Care to help a Newb?

[DarkShaderz]

Hello everyone, first of all im a true beginner in Pokemon TCG game. I used to play magic and such therefor my game mechanics are not that bad.

 

​I have made alot of search around to see the metagame and which decks are popular but when I find those ''Pro decklist'' I just can't understand their strats. More often than not they run about 14 energy, 4 double colorless,10 of a single energy type, and then have about 14 pokemon all EX with 4 to 5 different energy color requirement. I first thought they had trainer card that would change the energy requirement but I just can't find it. Anyone can help me understand? Anyone got a link where I could see ''pro'' play, for exemple on ******* or such.

 

 

​Also I'm looking for a good website that shows all the current deck played in the metagame (for each format) so I can get an idea on how and why to build a deck. Don't get me wrong, I currently have a deck I find pretty good in Expended but i'm just looking for improve faster.

 

 

Thanks to everyone who made it to read my wall text.

[escequi]

Those off-colored pokemons are used for their abilities, not attacks, therefor they're not used as active pokemons and having energy attached to it, OR they're DCE attackers

[Loveless717]

Hello fellow MTG player. I also recently converted to Pokemon and have to say that I love it.

 

The mechanics aren't that much different and conceptually both the same game. Its like magic with only one main phase.

 

yeah, the guy above was right, just run some cards for the ability. I run Octillary in my standard Mewtwo deck, but its there to just draw cards. The real tech is in the use of trainers. realizing why Professor Sycamore is better then Birch, and why Skyla is better than Steven.

 

Most Mewtwo starts:

Ultra ball into Hoopa-ex and play,

search Mewtwo-ex and his Mega or even grab a Shaymin-ex for more cards.

Play both Mewtwo, add a spirit link, play DCE 

Professor Sycamore to dump remaining supporter card,

7 cards into a VS Seeker to grab what you just dumped,

Play a few more cards and end turn.

 

Looks sick to go first turn bench full of EX's with spirit link, opponent knows you have the Mega coming next turn for at least 70 damage, but know more becuase they need to over extend to keep up. Plus you see your hand and know you are drawing 5-7+ cards with N or Syacamore.

[shinygeodude]

Usually the cards that have a weird assortment of types as Energy requirements are Dragon type Pokemon. If so, there's Double Dragon Energy (from Roaring Skies) which provide 2 of any/every type of Energy when attached to a Dragon type.

[pkremer]

Join up with your local Pokemon league and talk to the more experienced players. In my experience, Pokemon players are mostly friendly people who will take time to help you understand mechanics.

 

Playing a lot of games and seeing how different people utilize their decks will help you understand strategy. Short of taking a class, experience is really what helps you. When you lose to a strategy you haven't seen before, you start retooling your deck to deal with that strategy if it comes up again in the future.

 

I'm always building concept decks, then play testing and fine tuning them. Sometimes I just can't make them work and I have to scrap them. But that's what's so fun about this game!

[SuperStone]

If you would like to see pros play, you can find this year's worlds on Twitch by searching for 'pokemon world championships tcg'.

[seminc]

If you would like to see pros play, here is a link to the 2016 worlds no-longer-live stream: {********************************************

Even though the stream was official, links to Twitch TV are still blocked.

[SuperStone]

Even though the stream was official, links to Twitch TV are still blocked.

Working on it as you speak.  Got things better, but the link's not going to go through.

[DarkShaderz]

Thanks alot to everyone who replied me! I have seen from my short experiences that Trainer cards that makes you draw are usually pretty good. I guess ima try to add all the trainer cards I see in pro's deck list into my deck and see how it goes. 

 

​I am also wondering, I got 2 Mewtwo-Ex from my packs but they have different ability than everyone's else Mewtwo-Ex, they from another set? Which one? If not they from the Versus rewards?  I currently own 2 Darkrai-Ex, 2 Mewtwo-Ex (got that 120 dmg 2psy2colorless attack), 2 Victini-Ex, 1 Steelix-Ex, 1 Dialga-Ex, 1 Hyper(something) Dragon with 80 dmg attack, which deck should I focus on first considering my Ex so far?

[Loveless717]

I have a bias to to Mewtwo, but you dont have the right mewtwo's. I built, bought, traded for my mewtwo deck and it was easy to find everything but needed a few bucks too.

Here is an idea, of what you need. Tweak to your liking, there are 4 slots open on this decklist


3x M Mewtwo-EX (BKT #160)
4x Mewtwo-EX (BKT #158)
3x Shaymin-EX 

1x  Hoopa-EX (AOR #89)

4x Professor Sycamore (XY #122)
2x Lysandre (FLF #104)
2x Skyla (BCR #149)
2x Pokémon Center Lady (FLF #105)
4x VS Seeker (RSK #110)
4x Mewtwo Spirit Link (BKT #144)
4x Ultra Ball (DEX #102)
4x Trainers' Mail (RSK #92)
3x Mega Turbo (RSK #86)
3x Shrine of Memories (PRC #139)

9x Psychic Energy (GEN #79) 
4xDouble Colorless Energy

[DarkShaderz]

Thanks I got half of those trainer's card, I'll need all the EX tough, I got all the energy ofc.

[Loveless717]

The regular Ex's are easy and cheap. the Mega's are kind of a pain, but having a play set is worth it. Personally my problem was in needed the full arts and the blinged out deck.

[shinygeodude]

General rule of thumb: Suppose you are able to play two Trainer cards (or use one ability and play one Trainer). One has a random effect, such as shuffling your deck and drawing 4 cards, and the other has a specific effect, such as searching your deck for a Pokemon with 90 HP or less. If you're in that situation, always use the card or ability with the specific effect first.

For example: You have an Octillery with Abyssal Hand in play. You need a basic energy card. You know that you have 2 of them left in your deck. You have 3 cards in your hand: two Pokemon that you can't play right now and one Professor's Letter. You could use Octillery's ability first, but you might not get the basic energy you need. (Or you get both of them and make Professor's Letter useless.) If you play Professor's Letter instead, you're guaranteed those two basic energies. Then when you play one, you still end up with the same number of cards in your hand (three), allowing you to use Octillery's ability to draw 2 more cards.

This is sort of just basic logic, but I figured I'd post it anyway for the OP and any other new players who might be reading this.

[DarkShaderz]

Thanks again to all for this great help. Sadly I can't try these out, server is still offline . I can't wait for it to come back online

[Loveless717]

Well I hope you get it fast.

When the servers come back up DM me and maybe we can throw down a few games.

[DarkShaderz]

Sure, I got another question, Ive seen in the ''Trade'' market that some people could trade Pokemon that are ''Trade Locked'' at least when I check them. How is that even possible? I thought trade locked cards could not be traded at all.

[SuperStone]

It is not a card type that is locked, but an individual copy.  Your copy of that card is locked, but someone else might have pulled one from a tradable pack.

[DarkShaderz]

Even when I'm looking at cards I don't own? For exemple, I am looking at all the trade that I can't accept. Someone is offering a Volcanion-Ex and wants (totally random) 10 packs for it. Well If I look at the trade the Volcanion-EX will be tradelocked but I do not own any Volcanion-EX.


​As of right now I have got very few cards who are tradeable, all of them being common and uncommon. Every rare/mythic/EX cards are trade-locked for whatever reason. Even pack I buy in the shop (for 200 gold) are locked, Once in a while I win a pack and its trade-able. I looked at the forum and saw the explanation but all I get is ''Anything the game gives you is trade-locked''. I do not care if its trade-locked to be honest, I'm just confused as to why some people seems to be able to put them into the ''Trade Market''