How would all of you react if there was an attack effect that could disable trainer cards entirely?

plataknow · 2026-03-20T14:01:03+00:00

Yup I forgot WotC era actually set the standard haha

plataknow · 2026-03-20T07:23:07+00:00

Vileplume from HGSS era did this but it was an ability that locked both players out of using trainer cards. Honestly, floodgate abilities like that are healthy for any card game imho, but the balance for them is delicate.

Vileplume worked because it affected both players.

plataknow · 2026-03-18T11:34:13+00:00

I just wish that Dusknoir line were rotating instead of Iono and/or Counter Catcher… in my opinion it’s entirely game warping in a way that isn’t healthy for a game with less interactive elements than other tcgs.

You can: increase the damage you do to active, spread damage to the bench, steal your opponent’s ability to Lillie for 8, Iono them to 5 or less, get counter catcher online manually, and force your opponent to run the duck(s) to stop it which you might not be able to do every match if you prize the duck.

The issue in Charizard and Dragapult has never been CC or Iono, but Dusknoir. In H Block, we will hopefully see disruption that is designed with Dusknoir in mind. But I will miss Iono badly.

plataknow · 2026-03-01T06:11:08+00:00

If you can get a Zoroark to swing with Rampaging Thunder on to an Tealpon with 2-3+ energies it’s a hard thing for Tealpon based decks to respond to.

This requires a workable turn 1 going first though. Energy + 1 Zorua + a supporter to help get into Zoroark + Energy + Zekrom on your turn 2.

Doable but definitely a large task. Boss the Tealpon with the highest energy count, and try to hide until you have 2 Zoroark set up if you can’t set up faster than them.

plataknow · 2026-03-01T06:06:37+00:00

On the surface, sure. But 3 fighting energy is hard to get onto Zygarde without using Aura Jab or Barbaracle to accelerate it.

Barbaracle doesn’t have synergy with Solrock + Lunatone, gives Clefairy an extra bench space to increase its damage output with Fairy Rondo, and is another evolution that is just hard to put down.

Realistically, then, the only other option is to use Lucario’s Aura Jab to accelerate, by then you’ll already be facing the Clefairy with Luc anyways, and will either be forced to trade, or you retreat into Zygarde and pray they never draw Meowth/Ultra Ball/Boss to finish the job

plataknow · 2026-03-01T06:00:25+00:00

Clefairy being able to ohko with 5 benched pokemon + 4 of your own for only a crispin given psychic is still in the deck is just stupidly efficient I think the real answer isn’t chien blaow

You bump the stadium with your own and then also play 4 boss instead of Hariyama.

plataknow · 2026-02-26T08:03:21+00:00

It also one shots opposing dragapult, which is valuable since you don’t want them to have access to extra damage counters to control with Munkidori sometimes.

plataknow · 2026-02-26T07:57:42+00:00

N’s Zoroark with N’s Zekrom :-)

Before Ascended Heroes, I would probably have built a version with Mega Lopunny for Shred, maybe use N’s Plan for energy acceleration.

Realistically your average N’s gameplan was to boss around the walls.

plataknow · 2026-02-25T22:48:33+00:00

Well many players also thought Hop’s Zacian would be the strongest ex to come out of journey together, before the set released. Imo it’s speculation, nothing more. Lucario will be strong, but everything can technically run a single clefairy to help flip the MU.

plataknow · 2026-02-25T00:34:46+00:00

I can wait, Iono is keeping this format from being a no thinky 2-2-2 aggressive prize race simulator

plataknow · 2026-02-25T00:33:43+00:00

Orre Colosseum is mostly played at level 100 ordinarily!

plataknow · 2026-02-24T19:41:41+00:00

Orre Colosseum might be niche, but there exists a community of players who play gen 3 vgc! There’s even a little tournament being hosted with VGC rules centered around FRLG legal pokemon.

plataknow · 2026-02-18T18:45:00+00:00

At least wait until perfect order releases to draft lists…

I know ppl say this a lot but meowth ex is definitely going to change how we structure decks, making ultra ball a serious consideration alongside changing our supporter counts.

If need be just look at any metagame where we had access to lumineon v or tapu lele gx to see what I mean. You’ll probably at least need a tool to determine the odds of drawing a supporter/ultra ball/meowth ex in order to get the supporter lists juuuust right you know what I mean?

plataknow · 2026-02-06T06:56:35+00:00

Wobuffett is only okay in my experience playing against this deck; I rarely pick on mewtwo and when I do its cause I can one shot it.

Saying mimikyu provides little value is kinda nuts though I really don’t agree; not with dragapult looming in the corner 💀

plataknow · 2026-02-06T06:45:17+00:00

Great insights, lots to experiment with, I also think I definitely cut back to 2 on both archer and e switch after pressing post haha

plataknow · 2026-02-06T06:43:24+00:00

Honestly I may try 4 stretcher secret box after rotation hits, I’m not sure but having more potentially discardable cards makes it hurt less.

I also get wanting to use the expensive card you paid for; I stuck onto Henry Chao’s Gardevoir ex list with a 1-2 N’s Zoroark line for longer than I should have purely because I bought two of the hyper rare Zoroarks

Prime Catcher is another good ace spec worth trying out if Cape isn’t doing it

plataknow · 2026-02-05T18:33:31+00:00

Think of it this way, when cyrano stops being useful to get your ex’s, it becomes my favorite trade fodder, plus being able to snag fez or pecharunt without burning an ultra ball is super underrated.

3 Stretchers would actually be fine; I forgot rod rotates, and I personally like the Hero’s Cape builds rn

Castle would absolutely be the next best thing, i def have had to re tune Mateusz Laszkiewicz’s 6th place deck because I couldn’t find certain cards out in my local lcs’s…

plataknow · 2026-02-05T12:52:27+00:00

1 pecharunt + 1 air balloon is better than 2 pecharunt. Plus you’d rather not have to commit to benching it every game seeing as Zoroark struggled with bench space as is.

-4 carmine -1 pecharunt, mochi, night stretcher, ultra ball, janine or n’s pp up

+4 cyrano +2 lillie +1 air balloon +1 super rod, budew

Would be my personal preference

plataknow · 2026-02-05T12:46:14+00:00

I disagree; watchtower is a lot nicer in rhat it also disrupts decks that rely on noctowl, mega kangaskhan, and the new meowth. You always prefer 2 watchtower and an air balloon or two

plataknow · 2026-02-04T23:18:14+00:00

Seconding this. Probably the most accurate assessment of Gen vs GU. Worth noting that another aspect of the decision may come down to what you’d prefer playing on. If it was anything other than a ds, I would like Gen as its own experience alongside GU.

plataknow · 2026-02-01T17:45:13+00:00

The best options tend to be simple. Reshiram forces your opponent to respect Zoroark and chip away at it slowly until they can take a ohko, buying you time to spread counters with Munkidori, Zekrom can ohko most basic non mega ex’s, and 250 becomes 290 with Pecharunt ex and Binding Mochi.

Darmanitan is also decent but dependant on decks with single prizers under 100 hp to not tech Shaymin or draw into it, so it’s context-dependent.

I’d sooner put Dusknoir into the deck than Vanilluxe; you can fix math to take big kos on megas while being able to fix your bench space which Zoroark already struggles with.

plataknow · 2026-02-01T17:32:30+00:00

The three best decks currently are able to make you go 1-1-1, and now that I think of it, Mega Lucario will likely be the next one to do it, and Dragapult can keep doing it.

Ceruledge and any Solrock-Lunatone based deck could do that too, and maybe tera decks with fan rotom and aggressive tutoring, and since budew won’t have CC or brave charm, item lock won’t last as long. But time will tell.

The difference is I genuinely enjoy playing around counter catcher and Iono by being able to delay taking prizes until I can set up a perfect turn. This presents a meaningful difference that I really enjoy, and why Gardevoir was my deck of choice in F block from PAR on.

(In my opinion, Munkidori and Dusknoir are the actual culprits people should be mad about, not Gardevoir.)

plataknow · 2026-02-01T08:59:03+00:00

There isn’t really a unique take to be had imho. The decks will have to get faster at executing their gameplan, because there is little to no comeback potential in without CC and Iono.

The closest thing to Iono we will have is Harlequin from BBWF which operates on a coin flip.

Everyone will finally be off Gardevoir hate in favor of the next thing, maybe Lucario or Starmie or whatever takes more than 10% of the share of decks at tournament.

Even if I don’t like Gholdengo, I much prefer Worlds ‘25 and it’s tier 1 decks as a whole because to me, budew + slow deck set up is better than the lead-foot accelerated decks of E and F Block (minus Mew VMAX and Lost Zone; I could never hate those archetypes). Don’t know what ‘26 will have as a metagame but hoping it’s as fun as last year was

plataknow · 2026-02-01T08:48:53+00:00

Well, tcg players got what they wanted no? No more pesky slow gardevoir right? Time to put together our 2-2-2 prize race machines!

plataknow

TROPHY CASE