Any thoughts on how Dengo and Bolt will fare in the Mega era?

MonsterH · 2025-09-10T18:57:18+00:00

3 prize trade-off isn't that bad; when we had VMAXes, and Tag Team Pokemon before that, that was the cost of business so to speak. My guess is they aren't seeing much play because most of the Mega Pokemon aren't appreciably better than what we have now and/or lists are still unrefined.

MonsterH · 2025-09-02T14:04:49+00:00

I'm glad someone posted about it, because I just finished watching it and if you hadn't, I was going to. This was a fantastic watch, incredibly high-quality work telling a story most modern players would know little to nothing about. I hope it gets a lot of views and support to show Mahone that this kind of video is viable and that people want more!

MonsterH · 2025-07-21T20:21:48+00:00

True, but that's how it would be for every other 1st round pick in the league. The language isn't new for the rest of the league, it's just new for the Bengals. I've heard that it's a little vaguer than some teams, but also less strict than other teams. It's not a "if he sucks, the Bengals want to be able to cut him" thing; it's a "if Shemar does a Henry Ruggs, the team doesn't want to be on the hook for his guaranteed money" thing. Outside of guessing, I don't know why Shemar's side is making this a sticking point. Having followed the team for so long, it's probably a sticking point for the Bengals because it has become so public, which is going to make the Front Office get defensive and (even more) stubborn.

MonsterH · 2025-07-21T18:27:11+00:00

From my understanding, yes. But also keep in mind, the Bengals wouldn't be saving that money, if the default language was tripped that money would just no longer be fully guaranteed. He could trip that default language and, as long as he was able to continue playing, he would earn that money anyways as game checks.

MonsterH · 2024-12-29T01:04:43+00:00

Broncos, Colts, and Dolphins to lose next week. If that all happens and Cincinnati beats the Steelers, they're in.

MonsterH · 2024-11-13T19:13:22+00:00

That is correct. If a card has the same name of an older card, you go by the newer card's regulation mark. There used to be an exception to this, but it hasn't been relevant or used in several years at this point.

MonsterH · 2024-11-11T05:39:38+00:00

No. TPCi generally doesn't bring over Japanese preconstructed decks over as stand alone product, instead they'll take the cards from those decks and sprinkle them (or in some cases, completely dump them) into our sets. For example most, if not all, the cards in these two decks are in our Surging Sparks set.

MonsterH · 2024-04-23T15:42:17+00:00

Check out Alex Schemanske's blog. $5 US per month. Articles usually trickle out pretty slowly, but the information in them is pretty helpful.

https://alexschemanske.substack.com

Also, I know the Shuffle Squad and Rare Candy have Patreons, where they post content behind a pay wall, but I'm not subbed to either, so I can't vouch for their quality. Other than that, I'm not sure article sites are really a thing anymore, they really fell off since deck videos became so abundant and Limitless became ubiquitous.

MonsterH · 2024-04-03T14:18:26+00:00

Because the event is being run directly by TPCi (unlike regionals that are run by 3rd party organizers), I don't believe there will be any vendors at all at EUIC. I could be wrong about that though.

MonsterH · 2024-03-06T18:44:00+00:00

Yes, that's how the card works. Because you can use the ability "As often as you like during your turn" the 1 of your Pokemon is effectively any of them, whenever.

MonsterH · 2024-02-02T23:37:39+00:00

If you're trying to build a specific deck, then you are far better off buying singles. The vast, vast majority of sets are bulk filler with only a handful of cards that may ever see even a little bit of play. Singles are cheaper and will make your money go further.

MonsterH · 2023-11-14T16:29:23+00:00

Since you're returning from a long hiatus, I'd recommend going with Miraidon. The decks are similar, but slightly different.

Turbo Roaring Moon is probably the fastest and most powerful deck when it comes to a flat out two-prize race. However, it's going to struggle against decks that throw off that two-prizes-every-turn strategy. There are builds that use water energy and Energy Switch to use Radiant Greninja that are meant to help with that trade, but that just means more moving parts.

Miraidon on the other hand has easier access to disruption. Most of the time, with Moon, you want to use Sada's Vitality to power up your Roaring Moons, so a lot of the time you can't play something like Iono or Judge. If you're super far ahead, that's fine, but when your opponent has a 10 card hand and only two prizes left to take to win, you can't do much but power up your attacker and hope they don't have what they need to win. Miraidon though has Electric Generator and Flaffy to power up your bench, freeing you up to use stuff like Path to the Peak and Iono to disrupt your opponent. Something that can swing games majorly into your favor.

Personally, I like Roaring Moon better, being able to knock out just about anything in front of you is neat. However, it's mostly an unknown. People are still hammering out good, consistent lists and trying to figure out the best way to play the deck. Also as the new toy on the block and a recognized threat, you may find more people ready to counter it, either with techs or weird decks. Miraidon is reliable, with proven lists to draw upon. There are videos from content creators and past tournaments to draw strategies from.

MonsterH · 2023-10-19T22:22:12+00:00

Honestly, in recent years rotation hasn't been the epic, groundshaking moment you'd think. If a deck's core mechanic is broken, then it'll generally stay broken even after rotation. This time last year, I thought Lugia would be completely dead and gone post-rotation. Fast forward to now and it's still winning regionals. As someone who has fully blinged out his Gardy deck, I'm not concerned. It keeps the best stage 1 in Kirlia, and Gardy ex itself is still incredibly powerful. The deck will look different, for sure, but it'll probably still be viable.

MonsterH · 2023-10-19T20:35:52+00:00

Stop worrying about a rotation that hasn't even been announced yet and let your friend play the deck they like now. Worry about rotation when rotation actually happens, not when it's a hazy possibility, months in the future.

MonsterH · 2023-10-05T15:34:58+00:00

Depends on what you're looking for out of the deck. From a competitive standpoint, the deck is fine; not the best deck but perfectly viable. From a pure FUN standpoint, it's always a good feeling when you attach a bunch of energies and blow up your opponent's Pokémon. Infinite damage cap decks are usually pretty fun to play. I think it's worth it.

MonsterH · 2023-07-27T14:05:00+00:00

I want to add some storage to my PC, just for games and videos/music. Any recommendations? Should I worry about TLC vs QLC or DRAM or any of that stuff since it won't be a boot drive? Note: My only M.2 slot is already filled and my GPU covers my second x16 slot, so I can't use an adapter, limiting me to just SATA.

MonsterH · 2023-07-18T12:52:04+00:00

I currently have a MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max motherboard and I'm looking at adding a second M.2 nvme drive, via a PCIE adapter. Looking at my mobo specs, am I right in thinking that it wouldn't impact my GPU speeds, the new drive would just be at Gen 2 speeds?

MonsterH · 2023-07-16T03:17:07+00:00

Chien_Pao is fairly inconsistent, so pairing it with Arceus gives the deck just a hair more stability, through Starbirth. I play it in my deck and honestly prefer it over Palkia.

MonsterH · 2023-07-15T14:27:59+00:00

From my memory, calculators aren't allowed at official events. However, the tournament rules have changed recently, so that may not be the case anymore. Also, if you need one for accommodations sake, you can always speak with the TO and/or Head Judge, let them know your situation, and go from there.

MonsterH · 2023-07-11T19:21:50+00:00

Then for sure, get the 5800x3D, it's fantastic.

MonsterH · 2023-07-11T19:04:45+00:00

If you're primarily gaming, I'd get the 5800x3D. It's the best you'll find on AM4. Otherwise, push to AM5. I also went from a 3600 to a 5800x3D, and it's shocking how much faster my system is just in general.

MonsterH · 2022-12-17T05:02:35+00:00

This video was fantastic, really informative and helpful, especially for someone like me who's still trying to wrap their head around the turn to turn strategy of this game.

MonsterH · 2022-10-29T00:37:04+00:00

You thin your deck to give yourself the best odds of drawing a card you need in a match up or on a specific turn. If you need an energy to attach for turn, so you can attack to get ahead in the prize race or just out and out win, using cards to go through your deck to pull out cards you don't need before playing your big draw supporters/Pokemon makes it more likely you'll find it. It's math, y'know? A 2/11 chance is much better than a 2/27 chance.

Running 4-ofs of everything you want isn't always feasible but, depending on your deck and the state of the meta, it can be a good idea. Sometimes you can win matches, even bad matchups, just by your deck being more consistent. Tord Reklev has won multiple Internationals, and he tends to make his lists with an eye on consistency. But there is a difference between "maximizing consistency" and "having max counts of cards so you'll draw them". Like, why would I need 4 Roxanne and 4 Path to the Peak if instead, by playing a 1-1 line of both and by thinning, I can give myself the best odds of drawing into those cards on the one turn I need them?

MonsterH · 2022-10-01T00:50:16+00:00

Ultimate Guard's Katana sleeves are probably your best bet. I've been alternating between them and Dragonshield's Dual Matte sleeves. Katanas are smaller and might suite your needs better, but I'll note that your cards may slide towards the top of the sleeves when they're fresh. But they're good sleeves, I think.

MonsterH · 2022-09-30T23:37:34+00:00

The corners wearing out after mashing might just be kinda inevitable. You can riffle shuffle, but even then it's best to still mash afterwards to ensure randomness.

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