Couple months ago, I was in the flow and “custom game modifiers”, a.k.a. environment effects idea came up, together with 51 effects written down in my notebook. They are like permanent stadium effects that affect a game. They need the participating decks to be built to accommodate/gain advantage to win, the deckbuilding aspect to overcome a particular set of mods could be interesting and fun. Games can feature 4 prizes with 40 card decks to be fast paced. A particular format & mods combination can be organized as time-limited events too.
While hosting a custom game, after choosing a format, choose one or more of following mods; (some of them are mutually exclusive by design, they should not be selected in a group).
- non-[type] typed pokemon can’t attack. ex. non-grass.
- no basic energy can be played. attach from discard/deck still possible.
- no [EX,GX,V,VMAX] aka no rulebox pokemon can be played.
- no non-fossil evolved pokemon can be played. “only fossil pokemon can be played”
- no pokemon can retreat.
- no non-supporter trainers can be played.
- draw 2 cards each turn instead of 1.
- can attach +1 energy cards per turn.
- can play +1 supporter per turn.
- can attack 2 times per turn.
- each pokemon must use an attack each turn. if they can’t, they get knocked out.
- discarded cards go to bottom of the deck instead of the discard pile.
- all pokemon resist each other by -30.
- all pokemon is weak to each other by +20.
- lightning storm: at the end of each turn, lightning hits a random pokemon (either player’s) for 30 damage.
- healing oasis: heal 20 damage from each pokemon between turns (or 10)
- coin flips favor the player with the most number of prizes (P). P’s flips will be 75% heads and opponent’s 75% tails.
- energy requirements are simplified per each attack’s order. first attack: [type], second attack: [type][type] and so on.
- all pokemon pay [C] less to attack.
- all pokemon pay [C] less to retreat.
- all pokemon get +40 hp.
- pokemon can evolve on the turn they were played or evolved.
- all pokemon have this ability: “search your deck for a pokemon that evolves from this pokemon and put that card on top of this pokemon to evolve it”
- all pokemon can retreat for free.
- each evolution stage adds +60 hp (or +40)
- all weaknesses work as x4 instead.
- hailstorm: all pokemon (non-fighting?) receive 1 damage counter between turns.
- all basic energy now provide 2 energy of the same type.
- all evolution pokemon now have this ability: “whenever you evolve one of your pokemon by playing this card, if this pokemon is benched, you may switch it with your active pokemon and attach 2 energy cards from discard pile to this pokemon and heal 40 damage from it.”
- all non-evolved pokemon now give 1 more prize card.
- poison is more lethal: +20 damage on each tick.
- asleep it harder to get rid of. it takes 2 heads to wake up (and it does 10 damage?)
- paralysis takes 2 turns to clear.
- confused pokemon get knocked out if they flip tails while attacking instead.
- frozen gym: if a pokemon stays active straight for 2 turns (of you); at the end of the third turn, it becomes “frozen”. for each turn they stay frozen, their attacks deal -10 damage and they get -10hp to their max hp. they become doubly weak to fire, fighting and steel while they’re frozen, in addition to their existing weaknesses. full heal like effects clears it. a fire type opposing attack clears it. benching clears it. water type pokemon can’t be frozen.
- confused pokemon take double damage from psychic pokemon.
- same type pokemon resist each other by -30.
- coin flips are always alternating: one heads then one tails, and so on.
- coin flips result in 75% heads.
- coin flips result in 75% tails.
- only common and uncommon pokemon can attack.
- only rare (and above) pokemon can attack.
- rare and above pokemon can’t damage common/uncommon pokemon.
- all special energy cards now provide +1[C] energy.
- all special energy cards now provide +1[RAINBOW] energy.
- when special energy cards are discarded put them to the hand instead (like recycle energy)
- all pokemon have this ability: (scoop-up) “return all pokemon cards to hand of this pokemon, discard energy and trainers”
- evolution pokemon can be played directly without a pre-evolution form. then they get -40 hp.
- all evolution pokemon can evolve from any pokemon, provided that they share a type.
- sunny day: all fire type pokemon deal +50% damage (rounded up)
- sky field: bench size is now 8.
Let me know whether anyone would be interested to play Pokemon TCG with these effects. You may also suggest changes or new effects.