It’s been a few weeks since Ranked Matches were introduced in Pokemon TCG Pocket, which means dedicated players are starting to reach the highest ranks. While the initial reaction to the list of ranked rewards was mostly positive, many players are now changing their tune. The highest available rank, Master Ball, has a season-end reward of 100 Pack Hourglasses, enough to open around 9 booster packs. But because of how Ranked Matches work, it’s not so easy to get to the top, and many Pokemon TCG Pocket players who have now say they won’t do it again next season.
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In Pokemon TCG Pocket Ranked Matches, players earn points for winning matches. The more points, the higher the rank. However, there’s a catch. If you lose a match once you get out of the Poke Ball beginner stage, you lose points. That means that getting to Master Ball rank isn’t as straightforward as it initially seems, as each loss will set you back. For those of us better at beating those early-stage training bots than actual players using the meta, this is a pretty big hindrance. Even those who are skilled at the game and have reached the Master Ball rank say the grind wasn’t worth it.
Difficulty Curve & Luck Need Work in Pokemon TCG Pocket Ranked
The r/PTCGP subreddit now features quite a few posts from players who’ve hit Master Ball after weeks of putting in the effort. As one post puts it, “would not recommend.” In particular, players say the difficulty of winning matches really ramps up once you make it to the Ultra Ball level, where many players get stuck trying to figure out the right combination of cards to break through to Master Ball rank.
Even for seasoned players with solid strategic know-how, the Ultra Ball level can deal enough losses to set them back a rank. Not only that, but the bonus points from a win streak reportedly go away during this level, making it take longer to reach the next stage. But time invested and pure difficulty aren’t the only issues at play with Ranked Matches in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
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Since Pokemon TCG Pocket released, players have complained about the big role that pure luck plays in battles. Many of the most popular cards in the meta, including the dreaded Misty card for water-type decks and quite a few attacks, rely on coin flips. No matter how strategic a player’s deck is, luck is going to play a part. And that makes it frustrating to try and climb the ranks in the PvP arena.
For many players, the sheer amount of time required to get the right strategy, the difficulty increased in the Ultra Ball ranks, and the role of luck made the Master Ball grind more work than fun. As one player puts it, “the sweet spot for reward/time sink ratio peaks at Ultra Ball 1.” Given that the rewards for Master Ball aren’t even enough for that sweet satisfaction of ripping open 10 booster packs at once, many say they won’t do it again.
Given that this was the first season for Ranked Matches in Pokemon TCG Pocket, it’s quite possible we’ll see changes for season 2. Though we don’t yet have any information about the next big update for Pokemon TCG Pocket, we’ve been getting new boosters and content around once per month lately. This, coupled with the fact that the current ranked season ends on April 27th, suggests we should be hearing about what’s next fairly soon.
Have you hit Master Ball Rank in Pokemon TCG Pocket? Was it worth it? Let us know in the comments below!
