Regieleki VMAX · Silver Tempest (SIT) #058

2 comments

1. 

   Ambassador

   (2 weeks ago)

   Regieleki VMAX’s 0 Retreat appears to be a deliberate nod to the fact it has the highest base Speed stat in the video games. However, in contrast to what many have claimed is ‘common sense’, there is no apparent consistent correlation between a Pokémon’s video game Speed stat and their TCG Retreat Cost, even when normalized for separate TCG stages¹. Sometimes a card will be designed around something like this – e.g. the designers want to make a Regieleki focused around the fact it’s fast and will balance the card around the idea of having 0 Retreat, other times other things will be considered first, which is why we already have had Regieleki cards with 2 and 3 Retreat.

   On the other hand, it should not surprise anyone who is familiar with the TCG and has stared at the cards for the bizarre amount of time that would inform a comment like this, that there is a good correlation between a TCG Retreat Cost and a TCG HP stat, even when normalized for separate TCG stages, as a card will usually be designed with TCG game balance in mind, ahead of being an overly faithful representation of its function in the video games. To illustrate this: the four legendary horse Pokémon of Generation 5 – Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo – all appear in this set as Basic Pokémon. All four of these Pokémon have the same Speed stat in the video games – a fairly brisk 108 – but have Retreat Costs of 1, 2, and 3, and correspond to increasing HP. This is an ancedotal example, but I can assure you that for every Regieleki VMAX, you will find 2 Regielekis with 2-3 Retreat, and 5 Terrakions with 3-4 Retreat.

   Reply
   • 

     AmbassadorAmbassador

     (2 weeks ago)

     ¹ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/181h_9uyGfuij43r32yVUgJ7zoaL7-Xtp60-nntF4hCg

     Reply