From: iceclimbers@worldnet.att.net

    This is in response to the latest article by The Pokemon Master 1110.  Statements in italics are direct quotes from his article.    

 What the Pokemon Master 1110 has written... is just... wrong.  Listen, there is this thing that's called "Casual Play" where, when last I checked, you CAN use every card that you own.  Yes, for tournaments, Modified is going to be the preferred format because it is the most fun, most fresh, and IT MAKES THEM MONEY WHEN WE BUY CARDS.  Why do you think they rotate out cards?  There are a few reasons:

a).  To keep the game fresh.  If we keep the Cleffa, then the game doesn't change as much.  Everyone runs Cleffa in there deck, so if it changes, so does everyone's decks.  Get  it?

b).  To make money.  Would we even be playing in tournaments if wizards didn't make money?  No.  They need to profit somehow... because people DO get hold of every card in a set.  Once that happens, how many boosters are you going to buy?  None.  Exactly.

c).  He already stated this, but for some reason didn't acknowledge it.  It brings newcomers into the game.  If someone is playing with Oaks and Sneasels, they have absolutely no chance if they just go out and buy some Aquapolis and Expedition.  With Modified, THEY CAN go out and buy just those 2 sets and stand a chance.  If someone gets into the game and has fun with it, they will go out and buy more cards when other stuff gets rotated out, not the scenario that he pictures for us with the whole "throw your gold berry and Typhlosions because they are useless" thing.

d).  Another thing he said. Let me tell you why this is such a problem. It means we buy a box or two of a new set when it comes out, to get the good stuff, then a year later, WHAM! We can’t use it anymore

        A whole year.  We get to use the cards for a year, that seems like a pretty decent amount of time to me.  Genesis came out in... what?  2000?  Maybe 20001?  Well, until Gen gets rotated, which will most likely be in September, that counts as up to... hmm.... 3 years?  Possibly a bit less?  Videogame Systems don't even last that long!  

Let me address some other points too:

Legendary Collection has way more cards that are good that he hasn't mentioned.  LC has a GREAT set of cards.  And what's this?  POKEMON TRADER ISN'T LISTED???  Pokemon trader is probably the 2nd-3rd most essential card in modified!  Also:  Maybe Dark Dragonair isn't exactly playable now.  Maybe Muk isn't played very often now.  With the banning of some sets, different cards become playable!  Remember when Dark Blastoise came out (Another great Poke not mentioned in the LC list)?  Nobody used him... heck he has 70hp for a stage 2!  Then, sets start getting banned.  And at the current level we are at now... its one  of the best decks out there.

Hey, Wizards can’t screw up all the time, can they? Well, there is the Hitmonchan HP thing, but let’s get past that, shall we? Electabuzz was a wonderful choice, and Hitmonchan should help revive fighting a little, although stuff that would REALLY affect the game won’t ever be reprinted, such as Blastoise, Professor Oak and Computer Search. But if it is, hats of to Wizards big time.

What?  Hats of to them if they reprint these cards???  Blastoise most certainly does NOT need to be reprinted, and neither does Oak and Search!  They make the game broken; not fun.  Would you rather playing decks that run the same basic trainer set up, or have it where it is now.  Some people use Fanclub, some don't.  Some use Forest Guardian... some don't.  Some prefer Copycat over Oak's Research and vice-versa.  Juggler is out, that is used in some decks as well.  The lineup of trainer/pokemon/energy is varied a whole lot now due to the fact that there aren't any really broken cards out there, which makes the games in tournies unpredictable, fun, keeps you sweating.  If Mr. "Pokemon Master" 110 wants a broken format, well that's his own deal.  But I'm willing to bet that most people like Modified right now.  And when Gen-Destiny or Rev gets rotated out, we'll embrace it.  New Decks will form, some decks crash.  It keeps the game moving along.  I think doing this brings more people into the game than it takes out.  Because who wants to play in a stale environment?  There's always casual play, where you can use the cards you've gathered.  Heck, make your own rules, like we do on some Online League tournies.  The cards you've boughten over the years are NOT useless.

Pokemon fans: Voice your opinion.

Well, that's my opinion.  There's more I could talk about (such as why he would want Kingdra and Double Gust gone) but I won't touch on it.   Thanks for keeping this game going everyone, Pokemon will be back on top soon.

-nikePK
Pat Kennedy