Pokémon TCG Questions Thread [general questions]

[ven?]

Sabldonk. sabledonk, card that let's you go first regardless of coin flip.

And thats the reason why all of the diamond pearl platnium cards got rotated out 2 months after the rule change about a year or so ago. They changed the format so new player's wouldn't go to a tournament and lost before they ever got to play a single card other then the basic they put down before the coin flip they automatically lost.

 

[giveusyourbones]

Hey, I'm relatively new to the TCG (I've played casually for several months, but never competitively) and I figured since the rotation will be put into effect soon (I've read September 1st) now would be a good time to maybe try and prepare a deck of newer cards. Does anyone have any suggestions of what packs I should get? I understand that the new rotation will be BW-on, and I was wondering what specific packs I should buy (for example, Noble Victories, Next Destinies, or wait for Dragons Exalted to come out.) Thank you for taking your time to read!

 

[Profesco]

Hey, I'm relatively new to the TCG (I've played casually for several months, but never competitively) and I figured since the rotation will be put into effect soon (I've read September 1st) now would be a good time to maybe try and prepare a deck of newer cards. Does anyone have any suggestions of what packs I should get? I understand that the new rotation will be BW-on, and I was wondering what specific packs I should buy (for example, Noble Victories, Next Destinies, or wait for Dragons Exalted to come out.) Thank you for taking your time to read!

I've only just gotten into the game again myself after a few years' break, but if my researching of the current trends in play is anywhere near accurate, I'd say you would do well to concentrate on Dark Explorers and the impending Dragons Exalted. Cards like Darkrai EX, Dark Patch, Hydreigon, Garchomp, Altaria, Rescue Scarf, Big Cloak, and other assorted rares from these two sets appear to feature heavily in the competitive decks showing up.


I was just having a little thought myself, and I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask: is it just me or is finding Pokemon EX cards noticeably easier in BW-on than it was back in the RS era? Certainly the media about booster pulls will be weighted towards a high EX count, since most reported pulls will tend to be the ones people are particularly proud of, like the ones containing EXes, but I've also been uncharacteristically fortunate. Of the four booster packs I bought for the first time in years, two of them gave me EXes, one a considerably desirable one. Have the rates of super rare card distribution changed for the financial better of the consumers, or is this possibly an effect of having EXes be twice-featured in each set now, by virtue of the duplicate "FA" versions?

 

[Mesarin]

I've only just gotten into the game again myself after a few years' break, but if my researching of the current trends in play is anywhere near accurate, I'd say you would do well to concentrate on Dark Explorers and the impending Dragons Exalted. Cards like Darkrai EX, Dark Patch, Hydreigon, Garchomp, Altaria, Rescue Scarf, Big Cloak, and other assorted rares from these two sets appear to feature heavily in the competitive decks showing up.


I was just having a little thought myself, and I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask: is it just me or is finding Pokemon EX cards noticeably easier in BW-on than it was back in the RS era? Certainly the media about booster pulls will be weighted towards a high EX count, since most reported pulls will tend to be the ones people are particularly proud of, like the ones containing EXes, but I've also been uncharacteristically fortunate. Of the four booster packs I bought for the first time in years, two of them gave me EXes, one a considerably desirable one. Have the rates of super rare card distribution changed for the financial better of the consumers, or is this possibly an effect of having EXes be twice-featured in each set now, by virtue of the duplicate "FA" versions?

I think its more of a luck thing really. I've opened maybe 20 after a new found love of the tcg and i have pulled 3 ex's (two were duplicates). But at the same time, i remember buying 3 packs in the states on my way home to canada in RS era and pulling chansey ex from one and a rayquaza ex from another. Not to mention a friend of mine having pulled one shaymin ex FA and a gigas ex with about 35 packs.

On a side note. I started playing the tcg game, yknow the old one for gameboy. And one of the articles talks about how you could use exeggutor to do up to 160 damage with his energies (20x attack). does this mean theres a rule to the amount of energy attached? or is it something the game is setting? If its an actual rule id like to pull it on zeels with mewtwo EX. :3

 

[ven?]

The only rule for energy is how many you can attach from you're hand per turn, other then that if you want to put all of the energy in you're deck onto one pokemon, that's okay.

EX cards for next destines and dark explorer's are at around 2-3 per box, the ratio for the new set dragons exalted is around 5-6 so it should be alot easier. Also with the mewtwo, darkrai, and rayquaza EX tins set to come out in the next while it should be easier to get a wider variety of EX's, just hang in there folks.

 

[Profesco]

That's a shame. If the sets carry twice as many versions of EX cards but still distribute them at the same rate, it's as if each individual EX card is twice as rare. >_<


Anyway, what are the differences between HS-on and BLW-on start-of-game rules? I'm still unsure of things like drawing a card on your first turn and playing Item/Supporter/Stadium cards on your first turn.

 

[SkittyOnWailord]

That's a shame. If the sets carry twice as many versions of EX cards but still distribute them at the same rate, it's as if each individual EX card is twice as rare. >_<

Well it seemes the boxes in this set are even worse than that. They're completely random. I've seen boxes with only 1 EX and 1 shiny and I've seen boxes with 5 EXs and 1 shiny, and everything inbetween.

 

[Tazarkul]

Well it seemes the boxes in this set are even worse than that. They're completely random. I've seen boxes with only 1 EX and 1 shiny and I've seen boxes with 5 EXs and 1 shiny, and everything inbetween.

Ive actually opend a box with a couple of friends where 10 packs had no Rares, we eneded up with 1 FA and 1 Ex as well.

Anyway, Questions;

Darmanatan (Next destinies) Does a Double Colorless Energy give me two Coin flips or one for his DarMAXitan Move? Also, does Gardiviour's 'Psychic mirage' ability make each psychic energy worth 2 flips?

-Flip a coin for each Energy attached to this Pokémon. This attack does 50 damage times the number of heads.

 

[Swagsire]

Ive actually opend a box with a couple of friends where 10 packs had no Rares, we eneded up with 1 FA and 1 Ex as well.

Anyway, Questions;

Darmanatan (Next destinies) Does a Double Colorless Energy give me two Coin flips or one for his DarMAXitan Move? Also, does Gardiviour's 'Psychic mirage' ability make each psychic energy worth 2 flips?

-Flip a coin for each Energy attached to this Pokémon. This attack does 50 damage times the number of heads.

Really? Then I guess I'm just lucky on pulls qwaa. Yes, its two coin flips PER energy. So the minimum flips you can do while using the attack is 2. Darmanitan is also psychic so yes this is true Qwaa ;195;

 

[Tazarkul]

Yrly, luckily for me, out of my 12, only 1 didnt have a rare it was the others that got done over >.< (I got a FA Registeel to )

To be fair, Darmanitan wouldn't need to be psychic, Gardivour's Ability only applies to the energy card, not the pokemon, even if he was dark, any psychics attached to him would still be worth 2 energy.

 

[MiloticTwins]

No Generation III Dark Pokémon Cards Made for Team Rocket Returns?!

Why aren't there any Generation III Dark Pokémon Cards made for the Pokémon TCG set titled as "EX: Team Rocket Returns"? And should the Japanese makers of Pokémon Cards have done so?

 

[the ash man83]

I think it was because the EX: Team Rocket Returns set was supposed to reflect Firered and Leafgreen, in which i don't think there are any Gen III pokes (don't know, haven't played either)

 

[Swagsire]

Yrly, luckily for me, out of my 12, only 1 didnt have a rare it was the others that got done over >.< (I got a FA Registeel to )

To be fair, Darmanitan wouldn't need to be psychic, Gardivour's Ability only applies to the energy card, not the pokemon, even if he was dark, any psychics attached to him would still be worth 2 energy.

Yeah, thats true. I was reading too heavily Qwaa ;195;

 

[ven?]

@the ash man83: there already is a set called fire red and leaf green which came out the set before the team rocket returns, both set's not just the one.

@MiloticTwins: They do it for both the videogame and the tcg to help bolster sale's for both.

@Tazarkul: only to psychic, (I quote) Each basic psychic energy attached to your psychic pokemon provides 2 psychic energy. So no it only apply's to psychic pokemon. As for you're original post, yes DCE is two flip's and yes gardivoir's ability does help out darMAXitian.

@Profesco: This is not yugioh, we don't have inner jousting problem's (lol), the structure of the game will always be the same but slight, ever so slight rule changes will happen, by the by itès you're turn and you have to draw 7 cards and 6 prizes if you don't draw the prizes I win.

 

[the ash man83]

@ven?: I never said it was the only set to reflect FR/LG, I just said that that particular set did.

 

[TheFightingPikachu]

I've got several questions about TCG Online codes. I know there have been a few threads about TCG Online codes, so I hope this goes here.

(1) I know that the codes that come with decks say they give you access to that deck online. This might seem obvious, but does that mean it gives you access to every individual card in that deck? for example, if I got two deck codes, would I be able to make a new deck with some cards from each? The way it is worded, I wanted to be sure that it didn't mean, "You get access to a deck you can't customize."

(2) If I get codes from boosters, will they be much good if I don't have any deck codes? Or is there some other way to get Energy cards in the TCG Online?

(3) Does a code card come in every (BW or later) booster?

Thanks for any info anyone can provide!

 

[SkittyOnWailord]

I've got several questions about TCG Online codes. I know there have been a few threads about TCG Online codes, so I hope this goes here.

(1) I know that the codes that come with decks say they give you access to that deck online. This might seem obvious, but does that mean it gives you access to every individual card in that deck? for example, if I got two deck codes, would I be able to make a new deck with some cards from each? The way it is worded, I wanted to be sure that it didn't mean, "You get access to a deck you can't customize."

(2) If I get codes from boosters, will they be much good if I don't have any deck codes? Or is there some other way to get Energy cards in the TCG Online?

(3) Does a code card come in every (BW or later) booster?

Thanks for any info anyone can provide!

1: You get each individual card and they aren't locked to that specific deck. You can cusomize them and add them to any online deck you make.

2: I can't remember. Sorry.

3: Some printings of the first BW set didn't come with code cards. But they're easy to spot because they don't have the "Includes 1 code card" text on the back of the pack wrapper.

 

[Steampunk]

i got a question.
in the tournaments are we requred to use the newer cards?
cuz my deck is completely fixed around the base set Mr. Mime.

 

[SkittyOnWailord]

i got a question.
in the tournaments are we requred to use the newer cards?
cuz my deck is completely fixed around the base set Mr. Mime.

Nearly all sanctioned tournaments use the modified format (only the newer sets). There are a few sanctioned (I think?) unlimited (all cards allowed) tournaments at big conventions like Comic Con or Anime Expo. And obviously local unsanctioned tournaments can use whichever format they want.
But in general, you can only use cards from the newer sets.

 

[TheFightingPikachu]

Being a sorta out-of-the-loop sort of TCG player, I'd like to know, is there some resource (preferably online) where I can find out the full deck details of every year's champions? Because that would be awesome!