One Hit KO

A big hello to all you OHKOers out there, this is Pikkdogs here with my extra dimensionary sidekick, Pedro.  I decided that since we are not going to get information about the new set until next week, why don’t I do another article for beginners?

Because you stink.

Well, I do, but at least I know a little about the game.

A little is right. 

Just so you know Pedro, I do admit that I had a terrible Cities season, but I came to a decision that it is because I am cursed.

Go on.

So, instead of wasting time play testing, I instead am going to do the scientific  thing and try to break the curse.  I already know a couple ways to break a curse, but if any of our readers know something, I would appreciate it.

So what are you doing with all the curse breaking stuff?

I will compile a list of things, and then do all of them before states.  It probably won’t work, but it should make for a pretty cool article.

Well, that would be a first.

Agreed, let’s get onto the article.  This article will deal with three tips for beginners including: the basics of deck building, how to identify a fake card, and tips on how to improve your game. For our readers who already know a lot about these things, just hang back and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment box, or you can go back to looking up Youtube videos of cute cats, like this one.

Tip #1- The Basics of Deck Building

So, here is the scenario.  A guy, let’s call him Jehoshaphat,  just got into the game and bought a couple of theme decks to play against  his friends.  He decided he likes the game and wants to play in official tournaments.  The problem is that his theme decks suck compared to regular decks, what does he do now?

He needs to think of a deck.  Perhaps he knows a friend that is good at the game and he can reccomend one, that would be the firs thing to do.  But, let’s assume that he has no such friend.  The next thing that Jehoshaphat can do is to look online and try to net deck (take a decklist online and use it as your own) a list.  He can use this website, along with others like www.propokemon.com and www.sixprizes.com.  A lot of people don’t like to take lists, and would rather come up with a deck of their own.  So the next thing they can do is make their own deck.

To do that, Jehoshaphat would look online at www.pokegym.net/tower at the list of cards that are currently in the format.  He would be looking for cards that he likes, and he would look for two cards that fit together.  Be on the look out for cards that attack for low energy and that are easy to get out.  Speed is very important in this game, so remember this.  In thisr example, let’s say that Jehosophat would like to use Chandelure NV.  He sees that it has an Ability that lets you place damage counters on your opponents side each turn.  He would like a way to maximize the number of damage counters that you drop, so he decides that it would be nice for each of your Chandelure to have free retreat.  You then run across Metagross UL, besides being able to snipe 2 Pokemon for 40 and being able to hit for 60 for CC, Metagross has a Poke-Body that let’s everyone who has a psychic energy have free retreat.  Not only does he let Chandelure use his ability more, but he can also attack.  His sniping attack works right along with Chandelure’s Ability, and the ability to attack for 1 DCE is always nice.

So you now have your deck idea, it is time to go back online and to see what trainers everybody is playing.  Most decks these days run  a bunch of standard cards.  Most decks will have cards like Pokemon Collector, Professor Oak’s New Theory, Pokemon Communication, Professor Juniper, and Rare Candy.  You can also look at all the avaliable trainers and see if any of the less used trainers work with this deck.  For this particular deck, I would suggest Professor Elm’s Training Method.  Since you are using two stage 2 lines, having the right Pokemon at the right time is important. Twins could also be a cool card in this deck, since this deck will probably be a little slower in setting up.

Now, you got your main Pokemon, and your trainers, the last part of your deck is the tech cards.  Since this is just a rough build of a deck, let’s not tech against a certain matchup, instead, let us throw in some consistency techs.

Let’s look at cards like Cleffa, Stantler,  and Manaphy; these will help you setup faster.   The player would pick which one of these is best suited for the deck, and then play that one.

Now all that is left is to put together a sample list.  This will be the first list that you will test with, and you can then decide what changes need to be made to the deck, and if you like the deck at all.  In this step you might want to use proxies instead of buying the real cards.  Proxies are fake cards that represent real ones, these cards make the game much cheaper.  So let’s draw up a quick decklist.

Pokemon-19

• 4-Litwick
• 2-Lampent
• 4-Chandelure
• 3-Beldum
• 1-Metang
• 3-Metagross Ul
• 2-Cleffa hgss

Trainers-31

• 4-Pokemon Collector
• 4-Twins
• 4-Professor Oak’s New Theory
• 3-Sage’s Training
• 1-Professor Elm’s Training Method
• 4-Pokemon Communication
• 3- Junk Arm
• 2-Pokemon Catcher
• 1-Switch
• 4-Rare Candy
• 1-Super Rod

Energy-16

• 14-Psychic
• 2-Double Colorless Energy

Open Spots-4

As you can see, this is just a rough list, and it is very basic.  If you want to fill out the deck, you can add things like Energy Retrieval, Shaymin, Jirachi CL, Blissey Prime, or some more consistency cards like Dual Ball or Poke Gear 3.0.

After you get your list, you just need to test it out and see what needs changing.  Then you should be on your way to a decent deck.  The first deck you make is never going to be great.  But, it should net you a couple wins.  After you play it a couple times, you will get better at the game and be able to go main stream with your deck selection.  And once you have played good decks for a while, you will still want to know deck building skills so that you can make some cool rogue decks.  So it is a good skill to have for the rest of your playing career.

Tip #2-How to Identify a Fake Card

Hey Pedro, how is United States currency related to Pokemon Cards?

They both can be used to help you get high on Cocaine?

Yes, but that’s not what I was going for.  I was going for the fact that fake are out there for both of them.  Just as you could have a counterfeit buck, you can have a counterfeit Sawsbuck.  Anytime that there is anything of value, there will be fakes made, Pokemon is no different.  They are everywhere, including in legitmate stores.  So how do you know the difference?  There are a couple of dead give aways.  I think it is very easy to spot fakes, but that’s because I have been playing the game for 3 years.  When I started the game I could not tell the difference, so let’s look at the ways you can tell.

1.  Check the backs. For those of us who have been playing the game, we can tell the fake by the backing of the card.  Normally, a fake will have a lighter blue color then a real card.  If the color looks lighter, it is a fake.  Just match it up against a card that you know is real, and you should be able to tell right away.
2. Look for the “`” over the E in Pokémon.  If the card does not have the ` mark over the E, it is a fake.  Pokemon always makes those marks over the E, so if it is not there, it is a fake.
3. Look at the font.  Compare the font and the writing on the card to a card that you know is real.  Fakes usually have different font sizes and styles, so comparing thme is a dead giveaway.
4. Check Energy Symbol- Most People who make fake Pokemon cards cannot duplicate the energy symbols that well.  So check the energy symbols to make sure that they look like energy symbols on a regular card. 

There are other ways to ID a fake, including looking at the holo-foil styles on the card.  Fake cards sometimes try to do holo’s, and if they do, they usually get it dead wrong.  They also screw up things like mixing up rares and uncommons, and releasing a holo card as a non-holo.  If you see a Pokemon pack in a store for under 4 bucks, make sure to inspect it.  Make sure all the art work on the  box and pack match what normal boxes and packs have.  The most improtant set here is to feel the weightof the pack.  Counterfit packs seem to weigh less than normal packs.  So that is how you tell a fake.  For the most part, if you only buy from reputable stores and stay out of China town and the flea marketes, you should be okay.  You might run into some fakes on Ebay, so make sure to check their seller rating.

Tip #3- How to Improve Your Game

So you got your deck going, but you still can’t make top cut.  You want to get better, so here are some tips. The number 1 tip to becoming a better player is to practice a lot.  Practicing will not only make your deck the best it can be, but it will get you ready for any deck that there is out there.  The best way to practice is to join a team.

A team can mean many things.  Where I am from, a team is a group of people that have come together for the main purpose of pooling resources so they can travel to more events.  While this is a feature of most teams, many teams do much more than travel together.  Teams can share cards, share ideas, and come together for testing purposes.  The most important of these is probably the latter, testing.

The time in my playing career that I was most on the top of my game was when I was an active member of Team Omar.  Every week the team would meet at either Omar or Ed’s place, and we would always bring some new deck ideas.  Some decks were more towards the fun side of deck building, while others were more competitive.  Of course, one would gain more by playing the competitive decks, but I did learn a lot just by playing fun decks.  I like to think that every game you play gives you new insight into the format.  The insight you gained is multiplied if you play against new people who have different thoughts on the game.  That is what makes teams so great, the fact that you can come together and share different ideas about the game with one another.

It is likely that you will have to join with your friends to make a team, since there are not a lot of them out there right now.  You can get team like effects by joining some leagues, although most leagues are geared towards teaching how to play the game, not teaching how to excel at the game.  It might be tough to create a team and stick with it, but if you can, you will be a better player for it.

Just because you are in a team does not mean self testing still isn’t important.  You should probably show up to a team meeting with a deck that is semi-tested.  And no matter if you are in a team or not, it is always good to test out new ideas by yourself, or on programs like Redshark or PTCGO.  Testing is very important no matter how it gets done, a team is the best way to do it, but there are many ways to skin a cat.

Well, Pedro, I am all done here.  What do you have for us today?

Well, in the world of entertainment, we are in the middle of award season.  The Golden Globes were last weekend, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards are coming up in about 2 weeks.  Did you watch the Golden Globes Pikkdogs?

A little, I had to stop in and see my girl Stacey Keibler.  Always a good watch, those legs are national treasures.

Indeed.

So, is there any awards this weekend?

Well now that you asked, this weekend is the AVN awards.  This is an award show that celebrates excellence in the world of adult entertainment. 

Ah, the porn awards, that event is  a little awkward.  Especially when somebody wins and they thank God, that can be awkward.  One fun thing to do with Porn is to guess names of new porn movie s that are coming out.  Because, there are a lot of erotica that are spoofs of current movies.  Why don’t you give it a go Pedro and come up with some names for some new porn movies.

How about…………Money Balls

Too easy, how about…… The Girl with the Dragon Tramp Stamp.

Oh, good one.   Let’s go again………Midnight in Paris

That’s already a movie title, but that could be a good name for a sequel to “One Night in Paris”.  How about…….. Super 8 Inches.

Nice, one more time………….. Puss in Espadrilles.

Not bad,  how about…….. We Bought a Brothel?

Not liking that one so much, I think we have scraped the bottom of the barrel with that one.  Let’s go before we get into too much trouble with Ed for talking about porn.  Good Night Everybody. 

Category: Stupid Deck Idea | Tags: Chandelure and Metragross deck, Chandelure decklist, fake pokemon cards, help with Pokemon cards, pokemon for beginners