A Quick Look at the 2002–2003 Neo-On Format

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Neo-On: Legal Sets & Cards
• Neo-On: A Short-Lived Format
• The Era of Bad Rulings
• Cleffa & Professor Elm: Still Strong
• Copycat: A Great Response to Eeeeeeek
• The Decks
• Entei/Cargo
• Meganium/Exeggutor
• Noc Lock
• SMF
• e-Card: The Lost Format

Introduction

Neo-On, as it was called, would be Wizards of the Coast’s final competitive format before relinquishing the right to produce Pokémon cards to The Pokémon Company in 2003. What began in 2002 as a bland, five-set format eventually gained some variety after the the e-Card sets joined the format in 2003.

Neo-On: Legal Sets & Cards

Rotated Out	Legal at 2002 World Championship	Joined Format Later (2002–2003)
Team Rocket  Gym Heroes  Gym Challenge  Wizards Promos #1–19	Southern Islands  Neo Genesis  Neo Discovery  Neo Revelation  Neo Destiny  Legendary Collection  Wizards Promos #20–49	Expedition  Aquapolis  Skyridge  Wizards Best Promos  Wizards Promos #50–53

Banned Cards

As it was in the Rocket-On format of 2001–2002, Neo Genesis Sneasel remained banned, its Beat Up attack considered too strong in a format without Energy Removal & Super Energy Removal. The mistranslated Slowking was also given a long overdue ban after dominating the 2002 World Championships.

Neo-On: A Short-Lived Format

Other than Prop 15/3, the Trainer-limiting format that proved to be a major flop, no Wizards format had a shorter lifespan than Neo-On. The 2002 World Championships marked the first event to use the format, and the last to use it was the Fan Appreciation Tournament less than a year later in June 2003. The final phase of Neo-On, the Neo–Skyridge format, lasted barely a month, with Pokémon USA releasing their first set, EX Ruby & Sapphire, only five weeks after Skyridge debuted.

The Era of Bad Rulings

Though fun to play, the Neo-On format was marred by bad rulings. Among the worst of these involved Pokémon Powers, which included the new Poké-Powers & Poké-Bodies from the e-Card sets. From 2001 to 2003, it was ruled that Pokémon Powers that were activated by the host Pokémon coming into play could never be stopped. For example, if Muk was in play, and a player benched a Neo Revelation Entei, the player who benched Entei could still use its Howl Pokémon Power. The basis for the ruling? The “stack” concept from Magic: The Gathering, in which the effects of the most recently played cards “resolved” first. Since Entei (or whatever Pokémon had the come-into-play Pokémon Power) had been played after Muk, its Pokémon Power was allowed to activate before Muk’s Toxic Gas had a chance to shut it off. This ruling also applied to Magby’s Sputter, which was at the center of several bad rulings. Sputter was ruled to be an effect on Magby itself, meaning benching or KOing Magby ended the effect. (For a contemporary comparison, this is like ruling Seismitoad-EX’s Quaking Punch would be ended by the opponent playing Lysandre.) Players could use Sputter to turn off their opponent’s Pokémon Powers, and then, on their turn, simply retreat Magby to reactivate theirs. Sound silly? It of course was, and The Pokémon Company, who understood their own game was different than Magic: The Gathering, didn’t take long to reverse this and many other of Wizards’ obviously incorrect rulings.

If you’re going to play this format I suggest re-visiting it with proper rulings, as some of Wizards’ bizarre rulings were made at the whims of employees who obviously specialized in Magic: The Gathering and never bothered to learn the unique differences of the Pokémon TCG.

Cleffa & Professor Elm: Still Strong

Though Supporters were legal in the Neo–Skyridge format, they would not replace the need to run Cleffa & Professor Elm. Both cards are still worth including in all of your Neo-On decks alongside some Supporters such as Copycat.

Copycat: A Great Response to Eeeeeeek

With decks still relying on Cleffa to set up, Copycat offers a great response following an opposing Eeeeeeek, delivering a fresh hand of 7 cards but without the No-Trainer downside of Professor Elm.

The Decks

Below are four of the strongest and most successful decks of the 2003 Neo Genesis–Skyridge format, the final phase of Neo-On. Don’t assume these are all the strong decks in the format, though, as interest in competitive Pokémon was at a low point in 2003, and few players put time and effort into developing and refining decks.

Entei/Cargo

🌠 Iconic Deck 😃 Fun to Play 💰 Expensive to Build

Pokémon (14)	Trainers (26)	Energy (20)
2x Cleffa 4x Entei 4x Slugma 4x Magcargo	3x Focus Band 4x Copycat 3x Oracle 2x Town Volunteers 3x Professor Elm 3x Scoop Up 3x Dual Ball 3x Double Gust 2x Bill	18x Fire Energy 2x Metal Energy

Entei’s Howl provides the Fire Energy Magcargo needs to deal out massive damage. Oracle can not only guarantee you at least two Fire Energy off of Howl, but also be used with Bill to retrieve you any two cards from your deck. Scoop Up helps protect your Entei from Zzzap damage, as well as re-use Howl.

Meganium/Exeggutor

😃 Fun to Play  💰 Expensive to Build

Pokémon (22)	Trainers (24)	Energy (14)
4x Cleffa 3x Pichu 3x Chikorita 3x Bayleef 3x Meganium 3x Exeggcute 3x Exeggutor	2x Energy Stadium 3x Focus Band 4x Copycat 3x Pokémon Fan Club 1x Town Volunteers 4x Professor Elm 4x Pokémon Trader 3x Double Gust	14x Grass Energy

With Meganium’s Wild Growth doubling all of your Grass Energy cards, Exeggutor’s Called Shot becomes a deadly attack. Pichu gives your Grass-type deck a chance against Entei/Magcargo.

Noc Lock

Pokémon (21)	Trainers (24)	Energy (15)
4x Cleffa 4x Totodile 4x Dark Croconaw 3x Dark Feraligatr 3x Hoothoot 3x Noctowl	2x Rocket’s Hideout 2x Gold Berry 2x EXP.ALL 3x Copycat 3x Pokémon Fan Club 4x Energy Removal 2 3x Professor Elm 3x Pokémon Trader 2x Double Gust	11x Water Energy 4x Darkness Energy

With Dark Feraligatr’s Scare preventing opponents from using Eeeeeeek, and Noctowl’s Glaring Gaze stripping away their Trainers, your opponents will struggle to set up. Meanwhile, Energy Removal 2 and Dark Feraligatr’s Crushing Jaw strip away their precious Energy cards, including the Metal Energy cards that protect tough Pokémon like Scizor.

SMF

🌠 Iconic Deck 🏆 Top Deck

Pokémon (18)	Trainers (29)	Energy (13)
3x Cleffa 3x Scyther 2x Scizor 2x Sentret 2x Furret 2x Grimer 2x Muk 2x Mantine	4x Gold Berry 2x Balloon Berry 4x Copycat 4x Pokémon Fan Club 1x Town Volunteers 4x Professor Elm 4x Pokémon Trader 3x Power Charge 3x Double Gust	4x Metal Energy 4x Rainbow Energy 3x Water Energy 2x Warp Energy

Using Furret’s Scavenger Hunt to retrieve Metal Energy cards allows you to boost Scizor’s defense and damage capability, while Mantine offers the deck a way to deal with fire Pokémon (like Magcargo) that can one-hit KO Scizor.

Tip: Remember that Muk’s Toxic Gas will shut off Furret’s Scavenger Hunt. Only evolve to Muk if you believe it will hurt your opponent more than you!

e-Card: The Lost Format

Neo-On was the final format hosted by Wizards of the Coast. In 2003, The Pokémon Company International (then Pokémon USA, Inc.) acquired the licensing rights to the game, designating Expedition-On as their first competitive format. In the process of this transition, a magnificent format was lost.

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Rocket-On | Neo-On | e-Card