The Shift Gear Podcast

We've been to a combined 10 Pokèmon TCG World Championships, and we have learned A LOT. We take you through those experiences as we prepare for Honolulu 2024, we share some of the decks we played and our rationales, as well as share the most important lessons we've learned over the years. These tips can be taken to Worlds 2024, or any other big tournament throughout the circuit.

Thanks for being here for a bit of a different episode!

Let us know your favourite Worlds format down below :

Find us :

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: linktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

Discord Server: https://discord.gg/QYy3rXeG

Ciaran's apartment no longer looks like Atlantis so he can help review our impact set after Worlds 2024! Reviewing cards like Terapagos ex, Hydrapple ex, Cinderace ex, and more - which of the cards we reviewed today do you think will have the biggest impact on the meta? Were there any cards we over or under valued?

This week Ciaran takes some well earned PTO and instead Aneil is joined by a former World Champion - Rowan Stavenow! Rowan takes us through his Worlds winning run in 2015, his mentality that allowed him to win the event, and some deck tips going into the biggest tournament of the year.

Find us :

Find Rowan : https://x.com/rowan_stavenow

Shiftgear Discord: https://discord.gg/jNWqp24H

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: linktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

This week we brought back the OG, Curtis Lyon to help us break down the top 10 WORST designed cards of all time. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below and if we missed any cards you thought were particularly toxic!

In this video, we go through the top meta decks and share our thoughts on which ones are the best decks to bring to locals as they start up again for the 24/25 season! At the end, we also field all your twitter questions.

Find us :

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: linktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

We are bringing you the first ever emergency Shiftgear Episode. Pokemon dropped the bombshell the community has been waiting for, the 2024-25 season structure. There are tons of big changes, new invite system, new BFLs, and changes to Championship Points. We break it all down and give our thoughts!

.Time to review our impact set before Worlds 2024! Reviewing cards like Dusknoir, Fezandipiti ex, Pecharunt ex, and more - which of the cards we reviewed today do you think will have the biggest impact at worlds? Were there any cards we over or under valued?

Ciaran's Shawarma Hut coming soon

Welcome to the Inaugural Shiftgear Pokemon TCG Players Award Show. We wanted to recognize the excellence and achievements of the players in the community during the 2023-24 season. We wanted to have a healthy mix of fun and serious awards, so hopefully you have as much fun watching as we did giving out these awards!

Also a big thank you to everyone who sent in an acceptance speech, it definitely helps us establish legitimacy!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

03:20 Twitter Yapper of the Year

10:27 Breakout Player of the Year

15:43 Dedicated Player of the Year

20:10 Rookie of the Year

25:00 Most Innovative Deck of the Year

29:00 Griefer of the Year

34:20 Shop Owner of the Year

36:15 Shiftgear Fan of the Year

39:50 Card of the Year

42:52 Most Valuable Player

This week we are joined by Shashi Naraine, who finished in the Top 32 with a unique build of Raging Bolt + Ogerpon ex. We also break down all the drama from NAIC, if the time rules need to be changed, our thoughts on the amount of players at Worlds, and discuss our takeaways from the event.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

04:20 Thoughts on New Orleans

09:16 DQ 1

12:55 Lost Box Performance

15:40 DQ 2

18:37 Keito DPL

23:56 Lugia Flops

30:58 Raging Bolt Interview

47:20 Does Bo3 Need to Go?

55:20 Worlds Tournament Structure

59:44 Is Worlds Too Big?

1:06:40 Closing Thoughts

In this episode, Aneil and Ciaran go over their top picks and personal decklists for the North American International Championships taking place in New Orleans. Let us know your thoughts below!

Link to champions league results :

https://pokecabook.com/archives/131563?fbclid=IwAR0ifXI64atpsdnbU7Oq1kefh3nxzKfykLUzzHoEvi4uKqede3kQ4VWGUGk

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: linktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

This week on The Shiftgear we give our personal tier list for NAIC. Come here our thoughts on where every deck currently stands in the format! As always, these are just our opinions, so let us know in the comments if you agree/disagree with anything we said!

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: linktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

In this episode, we are joined once again by Little Dark Fury to discuss the 5 greatest formats ever. We take you through a guide to retro Pokemon, the best formats to build and the most enjoyable to play! Let us know your favourite format ever, if you have one! Here are some links to get you started :

Info & Lists -

https://jklaczpokemon.com/

https://limitlesstcg.com/tournaments (Majors since 2012, better for newer formats)

https://ptcglegends.com/home

Where to play -

https://tcgone.net/

Find us:

Aneil: linktr.ee/tcg_aneil

Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

LDF: @LittleDarkFury

On this weeks episode we are joined by a legend of the game, Curtis Lyon. He is a National Champion, Regional Champion, State Champion, and has some deep finishes at Worlds as well. For the first time Curtis talks about his side of one of if not the most famous cheating scandal in the history of the Pokemon TCG. He also breaks down how he was able to innovate so much during his time as a player, why the Canadian Pokemon scene is so strong, differences between the game now and then, who is his GOAT, and so much more!

Dialga Vstar is king! Aneil thought he was cool and unique for playing Dialga to day 2 at the Indianapolis regionals but Andrew Hedrick had the same idea and now Dialga is king. With Chien-Pao on the rise and declining Zard populations, we investigate how the meta could evolve going into LA regionals. We also look at expanded for the first time in years. Let us know your thoughts on expanded and if you think it could ever make a return to the circuit!

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: linktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

The worlds invitation system needs some changes. In this episode, we go over the NAIC registration debacle and share our opinions on how the Worlds invitation system should be revised for 2025.

Let us know below how you would handle the NAIC debate and how the invite system should be structured!

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: inktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

There hasn't been much meta development so we decided to look ahead to Twilight Masquerade this week. Find out what we think of cards like Unfair Stamp, Greninja ex, Dragapult ex, Tatsugiri, and more!

We are also giving away 18 packs! To enter follow Aneil and Ciaran on Twitter and BananaGames on IG. Then comment which bucket hat Aneil should get next!

We are joined by the winner of the largest TPCI Regional Championship of all time, Liam Haliburton. He breaks down his winning run and his Charizard list. We ask him to break down some of the matchups and how he has been able to transition successfully between the age divisions. We also put his Lebron fandom to the test and have him weigh in on the Goat debate!

In this episode, we're joined by Julian Gort-Barry fresh of his 17th place finish at the European International Championships. Julian walks us through his deck and matchups, and also provides some insight for those looking to pick up the deck for Orlando this weekend!

What is the plural version of "Arceus"? Let us know below :

Find Julian :

https://twitter.com/julianG_835

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: inktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

In this episode, we both go over our top 3 choices (and our personal lists) for the European International Championship this coming weekend (April 5-7). What should you play for the weekend? We provide our metagame forecast as well as some "dark horses" to look out for heading into this very puzzling metagame.

Link to all decklists :

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1tGDrGlXTnl_no0xyh_NhtcTk9AjWJQyK

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: linktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

Join us this week as we recap Vancouver regionals and give our insights on what to expect at EUIC post rotation. We also get a new intro and a "customer review"! We go through Charizard ex, Chien-Pao ex, Future Box, Ancient Box, Arceus, Great Tusk, Snorlax, and more!

Find Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Find Aneil: inktr.ee/TCG_Aneil

LDF joins us once again to go through the top 10 Pokémon cards of all time (excluding Trainers & Energy cards). These were selected on criteria consisting mainly of the strength of a card relative to it's own era. We struggled making this list so please roast us in the comments and let us know your top 10!

This is the third video in our walk through Pokemon history mini-series, you can check out the others on our channel.

Want to learn more about retro? Check out these resources:

https://jklaczpokemon.com/

https://ptcglegends.com/home

https://ptcgarchive.com/

On this week's episode, we're joined again by LDF for part 2 of our mini-series. This week we go through the top 10 decks of ALL TIME. These were selected on a criteria consisting of mainly overall dominance in their respective metas, and (admittedly) were a bit tough to contrast at times. Enjoy this walk through Pokemon tcg history!

This week we are joined by fellow Canadian, LittleDarkFury (Matthew Wood) to break down the Top 10 Pokemon TCG Players of all time. The three of us all had very different lists, but we combined them together to give you our Top 10!

We are also holding a group session ahead of Vancouver Regionals. If you want to be better prepared, or just want to have the chance to talk Pokemon with us, sign up!

https://groups.metafy.gg/classes/the-ultimate-vancouver-prep-guide

Find us:

Aneil: linktr.ee/tcg_aneil

Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

LDF:  @LittleDarkFury 

This week for episode 21, Aneil & Ciaran review some more post rotation tournaments, tell stories, and relate top decks to casino games.

This week we take a look at the results from the most recent Japanese Champion's League that took place in Fukuoka. There were a lot of new cards revealed, including a pretty powerful ace spec!

CHIEN-PAO DID IT! This week Ciaran & Aneil recap Dortmund regionals, compare QBs to meta decks, and explain why we will never be letting our girls go to an Usher concert. All that and more on this weeks 20th ever episode of The Shift Gear.

Check out our sponsor here :

https://bananagames.ca/

Our Links :

Aneil: linktr.ee/tcg_aneil

Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

Ciaran and Aneil are joined by fellow Canadian and Banana Games teammate, Jackson Ford. He breaks down his run to top 8 with Giratina Vstar, and discusses how to play the deck going forward. Ciaran breaks down his run with Chien-Pao, and we discuss our newfound passion for Buc-ees!

This week Ciaran and Aneil are tasked with legacy questions, lots of questions about VIP in Gardevoir, and explain why Patrick Mahomes is NOT our goat. Knoxville prep continues on and we're here to answer all your questions this week on the pod.

We're proudly supported by Banana Games in Toronto, find them here :

https://bananagames.ca/

Find us:

Aneil: linktr.ee/tcg_aneil

Ciaran: linktr.ee/ciarantcg

This week Ciaran and Aneil are joined by Rafal Gladysz following his top 64 at the Charlotte Regional championships with a unique build of Roaring Moon that included Pokemon Catcher. He also breaks down the journey to making his first day 2 and the rest of Charlotte. We end by discussing the drama around misreporting your deck on Pokestats and debate closed/open decklists!

Ciaran and Aneil are joined by one of Canada's brightest young stars, Christian Labella. He breaks down how he has been able to transition from seniors to masters successfully and helps us preview Charlotte Regionals and the new cards revealed from Temporal Forces!

GIVEAWAY RULES:

1. Follow Aneil, Ciaran, The Shift Gear Podcast, and BananaGames

2. Comment your favourite Pokemon

Ciaran and Aneil discuss the results from the Portland Regional Championships. They run through all the interesting decks and discuss where the format currently stands. We are graciously sponsored this week by Manta Trading, who are helping us give away 2 Giratina VSTAR.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Follow @TCG_Aneil, @ciaran_tcg, and @mantatrades on Twitter/X

Subscribe to The Shift Gear Podcast on Youtube

Comment your favourite deck in the Youtube comments

A winner will be picked next episode

In this episode, Aneil & Ciaran recap their top 10 Pokemon and Trainer cards in competitive play during the 2023 cycle. They also get a new (questionable) sponsor, and the apparent new ability to agree on everything in their lists.

This week Ciaran and Aneil take a look at the newly revealed cards from "Wild Force" and "Cyber Judge!". They spend time giving their gripes with Prime Catcher and a general commentary on game design.

The Kyoto Champions League just concluded and had some interesting decks in the top 8 such as Roaring Moon, Gholdengo/Palkia, and Arceus/Zerora. The duo spends some time analyzing if these are one hit wonders or if they are here to stay!

We are joined this week by San Antonio Regionals Top 8 Competitor Dan Hugar. He breaks down how he had success with his Lost Zone Giratina deck, some tips on how to play it, how he translated his Player Cup success to in person tournaments, and spends some time on the mental aspect of competing in the Pokemon TCG!

With San Antonio on the horizon and some interesting results from last week, Aneil & Ciaran dive into some San Antonio top picks as well as discuss implications from the successes last week. Additionally, in response to an "ask me anything" tweet put out earlier this week, they answer several listener questions in what ended up being the longest but most fun episode to date!

In this episode, Aneil and Ciaran have the GOAT debate. With Jason Klaczynski and Tord Reklev both having such dominant careers, who is the true GOAT? They also dive into some interesting decks that have emerged with the last week of results to try and figure out how they may shake up the meta along with how having the same format for multiple months on end may effect the game.

In this episode, Aneil and Ciaran dive into what happened last weekend at the regionals around the globe. Amongst these results were some really cool decks that are certainly worth taking a look at. In a time where big tourneys are at a bit of a pause, we can all take this time to have a breather and take a look at how this 5 month long metagame might evolve further.

In this episode, Aneil & Ciaran recap their deep runs at the Latin American International Championships featuring some spicy lists. They go over their preparation for big events, how to set a mindset positive to enduring a whole season of worlds chasing as well as how to navigate the rest of the year now that we're officially a third of the way through.

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In this episode Aneil & Ciaran recap their testing experience so far with the new Paradox Rift set. Aneil cheats on all of his morals by playing Miraidon, Ciaran remains a Pao-boy. In analyzing limitless data what decks feel like they can make a big splash at LAIC?

In this episode Aneil & Ciaran recap what was a rather unsuccessful homecoming for a lot of our Canadian players, despite a pretty interesting Toronto regionals experience. Additionally, they look ahead to the Paradox Rift meta and what may be in store for us in the future, including top picks, decks to watch out for, and why playing the same deck you're playing now may not be a terrible idea.

In this more laid back discussion episode, Aneil & Ciaran bring on the local legend Simon Luong to help them forecast Toronto regionals and share some ideas going into the weekend. Additionally, pre-releases get free advertisement (you're welcome TPCI) and Iron Hands is brought back down to earth. Enjoy this free flowing episode!

In this episode we are joined by our first guest, Lucas Xing! He helps us break down what went down at the Sacramento Regional Championships that took place between Oct 13-15. We talk about the surprise Arceus Gyarados deck, why Lugia performed so well, and break down the rest of the metagame. The second half of the episode focuses on our preparation for Toronto and what we think everyone should be ready for!

In this episode we go over the unexpected results of the regional in Peoria, IL that took place between Oct 6-8. Specifically, we look into how Japanese results sometimes skew our expectations of the meta - as Aneil shares his story of overmetagaming in Peoria and how it cost him. Additionally, we look forward to Sacramento and what everyone should expect moving forward.

What should we expect going into Peoria? For our first episode, we dive into the metagame currently along with the impact of the new cards coming out in 151. How is mew ex going to fare? Lots of things are up in the air heading into this weekend, we break it down for you in this episode - hosted by Ciaran Farah & Aneil Saini