It's official!!! We now officially have an official ruling on how to play the new Expedition Darkness Energy card officially. We also got some more official information on Expedition, but they still won't answer any official rulings until the set is more widely available (you can currently only get Expedition at the New York City Pokemon Cente). In fact, the MT's haven't even officially received their set of Expedition cards yet. Also, we have officially found out the name for the next official Card-E release; it will be called "Aquapolis". Read on for more officially official news (sorry, it's a Chat joke...)
Enjoy,
- CHRISBO
ERRATA FOR DARKNESS ENERGY IN
EXPEDITION:
master_trainer_mike says, "Many of you have
heard about the issue with the Darkness energy and THAT is one issue we will
put to bed for you"
master_trainer_pat says, "Yey!"
master_trainer_mike says, "Here is the
official answer"
master_trainer_pat says, "ta da..."
master_trainer_mike says, "Please stand by
for the upcoming official answer"
master_trainer_pat says, "is it
official?"
master_trainer_mike says, "Wizards of the
Coast is proud to bring you this official answer which we will soon answer
officially."
master_trainer_pat says, "Get to the
official part"
master_trainer_mike says, "Here is the
official answer"
master_trainer_mike says, "coming to you
officially"
master_trainer_pat says, "Cool so we can just
officially, wait here while you get to that, huh?"
master_trainer_mike says, "The text on
Darkness energy in the Expedition set is in error, please continue to play the
card as written in the Neo Genesis text."
master_trainer_mike says, "Wizards of the Coast will reissue the Darkness energy with corrected text (same as the Neo Genesis version) in the upcoming Aquapolis release."
master_trainer_pat says, "So, let me get
this straight..."
master_trainer_pat says, "we just play
Darkness Energy exactly how we've always played it?"
master_trainer_mike says, "Thats the fact
Jack!"
master_trainer_pat says, "Ow.."
master_trainer_mike says, "We are proud to
have been able to bring you this official answer."
master_trainer_mike says, "Which we just gave
you"
master_trainer_mike says, "officially."
EXPEDITION (Card-E #1):
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #339 from snorlaxstampede:
What is the distribution of rares, Holos, and
Reverse Holos in Expedition boosters
master_trainer_pat says, "We won't tell just
yet...we can say that there are 9 cards per booster of Expedition."
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #298 from lord_schweizer:
has the condition "burn" been released
yet? if so...in which set?...if not...do you know when it will be released,
and in which set?
master_trainer_pat says, "Not quite yet, it should be in Expedition."
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #271 from bigchuck001:
Did you get a different (more readable) type of
holo for the reverse holos =P?
master_trainer_pat says, "That is correct, I
did see a few of those. They're closer to the foils from Magic the
Gathering"
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #341 from steel_claw:
I don't know if anybody said this previously,
because I just got here, but the reverse holos look great this time! no more
"you cant play with stickers" from people at my league!
master_trainer_pat says, "Yea, we think so
too!"
master_trainer_mike says, "They do look
pretty sly don't they?"
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #372 from soslowpoke:
Will there be any reverse foil Basic Energy in
expedition?
master_trainer_mike says, "Nope, we have
future plans for that stuff."
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #348 from matthewssandslash:
Will the Expedition theme decks be any different
than previous ones (price, card content, rares, foilage, etc.)?
master_trainer_pat says, "Should be pretty
close...I wish we could tell you more."
master_trainer_mike says, "I designed one and
they are similar."
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #360 from soslowpoke:
Which deck did you design, Mike? Electric Garden
or Echo?
master_trainer_mike says, "Echo :)"
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #280 from steelixownzu:
Why no length except on holos in Expedition?
master_trainer_mike says, "All of the
biological info for the Pokemon cards now resides on your Game Boy Advance.
The dot strip along the bottom of the card unlocks
a picture, data, and tips about the card in your GBA if you decide to get the
reader when it is available. TPC did it
this way in Japan, and we brought it to you "officially".
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #301 from beedrill30:
RE: 280 Since the length is gone does this mean
that the level/weight is gone also?
master_trainer_mike says, "Correct."
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #295 from chrisbo:
Re Q280 - If there's no length on the Pokemon,
then how am I supposed to play Blaine's Quiz #1 now, huh?
master_trainer_mike says, "Hmmm, why would
you play with that card?"
master_trainer_pat says, "I figured you would
be the one to ask that. We'll let you
figure it out, ok?"
master_trainer_mike says, "Why not use a nice
LSSP or Misty's Cloyster instead?"
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #302 from matthewssandslash:
Re: Q280 Does this mean that you can't use
Blaine's Quiz 1 on Expedition cards?
master_trainer_mike says, "We will have to
talk with the rules team on this one."
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #367 from steel_claw:
When I play Blaine's Quiz #1, where may my
opponent look to find the pokemon with the same name's length? the discard
piles, in play area, their binder?
master_trainer_mike says, "We have no answer for this card yet. Japan actually asked us to not let you play with any of the cards that came out BEFORE Expedition with Expedition. In their market, they see it as a separate set. So there may be some rules issues with combining these sets that they didn't cover when they created the cards. We, of course, want you to be able to mix sets so we will need to clear up some of these rules."
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #287 from lance313:
Not a rules question, but what would be the best
set to use in a draft with Expedition? For Rochester?
master_trainer_pat says, "Really, we have not
been able to try it (because we don't have
the cards yet...not that we're bitter), but you would want a base set of some
sort...probably Genesis would be best"
master_trainer_mike says, "Try any of the bigger sets like Genesis or Base Set 2 perhaps. Could try it with Destiny too."
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #292 from mt_icecold:
How could you not have the cards before we do?
Don't you have the squarecuts like the ones we saw displayed at worlds?
master_trainer_mike says, "We have a few of
the cards (that wasn't a full set at worlds). The supply is sold out already!
Which is good but makes it hard for US to get
any."
master_trainer_pat says, "Yea, but we don't have boxes and boxes like we usually have...that stinks."
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #299 from pigdeon_of_death:
MTM, you sent cards to Pojo, and to the PKMN
Center... how could you guys not have any???
master_trainer_mike says, "Because those came
straight from production and they haven't made it here to the official
headquarters yet... officially"
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #284 from matthewssandslash:
Will there be any Expedition cards packaged with
the Reader? You should know 4 days before the release, right???
master_trainer_mike says, "Sorry but we
really don't know."
[CHRISBO NOTE: Actually, I have heard unconfirmed
rumors that the Machop, Machoke, and Machamp cards might be
included with the Reader. Dunno for sure though.]
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #293 from snorlaxstampede:
Are attacks that can only be viewed on the E-Card
reader tournament legal?
master_trainer_mike says, "Nope, the e-reader
technology is fun but not tournament legal."
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #327 from snorlaxstampede:
Is there anything that we can use the ECard reader
for in tournaments, officially I mean. :)
master_trainer_mike says, "It makes a spiffy
paperweight!"
master_trainer_mike says, "Sorry, but it is
not going to be used in tournament play. Too
unwieldy, what happens if batteries die part way through, too many sound
effects in a big tournament, hard to view at an angle and so on."
AQUAPOLIS (Card-E #2):
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #289 from mt_icecold:
Mike I think you just slipped up, so the next set
is called Aquapolis?
master_trainer_mike says, "Ahh young
grasshopper, you listen well! And no it's
not a slip up, you just heard it here officially... for
the first time... officially
like"
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #306 from lord_schweizer:
officially - in this conversation usually meaning
unconprehensably - is the set after expedition called aquapolis?
master_trainer_mike says, "Yes it is."
master_trainer_mike says, "Unless we change
our mind"
master_trainer_mike says, "which we could
always do"
master_trainer_mike says, "we've done it
before ya know"
master_trainer_mike says, "Don't make us turn
this bus around!?!?!?!"
master_trainer_mike says, "Anyway, yes the
next set is officially called Aquapolis"
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #304 from mt_icecold:
Young Grasshopper here, if the next set is
entitled Aquapolis, will it feature an
abundance of strong water pokemon?
master_trainer_mike says, "The future is
unclear."
master_trainer_pat says, "Try back
later"
master_trainer_mike says, "The names of the
expansions has more to do with IP background, and less to do with actual
expansion contents."
[CHRISBO NOTE: IP = Intellectual Property. The Pokemon Company owns the right to weave a storyline of sorts into the names of the product (i.e. "Discovery" -> "Revelation" -> "Destiny").]
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #291 from lugiasforce87:
Can you tell us when Aquapolis is to be released?
master_trainer_mike says, "Nope, sorry."
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #319 from pigdeon_of_death:
Can you give us a name on the set after Aquapolis,
or are your powers of perception fading? ;)
master_trainer_pat says, "We're not going
there yet."
master_trainer_mike says, "I voted for
supercropophoppylopolis"
POKEMON LEAGUE / BATTLEZONE:
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #324 from jermy101:
Any new news about BattleZone?
master_trainer_mike says, "Starts in
November!"
master_trainer_pat says, "It's Battlicious!"
master_trainer_mike says, "Pokemon Professors
will get a chance for an early look and a chance to earn stuff by showing it
off!"
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #328 from pokesensei:
Re:324 Please elaborate on the early look and
chance to earn stuff. :-)
master_trainer_mike says, "Details are being
hastily scribbled out as we speak."
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #335 from lord_schweizer:
a couple of weeks ago i found the list on your
page for "all the pokemon league stores in Australia" and the one i
work for isn't on that list...my i presume there are a lot more you didn't put
on "the complete list"?
master_trainer_mike says, "If the international offices don't tell us about the league sites, we can't post them online."
master_trainer_pat says, "It's not a question of us not putting it on the list, we just don't get alot of communication from the Australian office at all."
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with
question #336 from jpdevilliers80:
Why would WotC not support the league in South
Africa? After all, we buy your products too and I personally have almost
completed all expansions!
master_trainer_mike says, "You need to talk with the WOTC UK office but I know for a fact that there are budgetary and staff limitations. It costs ALOT to send materials overseas and I don't know what the situation is in South Africa as far as Distributor support is (usually it is the distributors that handle the leagues in Africa and South America)."
FINAL THOUGHTS:
master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with
question #325 from purity1:
is it officially safe to officially assume that
the word of the day is officially 'official'?
master_trainer_pat says, "You are
officially..correct!"
master_trainer_mike says, "MINTY
OFFICIAL!"