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Getting Started
Introduction
With the DPPt remakes releasing on the Nintendo Switch soon, the Pokémon TCG is back in the spotlight once again - if it ever left, that is. This beginner's guide will get you started with learning how to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game, from picking up the basic rules of attacking and status effects to getting to grips with how evolutions work.
Whether you've just discovered the Pokémon series for the first time, rediscovered it through the latest video games or Pokémon Go, or have been a fan since Red and Blue (or Green) landed on the original Game Boy, now is the perfect time to take up the almost 30-year-old series' tabletop counterpart and learn how to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Even better, if you already know the basics of how Pokémon battles work, you'll find it very easy to jump into the world of Pokémon cards.
One of the reasons the Pokémon Trading Card Game has remained so popular over its lifespan is thanks to its ability to keep all the familiar aspects of the video games involved, without having to tone it down. Evolutions, shinies, trainers, battles, status ailments: anything you know from Pokémon, be it the animated TV show or the video games, has found a way and place in the trading card game.
Whether you've just discovered the Pokémon series for the first time, rediscovered it through the latest video games or Pokémon Go, or have been a fan since Red and Blue (or Green) landed on the original Game Boy, now is the perfect time to take up the almost 30-year-old series' tabletop counterpart and learn how to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Even better, if you already know the basics of how Pokémon battles work, you'll find it very easy to jump into the world of Pokémon cards.
One of the reasons the Pokémon Trading Card Game has remained so popular over its lifespan is thanks to its ability to keep all the familiar aspects of the video games involved, without having to tone it down. Evolutions, shinies, trainers, battles, status ailments: anything you know from Pokémon, be it the animated TV show or the video games, has found a way and place in the trading card game.
-Sarah Jarvis
Where to Start
Each player has a deck of exactly 60 cards, consisting of Pokémon cards, energy cards, item cards and trainer cards.
Apart from energy cards, you can't have more than four cards in your deck with the same name.
When you're first learning how to play the Pokémon TCG, it might be best to pick up one of the pre-built decks available for the trading card game. Once you know the basics, you can learn how to build a Pokémon TCG deck to include all your favorite Pokémon and customize your play style..
Apart from energy cards, you can't have more than four cards in your deck with the same name.
When you're first learning how to play the Pokémon TCG, it might be best to pick up one of the pre-built decks available for the trading card game. Once you know the basics, you can learn how to build a Pokémon TCG deck to include all your favorite Pokémon and customize your play style..
How to Begin
The basic flow of play in the Pokémon TCG is relatively simple to grasp, but it involves a few steps you'll need to learn before your first battle.
How do you start the Pokémon TCG?
At the beginning of a game, players can flip a coin to see who plays first. Then the decks are shuffled, players draw a hand of seven cards and the top six cards are set aside as prize cards; you add one of these to your hand each time one you defeat an opponent's Pokémon, and claim victory if you pick up all six before your rival.
Both players can place one basic Pokémon card facedown as their active Pokémon, plus up to five more basic Pokémon on their bench. If you don't have any basic Pokémon cards in your hand after drawing your initial hand of seven cards, reveal your hand to your opponent and draw seven more hands. You can repeat this as many times as you want until you have at least one basic Pokémon - but your opponent gets to draw one extra card for every time you do.
How do you start the Pokémon TCG?
At the beginning of a game, players can flip a coin to see who plays first. Then the decks are shuffled, players draw a hand of seven cards and the top six cards are set aside as prize cards; you add one of these to your hand each time one you defeat an opponent's Pokémon, and claim victory if you pick up all six before your rival.
Both players can place one basic Pokémon card facedown as their active Pokémon, plus up to five more basic Pokémon on their bench. If you don't have any basic Pokémon cards in your hand after drawing your initial hand of seven cards, reveal your hand to your opponent and draw seven more hands. You can repeat this as many times as you want until you have at least one basic Pokémon - but your opponent gets to draw one extra card for every time you do.
How to Build a Deck
First, you need to decide whether your deck needs to be able to be taken to a tournament, or if it's something you intend to play casually with your friends. If it's a casual deck, feel free to use cards that you have from any set, but if you are looking to make a tournament deck, check out this thread for a list of tournament-legal cards: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=309435.
A good way to begin a deck is to choose a card that will be your main attacker; go through your cards and pick something that seems like it has either a strong attack, good ability, high HP, or all of those if you can. Think about what kind of a strategy you are going to go for; does it deal a lot of damage? Use status conditions? Snipe weaker Pokémon on the bench? Whatever it is, make sure you only include cards that involve the strategy you choose!
What goes in a deck?
There is no set ratio of Pokémon, trainers/supporters/stadium, and energy that you need in your deck. You can have them in any combination as long as they total 60 cards exactly; however there are better combinations than others, and you can only have up to 4 copies of a card in your deck, excluding basic energy. A common mistake is to overload a deck with Pokémon while overlooking those crucial support cards.
An example deck:
So I want to build a deck, and the card I'm interested in is this one:
http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/up...ck30.jpg/436px-GyaradosGyaradosHalfDeck30.jpg
I will need some Magikarps and some of these Gyarados. Seeing as it's my main Pokémon, I'm going to have four Magikarp and three Gyarados. I want to max out the basic form because you can't start the game unless you have basic Pokémon in your hand, and this gives me the best odds of getting Magikarp at the start of the game and setting up the Gyarados as quickly as possible. I'll use the Magikarp from Heart Gold Soul Silver because it's in format.
Now I need Pokémon that support Gyarados. It's a water-type, and I happen to know that Feraligatr prime from HGSS has a power that puts energy on water Pokémon quickly, so I'm going to add that. It will be 4 Totodile, 3 Croconaw, and 3 Feraligatr (4-3-3 or 4-2-3 if you have Rare Candy are pretty standard for stage 2 Pokémon). I can also add Pokémon that aren't water type if they have attacks which can use any type of energy (colourless attacks). I'll use Zoroark from Black and White because its attack uses two of any type, and its dark type will add variety to my deck, so I don't just automatically lose to electric decks. 1 Zorua and 1 Zoroark sounds good, which puts me at 19 Pokémon in total.
Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums: arguably the most important part of your deck. I need cards that search for my Pokémon, draw new cards, set up my Pokémon faster, and restore my cards from the discard pile. My Pokémon have a high retreat cost so Switch will help a lot. Here is a fairly standard list of things to add:
3 Pokémon Collector
4 Professor Oak's New Theory
2 Professor Elm's Training Method
1 Cilan
3 Cheren
3 Pokémon Communication
2 Switch
3 Rare Candy
3 Junk Arm
1 Super Rod
25 T/S/S
3 Rescue Energy
4 Double Colourless Energy
9 Water Energy
16 Energy Total
Water energy is obvious, and Double Colorless energy can be used by both Zoroark and Gyarados, basically giving you two energy in one attachment. Rescue energy brings your Pokémon back to your hand after it has been knocked out.
There are plenty of good cards both in and out of format right now, so choose the ones that seem to help your strategy. If energy is really important for your deck, get cards that help you search them out and recover them from the discard pile. If your Pokémon is a stage 2, rare candy will get you to the last stage one turn faster by skipping the middle stage. The most important thing is for the cards in your deck to work with one another, so don't throw things in unless they specifically add something to your overall plan. Unnecessary random cards will only get in the way and hurt the consistency of your deck.
A good way to begin a deck is to choose a card that will be your main attacker; go through your cards and pick something that seems like it has either a strong attack, good ability, high HP, or all of those if you can. Think about what kind of a strategy you are going to go for; does it deal a lot of damage? Use status conditions? Snipe weaker Pokémon on the bench? Whatever it is, make sure you only include cards that involve the strategy you choose!
What goes in a deck?
There is no set ratio of Pokémon, trainers/supporters/stadium, and energy that you need in your deck. You can have them in any combination as long as they total 60 cards exactly; however there are better combinations than others, and you can only have up to 4 copies of a card in your deck, excluding basic energy. A common mistake is to overload a deck with Pokémon while overlooking those crucial support cards.
An example deck:
So I want to build a deck, and the card I'm interested in is this one:
http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/up...ck30.jpg/436px-GyaradosGyaradosHalfDeck30.jpg
I will need some Magikarps and some of these Gyarados. Seeing as it's my main Pokémon, I'm going to have four Magikarp and three Gyarados. I want to max out the basic form because you can't start the game unless you have basic Pokémon in your hand, and this gives me the best odds of getting Magikarp at the start of the game and setting up the Gyarados as quickly as possible. I'll use the Magikarp from Heart Gold Soul Silver because it's in format.
Now I need Pokémon that support Gyarados. It's a water-type, and I happen to know that Feraligatr prime from HGSS has a power that puts energy on water Pokémon quickly, so I'm going to add that. It will be 4 Totodile, 3 Croconaw, and 3 Feraligatr (4-3-3 or 4-2-3 if you have Rare Candy are pretty standard for stage 2 Pokémon). I can also add Pokémon that aren't water type if they have attacks which can use any type of energy (colourless attacks). I'll use Zoroark from Black and White because its attack uses two of any type, and its dark type will add variety to my deck, so I don't just automatically lose to electric decks. 1 Zorua and 1 Zoroark sounds good, which puts me at 19 Pokémon in total.
Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums: arguably the most important part of your deck. I need cards that search for my Pokémon, draw new cards, set up my Pokémon faster, and restore my cards from the discard pile. My Pokémon have a high retreat cost so Switch will help a lot. Here is a fairly standard list of things to add:
3 Pokémon Collector
4 Professor Oak's New Theory
2 Professor Elm's Training Method
1 Cilan
3 Cheren
3 Pokémon Communication
2 Switch
3 Rare Candy
3 Junk Arm
1 Super Rod
25 T/S/S
3 Rescue Energy
4 Double Colourless Energy
9 Water Energy
16 Energy Total
Water energy is obvious, and Double Colorless energy can be used by both Zoroark and Gyarados, basically giving you two energy in one attachment. Rescue energy brings your Pokémon back to your hand after it has been knocked out.
There are plenty of good cards both in and out of format right now, so choose the ones that seem to help your strategy. If energy is really important for your deck, get cards that help you search them out and recover them from the discard pile. If your Pokémon is a stage 2, rare candy will get you to the last stage one turn faster by skipping the middle stage. The most important thing is for the cards in your deck to work with one another, so don't throw things in unless they specifically add something to your overall plan. Unnecessary random cards will only get in the way and hurt the consistency of your deck.
Status, Attacking, Evolution
Each player has a deck of exactly 60 cards, consisting of Pokémon cards, energy cards, item cards and trainer cards.
Apart from energy cards, you can't have more than four cards in your deck with the same name. When you're first learning how to play the Pokémon TCG, it might be best to pick up one of the pre-built decks available for the trading card game. Once you know the basics, you can learn how to build a Pokémon TCG deck to include all your favourite Pokémon and customize your play style. The basic flow of play in the Pokémon TCG is relatively simple to grasp, but it involves a few steps you'll need to learn before your first battle.
How do you start the Pokémon TCG?
At the beginning of a game, players can flip a coin to see who plays first. Then the decks are shuffled, players draw a hand of seven cards and the top six cards are set aside as prize cards; you add one of these to your hand each time one you defeat an opponent's Pokémon, and claim victory if you pick up all six before your rival.
Apart from energy cards, you can't have more than four cards in your deck with the same name. When you're first learning how to play the Pokémon TCG, it might be best to pick up one of the pre-built decks available for the trading card game. Once you know the basics, you can learn how to build a Pokémon TCG deck to include all your favourite Pokémon and customize your play style. The basic flow of play in the Pokémon TCG is relatively simple to grasp, but it involves a few steps you'll need to learn before your first battle.
How do you start the Pokémon TCG?
At the beginning of a game, players can flip a coin to see who plays first. Then the decks are shuffled, players draw a hand of seven cards and the top six cards are set aside as prize cards; you add one of these to your hand each time one you defeat an opponent's Pokémon, and claim victory if you pick up all six before your rival.
Where to Start
How do turns work in the Pokémon TCG?
When each turn begins, the active player draws a card from the top of their deck; if you run out of cards in your deck and can't draw on your next turn, you lose.
During each turn's second phase, you can do any and all of the following:
When each turn begins, the active player draws a card from the top of their deck; if you run out of cards in your deck and can't draw on your next turn, you lose.
During each turn's second phase, you can do any and all of the following:
- Play any number of basic Pokémon from your hand to your bench.
- Attach one (and only one) energy card to a Pokémon from your hand. This can be your active Pokémon or a Pokémon on your bench.
- Evolve a Pokémon by playing a Stage 1 or Stage 2 evolution on top of a basic or Stage 1 Pokémon, respectively. A Pokémon can't evolve the same turn it's played, and can only evolve once per turn. (Unless an item card like Rare Candy specifies otherwise.)
- Play any number of item cards.
- Play any number of trainer cards. (Except supporter and stadium cards, which only let you play one per turn.)
- Retreat your active Pokémon to your bench by paying the retreat cost on its card in energy from your hand. You must then replace it with a Pokémon from your bench.
- Use any number of abilities on Pokémon cards.
How to Begin
A player can have a total of six Pokémon in play at once, although only one - the active Pokémon - can perform attacks during each turn. The rest remain in your bench - a row of cards behind the active Pokémon where you hold five other Pokémon who wait to battle it out against your opponent, a bit like your party in the Pokémon video games. Both active Pokémon and benched Pokémon can be evolved and have energy attached to them. If your active Pokémon is defeated, you must replace it with one from your bench; if you have no Pokémon on the field at all, you lose.
After you've done the above, your active Pokémon can attack the opponent. The Pokémon can perform one attack listed on its card as long as the correct amount and type of energy is attached to the card. (The energy isn't discarded unless specified.)
Damage is assigned to the opponent's active Pokémon as damage counters - once it receives as much damage as it has hit points, it faints. A defeated Pokémon must be replaced with a Pokémon from the bench (if there are no Pokémon to replace it, the player loses), and the player who knocked it out claims a prize card to add to their hand. If they claim their sixth and final prize card, they win.
Once you've attacked and assigned any damage and/or status effects, your turn ends and it's your opponent's go. The game repeats like this until one player wins!
After you've done the above, your active Pokémon can attack the opponent. The Pokémon can perform one attack listed on its card as long as the correct amount and type of energy is attached to the card. (The energy isn't discarded unless specified.)
Damage is assigned to the opponent's active Pokémon as damage counters - once it receives as much damage as it has hit points, it faints. A defeated Pokémon must be replaced with a Pokémon from the bench (if there are no Pokémon to replace it, the player loses), and the player who knocked it out claims a prize card to add to their hand. If they claim their sixth and final prize card, they win.
Once you've attacked and assigned any damage and/or status effects, your turn ends and it's your opponent's go. The game repeats like this until one player wins!
Status, Attacking, Evolution
Each player has a deck of exactly 60 cards, consisting of Pokémon cards, energy cards, item cards and trainer cards.
Apart from energy cards, you can't have more than four cards in your deck with the same name.
When you're first learning how to play the Pokémon TCG, it might be best to pick up one of the pre-built decks available for the trading card game. Once you know the basics, you can learn how to build a Pokémon TCG deck to include all your favorite Pokémon and customize your play style.
The basic flow of play in the Pokémon TCG is relatively simple to grasp, but it involves a few steps you'll need to learn before your first battle.
How do you start the Pokémon TCG?
At the beginning of a game, players can flip a coin to see who plays first. Then the decks are shuffled, players draw a hand of seven cards and the top six cards are set aside as prize cards; you add one of these to your hand each time one you defeat an opponent's Pokémon, and claim victory if you pick up all six before your rival.
Both players can place one basic Pokémon card facedown as their active Pokémon, plus up to five more basic Pokémon on their bench. If you don't have any basic Pokémon cards in your hand after drawing your initial hand of seven cards, reveal your hand to your opponent and draw seven more hands. You can repeat this as many times as you want until you have at least one basic Pokémon - but your opponent gets to draw one extra card for every time you do.
Apart from energy cards, you can't have more than four cards in your deck with the same name.
When you're first learning how to play the Pokémon TCG, it might be best to pick up one of the pre-built decks available for the trading card game. Once you know the basics, you can learn how to build a Pokémon TCG deck to include all your favorite Pokémon and customize your play style.
The basic flow of play in the Pokémon TCG is relatively simple to grasp, but it involves a few steps you'll need to learn before your first battle.
How do you start the Pokémon TCG?
At the beginning of a game, players can flip a coin to see who plays first. Then the decks are shuffled, players draw a hand of seven cards and the top six cards are set aside as prize cards; you add one of these to your hand each time one you defeat an opponent's Pokémon, and claim victory if you pick up all six before your rival.
Both players can place one basic Pokémon card facedown as their active Pokémon, plus up to five more basic Pokémon on their bench. If you don't have any basic Pokémon cards in your hand after drawing your initial hand of seven cards, reveal your hand to your opponent and draw seven more hands. You can repeat this as many times as you want until you have at least one basic Pokémon - but your opponent gets to draw one extra card for every time you do.
Winning the TCG
Like many other competitive trading card games, the Pokémon TCG can be won in a variety of ways:
The most common path to victory is to knock out six of your opponent's Pokémon and collect prize cards. Every time you defeat a Pokémon controlled by your rival, you claim one of the six prize cards you set aside at the start of the game and add it to your hand. When you pick up your sixth and final card, you win!
If you defeat an opponent's active Pokémon and they have no available Pokémon on their bench to replace it, you can also claim victory.
If your opponent runs out of cards in their deck, and therefore can't draw a card at the beginning of their turn, you win. This is what's known as 'decking' your opponent.
The most common path to victory is to knock out six of your opponent's Pokémon and collect prize cards. Every time you defeat a Pokémon controlled by your rival, you claim one of the six prize cards you set aside at the start of the game and add it to your hand. When you pick up your sixth and final card, you win!
If you defeat an opponent's active Pokémon and they have no available Pokémon on their bench to replace it, you can also claim victory.
If your opponent runs out of cards in their deck, and therefore can't draw a card at the beginning of their turn, you win. This is what's known as 'decking' your opponent.
Status Conditions
How do status conditions work in the Pokémon TCG?
As in the Pokémon video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game has a number of special conditions that can be inflicted on Pokémon, giving their opponent an extra advantage in a battle. Multiple special conditions can affect the same Pokémon - in the case of effects indicated by turning the
Asleep
If a Pokémon is asleep, it can't attack or retreat. The card is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise to show its status condition. At the end of their turn, the player flips a coin - on a head, the Pokémon wakes up and is no longer asleep.
Paralyzed
When a Pokémon is paralyzed, it can't attack or retreat on the player's next turn. The card is rotated 90 degrees clockwise to show its status condition. At the end of the player's next turn, paralyzed is automatically cured.
Burned
The Pokémon card receives a burned token to show its status condition. A burned Pokémon receives two damage counters (20 HP) at the end of each turn. After suffering this damage, the player flips a coin. On a heads, Burned is cured.
Confused
Pokémon video game players will be oh-so-familiar with the words "It hurt itself in its confusion!" Confusion in the Pokémon TCG works the same - when you attack with a confused Pokémon, flip a coin. On heads, the attack happens as normal. On tails, the attack fails and the Pokémon suffers three damage counters (30 HP). The Pokémon card is rotated 180 degrees (making it upside-down) to show its status condition.
Poisoned
A poisoned Pokémon suffers one damage counter (10 HP) at the end of each turn.
Special conditions can also be cured by evolving a Pokémon or retreating it to the bench, which cures all special conditions. (Remember that asleep and paralyzed Pokémon can't retreat!)
As in the Pokémon video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game has a number of special conditions that can be inflicted on Pokémon, giving their opponent an extra advantage in a battle. Multiple special conditions can affect the same Pokémon - in the case of effects indicated by turning the
Asleep
If a Pokémon is asleep, it can't attack or retreat. The card is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise to show its status condition. At the end of their turn, the player flips a coin - on a head, the Pokémon wakes up and is no longer asleep.
Paralyzed
When a Pokémon is paralyzed, it can't attack or retreat on the player's next turn. The card is rotated 90 degrees clockwise to show its status condition. At the end of the player's next turn, paralyzed is automatically cured.
Burned
The Pokémon card receives a burned token to show its status condition. A burned Pokémon receives two damage counters (20 HP) at the end of each turn. After suffering this damage, the player flips a coin. On a heads, Burned is cured.
Confused
Pokémon video game players will be oh-so-familiar with the words "It hurt itself in its confusion!" Confusion in the Pokémon TCG works the same - when you attack with a confused Pokémon, flip a coin. On heads, the attack happens as normal. On tails, the attack fails and the Pokémon suffers three damage counters (30 HP). The Pokémon card is rotated 180 degrees (making it upside-down) to show its status condition.
Poisoned
A poisoned Pokémon suffers one damage counter (10 HP) at the end of each turn.
Special conditions can also be cured by evolving a Pokémon or retreating it to the bench, which cures all special conditions. (Remember that asleep and paralyzed Pokémon can't retreat!)
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