want to start playing

Rukia X · 07-25-2012, 12:02 PM

i havent played since the tcg came out.

but im getting the itch to play.

wanted to know a few things.

1 when would the best time to get back be?
2 how much would it cost to be competitive?
3 whats a good way to start?

thanks

PortalMasterRy · 07-25-2012, 05:04 PM

I'm in the same boat as you. I've been trying to figure out if:

1. If this is the best time to get back. Is the current set in rotation good starting point or I am better off with the new set after BW.
2. What is the best approach to get a good variety of cards. I was thinking of buying 4 booster boxes of the most recent expansion or set but according to the set rotation, it seems that this won't do me any good since the 4 previous sets (BW sets) are still part of the rotation. Should I start buying 4x of the common and uncommon sets from the current BW sets?

I'm not planning on playing competitively (for now) but I want my 11 year old daughter to experience TCG and pokemon. My main goal is to find a solid hobby that we can both enjoy.

I'm also not interested in just playing the strongest or most popular decks. The fun with TCG is learning to experiment with different combinations and this requires access to a lot of cards which I had no problem before since I was used to opening cases per expansion back in the good old days. My budget is somewhat limited now and I want to lessen the waste(100x multiples of the same common card) as much as I can but money is not a problem.

Axel2275 · 07-26-2012, 12:08 AM

First off, welcome to the game, and I'll be glad to help you guys.

1. The best time to return would be in September, when the next set rotation is to occur.

2. It depends on the deck you're playing. In late September, a lot of the current powerful EX cards will be released as tin promos, so you will be able to grab powerful cards such as Darkrai EX and Mewtwo EX for a lot cheaper than their current rates.

3. A good way to start for anyone is to just grab a Theme deck from the local Walmart or other retail store. I'd suggest the Zoroark one from Dark Explorers or the Zekrom one from Next Destinies.

4. The best approach for a large variety of cards is just to grab boxes of different sets. The most recent sets are still going to be usable for at least a year, seeing as how rotation occurs in September typically, and sometimes there isn't a rotation at all. I'd say just go for the boxes, and try for sets like Dark Explorers and Next Destinies, and maybe Dragons Exalted upon its release in a few weeks. The EX sets typically will give you some power cards as well as staple cards for BW-on decks, so you'll have a wide variety of cards to utilize.

Darksanctuary · 07-26-2012, 12:12 AM

short answer: wait till september then look at format and decks cropping up. dont waste money on X card as pre-rotation we dont know what will be beating what (e.g. darkrai vs garchomp vs whatever else)

Rukia X · 07-26-2012, 12:54 AM

so just buy a starter deck and go frim there?

Axel2275 · 07-26-2012, 01:33 AM

I'd suggest that currently. Though one of the BW-on theme decks since they contain a few staple cards depending upon which one you choose.

holon_zz · 07-26-2012, 07:16 AM

TBH it would be better to start right now and gather BW on cards before they rise in price or become scarce...

And don't miss on prerelease altarias and the fall tins.

PortalMasterRy · 07-26-2012, 09:05 AM

How is this for an approach to getting the cards and learning how to play (with the current set ).

1. I'm buying all the non-holo (3x) rares, (4x) commons and (4x pokemon/8x trainers) uncommons from the BW Dark Explorers set to use as a starting playing set. They're cheaper than buying booster boxes.

2. I'm buying all the trainer cards from the all the BW sets.

We'll stick with these cards as I try to understand the current metagame, new card mechanics, rules, etc. I'll just buy the really hard to get cards as singles like from ebay or get them from the tins.