Thinking of taking up the game

[Baker's Bulbasaur]

Firstly, to all MODs, if this post is in the wrong section, or if I should have posted in an already existing thread as opposed to starting my own then I apologise, I looked around but couldn't find anywhere else that I should have put it, but if I missed something simple then again I apologize.

Now I have been giving serious consideration the past couple of months into taking up the Pokemon TCG.
I am an ex Yu-Gi-Oh player and without blowing my own trumpet too much, I was an extremely good one, consistently remaining in the top 10-50 ranked people in the UK, as well as top 8'ing more tournaments then I can count, and good records at National Championships. However I got out of that game a couple of years ago due to hating the direction the game was going, as well as the luck/skill ratio going from about 40/60 to IMO 80/20 at best.

But I have heard from many friends that the Pokemon TCG is just getting better and better and still remains mostly a skill based game, regularly producing the more skilled player coming out on top.

I was wondering if any of you PKMN TCG veterans could give me a few tips to get me started.

I know how the game is played, at least the basics, obviously not in tune with the pro skills of the meta, but I'm sure that will come with some research.

But I was wondering if anyone could advice me towards what structure decks/individual cards it would be worth my time and money investing in to get me started, and be able to build a half decent deck that can produce results, and is easy enough for a beginner to get to grips with.

Also if any of you fine TCG players are from the UK and participate in tournaments, if/when the time comes when I can participate in a tournament, or even just come along to one to maybe learn a few things, if you'd be willing to give me a quick crash course?

Finally, I know that there is an online Pokemon Trading Card Game System, assumidly it is similar to the Yugioh one called YVD which was basically a way to have games online with real people, and the programme database had every single card which you could use in your decks.
Is that the case with the PKMN based one?

Hope someone can help ^_^

 

[Dark Zoroark]

If you'd like a cheap meta deck, then going with ZekEels will be the best choice. ZekEels, a deck that revolves around Zekrom BW and Eelektrik NV, has the goal of setting up 3 Eelektriks on the Bench and using Dynamotor, an Ability that allows you to get a Lightning energy out of the discard with each use, to attach energies to the Zekroms on the Bench. Right now, it's currently holding the Best Deck In Format position which pretty much guarantees it's a consistent and solid deck. If you are looking for a sample deck, there is one over here that you can look through: https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?p=7243225#post7243225

And also, I wanted to make a suggestion that you use PlayTCG over Pokemon's official simulator. While there is nothing wrong with PTCGO, PlayTCG is free and requires no payment. BebeSearch is the place where you can craft decks and save them and use them to play online on PlayTCG.

Other than that, I'll try and write up a BW-On article featuring the decks of the meta and explain in detail how each of them work. Hope this helped!

 

[Baker's Bulbasaur]

Thankyou for your speedy reply!

Yes that is very helpful indeed, I will check out those links right away and await your write up with great anticipation!

Also, is there an official website for reporting on the current metagame and tournament reports of official tournaments nation/world-wide?

 

[Dark Zoroark]

Are you looking for tournament reports? If so, I know one thread from another website that I can link to you for your needs.

 

[Baker's Bulbasaur]

Are you looking for tournament reports? If so, I know one thread from another website that I can link to you for your needs.

Yeah mostly tournament reports.

In my YGO days our metagame website had reports, aswell as evaluations on top8/16 deck lists etc etc

But yes it's mostly reports I'm looking for ^_^

 

[Dark Zoroark]

Searched up a good, long one so here you go: https://www.pokebeach.com/forums/thread-by-popular-request-my-nats-report This one was written just after Nationals, a stepping stone into the biggest annual event, Worlds, which will begin at around mid-August. After reading that report, there's more that you can look through right here: https://www.pokebeach.com/forums/forum-organized-play-reports Just reading them and searching the decks on Google will be a good start.

Also, since we're dealing with the Pokemon stuff, might as well give this to you for you to read through: https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/play-pokemon-tournaments/rules/ Contains detailed information about the official Pokemon company and stuff.

 

[donavannj]

Searched up a good, long one so here you go: https://www.pokebeach.com/forums/thread-by-popular-request-my-nats-report This one was written just after Nationals, a stepping stone into the biggest annual event, Worlds, which will begin at around mid-August. After reading that report, there's more that you can look through right here: https://www.pokebeach.com/forums/forum-organized-play-reports Just reading them and searching the decks on Google will be a good start.

Also, since we're dealing with the Pokemon stuff, might as well give this to you for you to read through: https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/play-pokemon-tournaments/rules/ Contains detailed information about the official Pokemon company and stuff.

Even if they are resources, links to OTHER FORUMS are not permitted. That's a site-wide rule. A silly rule, yes, but that's a rule I can't change.

A site that you could have linked to that wouldn't have broken the rules would be the SixPrizes home page, which has articles galore, many of which are tournament reports. (www.sixprizes.com)

My personal favorite metagame blog, however, is onehitko (www.onehitko.com).

Of course, none of these are official sites, just sites players have created. A competent blog on the metagame being managed by The Pokemon Company International will happen when pigs fly with wings on their backs.

 

[Dark Zoroark]

Even if they are resources, links to OTHER FORUMS are not permitted. That's a site-wide rule. A silly rule, yes, but that's a rule I can't change.

A site that you could have linked to that wouldn't have broken the rules would be the SixPrizes home page, which has articles galore, many of which are tournament reports. (www.sixprizes.com)

My personal favorite metagame blog, however, is onehitko (www.onehitko.com).

Of course, none of these are official sites, just sites players have created. A competent blog on the metagame being managed by The Pokemon Company International will happen when pigs fly with wings on their backs.

Oops, sorry about that. Really sorry about that, I didn't know they existed. Sorry. >_< Won't do it again.

 

[Overlord Drakow]

I'm also an ex YGO player though I wasn't anywhere near as good as you from what you've said. I swapped to Pokemon because I think it's just a better and cheaper game when it comes right down to it.

Anyway, I would recommend purchasing the Empoleon deck from Dark Explorers. It gives you Empoleon and Zoroark which are both good attackers. For a budget deck, stick with Empoleon. You can then use a support attacker which is generally either Terrakion or Accelgor from Dark Explorers.

Good single cards are stuff like Pokemon Catcher and Max Potion, those will be sought after. Ultra and Level Ball are reasonably good too. Energy switch is a good one to get as well. EX cards are valuable but wait until September for the new tins to come out, since you're a new player.

I am from the UK (in Surrey) but Nationals has just passed us and we're on the "down" period until about September I believe. I will keep you posted though and notify you when tournaments come round. There is a pre-release (same as YGO sneak peak) for the Dragon's Exhalted set early August I believe and I recommend you to go down to that because that set has a fair amount of good cards and it will be a nice way to introduce you to the game a bit more. But yeah, I'll let you know when things come round and I'll be happy to teach you a few things if we meet up.

Good luck with it all.

 

[donavannj]

Oh yeah, Pokemon is definitely cheaper than YGO. An expensive card in Pokemon for competitive play is about $15. Many players I know consider that cheap for YGO competitive play.

 

[lloebet]

Well first off this link will show you everything you need to possibly know about playing the game. https://www.pokemontcg.com/tutorials
Now then if you want to make decks you have to look around get tips and look at the new strategies to be able to go head to head with some toughies. I suggest you go to a league but if that's not the case I'm sure you will learn a thing or two by observing the deck building competition that will be taking place on this thread. The price for a pack of cards in stores is ranged about 5 bucks. Press this link to see about tournaments and such. https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/play-pokemon-tournaments/rules/
If you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Baker's Bulbasaur]

Thankyou all for your help! *Bakes cake for all*

@donavannj
I have checked out those links and they have already proved helpful, particuarly the videos that are posted up by PokemonDan giving insight to Pro strategies and deck building assistance.
And yes in my YGO days I have had to pay anything up to £100 for a set of 3 of a single card purely because there were many times where it was a new realease, and without it you simply would not win games. And I have mates that have paid a lot more, particuarly when a card called ''Crush Card Virus'' first came out and was going for amounts anything up to £800, and people paid it...

@Drakow
Thank you for the specifics of what stuff to get hold of, i was hoping that there would be structure decks/tins that contained a lot of staple cards. I am also glad to hear that like in YGO, there are pre-release events to see and try out the new cards, in YGO they worked by having a tournament where you paid say £25 and received about 8 packs of the newest booster, and you would use those cards and those cards only to build a deck to compete in that tournament with, is it a similar system?
Yes I would greatly appreciate you keeping me informed with tournaments and general events where I could attend and start my training! I'm based in Oxford/Reading/London as I work in all 3 locations, but I am more then used to travelling for events so that isn't a big problem for me, would be great to have a meet up and learn afew things from you!


@Romeo010
Yeah those sites are where I originally went to learn the basics of the game, I certainly hope to attend a league even if only to pick up a few things!

 

[FurretFTW!!1!]

I could help you with whatever questions you have. I don't compete in very many tournaments anymore, but I do keep up with shifts in popular decks and I keep an eye out for cards that have slipped under the radar. If you want help in getting into the game, strategic advice in playing, and predictions on cards that will increase in popularity, I'd be more than happy to help you out. Send me a private message whenever you have something to ask me.

Also, my recommendation for websites that will best help you understand competitive Pokemon TCG are sixprizes.com and thetopcut.net. Sixprizes provides decklists, deck analyses, and tournament reports from a variety of players and metagames by being an internationally-used website. The Top Cut is a website run by a few of the best-performing US players in Pokemon. They have battle videos--which can help you understand how decks are supposed to perform and what certain decks should try to accomplish in certain match-ups--tournament reports and results, and articles ranging a variety of subjects. Those two sites provide the highest quality information about the Pokemon TCG, and I recommend you look at them both.

 

[Overlord Drakow]

Haha CCV! Brings back memories that does. The pre-release events in Pokemon are very similar. You pay £20 and you get 6 booster packs to make a 40 card deck out of. At the end of the event, everyone gets an additional 2 boosters. Unlike in YGO, the tournament does not offer any prizes. It's just an opportunity to test the new cards out, so you won't win anything extra for placing first.

 

[Baker's Bulbasaur]

@ FurretFTW!!1!
Yes Sixprizes.com has already proved very useful and given me a good idea of what sort of decks were being played at Nats just gone, just reading up more to take in as much as possible, but from what I've been told about a new set coming out soon, assumidly the top tier meta decks are going to change completely? I will most definitely take you up on your offer for assistance ^_^

@Drakow
Yes they were fun tournaments to play in the good old YGO days, took a lot of the cheap strategies that became the games norm out of the equation!

Is there anyone here that uses the playtcg.me free programme? If so, would any kind souls like to add me on Facebook (Link in my Sig) and would perhaps be willing to play me to help me get my bearings?
I'm assuming there may be a thread somewhere on here specifically for organising such games?

 

[donavannj]

I had a thread for random match setup, but I removed that in favor of a now-outdated league thread, so I will see about putting up a new thread for match setup and removing the thread for the league.