tSn.TCG - Competitive Pokemon TCG Team

By Elijah Douresseau   A new TCG/VG season is here, as we saw very established lists from the last 4 to 8 months dominate the Worlds show floor. Electing to play with what has proven to be far from obsolete seems to have emboldened players to stick to the top-tier deck lists that have gotten countless hours of playtime and have adapted to specific key matchups.    I’m excited about the new season. There are plenty of decks to make and try out, and the oldies at this point – Mew, Lost Box, Arceus variants - have stronger opportunities to hang around because the support from new sets allows them to maintain their viability in a meta where a lot of decks can be visible – even if only momentarily.    I attended a Challenge this weekend that had a healthy turnout to it. A good thirty players, from junior and master divisions, duked it out for their chance at 15 CP and sufficient Obsidian Flames prizing. Of course, since this was a premier event, the third...

BY ELIJAH DOURESSEAU     Another Pokémon season is coming to a close. Worlds is not super far away (hope the grinders trying to make it into this summer’s main event do!), which also means standard rotation is fairly close. It technically is next month.   Most players feel rotation in one way or another. A lot of us are looking forward to a fresher meta scene. Some of us are anxious about losing key staples for most decks.   This rotation cycle feels big. It’ll be the first rotation since the Pandemic. I don’t have to tell most of you that the last three years have felt like seven. For anyone going to Portland Regionals, like myself, the rotation will also occur right before we face off in May. For a player of my caliber, who loves to play the spice and the rogue stuff more than anything, I’m excited to make decks from a new pool of standard cards.   Most who go to Regionals consider themselves competitive, in one way or another, so an eve...

THE DAY OF THAT BIG TOURNEY: WHAT I DO FOR PREP – Elijah Douresseau Today is the day. You’ve practiced and practiced, and though you are aiming for the top spot in whatever high-stakes tournament is kicking off in a few hours, you are loose and prepared to play at your best, no matter the outcome. You're thinking clearly, strategizing effectively, and are minimally fouling with misplays. You, Trainer, are ready to compete.     But how else do you get ready for the big tournament? How crucial are the 24 hours before, along with the few hours leading up to round one on the day of? As promised, I’ll outline some of my rituals for bigger events and hopefully, you get some encouragement for creating a functional system for yourself.    Some immediately might scoff at these introductory paragraphs and think, “It’s just a game!” But the competitive and semi-competitive community sees the Pokémon TCG as something more. That classic opening sequence for the 9...

  Pokemon 2023 Championship Series has been announced and more dates to follow! Unfortunately, local CP events such as League Cups/Challenges are still postponed but we at Team SKYNITE are feeling hopeful for an early 2023 announcement for the return. But nonetheless, more regionals this year with good average number of 20+ events across the globe! Follow the Pokemon Link for more info but a quick rundown is below: (source Pokemon.com) *Note: This is for Pokemon TCG, GO, VGC, and Unite! (And hopefully Pokken makes a return!) Get a First Look at Plans for the 2023 Pokémon Championship Series Junior Division: Born in 2011 or later Senior Division: Born in 2007, 2008, 2009, or 2010 Masters Division: Born in 2006 or earlier North America Regional Championships Schedule Date Location Game(s) September 16–18, 2022 Baltimore Regional Championships Baltimore Convention Center 1 W Pratt St Baltimore, MD 21201, USA Pokémon TCG Pokémon GO September 29–October 2, 2022 Peoria Regional Champions...