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WOTC CHAT REPORT
January 5, 2001

This week's chat was quite heavy on the rules and light on collectibles
information. Normally I reserve the rules questions for another website
that I work for (Team Compendium), but the ones in the announcement affect gameplay for Neo, so I felt it necessary to include them here this week.


ANNOUNCEMENTS:
master_trainer_mike says, "First, R&D has "corrected" a ruling they made a
few months ago. As Ditto states you may treat any Energy attached to Ditto
as Energy of any type; it is now ruled that the controller of Ditto can
CHOOSE what energy type energy cards attached to Ditto provide (as long as
Ditto is the active Pokemon). You CANNOT choose colorless however as a
choice for a card to provide (unless it already provides colorless) as
colorless is not a type."
master_trainer_mike says, "Second, Meganium's Wild Growth power states each grass energy CARD provides 2 grass energy instead of 1. An energy card is defined as "the type of card that powers your Pokemon and makes them able to attack", inthe Neo rulebook. So a DCE, a Buzzap'd Electrode, and of course
basic energy cards all fall under this definition. Also, if a card provides
energy of a certain type, then it is considered an energy CARD of that type.
So a DCE on a Ditto opposite a grass Pokemon with a Meganium in play would
STILL only provide 2 grass energy. If you treat the DCE as providing 2
grass energy (due to Ditto's Transform ability) then the DCE now counts as a
grass energy CARD. Wild Growth states "each Grass energy cards provides 2
grass energy instead of 1". It doesn't matter that the DCE was ALREADY
providing 2 grass energy. The Wild Growth just says "all grass energy cards
attached provide 2 grass energy". So end result is that the DCE STILL
provides 2 grass energy. It is NOT doubled."
master_trainer_mike says, "Third, as stated in the Neo rulebook "you put
damage counters on an any Poisoned Pokemon" after each player's turn. So
Poison does NOT do damage, it adds damage counters. Therefore, Poison
damage is NOT prevented by the Metal Energy card. The same behavior applies
for Darkness Energy recoil damage and Char damage too since they "place
counters" rather than doing damage."
master_trainer_mike says, "Fourth, the level 25 Quilava's Char attack states
that "a Char counter requires your opponent to flip a coin after every turn;
if tails, put 2 damage counters on that Pokemon with that Char counter".
This is different than what is stated in the Neo rulebook (Flip to see if a
Pokemon with a Char counter takes damage). The rulebook is incorrect in
this case. Play Char as is written on the card."



NEO 2 NEWS:


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #63 from
pocketalmonster:
have you guys seen english neo2?
master_trainer_mike says, "Yeah!!!"


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #68 from
pocketalmonster:
will the neo2 card binder be included in neo2 (as with neo1)
master_trainer_mike says, "Dunno."


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #159 from pokepower2:
is the neo2 prerelease set from Japan also included in the american
version as in neo Genesis?
master_trainer_pat says, "Not tellin'"


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #70 from
cooltrainer_ty:
Are there any plans for Neo 2 yet?
master_trainer_pat says, "Yes, look for it sometime this spring."


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #155 from
pocketalmonster:
if you guys HAVE seen neo2 that must mean Neo2 is just over the
horizon maybe coming in March?
master_trainer_mike says, "Spring TRA LA!!"
master_trainer_pat says, "Don't bet on it."


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #184 from
pocketalmonster:
will neo2 have the holo/non-holo format again..or has wizards
learned their lesson?
master_trainer_mike says, "Dunno and it is NOT our decision!!!!!
OK!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?"


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #204 from
surfingelectrode:
how many cards are in neo 2?
master_trainer_mike says, "Not goona tell ya!!"



PROMO NEWS:


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #107 from pokepower2:
what news is there about promos?
master_trainer_mike says, "Cool news!! But can't tell YOU :)"


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #2 from pokepower2:
is it true there is a promo steelix being made?
master_trainer_pat says, "Not that I know of."


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #22 from
crazy_nut_man:
Can you tell us what promo card number #31 is going to be? Or
atleast clues?
master_trainer_mike says, "Well, we DO know, but we can't tell ya :)"
master_trainer_mike says, "HA HA!!!"


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #56 from
pocketalmonster:
promo in the next NP?
master_trainer_mike says, "Dunno!"


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #153 from applemtg:
Is Promo 31 a Murkrow Promo From NP?
master_trainer_mike says, "Dunno??"


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #174 from
pocketalmonster:
Can you at least give us some hints on the next promos?
master_trainer_mike says, "Well they will be smaller than breadbozes (the
cards that is)."


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #57 from
surfingelectrode:
when will we know who won the birthday pikachu contest?
master_trainer_pat says, "It will take another 4 weeks to get the list up
and the cards will be sent after that."


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #194 from kis21x:
are the results of B-Day Pikachu contest up yet? If not, when?
master_trainer_mike says, "nope, it takes 6-8 weeks to process (as stated in
the rules). You'll get your cards late Jan-Feb in the mail."


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #58 from mr_mystery:
Why have you toned down cards as they are translated into English?
One such case is with the new Togepi. Edo, a man who is known for very
accurate translations, has a Japanese Togepi translated and Mini-Metronome
would work without a flip on the Japanese card. But WotC makes us flip. Why?
master_trainer_mike says, "Because in Japan they play the game for fun and
here we try and maintain some level of game balance. So some cards are
modified before they are translated. Also in some cases, we are told to do
so by Creatures."


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #93 from mewboy12345:
Any more jumbo promos?
master_trainer_pat says, "Not that we know of."


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #114 from lugia_1986:
will you guys give away the Jumbo bird again
master_trainer_pat says, "I'm not sure, though I think we'll see it again
somewhere."


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #101 from lugia_1986:
can we still get Marill promo at Toys R Us when they have them later
on just by asking or do we have to earn it at that time
master_trainer_pat says, "I'm not sure, you're welcome to ask them. The
Marill will not be given out another way that I know of."


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #105 from lugia_1986:
are you guys going to make any 9 cards promo sets
master_trainer_pat says, "We have not heard of any."



OTHER NEWS:
master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #156 from
cooltrainer_ty:
Is Feint Attack on Murkrow a misprint?
master_trainer_pat says, "No"
master_trainer_mike says, "Nope, feint is an actual word, check a
dictionary."
[CHRISBO NOTE: I hope this finally settles that silly argument once & for
all.]


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #246 from loganb:
are ya coming out with vending?
master_trainer_pat says, "No"


master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #275 from
crazy_nut_man:
Plans for Vending Machine??
master_trainer_mike says, "nope"


master_trainer_pat presents the speaker with question #282 from slowbro:
Why weren't the Vending sets released in English? They have a lot of
good cards in them.
master_trainer_pat says, "We're savin them for a rainy day (looks outside)
whoops I guess we missed that one."


[CHRISBO NOTE: I take this to mean that the release of the Vending cards as
an entire expansion is a "no go", but they will be releasing them in other
ways (promos, etc.).]



Happy Neo Year everyone,
- CHRISBO

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