The State of Pokemon: Another View

Let me start off by saying this: Pokemon is only as bad as we allow it to be.
The current environment does have problems but it’s had these same
“problems” since Day one. Every Killer Deck creates a problem. Why? Because
they are all based on broken, rule abusing cards and not skill. Not one of
the archtypes relies on skill and they never will. This is bad. The game
consists of around 700 cards including holo dupes but it’s only played with a
handful. Why? Because what was started as fun has turned into business.
People play now to win prizes. They buy cards instead of booster packs. Is
that Darkness Energy expensive? No, it’s an investment towards winning a cash
prize in some tournament. The employees of WotC themselves, the printers of
the cards, admit that most decks are cheap but they’ll play them in order to
win. Each new expansion brings about a new way to shut down one type of deck
while opening up the floodgate for three more. It’s not the game that’s bad,
it’s the players. Let’s look at the recent ECSTS finals and take a look at
the decks. Is it any coincidence that of the Top 16 there were only maybe 4
types of decks? No. No disrespect to anyone but each player will proudly
state how good they are however the facts show differently. Obviously it was
the deck that reached the finals and not you. The pairings decide more than
the players. That’s sad. The opening coin flips decide more than the players.
That’s sad. The players actually think they’re good. That’s the saddest.
I’ve seen kids play at Toys R Us (which is clearly considered childish,  
non-competitive, etc.) and play better than I saw at the STS. The STS
was really disappointing on many levels. How many of the Slowking players
made their decks? I mean CREATED their decks. I’d guess none. They, like
every other, saw it on Pojo’s or some other site/mag and just put the cards
together. This is what makes the environment stale. These people don’t even
know how to play the deck they have. They just know “Use any method possible
to get Slowking out, then use...” Look at the Killer Decks. If you follow
what you read then every deck should include multiple copies of Comp Search,
Item Finder, Igglybuff, Cleffa, Gold Berries, a  Gym of some type. Assuming
you run 20 energy (for a round number) you’ve just accounted for over 40 of
the cards in  our deck. What’s the difference between decks? maybe 6-8 cards.
That is boring. Check any Killer Deck fix. Notice how every fix has 4 Comp
Searches, & 4 Item Finders? Notice how every one has over 30 Rare cards? How
is anything that constitutes half of something “rare”? The Rare cards are
the most common, for crying out loud!

However, it’s all about winning. This isn’t bad totally, it’s the way that
it’s done. SlowKrow/Steelix/Sneasel players don’t play each other tho. They
don’t want to face these decks because they know it’s all down to the luck
of the flip. They’ll play people using other decks. To back that up, ask
anyone that went to the ECSTS how many people were in the Dark and Metal
Gyms. Not many. But ask how many people played with those decks and you’ll
hear alot. I played three of them in the Open Gym alone. Now I know the
excuse is “I didn’t have 8 of them in my deck”. Whatever.
My solution to the environment is simple. Make your own fun. I’ve created
multi-player rules, new Challenges, new variant rules, and other things to
keep the game fun. I'm not going to bitch without trying to solve the
problem. I urge everyone to do what I do when I now see a Slowking
deck...don’t play that person. If no one played them then they wouldn’t play
that deck. People who play cheeze decks do it to take advantage of others.
They don’t play “normal” decks because the game would be fairer. Not to say
none have talent but let’s be straight here. If you’re good at something you
can beat someone on their homecourt, you don’t need to have the rules in your
favor. If you can afford to go out and buy cards (and wins, coincidentally)
then go and play people of your calibre. Carry three diff decks. When you see
someone playing a
weaker deck, use your weaker deck. Try playing a deck with NO CompSearches or
Item Finders. I’ll bet not one of the Top 100 DCI ranked players can claim
that from their regular decks. How about playing a game where all Pokemon
Powers are neutralized? What I’m getting at is something called skill. I lost
a game to a kid that must have been 6 years old when he KO’d my 30HP Gastly
on the first turn. I had no bench and he flipped Heads on his Quick Attack
Pikachu. I never drew a card. Game Over. I smiled and laughed with him (I
don’t even think he understood what happened because he left his cards on the
table like he was waiting for me to play). A first turn KO like that is fine.
It could happen to anyone. But when someone starts the game with Comp
Searches and Oaks and runs through 20 cards before you’ve even touched your
deck, it’s boring and stupid.

If I offend anyone, so be it. If you are offended and feel you have to react
to this then you’re probably a cheap player. I can only offend the cheezers
out there and not the people who play with skill. Lots of skill or a little
skill, good skill or poor skill, whatever you have use it. It doesn’t matter
whether you win or lose, it truly is how you play the game.

Respond to UDHarerazer@aol.com. I’ll be the one with the 100% homemade
Flareon deck ignoring the cheezers.