Hi. How is this currently working in retro formats? I have noticed Pokemon-Powers still working with poison in Rocket-On. I thought this criterion would only be used in Base-Fossil and Base-Gym, but not in Base-Neo and Rocket-On.
Poison didn’t originally shut off Pokémon Powers, but when WotC chose to simplify the wording of Pokémon Power text with their Legendary Collection reprints to prepare them for their upcoming Neo-On format (which would include e-Card Poké-Powers that would be shut down by all Special Conditions), they made them do so. Since Base-Neo is played on TCG One using original Japanese card readings, rulings, etc., it makes sense to ignore this somewhat non-canon change that never happened in Japan. Rocket-On with Sneasel banned is a bit different, since it’s a format that, as far as I know, was never played in Japan, and one that depends heavily on cards that were reprinted in Legendary Collection. That is, the only reason Base Set Venusaur (for example) is legal in Rocket-On is thanks to the LC reprint. Acknowledging LC this way while ignoring its text/ruling changes wrt Special Conditions may seem a bit arbitrary—and it sort of is—but as we already play all the other cards as intended by Japan (ex: Slowking errata, Unown D/M/N erratas), there’s some precedence for ignoring WotC’s choices and continuing to play those LC cards as they were originally printed.
(Forgive me if my rambling is hard to follow; I just woke up)
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Only Modified Format 2002-2003 will check for Poison. In Japan Pokémon Powers were always disabled only by Para, Sleep, and Confuse. Poké-Powers/Poké-Body split is when they started to check for all Special Conditions.
It is true that we implement Japanese rulings over WotC rulings. The game should be played as it was intended, and without modification by a company that thought they knew better because they’d made other card games.
If you see any Poké-Powers that don’t check for Poison, or if you see any Pokémon Powers that do check for Poison (while playing any format other than Modified 2002-2003) please report them as bugs.
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SkiCitrus did a great job explaining. Poison disabling Pokémon Powers was something was done in preparation of the e-Card sets in order to make gameplay more consistent among new and older cards, so it doesn’t make sense to implement that ruling retroactively to formats before e-Card.
The only actual format that mixed e-Card with previous sets was the Neo-on Modified format of 2003. In this instance, you can treat Pokémon Powers like Poké-Powers in that they should be disabled by Poison and Burn in addition to Sleep, Confusion, and Paralysis. I believe TCG ONE is programmed to do this in Neo-on.
I’d also like to echo flagrama’s approach that we should play Pokémon as the creators of the game intended, and as it was played in Japan. (We are an international community of players, after all.) Wizards of the Coast was known for going a bit rogue, and I’m glad we don’t aim to implement all of their bizarre ideas and rules from the past.