The 1st place finisher of the Professor Cup event will be given a Solicited Staff position for the 2018 World Championships event in Nashville, TN. This will include round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations provided by TPCi.
Participation in the Professor Cup should only be open to Stage 1 Professors and above, who also attend the Professor Seminars.
The theme of this Professor Cup is “I Choose You” the fomrat is pretty straightforward, with a few twists….
Deck Construction is as follows:
40 Card Decks – only 2 of each card are allowed. 4 Prize Games.
Sun and Moon on only EXCEPT for 1 copy of the card ROBO SUBSTITUTE is required
Commons are allowed
Uncommons are allowed
Rares are alllowed
No Holos, GXs, Shinings, Prism Cards, or the like are allowed.
If a card (like Type Null) is produced as BOTH a holo and rare version (such as a theme deck rare) then the card is considered of the HIGHER rarity, and not allowed.
No promos are allowed. Cards that are printed as BOTH promos and commons/uncommons/rares are allowed, but the common/uncommon/rare version must be used.
Double Colorless Energy is not allowed
Passimian SUM 73 is not allowed
Oricorio GRI 46 is not allowed
Oricorio GRI 56 is not allowed
Crabominable BUS 74 is not allowed
I reserve the right to ban additional cards from the new set once they are announced and revealed.
Now, as for the deck. I love the fact that in the cartoon, and in the game, you choose your starting Pokemon so….
Each player may CHOOSE the Pokémon they are starting with (I CHOOSE YOU format).
Each player must place the Robo Substitute from their deck onto the bench to start the game.
Each player then shuffles and draws 6 cards, and has ONE optional mulligan in which, at no penalty, can shuffle their hand back in and draw 6 different cards.
There is no “Bonus” or recourse for a player taking an optional mulligan to start their game.
Special Rules regarding Robo Substitute. Robo Substite has the number of hit points as stated on the card, but the remainder of the text on the card is IGNORED.
Robo Substitute is a “Defender” in that it must remain on the bench while in play. It cannot be brought forward with Guzma or other similar effects. It is not considered a target for Guzma or other such effects. It does take one of the 5 bench spaces, and can only be used as follows:
When an opponent attacks, a player may have their Robo Substitute come forward and take the attack in the place of the active defending Pokémon. If the damage is more than enough to knock out Robo Substitute, then Robo Substitute goes to the discard pile, and the opponent does NOT take a prize. If the damage is NOT enough to knock out Robo Substitute, then the damage is placed on Robo Substitute as normal and it returns to the bench. If the damage is MORE than enough to knock out Robo Substitute, then there is NO trample damage, and the rest of the damage is not applied.
This applies for both damage and effects. Robo Substitute CAN be the recipient of damage counters placed on the active defending Pokémon. Robo Substitute CAN be the recipient of Special Conditions (which simply do not affect it). Robo Substitute CAN take damage while it sits on the bench, and CAN be the target of bench-directed attacks. Robo Substitute may NOT defend other benched Pokémon, only the Active Defending Pokémon.
Robo Substitute is NOT considered a Pokémon on the bench in one important situation. If one player has their active defending Pokémon knocked out, and no Pokémon other than Robo Substitute on the bench to replace the knocked out active defending Pokémon, then that player loses the game. For all other purposes, Robo Substitute is to be considered a benched Pokémon for any purpose, such as counting the number of active Pokémon in play, or on the bench.
One Game Per Round.
Professor Cup FAQ – Prism Ban Update – Here we go!
The following cards from the Prism set are not legal for the Professor Cup: Oranguru Prism #114; Passimian Prism #70
Also – Additional Banned Card – Herdier – SUM #104 (Yeah, that ability in testing made the Robo Sub recursion TOO easy)
Other FAQ Questions:
Q – Alternate Printings – If a Card is Printed as a Holo, Rare, Secret Rare, or other rarity, is it allowed? What determines what cards are allowed?
A – If a card is printed as a RARE, UNCOMMON or COMMON in the MAIN SET, then it is allowed in the event. If it is reprinted as a Holo (such as a theme deck exclusive holo, or promo holo), then the RARE printing of the card is allowed. If it is printed as a Secret Rare, then the Rare, Uncommon or Common Version of the Card is allowed. Secret Rare Basic Energy are not allowed. Also, if there are cards, such as the Prism Magnezone which are printed as RARES in the Prerelease packs, promos, or other printings, but are Holofoils in the MAIN SET, then they are NOT ALLOWED.
Q – Order of Operations – Robo Sub – If a card has an option of hitting the bench, or has other options, when can, or MUST you commit to using the Robo Sub?
A – You may commit to using the Robo Sub Defender at the point in the attack where the Active Defending Pokemon is selected by the attacking player. Once the choice of Robo Sub Defender is made, the attacking player may not change their target.
Q – Order of Operations – Robo Sub Spread Damage – If a card does XX damage to all Pokemon, or to the active Pokemon and one or more benched Pokemon, then the order of operations is (a) the attacking player selects the targets for the damage of the attack; (b) if the active defending Pokemon is selected then the Robo Sub may engage its defender move, before taking the bench damage, if any done to the Robo Sub; (c) the Robo Sub returns to the bench where it will take any additional damage as a result of a “spread” attack or selection attack, and (d) if the Robo Sub is knocked out, then it is discarded. If the Robo Sub is knocked out during step (b) and is also selected for damage in step (c) the attacking player may NOT select a different target for the damage.
Q – Self Dealing Damage – Active Defending Pokemon. If an attacking Pokemon inflicts self-damage, can I use the the Robo Substitute on my own turn to block the self-inflicted damage?
A – Surprisingly Yes. The Robo Substitute is a defender and only cares that damage is being done to the active defending Pokemon it lives to defend, not where the source of the damage being done to the active defending Pokemon is from….interesting eh?.
Q – Damage Modifiers to the Active Defending Pokemon – If the attacking Pokemon has modifiers to the damage done to the defending Pokemon (such as number of damage counters on the active defending Pokemon or type of energy on the active defending Pokemon), how do you calculate the amount of damage that will be inflicted to the Robo Substitute defending?
A – The damage will be calculated as the damage that WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE to the active defending Pokemon after calculating all modifiers. (For example, if Wobbuffet would use Shadowy Knot on a Pokemon with a retreat cost of 2, and your opponent chose to defend with Robo Substitute, the attack will still do 100 damage to the defending Robo Substitute, even though Robo Substitute has no retreat cost – since it WOULD HAVE DONE 100 damage to the original Pokemon.)
Q – Special Conditions – Robo Substitute – If an attacking card will do special conditions to the active defending Pokemon (poison, burn, confuse, asleep), what happens to the Robo Substitute, does it take burn or poison damage before retreating?
A – No, the Robo Substitute will take on the Special Condition which will dissipate upon the Robo Substitute returning to the bench. The Robo Substitute may NOT be affected by any Special Conditions.
Q – Deck Construction – Is Robo Substitute counted as one of the 40 cards for a deck?
A – Yes, Robo Substitute is counted as one of the 40 cards for your deck.
Q – Deck Construction – Is Shining Legends considered a legal set for this format?
A – Yes, Shining Legends is considered a legal set for this format.
Q – Deck Construction – Can I use a card (such as Lillie) which is printed as a common/uncommon/rare in a set, but has a higher rarity as well, such as full art or Gold?
A – Yes, you may use the card, but it has to be the lower rarity version of the card. For example, the uncommon Lillie may be used, but the Gold or Full Art version may NOT.
Q – Deck Construction – Since only 2 of any card are allowed, is it permissible to play 2 copies of SUM Piplup and 2 copies of Prism Piplup?
A – No, the rules are consistent with constructed deck rules. No more than 2 cards of the same name may be used (other than basic energy). This would, of course, allow a player to play 2 copies of Exeggutor and 2 copies of Alolan Exeggutor, as those cards have different names.
Q – Robo Substitute and Ability Shutoff – If Abilities are shut off of Pokemon, or select Pokemon, how does that affect the Robo Substitute Defender?
A – Ability Shutoff does not affect the Robo Substitute Defender. It is a Rule of the Game just the same as the Rule that there must always be an active Pokemon. If the Robo Substitute is on the field, it is a Robo Substitute Defender, with all of the rules that go along with that card.
Q – I Choose You Starting Pokemon? Does the I Choose You starting Pokemon have to be a basic Pokemon?
A – Yes – you must choose a Basic Pokemon as your I choose You starting Pokemon, and, of course, can NOT choose robo substitute.
Q – I Choose You Starting Pokemon? Can the I choose you Pokemon be a Fossil Trainer?
A – No. The Fossil Trainers may NOT be used as a Starting Pokemon for I Choose You Format.
Q – Top Cut Format – For the Top Cut, is it one game, or best 2 of 3.
A – Same rules as swiss rounds (optional mulligan) and best 2 of 3 games with usual top cut rules for best 2 of 3 (game 2 counts if 3 prizes taken).
Q – FAQ and Main Rules – Are the typos intentional?
A – Of course the typos are intentional. I have to have you all believe that I am humane. Sorry, Human.