Well, based on the info at pojo.com , it
looks as though Prop 15 is going to pass in favor of Prop 2T. The end
result will be the end of Pokemon.
The objective of Prop 15 is to encourage more
people to play evolutions in their decks. The quote goes: "The
game is called POKEMON, not TRAINERMON." Well, yes, that's true.
But I disagree with the concept that the game focuses on the pokemon.
The movie, the video game, the cartoon series, the
comic book: They all focus on one character. That character is
Ash (Satoshi in Japan). The story and video game follows the journeys
of Ash. his trials, and his successes. We watch with awe and cheer
when he catches new pokemon, trains them, and wins battles.
What? That's right. Ash is a Pokemon
TRAINER. The story of Pokemon revolves around the TRAINER, not the
POKEMON. Prop 15 severely limits the influence a trainer has over
his/her pokemon, and therefore, limits the control they have over the game.
The trainer, realizing that they are going to be restricted in their
training will seek out Pokemon who need very little of it. Haymakers
require very little. Chan, Buzz, and Scy don't need training.
All are very efficient from the start. MP Mewtwo doesn't need it.
Fossil Magmar needs little (PlusPowers for his limited attacks.)
Jigglypuff is just sick from the start. 60 HP, and a stall technique.
He can hold out until his evolution. Do the Wave requires a few Oaks,
and maybe some CPU Searches, but nothing that won't fit within the 15 card
limit.
Rain Dance -- Not effected. 3 Breeders, 3
Oaks, 3 CPU Searches, and the other 6 can be suited to taste. I prefer
2 Energy Flow, 2 Poke Centers, and 2 Item Finders. Rain dance will be
able to run more water energy and/or more Pokemon. I'd prefer 25
Water. That leaves room for 20 Pokemon. Blastoise, Goldduck,
Poliwrath, Articuno, Lapras. Heck, Rain dance may topple Haymaker/
Tuff decks. (At least until Buzz becomes real popular, like he isn't
already.)
Dark Muk -- Energy Removal Beatdown, my
favorite type. Severly damaged. First, you'd have to run 2 gym
cards to counter No Removal Gym. 13 Trainers left. 3 ER and 3
SER brings our trainer count down to 9. 4 PlusPowers....5 left.
How do you choose? You need card drawing in any deck (except stall).
3 Oaks? 2 CPU Searches? What about Item Finders for the Energy
Removal cards?
What about my Tourney winning deck -- Basic
Defense? The Aerodactyl/ Erika's Dratini deck? Fossils count as
TRAINERS in your hand! With only 15 trainers per deck, I can't waste
space on Fossils. Imagine that...15T discourages me from playing 5
evolutions! (Aerodactyl, Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, and Kabutops)
Stall decks? Finished. Trainers are the
engine of Stall. Take out the engine, and the car doesn't run.
Will we see creative decks? Maybe for a short
while. But it will be too easy and too efficient to play the three
Arche-types that survive: Haymakers, Tuff, and Rain Dance. Games
will become predictable and boring. Games will be won and lost at
equal ratios until Rain Dance disappears. Dance doesn't stand a chance
when Buzz is thrown in a Tuff or a Hay. So, Hay will have it's Chan
for the Jiggly/Wiggly and Buzz. Tuff will have Scyther for the Chan.
Gust of Wind will become a Major Trainer card. Rocket sneak attack
will counter that threat. Lass will counter RSA. The Trainers
will evolve into the same 15.
3 Professor Oak (Card Drawing)
3 Lass (Gust and RSA denial)
3 Gust of Wind (Get the Kill)
4 PlusPowers (For the Haymakers and the Wigglytuff)
2 CPU Search (For whichever Trainer one needs)
So, there's the future, or lack thereof, of
Pokemon. Predictability leads to boredom, and trainers will leave
Pokemon in search of some other exciting game.
You want to slow down the game so evolutions
can come out? So one could see some creative ideas start to flow?
As painful as it is, Wizards must ban cards from Tournament play. For
starters, Ban Professor Oak. Getting a new hand is unfair.
Change the Reading of this card.
Professor Oak -- When this card is played,
discard your hand and put it on yout bench. While played,
Professor Oak counts as a Pokemon with 40 HP. If Professor
Oak is knocked out, discard it. (The opponent does not get a prize.)
While in Play, you draw an extra card at the start of your turn.
Magic Players will recognize this. I ripped
it off from the Prophecy card: Heightened Awareness.
Now, you can draw two cards to start your turn, and
your opponent can counter this ability. That's fair.
Let's rid Energy Removal as well. Setting
your opponent back one turn for free is unfair. Either make it do
damage to the active pokemon, or ban it.
Energy Removal: You may remove one energy
card from any of your opponent's pokemon. If you do, your active takes
20 damage.
That would be fair. Balance. It's what
the game needs.
Thanks for reading.
Chris