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      Okay, there is so much talk about this format.  The main reason it was created obviously was for "originality" or different decks to be used... basically, people that just can't handle cards like Sneasel and think that the environment is really screwed up.  Basically, I think that it isn't necessary, and anyone that thinks Sneasel/Slowking and other cards are ruining the environment are just weak players, in my opinion.  While Sneasel is an extremely fast card and if you don't have trainer options it can start getting a KO a turn, there are enough ways to stop it, and it isn't broken to the point where we need to ban it from standard or freak out and soil ourselves every time mentions the name.  Banning Sneasel in modified is a good choice, though, but modified itself, I don't think is.

      While some cards are obviously stronger than others, WotC does not know what to do about it.  Modified is not the answer.  I think WotC has proved that they are very poor decision makers, and there are many examples to support that:
-No 15+ at the STS.  (seriously, what the hell were they thinking?)
-No 15+ trips.  This is just stupid.  I'm sick of hearing about a Dallas incident that happened over a year ago as a reason why we can't have free trips like everyone else.  It's extremely unfair..
-Modified.

      Modified, is not the best answer.  I don't think there are that many people that would mind a standard STS.  If we're going to have the best players in one place, let's see how we do in standard.  If we can do modified for the qualifier, why not standard for the STS?

      Modified is the deck you play.  The deck you play is basically a deck that fits in in a circle of metagame...  let's look at some of the best decks..

Slowking (most likely with something like Umbreon)
Defeats: Feraligatr
Loses to: Typhlosion
About even with: Steelix, various Grass
It stops Feraligatr dead in it's tracks by taking away it's options to get water in the discard after a Riptide.  You think Igglybuff would help, but Umbreon eats the stupid thing and you merely sit there with a smile on your face as your bench disappears.  

Feraligatr
Defeats: Typhlosion
Loses to: Slowking, Grass
About even with: Steelix
Riptide for 320... sometimes people will discard unnecessary water to overkill your Cyndaquils.  That's just cruel.

Typhlosion (most likely with Blaine's Arcanine/Blaine's Charizard)
Defeats: Slowking, Steelix, Grass
Loses to: Feraligatr
About even with:
Slowking can stop your trainers, but it DOESN'T stop getting your Typhlosions and Blaine's Arcanine out.  So when you have 3 Typhlosions and a fully powered Arcanine out, your opponent gets to watch every single one his Pokémon be cremated.


Steelix (maybe with Zapdos.. a Slowking, depends)
Defeats: Grass =/
Loses to: Typhlosion
About even with: Feraligatr
Okay, Steelix is an idiot.

While this chart makes Typhlosion appear to be the strongest, it isn't necessarily, and that's because Feraligatr is so much more popular.  Luckily for Typhlosion, decks to metagame Feraligatr all lose to it.
"OOOOOOOOO YA" - Typhlosion

While good players can add their tech and try to beat the deck's weakness, so can their opponents, and it goes back and forth..  this whole format is a bad idea, it has MORE luck than standard, and very much so. Deck advantage means almost everything.  Going first is a huge advantage because it allows you to BUILD first, and to gain the Double Gust option to take out whatever they are building.. and then Focus Band flips make it even worse, and full of luck..

Soon enough, because of getting to play with the cards so much, and seeing what works, people will want certain cards banned in modified, and the whole idea becomes useless..

But anyway, standard isn't that bad.  Seriously, can anyone name the last time a Sneasel broke into their house and spoiled their milk, or dirtied your clean clothes, or didn't flush the toilet after doing his business?  Probably not.  

So basically, all I'm trying to say is modified wasn't needed. It isn't that great. I'm sure we'll all have our fun with it for a little while, until we realize that whatever deck you make, it's going to lose to something, and it's going to beat something, consistently.  However, since we still have our standard tournaments, it's not something to worry about.  You can obviously tell Wizards wants to kill off standard or something though, with the way they conveniently add "Modified" tournaments as soon as people begin to start testing with it.  Coincidence?  I THINK NOT!!  (although it is a possibility).

seeya all later ... have a nice day ... don't get hit by a bus. (unless I don't like you, then get hit by a bus several times)

-jason