
 
I hope everyone can remember what everyone has said here, since there really isn't much left to say, I think everyone is a good trainer and we should all keep trying our best!
 
Ah

Damn it. I am definitely a Super Scoop Up. That's really unfortunate for my cause. I need to really up my Dew intake to compete with my inate suckiness being that NEO Genisis trainer and all. Jermy is most definitely like a Pokemon Center or something. Definitely a good trainer. I wish I were like, a Clefairy doll or something. Or at least a form of draw power.
 
This Just In- I have been successfully traded to some 6 year old for his Blaziken EX. I guess he thought the Weedle or whatever on the card was funny or something. I guess I am not a trainer after all.
 
Ok I apologize. That is definitely a Magnemite on the Super Scoop Up and not a Weedle. I am ashamed for not knowing this, as Super Scoop Up is in nearly ALL my decks because its so good. I confused it with other great Trainers with Weedle on them.
 
Anyone who knows me, knows what trainer i am....


I'm a 4-4 line of removals.... w00t w00t!!!

I'ma downward spiral of particals..... i guess that's why i'm an engineer...... ironic don't u think?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top