What is the best way to start playing the TCG competitively?

SH45Cards · 06-30-2012, 02:17 AM

Hey guys! After falling out of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG (as it was a bit expensive for the time) I decided to sell my Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards and begin playing the Pokemon TCG, as many of my friends play it. I was just wondering, what is the best way to approach starting up? I want to play competitively, like I did with Yu-Gi-Oh!, so I am assuming that buying the basic structure decks such as Zoroark would help me get the staple Trainers/Supporters/Energies that I need to start making decks. However, seeing as the format is being dominated by ZekEels, Darkrai EX, and maybe Reshiboar, I'm afraid that if I try to get into the game to play competitively, I will have to drop loads of money on cards. I always thought that Pokemon was a TCG where you can create pretty amazing rogue decks if you could just think of a good strategy behind them, but because I'm new, maybe my assumption is incorrect. So, if any of you guys could comment below telling me what I should end up doing to get started, that would be awesome! I'm heading to my locals tomorrow just to see how the game is played, and how a local environment feels. I'm currently thinking of a Conkeldurr/Hydreigon deck, both being from Noble Victories. The Conkeldurr walls a lot of decks now and works well against Darkrai, while I have Hydreigon to counter Psychic types like Mewtwo EX. I'm going a bit off topic now, so I guess I will just ask you again to help me figure out how I should start playing the game. Should I buy singles, decks, packs? Let me know! Thank you guys for all of your help!

Silver Bullets · 06-30-2012, 04:27 PM

Darkrai EX and Mewtwo EX tin will come out in September so those would be much easier to get. If you want you can just get some structures decks for now and when the tins come out you can get the mewtwo and Darkrai.

SH45Cards · 06-30-2012, 08:15 PM

Alright, thank you for your help!

Axel2275 · 06-30-2012, 08:32 PM

I agree with Silver, but also your assumption was correct. Rogues can do VERY well if you can make them work. For instance, one went 5-0 Day 1 of the US Nationals, though it sort of copied another deck's style, the creator used a different engine and different cards to make it work, including some that I don't believe ever saw competitive play [Meganium Prime]. I also have a league leader that plays rogue exclusively, and it's always interesting to play against him to see what kind of contraption of a deck he's built this time.

As for Conkelldurr-Hydreigon, I'd say that it's far too slow for this format, and without a lot of bonuses, since Conkelldurr is a heavy retreater and Hydreigon isn't too useful without the Dark support necessary to give him some real power. Vileplume decks are seeming to do better, just because of the lock that it provides without facing too much of a problem from most decks. Darks can't use their engine, Zeels can't set up as quickly, and Klinklang can't heal their tanks.

In September though, you'll have the opportunity to make bunches of rogues and other things because of some VERY interesting cards coming to the TCG around that time, such as the new Vileplume which makes Weakness 4x instead of 2x, and the new Dusknoir, which allows you to utilize spread to its most effective point by allowing you to move unlimited damage counters on your opponent's Pokemon. I'd say that the new cards will be very interesting and make for quite a fun metagame.

SH45Cards · 06-30-2012, 09:19 PM

Alright, thanks for the help Axel. Do you think that Darkrai EX will still be widely played? I'm thinking of making a new deck that will be able to get rid of Darkrai EX and Rayquaza EX, so I guess that would mean Fighting and Dragon? And how do you recommend starting of getting cards: singles, packs, decks? I'm just trying to think of some new ideas for the BW-on format soon to be.

Axel2275 · 06-30-2012, 09:46 PM

Fighting and some sort of dragon would be a nice anti-meta counter, but I'd suggest singles after BW-on, but the theme decks and legal packs if you want to get into playing now. Though Rayquaza won't be widely played tbh, due to Garchomp being so good.

Darkrai EX will be the card to beat in BW-on, or at least when it begins. There may be some better EX cards to arrive later on, but for now it will definitely be the card to beat.

As for right now though, Terrakion NVI and the coming Terrakion EX along with Groudon EX [imo, because I have a fondness for Groudon.] will be the best counters to Darkrai. You could tech in some other cards, such as your own powerful Dragon card, or something different as a way to deal with your local meta. Though an anti-meta deck will be hard to play at a larger event due to the semi-varied metagame.

SH45Cards · 06-30-2012, 10:49 PM

Yeah, just seeing the Nats coverage today, there seems to be a lot of different decks.