This site will no longer be updated.

Pokemon League is still played at Hillside Games off of Tunnel Road every Saturday at 4:00PM. But this site will no longer be updated.

Pokemon HGSS: Triumphant Releases November 3rd!

Battle for the excitement, for the challenge...and for the victory! In the Pokémon Trading Card Game: HS—Triumphant expansion, you'll find what you need to put triumph within your reach. Dialga and Palkia combine as an incredible Pokémon LEGEND. Machamp, Gengar, and a half-dozen other powerful Pokémon appear for the first time as Pokémon Prime Cards. New Trainer, Supporter, and Stadium cards-plus a new Special Energy card-give you new strategies and deck ideas. The only thing missing is a Trainer who battles to win...and that's you!

With more than 100 cards, the brand-new Pokémon TCG: HS—Triumphant expansion is perfect for beginner and intermediate Pokémon TCG players of all ages! Packaged with a holographic treatment, two theme decks—each including one guaranteed foil card—will arrive in stores nationwide on November 3, 2010!

Features of the new Pokémon TCG: HS—Triumphant expansion:

• Legendary Pokémon come back in pairs as LEGEND cards—Dialga & Palkia and Darkrai & Cresselia!
• Amazing new Pokémon Prime cards that include Celebi, Machamp, and Gengar!
• New theme decks, Verdant Frost and Royal Guard that let players send shivers down their opponents' spines while unleashing devastating attacks with incredibly powerful Pokémon!

New Pokemon Combo Packs at Target!

I think it's important that players know which products are the best to buy, because there are so many different Pokemon TCG products on the market that a player can easily get ripped off if they buy a product that has really old cards in it, or could have bought another product for a lower price that offered more. In the future, when I hear about cool new Pokemon TCG products, I'm going to make it my goal to communicate to all the League Members about them so that we can all take advantage of them.

This is a brand new item. Some may call it a "blister pack" because the pack is wrapped in cardboard, but to simplify the name, I'll just call it a "Combo Pack" because it comes with multiple things.

These Combo Packs come with 1 Pokemon Booster from Supreme Victors or Rising Rivals and either Charizard (and Charmeleon and Charmander) from Supreme Victors or Metagross (and Metang and Beldum) from Supreme Victors. The Combo Pack retails for $4.99. Both Charizard and Metagross have the cool Confetti foil-style look.

The Charizard is a really good card and has seen play at Battle Roads and larger events in the past. The Metagross has it's uses.

It's a really good deal because packs already retail for around $4-5 to begin with, and you're getting a cool foil card with the lower stages so you can play the card easier. I'm thinking of picking up 4 Charizard ones so that I can make a Charizard deck with them!

I'm not sure if the Target in Asheville has these yet, but I've read of many Targets having them, so there is a good shot ours does.

Enjoy!

Sign Up for Player Rewards!

If you haven't already, it's still a good time to sign up for Player Rewards. The more members who are signed up for Player Rewards, the more prizes the Pokemon League gets to give out! It's not very hard to sign up for Player Rewards, and I've just made a new How-To-Sign Up for Player Rewards using plenty of pictures to help make it easier. This new step-by-step guide can be found on a new page located right below the banner, or you can click on the link here.

If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at matthewriddle (at) charter (dot) net. Thanks!

Creating a Deck

"What is your deck?" "60 cards."

Unfortunately, this type of response is all too common in real life, and it reflects that one does not have a competitive Pokemon deck. Of course, very few people say this out loud, but they may as well. It is just a fact that most people have difficulty creating a deck which has the qualities necessary to win consistently and at a high level. As a league member and leader, I often see this. Even at tournaments, folks bring decks that are really just fun.

Now, you might ask, "What's wrong with that?" Not a thing... if you never want to compete but only mess around. If you are only in it for fun, you don't have to read any further. But if you are seeking to improve your lot, win more games, and maybe take home a trophy once in a while, take a look at what I have to say.

I have come up with nine (9) elements which constitute a good deck, and I now share this with you. My credentials? I have won a few tournaments and have some glass (trophies) to prove it. I'm not bragging, but only letting you know that I know what I'm talking about. My goal? To help you.

Battle Roads - A BIG SUCCESS!

We had 34 people for the first Premier Event for 2010-2011! That's almost double what we have had for the last half of the year!

Everyone who showed up, thank you so much! Even those who showed up late and had to take a first round loss, your attendance is still so very much appreciated!

Everyone who wanted to show up but couldn't, let's try to make it next time! :D

Thank you everyone for supporting the event, and with every event that is supported by our members, there is faith that our area will see even more events. That means that there could be more new players, and the league could grow as well! So, let's keep trying to support the events!

I hope everyone had fun, and a big round of applause to Jeanette for judging!

2010-2011 League Details!

New details about the new year of Pokemon League are available!

As you can see, there is a new logo for the Pokemon League! Also, these year's theme is Poke-Athlon Cycle!

The Promos for the first few seasons are:

Season 1: Donphan HS and Spiritomb AR
Season 2: Crobat UL and Expert Belt AR
Season 3: Delibird HS and Azelf LA
Season 4: Steelix UL and Special Metal Energy
Season 5: Houndoom UD and Special Dark Energy
Each season lasts 5 weeks.

One change is that it will now takes 8 points to earn a promo, instead of the 6 points needed last year. You can still earn points on the Video Game track to earn Video Game accessories.

Spiritomb is a very good card to help search out evolutions, but watch out that it's Poke-Body stops both players from using non-supporter, non-stadium trainers.

Expert Belt is useful in many decks as it increases the HP and attack of a Pokemon by 20, but any Pokemon it is attached to is worth 2 prizes!

Azelf lets you look at your prizes with a cool Poke-Power!

http://www.pokemon.com/us/organized-play/leagues/

Battle Road Event Next Week!

Sorry for the short notice, but a week from today (Saturday, 9/11), Hillside Games will be hosting a Battle Road event!

Registration: 11AM

Requirements: 60-card modified-legal deck
Entry Fee: FREE

There will be a raffle!

We'd really like to see everyone show up and have fun!

Pre-Release coming soon!

The Pre-Release is this weekend! To make it short, here are some tips:

• Arrive on time. Registration is from 11-Noon and the tournament will start right afterward. Registration takes no time as all you do is pay your money, get your 6 packs, sleeves, promo (and possibly raffle ticket). No deck lists, no deck check.
• Use your sleeves to protect your 40-card deck. People may want to trade for some of your cards and it's important to keep them in the best shape possible. Playing with an unsleeved deck will damage the cards and lower the value of them.
• When making a 40-card deck, try to keep your different types to a limit. You don't usually have enough pokemon of the same type to make a one-type deck, so you'll have to combine multiple types. Colorless pokemon or pokemon with colorless attack costs are really nice at pre-releases.
• Consider all trainers you get, because your deck won't have all the supporters and trainers in it like your regular league deck will. So, even cards with a tiny affect can be very useful.
• Evolutions are important. Sometimes there are big basic pokemon that can dish out some good damage and take it back, but a lot of the time the battles come down to who can evolve their pokemon and do the bigger damage. So if you get an evolution line, and it fits your wanted energy type, definitely consider using it. Even if it's not your favorite pokemon, you want your deck to be strong.
• Don't spend too much time looking at your cards. You will only have a limited time to build a deck, and you really don't have enough time to get up, chat with friends, and build a deck at the same time. Pokemon League (should) be going on after the tournament is over and that is a great time to show everyone your amazing cards.
• Remember, to build your 40 card deck, you cannot trade any cards with anyone. You're welcome to trade the cards you don't make your deck out of, but the whole challenge is making a deck out of the cards just you pull out of your packs. Trading with other players ruins the fun of the format.

The last tip is to have fun! That is what Pre-Releases are all about. You don't have to worry about winning or losing because everyone gets the same prizes (2 more packs of cards) at the very end.

Let's show the tournament organizer some love for running Asheville's first ever Pre-Release!

Good luck this Saturday everyone!

Play! Pokemon announced!

The Pokemon Company International unveiled the new design and branding for Organized Play. One of TPCi's staff made this comment:

"We've updated the look and the name, to be more understandable to parents, and more welcoming to kids. For the rest of you, you get the same great program, with a cool new look." ~ Professor Dav

I think the logo mimics the national sports league logos pretty well and I hope to see what improvements to the program TPCi decide to make.

It is confirmed that this logo will find its way onto hats, shirts, playmats, binders, and posters. I'm sure we'll see it on sleeves and deck boxes as well.

No details yet on any changes that are being made to organized play. But the new logo does look nice.

That's all for today. Remember, the first ever Pre-Release tournament is coming up in 1 week from this Saturday. Save up your money, and get ready to have some fun!

Bring your Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver to League this weekend!

Hi Everyone!

Anyone who owns Pokemon HeartGold or SoulSilver for the DS should bring it to Pokemon League this weekend. Starting this Saturday (July 31st), Nintendo will be distributing the Enigma Stone over WiFi. The Enigma Stone allows you to encounter Latios (in HeartGold) and Latias (in SoulSilver)! After you catch the one in your game, the Enigma Stone turns into a Soul Dew which powers up both Latios and Latias abilities in battle. Hillside Games has WiFi that you can access to receive this item.

In order to access Latios and Latias, you need to have beaten the Elite Four, gotten the National Pokedex, and have two or fewer Wonder Cards. Even if you haven't accomplished these items now, you can still get the item to use in the future. When you encounter Latios or Latias, it will be level 40.

Also, did you know you can earn League points for battling on your DS? You most certainly can. Also, you can earn cool skins for your DS the same way you can earn promos! So, there are multiple reasons for you to bring your DS to Pokemon League.

Happy Hunting!

Free Pokemon Cards

WANT A FREE PACK OF POKEMON CARDS?

One of your league leaders, Tom Wise, is offering you the chance to win a free pack of Pokemon cards. Here is the offer:

If you can beat Mr. Wise in a game of Pokemon 3 times, he will buy you that pack. You do not have to win 3 in a row - you only have to win 3. Mr. Wise will keep track of your winning games and will reward you for your success. You do not have the right to argue with Mr. Wise how many games you have won - Mr. Wise will determine that and keep track of them.

Tools of the Trade

This will be quick. I just read a great article on a website I visit called SixPrizes (SixPrizes.com), which is a web site devoted to posting good Pokemon TCG strategy articles. The article was labeled "Tools of the Trade" and discussed the various different items new players need (or want) in order to play the game.

Check it out!

http://www.sixprizes.com/tips-and-strategy/tools-trade

If you have any questions on how to acquire some of these items, ask one of the league helpers at league and we'll try to answer any questions you have. Some items are easier to get than others.

Thanks for reading!

Sign up for Player Rewards!

*UPDATE* A Newer Version Has Been Uploaded To Here *UPDATE*

Would you like to earn more free Pokemon stuff? What if I said you could earn free foil energy, promo cards, and pre-release pokemon sleeves, would you be interested now? If so, all you need to do is sign up for a Pokemon Trainer Club account and have a POP ID. How do you do it?

E-Mail Updates: We need your e-mails! (Updated)

If you are interested in receiving e-mail updates when the blog is updated, please e-mail me and let me know.

Thanks!

UPDATE: Looks like there may be an easier way to stay in touch. I've added a Feedburner application to the site that allows for people to sign up for e-mail updates. Just put your e-mail in and do a few things and you will be constantly updated!

Upcoming Tournaments in July (Updated)

Hi everyone! It's Matt again.

We have a tournament coming up in 2 weeks. Sunday, July 25th at Hillside Games. The entry fee will be $5, but don't worry, everyone will be getting a pack of cards! Registration will be from 1PM-1:30PM. Try to show up early, as you may need to fill out a deck list. You will need a 60-card deck that is modified-legal. If you don't know if your deck is legal, ask one of the league helpers. Jeff Reynolds, the Premier Tournament Organizer, or PTO, will be coming from around Charlotte to run this event! So, lets give Jeff our love and thanks and try to all come out for our first organized event in a long time!

Also, for all those preparing a month ahead, Jeff Reynolds will be coming back to Hillside Games August 14th for our VERY FIRST Pre-Release! Pre-Releases are so much fun! The entry fee is $25, but for that every player gets 8 packs of cards (retail value of $32), a pack of 60 Pokemon sleeves you can only get at a Pre-Release and a Pre-Release promo! Registration will be from 11AM-Noon. Registration is short and sweet as you don't need your own deck.

That's all for now!

UPDATE: I've added a link to Jeff Reynold's NC/SC Pokemon tournament website. He has all the upcoming events on there with all the information you'll need like start time, entry fee, etc. Make sure to come prepared for the upcoming events!

A New Beginning! Welcome!

Hi, welcome to the blog for the Western North Carolina Pokemon League!

My name is Matt, and I hope to keep you guys updated as much as possible about what is going on at the Pokemon League. News may cover topics like new promos, upcoming tournaments, or anything Pokemon TCG-based.

Thanks for reading!