Shoopman
Smash Journeyman
I want to start playing the Pokemon TCG, but I'm not entirely sure where to start in regards to deck building. I have a few questions about the game and about deck building. I played Magic for several years, so feel free to use TCG jargon if you want.
1. Are there different formats like in Magic? From what I understand there is a "standard" format using the most recent sets of cards, but is there also a "legacy" format that uses all released cards? Are the old wizards of the coast cards still legal to use?
2. How much do top tier cards cost?
3. Do "staples" exist in this game? Browsing briefly through some deck lists, it seems like almost every deck has some variation of Cheren, Professor Juniper, Ultra Ball, Switch, etc. Are these staples more or less uniform throughout every deck or is there significant variation?
4. Is there a "color wheel"? From my brief experience with the game, certain types of Pokemon seem to exhibit certain characteristics. I noticed the fire types seem to have the highest damage output, but usually have to discard energies to do so. Do type-specific traits exist for all types of Pokemon?
5. Does the game get old quickly? I know the game is simple and designed for kids, but it is still fun to play. I get the feeling that the game comes down to who gets their "tutor" cards first to set up their strongest Pokemon. I guess I'm asking if there are a lot of viable and unique decks, or a few top tier ones that everyone uses.
1. Are there different formats like in Magic? From what I understand there is a "standard" format using the most recent sets of cards, but is there also a "legacy" format that uses all released cards? Are the old wizards of the coast cards still legal to use?
2. How much do top tier cards cost?
3. Do "staples" exist in this game? Browsing briefly through some deck lists, it seems like almost every deck has some variation of Cheren, Professor Juniper, Ultra Ball, Switch, etc. Are these staples more or less uniform throughout every deck or is there significant variation?
4. Is there a "color wheel"? From my brief experience with the game, certain types of Pokemon seem to exhibit certain characteristics. I noticed the fire types seem to have the highest damage output, but usually have to discard energies to do so. Do type-specific traits exist for all types of Pokemon?
5. Does the game get old quickly? I know the game is simple and designed for kids, but it is still fun to play. I get the feeling that the game comes down to who gets their "tutor" cards first to set up their strongest Pokemon. I guess I'm asking if there are a lot of viable and unique decks, or a few top tier ones that everyone uses.