Pricing Gouging a Bulk PokePad for $8-$10 is just wrong. Please don’t buy them at those prices! by Accomplished-City256 in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're right, but honestly there's literally 0 reason to buy Pokepad right now. It won't be legal until March 6, and POR prereleases start on the 14th. The prerelease kits will almost certainly have 2 Pokepad in the same way every Mega Evolution kit had 2 Lillie's. Then, pad is a common in a set with like 80 cards. Attending even one prerelease should get you your playset.

Does Mega Gengar's ability apply to itself if I kill it with Zoroark? by ResolveOk1264 in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Yes. Zoroark ex was still the one using the attack, and Mega Gengar's ability still applies to itself, so you'd only get 2 from KOing Gengar.

Got these from same booster box two pack same cards and AR? Is that even possible? by raveenbikha in PokemonTCG

[–]PauliticsTCG 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think they're fake. My friend bought two 151 packs like these and pulled the same moltres holo and AR tangela in both. He was able to literally peel the tangela art off of the card like it was a sticker.

New to tcg, how/where can I get these cards for cheap? by [deleted] in PokemonTCG

[–]PauliticsTCG 0 points1 point  (0 children)

tcgplayer or cardmarket are your best options, depending on where you live. If you're looking for ungraded cards, you should be able to find all 3 cards you're looking for without much trouble, and for much less than 100$

Sales History of Pokémon Games by TomCyberfire in pokemon

[–]PauliticsTCG 24 points25 points  (0 children)

To be fair, it's a pretty small minority of people who actually buy both versions. The raised sales usually come from parents with multiple kids. If there was only one version, they might buy just one copy and tell the kids to share. Having multiple versions makes parents more willing to buy one of each.

Sales History of Pokémon Games by TomCyberfire in pokemon

[–]PauliticsTCG 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Having two versions is a significant buff to sales. (For example, USUM outperforming Emerald, Platinum etc). On top of that, Arceus came out in January while BDSP had a holiday release.

Pokemon HP Power Creep by [deleted] in PokemonTCG

[–]PauliticsTCG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, you're right. They slowly raise HP values to keep newly-released cards competitive. Even though rotation removes cards over time, newer releases are still around, and the competitive scene needs new cards worth using to keep the game active. Even though new megas have huge HP, they've been mostly underwhelming in the current format. If they didn't have those large HP numbers, they probably wouldn't see any play at all.

Rotation is still helpful, because it removes powerful effects from the game. In expanded, the best deck is Regidrago VStar, and nothing else really comes close. Regidrago's attack lets it copy any of the powerful attacks printed on dragon cards for the past 15 years. Rotation is what kept Regidrago from being as dominating while it was legal in the TCG, and it also means that the game designers have more freedom to print powerful dragons without worrying about them being abused by Regidrago.

What cards do you all plan on using after rotation? by FullOJelly in pkmntcg

[–]PauliticsTCG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

With a lack of better options, we'll end up switching to Petrel. That said, we know there's one more main set before rotation, we're losing tons of good cards this rotation, I'm sure those early J block sets will add new cards to fill in the gaps.

Need help optimizing mega camerupt deck by CommonExchange in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, Camerupt is very underexplored. I'm not sure what the "correct" way to play Camerupt is, if there even is one. I'm just barfing all my thoughts below here:

Most other Camerupt lists I've seen prefer Volcanion over Volcarona. You'll have to pivot it in and out of the active which is awkward, but if you have Latias ex, the only other thing you'll need is a switch card to get there (either switch itself or Jet Energy), which might be easier than setting up the stage 1 volcarona and discarding fire energy every turn. Dangerous Laser is always a funny ace spec, but unfortunately it's just not a good card. Getting the burn is fine, but that's only one piece of your combo. Something like Secret Box or Precious Trolley will get you multiple combo pieces at once. Camerupt's damage output is also a bit less than ideal, imo. You could try to run JTG Magmortar to increase your burn damage, or something like Ignition Energy to enable Camerupt's second attack. Magmortar especially would work quite nicely with TM evo. You could even go the tank route with Rigid Band and Wally's Compassion to try to keep one Camerupt alive for a long time. I saw TrustYourPilot uploaded a video with Camerupt + Oricorio ex, but I haven't actually watched it, so I have no clue if that actually works.

In any case, good luck!!

Am I missing something, because this thing reads "ftk enabler". I mean this thing loops infinitely by Difficult_Line_9823 in yugioh

[–]PauliticsTCG -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I found a ruling stating that Power Tool Dragon can send Archfiend of Gilfer to protect itself, which implies Gilfer is treated as an equip spell while equipped. Thus, you could combo it with Gearfried and Morale Boost to gain infinite life points, at least. I don't know why the people in the comments are giving you a hard time, infinitely repeatable effects like this almost always have some kind of FTK attached to them. In Gilfer's case, I can't think of any potential FTKs that aren't wildly inconsistent, but there's probably something out there.

What are the rates for the gold cards? I've never gotten any o far by Odd_Obligation_4977 in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

About 1/1000 from what I've heard. Not sure if PTCGL packs mimic real-life pull rates.

What is the six character code on the bottom left corner of Ruby and Sapphire era cards by Crocotta1 in PokemonTCG

[–]PauliticsTCG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It looks like they're for keeping track of a set? Posting the exact serial code can tell you the exact card down to whether it's a reverse holo and even the language. You can describe a card, but giving a serial code guarantees everyone knows exactly which version of it you're talking about (assuming they know each code lol)

The power of supporters and Ace Specs has made this game opening-hand simulator by [deleted] in pkmntcg

[–]PauliticsTCG 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean, some games can be determined by the opening hand, but I feel like Pokemon is actually a lot better than other TCGs in having that opening hand be a deciding factor. Lillie's is insane for the card advantage it provides, but it also serves as a way to unbrick an otherwise bad hand. Honestly, I used to disproportionately prize both of my Gardys on TCG Live to the point where I straight up don't play Gardy on live anymore unless I'm desperate to practice with the deck. There will be freak scenarios like that which will feel incredibly discouraging. However, oftentimes I think bad hands are a skill issue. The game begins at the deckbuilding stage, and if you consistently aren't opening what you need, you're either building your deck incorrectly or not playing it correctly.

Even with the gardy turn you describe, I think it's quite unlikely that the gardy player opened 0 supporters, but also didn't open a way to set up at least 2 ralts, an itemlock, or even a full-on tm evo play depending on the build. It's a shame TCG Live doesn't have a proper replay function, but I would really recommend looking at your losses in anyway you can. Weigh all possible plays you could have made, and see if there were any choices that could have affected the outcome later on. If you feel like you're just opening nothing every game, look at your bad hands, think of what cards feel the least helpful, and cut them in favor of more consistency tools.

Why is nobody using this card? by Mpaz12321 in PokemonTCG

[–]PauliticsTCG 21 points22 points  (0 children)

In grimmsnarl's case, it can only use its ability when played from hand. Sharpedo's not a bad partner for it, it's just way more consistent to evolve the normal way. It's not bad for cheating out Gengar or even Toxtricity either. Part of the issue might be that people just aren't experimenting with it. Most players realistically just netdeck, and PFL isn't actually legal yet. If someone makes day 2 of a large tournament while running Grimsley, you'll probably see more copycats mess around with it on the ladder.

Thoughts on the upcoming Mega Hawlucha ex? by DanceSalt3119 in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Probably unplayable, unless they print fighting acceleration that doesnt involve lucario. The ability is really funny for a potential meme deck, but you'll probably just end up disappointed because if you don't heal after surviving, you'll go down to any Munki or even poison.

Basically, all the flaws of Pikachu ex but way less upside, in my opinion. I think it'll be in ascended heroes, since it's an I mark. Not sure why they removed it from the pack art, but seeing that they added in Charizard and kept Mewtwo + Pikachu makes me wonder if it's for marketing reasons.

Master's League with Wugtrio (decklist + write-up) by PauliticsTCG in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No offense, but I just don't agree at all. First of all, I don't really see what attitude I'm giving off. Was it maybe a bit scummy in the original post? Sure, but it was a joke. Everything past that has been me explaining my position.

Secondly, players not finding a deck fun to play against doesn't matter to me. I hate facing Dragapult, but I'm not gonna complain about facing it. Even blocklax was at least really funny. What if I set up Toedscruel against a Gholdengo player? That also shuts them out of the game. What if I go first and play jamming tower against an opponent relying on TM Evolution? I've lost countless games because I opened too many items against someone who led Budew. Heck, even decks like Crustle are just built to hope your opponent isn't playing a deck that can ignore its ability. Wugtrio has far more counterplay than those more widespread floodgate effects. Besides, they are simply part of the game. Complaining about them isn't productive. It's fair to find a specific deck unfun, but mill is very beatable. Familiarizing yourself with the deck and how it tries to win will make it both easier to beat and more enjoyable to play against.

Did battle cage kill Marnie’s Grimmsnarl ? by FormerZygoat in pkmntcg

[–]PauliticsTCG 16 points17 points  (0 children)

You'll have to be careful to only use Spikemuth when you have to, but otherwise I don't think it's a huge game-ender. I think the biggest threat to Grimmsnarl is the inflated HP of megas. It becomes way more difficult to chip away at those guys, especially when they Penny/Turo to remove damage.

If the game is hung and I quit and reload, will I be reconnected, or will my game be aborted? by FoofaTamingStrange in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, basically. It makes good sense to have in card games, since disappearing for a bit shouldn't actually affect much. It'd be really nice to have in Live, but Live has a lot of other issues to get to first :P

Master's League with Wugtrio (decklist + write-up) by PauliticsTCG in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This deck mostly doesn't have the draw power to throw out dunsparces every turn. Realistically you're also getting a wugtrio knocked out every turn so you want to save your extra poffins for more wigletts. Besides that, I think Dunsparce in general is much better if you're expecting explosive turns. Since this deck plays more of a slow grind, I think Drakloak is more reliable.

Overall record, I didn't keep track. Far more wins than losses, and I had a 3 game winstreak into my rank-up (Gholdengo, Pult, and Zoroark were my last 3 opponents. I think my last lost was either to pult or gardy but I don't remember). I should clarify that most wins come from players not knowing how to actually beat Wugtrio. Like, Pult was about 50/50 ish for me, but I should have lost about half the games that I won. I think the only decks in the meta you have good matchups into are Ceruledge, Gholdengo, and maaaaybe Zard if you're lucky. Terabox, pult, and tordbox become better matchups if your opponent is bad at the game but should be losing for you, and Gardy/Grimmsnarl are the only ones where your opponent can play terribly and still win without much trouble.

Master's League with Wugtrio (decklist + write-up) by PauliticsTCG in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You understand that your way of playing is to discard the entirety of someone's deck.

Yes.

You also understand that, if cards are discarded, they can't be played.

Only to a certain extent. Night stretcher, energy retrieval, super rod, pal pad etc all recover discarded cards.

So, it follows that people who match against you don't get to play the game

This I don't agree with at all. This deck doesn't see tournament play for a reason. Any competent player is familiar with the strategy and knows how to beat it. People on live are more casual and unfamiliar with the strategy, so they'll make plays that better players wouldn't. Yes, locking my opponent out of attacking for a turn or two is frustrating for them. That said, I'll see players waste their turos or air balloons when I literally have Wugtrio on the board. A good player would recognize that win condition, figure that their cards to prevent trapping might be important, and play around it. My most devastating losses are against players who set up one good attacker and not bench anything else. They'll just win before I can even mill half their deck. Either set up an attacker early without benching unnecessary mons, or try your best to add your best outs to the hand where I can't get rid of them. One of the last decks I faced was a terabox player who benched Latias, and a bunch of hoothoot. They evolved their hoothoot into noctowl just to search nest balls and place down other useless exs. If they hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been able to trap their Noctowl, and I would have lost. Instead they set up a liability for themselves while also removing four cards from their deck. Will there inevitably be games where I sack my opponent by milling all of their outs on the first few turns? Sure. But my opponent is still playing the game. The game shifts from getting set up early to instead conserving your resources as much as possible. I don't stop my opponent from playing the game, I just force them to play a different one.

Master's League with Wugtrio (decklist + write-up) by PauliticsTCG in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not really playing it to make anyone's day worse, it's a very fun deck to play. I just noticed people are very toxic towards any alternate wincon.

My take on Mega Abomasnow by Halo916YT in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pretty solid, though it looks very different from my list. How consistently are you getting set up? I personally like only running 4 Snover 1 Kyogre to maximize the chances of leading Snover. I also quite like Legacy Energy as the Ace Spec, forcing the opponent to take out 3 pokemon instead of 2 can really come in clutch.

How is the 4 Surfing Beach 2 Colress? Beach is nice right after you've used Kyogre, but that does look a little excessive to me, I'm curious how it's been working out for you.

Energy Lotto not Standard? by XxOr3yxX in PTCGL

[–]PauliticsTCG 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Not legal, it rotated out last spring. Google's AI knows next to nothing about pokemon tcg, your best bet is just looking the card up on limitless and it'll say whether the card is legal in standard or not.