First Elite Trainer Box EVER Question

[Pupnasty]

So, I have been out of the TCG since the Neo Series. I am getting back into it now with the 20th anniversary, so I am looking to get my first Elite Trainer Box. So the questrion is... Fates Collide or BreakPoint? Does either of these series have better pulls? better competitive cards? I feel like a total newbie since I knew the game in and out back in the day, haha.

 

[donavannj]

So, I have been out of the TCG since the Neo Series. I am getting back into it now with the 20th anniversary, so I am looking to get my first Elite Trainer Box. So the questrion is... Fates Collide or BreakPoint? Does either of these series have better pulls? better competitive cards? I feel like a total newbie since I knew the game in and out back in the day, haha.

Fates Collide being the newer set will likely have more trade bait since fewer people are likely to have all the cards they want from that set at a league, and you can use that trade bait to trade for some of the more critical trainer cards for whichever deck you choose to run.

Beyond that, I'm not sure as I've kind of fallen out of touch a bit with the competitive TCG.

 

[Pupnasty]

Fates Collide being the newer set will likely have more trade bait since fewer people are likely to have all the cards they want from that set at a league, and you can use that trade bait to trade for some of the more critical trainer cards for whichever deck you choose to run.

Beyond that, I'm not sure as I've kind of fallen out of touch a bit with the competitive TCG.

Yeah, I think you have a good point. I was real competitive back in the first and 2nd gen... I never did get to go to full blown tournaments or competitions, just Wed. Game Nights at the shop in the mall near me, I wish I would have though, I had the TCG down to an art, haha. I want to try to be competitive again, if not, atleast go and have fun with it :)

 

[donavannj]

Yeah, I think you have a good point. I was real competitive back in the first and 2nd gen... I never did get to go to full blown tournaments or competitions, just Wed. Game Nights at the shop in the mall near me, I wish I would have though, I had the TCG down to an art, haha. I want to try to be competitive again, if not, atleast go and have fun with it :)

It's not too late to get back in. Though, fair warning, the 15+ age group is pretty damn competitive if you go to official tournaments. You'll want to spend time at a league getting comfortable with the meta. It's Nationals season right now, actually, and Worlds is in August, so there'll be plenty of articles on what's happening at those tournaments. And there's another set that will be releasing in early August as well, though that won't be legal to use at non-prerelease tournaments (possibly all events, can't remember off the top of my head) until 3 weeks after its release date. We're also due for some older sets being rotated out of Standard (and probably from Extended, too) at the end of August, as they do the set rotations and start the new competitive season at that time every year.

 

[Pupnasty]

It's not too late to get back in. Though, fair warning, the 15+ age group is pretty damn competitive if you go to official tournaments. You'll want to spend time at a league getting comfortable with the meta. It's Nationals season right now, actually, and Worlds is in August, so there'll be plenty of articles on what's happening at those tournaments. And there's another set that will be releasing in early August as well, though that won't be legal to use at non-prerelease tournaments (possibly all events, can't remember off the top of my head) until 3 weeks after its release date. We're also due for some older sets being rotated out of Standard (and probably from Extended, too) at the end of August, as they do the set rotations and start the new competitive season at that time every year.

Yeah, I am going to the National Championship just to check it out and see what goes down (Home State of Ohio representing!) Hoping they sell some cool exclusive stuff there like cards or play mats.... always wanted to go to something like this but never got to go when I was into the card game stuff back when they would give out badges with the badge book and stuff during neo series and base set 1/2. I saw where it gets pretty intense, so yeah, i have some learning to do, haha.

 

[donavannj]

Yeah, I am going to the National Championship just to check it out and see what goes down (Home State of Ohio representing!) Hoping they sell some cool exclusive stuff there like cards or play mats.... always wanted to go to something like this but never got to go when I was into the card game stuff back when they would give out badges with the badge book and stuff during neo series and base set 1/2. I saw where it gets pretty intense, so yeah, i have some learning to do, haha.

I'm not sure they do sell merchandise directly, but there are a couple authorized sellers that sell singles of cards at the events (prices for cards at events is often a fair bit higher than it is elsewhere, but if you build a relationship with your local card guy, they can be pretty flexible). As it's usually in Indianapolis and I live in Minnesota, it's not been the most practical event for me to travel to, so I've yet to go to Nationals even just to hang around.

Currently leagues just have cards you can have filled out to track how many matches you've played to earn the league's prizes.

 

[Pupnasty]

I'm not sure they do sell merchandise directly, but there are a couple authorized sellers that sell singles of cards at the events (prices for cards at events is often a fair bit higher than it is elsewhere, but if you build a relationship with your local card guy, they can be pretty flexible). As it's usually in Indianapolis and I live in Minnesota, it's not been the most practical event for me to travel to, so I've yet to go to Nationals even just to hang around.

Currently leagues just have cards you can have filled out to track how many matches you've played to earn the league's prizes.

Sigh, they need to sell some merch! lol. Yeah, I remember the days of having the booklet where you get stamps and oonce you fill a certain gym leaders page youd get a badge.... Miss those days.......

 

[donavannj]

Nowadays, you get special league promo cards from those stamps. Often useful ones, or at least not terrible ones.

 

[Pupnasty]

Interesting.... I need to get back into it.... Haha

 

[Electricbluewolf]

Interesting.... I need to get back into it.... Haha

If you stopped playing at base set I would suggest getting a battle arena half deck (darkai/mewtwo is pretty competitive) rather than a booster/trainer box. The decks give an idea what is competitive now, as the format has completely changed with so many different styles of play, to a returning player it will seem really daunting.

A trainer box would be useful once you've caught up with the game as obviously the box s good for storing decks and it has the dice (the sleeves are terrible for shuffling though)

 

[TerenceFish]

I'm enjoying the Online TCG. In re: to what booster set, I like Fates Collide!

I've had some decent luck with them.

 

[Pupnasty]

If you stopped playing at base set I would suggest getting a battle arena half deck (darkai/mewtwo is pretty competitive) rather than a booster/trainer box. The decks give an idea what is competitive now, as the format has completely changed with so many different styles of play, to a returning player it will seem really daunting.

A trainer box would be useful once you've caught up with the game as obviously the box s good for storing decks and it has the dice (the sleeves are terrible for shuffling though)

It is a bit daunting... So many different trainers now from like 10 different sets... I was used to pretty much the same 10 or so trainers iun the first 4 or 5 sets in the Pokemon TCG... So many strats now... I did manage to find the mewtwo darkrai deck set for 30, so I may grab it....