Personally, I hated the modified format with a vengeance.  Wizards wanted to see new decks, and did they?  Yes.  Wizards wanted to see original decks, and did they?  Hardly.  
      Maybe Modified was a scheme for Wizards to make more money.  Props to them:  It worked.
      All modified did was turn Sneasel, Wigglytuff, Chansey, Hitmonchan, Mewtwo, and Electabuzz into Cleffa, Murkrow, Crobat, Typhlosion, Steelix, and of course, Feraligatr.
      I guess I'll stop complaining.  It isn't working.  Now, Gym and Rocket wil be rotated out, but this time, the environment might just see some original decks.
      Perhaps.
      With the addition of LC (which is good for the sole purpose of letting us use old cards), some cards will find a spot in the top while cards that linger there now coughgatrcough will become hunted at the bottom of the pokemon food chain.
      This also weakens my favorite modified pokemon, Crobat, as it looses its control elements and its advantage (if you can call it that) over Gatr.  That leaves the environment with Steelix, and a world of deadly fire pokemon (which weakens Steelix).  Grass also gained some power with the original powerhouse, Venasaur, and his pokemon center.  I'll try to form a quick and effective pokemon mix utilizing some new equipment.  Let me put it this way:

Water
Gains Dark Blastoise and Articuno, Gyarados, Dewgong, possibly Dark Gatr.
Gatr loses ability to knock out any pokemon at any time (loss of supportive trainers).

4 Seel
4 Dewgong
3 Cleffa
2 Elekid
2 Tyrouge
1 Pichu

Lighting
Left with Various Ampharos, gains Base Zapdos.
Loses the only pokemon that really shone:  Rocket's Zapdos.

4 Mareep
3 Ampharos (breeder
3 Raikou
3 Cleffa
2 Gligar

Fighting
Hitmonlee, Golem? and Sandslash won't do much.  How 'bout that Light Machamp?
Bye Giovanni's Machamp.  Area restricted to Donphan.

4 Machop (LC)
2 Light Machoke (run 3 breeders)
3 Light Machamp
3 Cleffa
3 Murkrow

Psychic
Alakazaam - not without Chansey.  Fossil/Dark Gengars, Haunters and Gastlies.
Various Sabrina pokemon.  Slowking loses power.

4 Gastly (destiny)
3 Dark Gengar (4 breeders)
2 Gengar
2 Misdreavous
3 Cleffa
2 Murkrow

Grass
Venucenter (w/ Meganium and pokemon center), Muk (changes the game).
Loses Rocket's Scyther, Dark Vileplume.

4 Cleffa
4 Chikorita
4 Bulbasaur                         (maxed out on breeders and traders)
2 Bayleef
2 Ivysaur
3 Venasaur
3 Meganium

Fire
Here's the beef:  Will gain Ninetales, The Cleaner (RK9), Typhlosion and Magcargo       
      lose competition with Gatr.  Hell, even Flareon joins the crew.
Blaine's RK9 is out, though I didn't like him that much anyway (don't worry, I know
      he's good).

4 Cleffa
4 Growlithe
3 Arcanine (running around 12-14 fire and 2-4 metal)
2 Magby
2 Elekid

I still see Cleffa.

Other than that, trainers are gained in the forms of breeder, trader, center, and scoop up.  They are lost in the form of Chaos Gym, RSA, wrath, and my favourite - Nightly Garbage Run (and Trash Exchange if you play Gatr).

Hope this helps.  Not like I care if it doesn't.

Shiraz "Meta" Noor
dragonmeta@aol.com
Former Top 100 DCI player