Best Way To Start Back?

[Arcanemage]

Hey all, I'm thinking of joining back up with my local Pokemon trading card league at the start of next month. What's the best way to go back in? Buying a booster box (contains 36 packs) or buy buying a starter deck with sleeves and a few booster packs? I hate to spend a ton of $$$ on any game but I love Pokemon so it's a plus in that matter.

 

[donavannj]

In terms of figuring out what's changed, go buy a theme deck to relearn the game, and then get the booster box to give you some valuable cards that people might trade for (though people already have a ton of the good cards at the league I go to). Try to find out about any area traders and stores that sell singles ASAP. Those will help a lot. You actually just missed the State Tournaments for the TCG. Next up is regional tournaments, though, in mid to late April. And Spring Battle Roads.

 

[Arcanemage]

In terms of figuring out what's changed, go buy a theme deck to relearn the game, and then get the booster box to give you some valuable cards that people might trade for (though people already have a ton of the good cards at the league I go to). Try to find out about any area traders and stores that sell singles ASAP. Those will help a lot. You actually just missed the State Tournaments for the TCG. Next up is regional tournaments, though, in mid to late April. And Spring Battle Roads.

Hmm sounds interesting. The store I go to does sell singles! However the scales are tipped in their favor of course. *Sigh* What if I just bought a theme deck along with say 5 or 6 boosters? It almosts seems a crime to go and spend so much cash on a single thing when there's so much poverty in this world.

 

[donavannj]

5 or 6 boosters is a good start. You'll probably get some worthwhile cards in those boosters, too, if you buy that many.

 

[Rocket_Executive]

Theme decks are useful for learning the rules, but you will almost certainly not want any of those cards for your real deck. I suggest one of the supreme victors theme decks, as one comes with bebe's search and the other with roseanne's research, both of which are staples.
Hold off on the booster at first, just in case you find that you don't take to pokemon. I would suggest packs of Great Encounters, they're still going to be playable until around September and that set has basically all the good cards in it. If you decide you really want to get back into it, then buy a booster from rising rivals or one of the other platinum or heart gold/soul silver series, as diamond and pearl series won't be playable after September. I would suggest looking up decks and deck-building articles to see what kind of deck you want to make, and then get the individual cards. It seems expensive, but it really is more cost efficient than investing everything in packs when you can't be sure you'll get what you want. Booster boxes are good if you're looking to collect as well as play, because with a box you will get most of the cards in a set plus extras that you can potentially trade or sell for the ones you don't get.

 

[Arcanemage]

Theme decks are useful for learning the rules, but you will almost certainly not want any of those cards for your real deck. I suggest one of the supreme victors theme decks, as one comes with bebe's search and the other with roseanne's research, both of which are staples.
Hold off on the booster at first, just in case you find that you don't take to pokemon. I would suggest packs of Great Encounters, they're still going to be playable until around September and that set has basically all the good cards in it. If you decide you really want to get back into it, then buy a booster from rising rivals or one of the other platinum or heart gold/soul silver series, as diamond and pearl series won't be playable after September. I would suggest looking up decks and deck-building articles to see what kind of deck you want to make, and then get the individual cards. It seems expensive, but it really is more cost efficient than investing everything in packs when you can't be sure you'll get what you want. Booster boxes are good if you're looking to collect as well as play, because with a box you will get most of the cards in a set plus extras that you can potentially trade or sell for the ones you don't get.

Is the new set from Heart Gold and Silver any good? I hate buying cards and then having them only used for collector value because they got cyled out again. That is a pain in the butt. As for looking up decks and deck-building articles that's an awesome idea! I used to go to Pojo.com and I hope that site is still active and around. Anyway, I got some homework to do, but I will check out Great Encounters and I remember Bebe's Research as a card and it was a good card for a common!

 

[donavannj]

The working theory is that everything before the Platinum set will be cycled out this fall. The HGSS set is a pretty good set, both for playing and for collecting (as are most of the sets out right now), but SP Pokemon will probably run rampant on the format even more than they already are when the sets get cycled out.

 

[Arcanemage]

The working theory is that everything before the Platinum set will be cycled out this fall. The HGSS set is a pretty good set, both for playing and for collecting (as are most of the sets out right now), but SP Pokemon will probably run rampant on the format even more than they already are when the sets get cycled out.

Doesn't Pokemon OP give you any idea what sets that they are going to cycle out for sure? I feel that would be only fair in my opinion otherwise they leave you guessing. When is the next pre-release coming out? Should I just wait for the new set coming out to join or should I go ahead and buy a starter from HGSS? I'm excited to go back starting at the end of next month. I was pretty good at Pokemon TCG and almost always made the finals in my league when my deck was prepped.

From what I've understood from a friend on Facebook SP Pokemon are sort of like Lvl. X pokemon except that the stage 1 Pokemon can either be evolved into the regular pokemon or the SP Pokemon. I.e. Quilava evolves into either Typhlosion or Typhlosion SP.

I miss the Delta Species series. I had a deck that shut down both the Delta Species Series and the LVL. X Pokemon. It was classic.

 

[Rocket_Executive]

I hate SP's so much. What are we going to do when all those drawing staples are cycled out? We'll all have to get Dialga G :(
Pojo isn't really functioning anymore, I suggest pokegym.net instead for articles. If you don't want to get cards that won't be around later then don't go for the diamond and pearl sets, but I have to tell you, you will be missing out on many important cards and everyone else will have an advantage over you until they get cycled out. Heart gold sould silver is a fairly decent set, though rising rivals does have flygon lvl x and arceus has gengar lvl x, which are both pretty big in my area, don't know about yours. There are only a couple of really good cards in HGSS, I would suggest getting the good ones separately and getting boosters of the other platium sets. When the set after HGSS comes out there will be many more decent cards, that set seems promising, but I'm not sure when it's coming to north america. Next month maybe?

 

[donavannj]

Doesn't Pokemon OP give you any idea what sets that they are going to cycle out for sure? I feel that would be only fair in my opinion otherwise they leave you guessing. When is the next pre-release coming out? Should I just wait for the new set coming out to join or should I go ahead and buy a starter from HGSS? I'm excited to go back starting at the end of next month. I was pretty good at Pokemon TCG and almost always made the finals in my league when my deck was prepped.

Well, they normally phase out 4 sets a season, but they didn't phase out any sets between 2009 and 2010, so the community thinks, as do many professors, that they will phase out everything before Platinum. Other theories include them wiping the slate clean and just starting over from HG/SS (there's very, very little chance of this), everything before Legends Awakened (not too likely), or everything before Stormfront (also not too likely).

From what I've understood from a friend on Facebook SP Pokemon are sort of like Lvl. X pokemon except that the stage 1 Pokemon can either be evolved into the regular pokemon or the SP Pokemon. I.e. Quilava evolves into either Typhlosion or Typhlosion SP.

SP doesn't work like that. SP Pokemon work like Basics, not like Lv. X's. That's Pokemon Prime you're thinking of that works like that (Prime is like a BAMF version of the Pokemon, where the basic or Stage 1 can evolve into the normal evolution or the Prime evolution).

I hate SP's so much. What are we going to do when all those drawing staples are cycled out? We'll all have to get Dialga G :(

Two words: Roast Reveal. ;D /brick'd
Huh? Not good enough for ya? Try that one Noctowl's Power. /double-brick'd

Pojo isn't really functioning anymore, I suggest pokegym.net instead for articles. If you don't want to get cards that won't be around later then don't go for the diamond and pearl sets, but I have to tell you, you will be missing out on many important cards and everyone else will have an advantage over you until they get cycled out. Heart gold sould silver is a fairly decent set, though rising rivals does have flygon lvl x and arceus has gengar lvl x, which are both pretty big in my area, don't know about yours. There are only a couple of really good cards in HGSS, I would suggest getting the good ones separately and getting boosters of the other platium sets. When the set after HGSS comes out there will be many more decent cards, that set seems promising, but I'm not sure when it's coming to north america. Next month maybe?

I also recommend PokeBeach.com for some TCG stuff (mostly to be on the cutting edge of new cards being announced). PokeGym has been around far longer, though, and is better at the articles and the rulings compendium.

And the new set's due out in May some time.

 

[Rocket_Executive]

Well May's not too bad I guess. I'm excited though, I wish it was coming out sooner. And I thought that it was official that they would be cycling out diamond and pearl? Is it not confirmed?
Also, I'm not familiar with a lot of TCG terms... Roast Reveal and brick'd? Please explain :)

 

[donavannj]

Well May's not too bad I guess. I'm excited though, I wish it was coming out sooner. And I thought that it was official that they would be cycling out diamond and pearl? Is it not confirmed?
Also, I'm not familiar with a lot of TCG terms... Roast Reveal and brick'd? Please explain :)

Roast Reveal is Ninetales HGSS's PokePower. Brick'd is just posted by a user when they think that they've said something in a snotty or obnoxious demeanor or just something unpopular - doesn't have anything to do with the TCG.

DP will for sure be cycled, but the question is whether it will be just the first four/five or if it will be more.

 

[Arcanemage]

Well, they normally phase out 4 sets a season, but they didn't phase out any sets between 2009 and 2010, so the community thinks, as do many professors, that they will phase out everything before Platinum. Other theories include them wiping the slate clean and just starting over from HG/SS (there's very, very little chance of this), everything before Legends Awakened (not too likely), or everything before Stormfront (also not too likely).



SP doesn't work like that. SP Pokemon work like Basics, not like Lv. X's. That's Pokemon Prime you're thinking of that works like that (Prime is like a BAMF version of the Pokemon, where the basic or Stage 1 can evolve into the normal evolution or the Prime evolution).


Two words: Roast Reveal. ;D /brick'd
Huh? Not good enough for ya? Try that one Noctowl's Power. /double-brick'd



I also recommend PokeBeach.com for some TCG stuff (mostly to be on the cutting edge of new cards being announced). PokeGym has been around far longer, though, and is better at the articles and the rulings compendium.

And the new set's due out in May some time.

Well, I'm certain that my local card club will keep me updated. By the time I go back next month I'll have $30 saved up. That will be enough to buy a starter deck (theme deck) and 5 or 6 boosters! XD Good days and good times.

 

[Rocket_Executive]

Roast Reveal is Ninetales HGSS's PokePower. Brick'd is just posted by a user when they think that they've said something in a snotty or obnoxious demeanor or just something unpopular - doesn't have anything to do with the TCG.

DP will for sure be cycled, but the question is whether it will be just the first four/five or if it will be more.

Ah, ok thanks. So that's why I havn't been able to get a Ninetales at my league, I wasn't even thinking about playing it, it just happens to be the last holo I need for the set. Figures! Now I'll have to buy one at an exorbitant price. It would be interesting if they choose not to cycle out the whole DP set again, they really seem to be clinging onto it. Are they afraid people will lose interest if their decks become unplayable and all the favorites get removed?