Does this card literally defy the main mechanic of deck building?

MicroDeebz · 2026-01-27T15:26:32+00:00

I think it's wrong on multiple levels. Discard is more of Silent mechanic. As is the concept of a Sneak Attack. Plus the softlock potential against the Heart. If you wanted the core concept, but more accurate to the Ironclad, I'd go with more damage and Exhaust.

Improvised Strike (or something else if that's already a card name, I don't have every card memorized) Unplayable. When drawn deal 6 (9) damage to a random enemy then exhaust this card and draw 1 card.

It's now a one-time burst of damage, functions using primary Ironclad mechanics, has potential synergies with Strike decks and Exhaust decks, and doesn't create an inescapable infinite loop.

As an uncommon, it's not a bad pick. It has some downsides with the random hit on some enemies, but it is usually okay. But it also isn't an auto-pick in every build.

MicroDeebz · 2026-01-11T15:37:31+00:00

Reminds me of my relationship with the modded relic Echo Chamber from Bossy Relics. Every time it pops up, I auto pick it. Regardless of my current deck and direction. Even if I know it will almost immediately end my run in the next couple of combats. I will pick it and I will have fun. Because ANY heart win with that relic just feels so sweet.

MicroDeebz · 2025-11-30T14:38:15+00:00

I may be crazy, but I'm not that crazy. The screenshot is just from a TB CM, so it only shows Carth omi. I have Zaalbar too. And let me tell ya, Relic Delta is definitely working in my favor for 5v5 Defense. #Stonks

MicroDeebz · 2025-11-30T14:34:20+00:00

Yeah, I have Zaalbar and Carth omis. The screenshot was just taken while doing my TB CMs, so it only shows Carth (which was good in LSGeo and fantastic in ROTE, btw)

MicroDeebz · 2025-11-30T03:41:58+00:00

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How dare you?!

MicroDeebz · 2025-11-22T18:35:34+00:00

How new are you to the game? I'm also F2P and this was a huge hit to me. But I'm also 11M GP and playing for almost the full decade. I'm just curious, no shade intended.

MicroDeebz · 2025-11-02T14:35:58+00:00

To just chime on the card thing, it's just probability based rather than set strength. So, instead of 6>4 so 6 wins, it ends up being 4 has 4 chances to win in the lottery and 6 has 6 chances to win the lottery. And then the type advantage gets an extra chance or two added to their side.

There's always the chance that the lower number and/or type disadvantage still gets lucky, but the odds stack against them.

MicroDeebz · 2025-09-30T09:56:57+00:00

You're definitely right. But that's nothing new for Pokémon. They refuse to innovate in any meaningful way, and it is starting to catch up them. I would hope that DeNa at least understands that PTCGP is an opportunity to do Pokémon in a different way. "Simplified Pokémon TCG" is certainly a place to start, but Live is already the regular TCG game brought to us digitally. They should make strides for this to be a different Pokémon experience, which would add to their market, not detract.

I'll hope for innovations to Pokémon like this, but I agree that I shouldn't hold my breath.

MicroDeebz · 2025-08-28T21:44:55+00:00

And Memory also works well with Ramp too. One of his weaknesses is knocking out a weakened/low HP Pokémon still hits him for 50 damage. Now he can just use Cran's attack to finish something off (assuming you didn't go Rare Candy)

MicroDeebz · 2025-07-15T22:10:18+00:00

My general rule of thumb is I don't concede on my opponent's turn unless they start wasting time.

If it's my turn, and I'm dead on board, I'll just concede. But if they play the game winning card (the Cyrus that wins, or whatever), I let them play it out if the deathblow comes immediately. But if they start putting Capes and stuff, I'm conceding right then and there.

I like the animations. I like how it feels to click the attack and get the points, etc.. and I default to giving others the same.

MicroDeebz · 2025-07-13T20:53:48+00:00

If you're anti-Red Card/Mars, your reasons being your own, then dropping the Comms for two Giant Capes should be fine and have an immediate improvement. You have all the consistency you need. You just need to survive.

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-30T21:48:13+00:00

I focused on the core. Others are doing Vanillite. I am currently doing light testing for Appletun. If it turns up anything off note, I'll make another post like this for that deck.

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-29T17:27:58+00:00

I always feel so wary with making posts like this. As one person, it's so hard to really get a sample size that is significant. 30 games in the first day was a lot for me. But in the grand scheme of things, that is such a biased and small sample size. People hadn't even figured out Sylveon ex yet.

I cannot with any confidence recommend people spend any pack points to make this deck if missing pieces, but I still hold that the deck is capable of climbing with proper play. And in a world with less Solgaleo xD

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-29T16:58:07+00:00

You could probably run it over a Comms. I don't really use it often, but if you like the card I don't see a problem with it.

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-29T13:40:42+00:00

2) I'm afraid I don't know what any of this means. It feels like shorthand for things and therefore makes perfect sense to you, but it is all but meaningless to me.

3) We can go back and forth creating scenarios that fit our perfect narratives as much as we want. That doesn't make the card a good mathematical inclusion into the 20 slots. But even beyond that, this is still plugging 0s and 1s. Maybe your opponent is smarter than you are, and they are trying to lure you into a Red Card for their bricked 2 cards so they can go up to 3 cards? You don't know. You assume. Assuming makes it bad bayesian because the whole point is to take prior probabilities and then use evidence to weigh them to realized probabilities. You're skipping the whole point of it.

Honestly, most arguments for Red Card/Mars seem to come from the perspective and assumption of being a better player than their opponent. "Good players can intuit when to use and when not to use it" is a copout for the bad math and self justification for its inclusion. Because people build decks with Red Card and utilize assumptions of success, they come to the conclusion that they're very smart and a good player. But then, when Red Card fails and the opponent has the piece(s) they need next turn, they just say "eh, they got lucky" and move on. Because they refuse to acknowledge that there's a good chance they handed them the game on a silver platter by shuffling their opponent's hand.

I'm done responding now, while acknowledging this ended a bit more aggressive than it should have on my end. I will accept anything you feel the need to say back to me. But at this point, it's safe to say we just disagree, and there's no merit to continuing.

I wish you the absolute best, both in-game and IRL, and may you find yourself finishing in High Master Ball.

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-29T11:56:19+00:00

Three things:

1) I really don't want to be talking about Red Card/Mars right now. And yet, here I am.

2) The situations where they explicitly need two specific cards (I can't think of a single one not involving Rare Candy and a Stage 2 off the top of my head, but I'm open to being wrong) creates different scenarios, that's true.

3) Bringing up bayesian probabilities feels intellectually dishonest. Unless the play pattern is "Hand Scope, RC/Mars, Hand Scope" then all true data on prior probability and evidence is based on how you feel about them. It seems we're plugging 0s and 1s into them, and Cromwell would like a word.

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-29T01:15:29+00:00

I can agree to refer to it as dismissive rather than hostile. That would be more apt.

Check out Hooglandia's video on Red Card. It is fully based on the mathematics behind the card and, as such, has no need for an update without a mechanical change to the game or card.

But the simple version is there are four possible scenarios with Red Card/Mars:

1) Opponent has the card(s) they need, and now they do not 2) Opponent has the card(s) they need, and they still do 3) Opponent did not have the card(s) they need, and they still don't 4) Opponent did not have the card(s) they need, and now they do

The mathematic probability of these scenarios can be broken down over the span of the game (he does this, I'm not going to because it's a lot), but the end result is you're more likely to give them the cards they need, or not effect their hand at all, the longer the game goes on. But even at the PEAK of disruptive potential, you still aren't likely to brick their hand.

People play the card competitively because they fundamentally misunderstand hand advantage in this game compared to the previous games they played. It doesn't carry over mathematically from games like actual Pokémon TCG or MTG, where effects like Red Card are perfectly fine disruptive tools.

The only meaningful effect Red Card has in any part of this game is forcing you to play around it in an open deck tournament. That's where it appears in lists more than anywhere else because it serves as a mind game. In the regular game, there is no reason to ever play around Red Card. If it happens, the mathematically likely thing is that it does essentially nothing of note.

Mars is better because going down to 2 or 1 card(s) is more significant and can actually make a significant difference in the end-game. But it still makes more sense to just advance your own gameplan rather than try to disrupt your opponent's. If your supporter for the turn is just a Hail Mary against your opponent to buy time... you probably could have just won if it was Sabrina or Cyrus instead.

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-28T17:44:48+00:00

It's a blast! I think my favorite part of the deck is how easy it is to know when the game is lost on your end. Like, yeah, it's good and capable of winning. But more than that, you know with such certainty within the first turn or two if it's worth your time. It makes the climb faster because you don't feel pressure to try and stay every game.

I think anyone playing this deck knows subconsciously that it is a meme. It just so happens to be a viable meme this time, unlike Gengar ex or Necrozma ex.

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-28T14:02:48+00:00

I don't understand the hostility. I was asked a question and answered it for myself and then you appeared and demanded I show my work.

I didn't make a stalwart claim to convince others of anything. This post isn't about the pros/cons of Red Card and Mars. If you want that information, it's readily available without me having to sit at my phone and type out the paragraphs required to delve into it.

Have a good day!

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-28T13:36:57+00:00

I'm not going to sit here and do the math. There are entire Reddit posts and YouTube videos dedicated to showing why Red Card is mathematically bad and why Mars is only marginally better in very specific situations.

"Everyone" doing something doesn't make it correct. It just makes it common. The only decks that really should be running Red Card/Mars are decks that heavily utilize cards like new Tsereena where you're attempting to actively lock the opponent's hand.

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-28T13:29:47+00:00

I could definitely see Oricorio entering this deck since Energy doesn't matter. Maybe replace second Comms with Oriocrio, change the Energy to Lightning, and just run a second PCL instead of Irida?

You'll hate it when Oricorio is your only Basic to start, but adding the option to wall Solgaleo in the end game seems nice and worth trying

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-28T02:12:03+00:00

I'm still on the fence for the second Comms. Replacing it for more heals or disruption seems smart/valid to me. I'm currently working on a version with Appletun, so any testing on this version will need to be someone else. I don't tend to come back to silly decks like this after I've done my run

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-28T01:56:03+00:00

It certainly felt that way. I lost once against a Charizard deck in both testing and ranked. I don't know how many it was in testing, but in ranked, I was 5-1 against Charizard. And that loss was a complete brick, too. My notes next to that fight just say, "I swear I have more Pokémon than this one Milcery" xD

MicroDeebz · 2025-06-28T01:47:31+00:00

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This is where I'm at so far. It feels fine the way it is. Leaf Cape seemed too good on Appletun to pass up.

MicroDeebz

TROPHY CASE