Discussion This Format is nuts because of Lele

AFEX

Serena is too cute!
Member
That's why you shouldn't really buy boxes if you're only looking for one card. For the price of 3 boxes, your friend could've bought 3 Lele and still saved money.

I tried telling him that, he didnt believe me.
 

optimal_max

Aspiring Trainer
Member
LOL well I made the logical choice and just bought the 3 lele upfront. It sucks when you spend that much money on boxes and dont even get a single one. :(

If you already bought the boxes, the other option is to sell the ones that have value and buy the Leles. They are always available on ebay.
 

kyel

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Does anyone have any idea when the 2017 world championship decks are coming out? I play very competitively and share 3 copies of Tapu Lele between me and a friend. I just like the proxy's for when I don't have them in deck.

These proxy's are also super good and useful for any league play, or anything casual, and I love getting these theme decks for more expensive cards! Definitely an alternative for now.
 

Nistua

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Zoroark won't "need lele. There is a supporter card called mallow. Parter that with zoroark gx and you'll be good. Talenflame works good in greninja or even octilery. Sylveon has the 2 best attacks in the game bar none. Pokemon only makes it hard for players that struggle with coming up with creative was to win so they feel forced to by cards like lele. Only to lose because of lack of experience or they just print cards to counter later on like weavile

You just stated one more reason why Zoroark GX should play Tapu Lele. To find Mallow...
 

Febrile

Aspiring Trainer
Advanced Member
Member
I agree with AEFX. I just started playing online, and the fact that most competitive decks have multiple Tapu-Leles is very discouraging. I've been able to scrounge a number of budget decks together for my young son and me without Tapu-Lele, but it's not that easy. It's sad that all these competitive builds are reliant on so many copies of one single rare, expensive card.

I think the proliferation of Leles also makes the game less reliant on good strategy--I've played a number of games where I boxed my competitor into a corner only for them to draw a Lele, immediately turn the tables, and trounce me. It's overpowering, too easily allows players to overcome bad strategy with brute force, and ultimately makes the game less fun.

Although I must admit, I do take particular enjoyment when I frustrate and beat someone who has multiple Leles, fancy avatars, and pretty card backings with my disruption deck.
 

Takeo253

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I regret not buying it earlier when it was $40 a piece, and i've only pulled one out of the 2 boxes I've bought. Sad times :(
 

jix99

Imagine if Pichu was in splatoon :D
Member
Just play greninja is the best advice I give to newew players. XD
 

HouchinsDJ

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I agree with AEFX. I just started playing online, and the fact that most competitive decks have multiple Tapu-Leles is very discouraging. I've been able to scrounge a number of budget decks together for my young son and me without Tapu-Lele, but it's not that easy. It's sad that all these competitive builds are reliant on so many copies of one single rare, expensive card.

I think the proliferation of Leles also makes the game less reliant on good strategy--I've played a number of games where I boxed my competitor into a corner only for them to draw a Lele, immediately turn the tables, and trounce me. It's overpowering, too easily allows players to overcome bad strategy with brute force, and ultimately makes the game less fun.

Although I must admit, I do take particular enjoyment when I frustrate and beat someone who has multiple Leles, fancy avatars, and pretty card backings with my disruption deck.

I understand it can be discouraging but every card game has top tier cards that are expensive. When I got into the game a little over a year ago, Shaymin EX was around the same price Tapu Lele is now and I would get frustrated when my opponent would slap Shaymin EX down for a new hand and proceed to win with a card they drew from Set Up. But I also feel like it made me a better player because I had to learn to play without it. Tapu Lele is a bit different because there's not really any alternatives that do exactly what it does, but you can use Random Receiver and run thick Supporter counts as well as a couple extra draw Supporters like Lillie, Shauna, or Hala.
 

HouchinsDJ

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Just play greninja is the best advice I give to newew players. XD

I wouldn't consider Greninja a "beginner" deck though. It's inexpensive to build, but even the most experienced players stumble with it. My best advice for players that don't have Lele is to build whatever deck they want and try to compensate the lack of Lele with more draw Supporters and thick lines of most card counts for max consistency.
 

JGB146

♫♪.ılıl|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|̲̅̅=̲̅̅|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|lılı.♫♪
Member
Shaymin had an alternative Octillery... 2 sets after shay came out...

In a few sets, will we have a Lele alt?
like, in the next 2 sets?

Play the Psychic Kirlia w/ rainbow energy? First attack lets you pick a supporter out of your discard for one psychic energy.
 

AFEX

Serena is too cute!
Member
I agree with AEFX. I just started playing online, and the fact that most competitive decks have multiple Tapu-Leles is very discouraging. I've been able to scrounge a number of budget decks together for my young son and me without Tapu-Lele, but it's not that easy. It's sad that all these competitive builds are reliant on so many copies of one single rare, expensive card.

I think the proliferation of Leles also makes the game less reliant on good strategy--I've played a number of games where I boxed my competitor into a corner only for them to draw a Lele, immediately turn the tables, and trounce me. It's overpowering, too easily allows players to overcome bad strategy with brute force, and ultimately makes the game less fun.

Although I must admit, I do take particular enjoyment when I frustrate and beat someone who has multiple Leles, fancy avatars, and pretty card backings with my disruption deck.

I've been having good luck with Aerodactyl Talonflame if that helps :)
 

TheCraftyScot

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Octilery is not a replacement for lele, he is making up for the draw support we lost when shaymin rotated.

If you want to make a deck without lele, I suggest increasing your supporter count for your essential stuff, N, sycamore, Bridgette ect, and then try playing some random receiver too. It's not perfect by any means but it can work.

Lele is the best card we have atm, hense the price tag, it sucks, but untill they either reprint it in a future set(which is happening in Japan) or print something that has a similar effect, this won't change all that much.
 

Dar Ksereth

Aspiring Trainer
Member
i dunno, i find a combination of battle compressor + 4 vs seekers is more nuts. it occupies no bench space and doesn't give 2 prizes.
 

Wechselbalg

brb
Member
I love it how some people (just avoid misunderstandings: I'm not referring to OP) associate using Leles with not having skill. Knowing when to use and when not to use your Leles takes just as much skill and planning as playing a well-built deck that doesn't want to (or have to) rely on them. The way things are now, if you want to compete with the top tier decks in Standard, you need to have the adequate number of Leles for the deck of your choice. (Unless you can come up with some super-rouge anti-meta deck that doesn't need any.) Yes, it is absolutely possible to build one of the top decks or a budget competitive deck without Leles, but chances are, the player who has the Leles is going to win, just because this card provides a huge tactical advantage. Then again it is also possible to outsmart your opponent even if you don't have any.

Imo, it is a little bit pay-to-win, unfortunately, but as I stated before, just having the Leles will not win you any games, you need to know when and how to use them. They are more like a (rather expensive) entry ticket into top-tier competitive PTCG at the moment.

Also, this:
i dunno, i find a combination of battle compressor + 4 vs seekers is more nuts. it occupies no bench space and doesn't give 2 prizes.
 
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Noteman32

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I just recently took second in a League Cup with my turbo Lapras Box. I ran only one Lele and a 2-2 line of octillery. The only problem I had with this deck was against Ninetails because I can't seem to find a viable non ex/gx water attacker in this format. I went 3-1-1 and got a favorable match in the top four (Volcanion). My son who is 12 also runs the same deck without Lele and he took first in seniors in the same league cup. Mallow,octillery and Lapras collect can be op and a viable option over Lele. Lele is just better because it doesn't require as many cards to get exactly what you need. Oh yeah and the Golispod Match up can be terrible as well. For some reason it's not in the meta for my area.
 
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Blue_Horizon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Buying 2-3 Lele is just a necessary evil in the current format, and yes it is very unforgiving for new players. I recommend if you are new to the game, don't buy booster boxes and use that money for Lele instead. Otherwise, the main option you have is to play Greninja, but even that deck has evolved to run 1 Lele for consistency (as it is known to brick so much), as seen in the 2nd place Hartford list.
 

HouchinsDJ

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Buying 2-3 Lele is just a necessary evil in the current format, and yes it is very unforgiving for new players. I recommend if you are new to the game, don't buy booster boxes and use that money for Lele instead. Otherwise, the main option you have is to play Greninja, but even that deck has evolved to run 1 Lele for consistency (as it is known to brick so much), as seen in the 2nd place Hartford list.

Exactly. People act like $60 is ridiculous but have no problem dropping that money on Elite Trainer Boxes and single packs.
 

Noteman32

Aspiring Trainer
Member
this could be Magic:The Gathering where you have $500 in a deck and it still isn't top tier. Pokemon is cheaper than most other TCGs out there. I play for fun in Magic and I can be competitive in Pokemon if I choose to be. I have more fun making budget decks that have chances at beating the Meta than I do jumping on the band wagon and play everything that everyone else does. All the decks I have made haven't been that great but they have been a lot of good fun when they actually work and beat one of the top tier decks even if its just once. Maybe the new players need to focus on doing these kind of things instead of worrying about coming up with money to buy must have cards. Who knows maybe they will come up with the next best tier 1 deck.
 

Wechselbalg

brb
Member
The only problem I had with this deck was against Ninetails because I can't seem to find a viable non ex/gx water attacker in this format. .

I assume you're referring to BUS Ninetales...How about White Kyurem? (The one with Blizzard Burn that does 130 dmg) It's not great but it's essentially a baby Lapras GX that can 1-shot baby Ninetales. I included it in my Lapras deck and it really works well against A. Ninetales. (Except when I prize it and can't pick it up quickly enough...that really sucks.) It also has 130 HP and metal weakness so it could help out a bit against Golisopod too.
 
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