Thinking of getting into TCG, what should I know?

[TBJ]

I use to collect the cards when I was younger and have recently gotten back into the games with the release of HGSS and was wondering what important things should I know? Any advice would be awesome especially things like what should I buy to start off.

 

[ElectricScyther]

I recommend you look online for different cards that fit your playing style. If you don't know what your playing style is, you can always buy one of the ready-made decks to learn the ropes. You'll also get an idea of what works for you and what doesn't.

 

[Raikou Trainer]

I posted this in another similar topic, but if you don't know how to play the game, the HS Trainer Kit would be an ideal starting point, as it teaches you the ropes as well as having two copies each of two of the most sought after (and pricey) Trainers in the game at the moment for only around $13.

I'd also suggest getting one of the Black & White theme decks, as they contain the updated rules, as well as having decent cards in all of them.

Along those lines, the sets I'd recommend investing in are HeartGold/SoulSilver, HS Triumphant, and Black & White, as they have most of the cards that many top decks will use. Avoid Call of Legends, as many of the cards in that set are reprints of cards found in the other HS series sets, and the unique cards in the set can be obtained fairly cheaply.

 

[kelario27]

I would suggest buying a theme deck to start off. They contain a full deck you can play and a rulebook, as well as a "flip a coin" coin.

 

[feralig8rx]

I'm in a very similar situation. What I did was go on forums such as PokeBeach and read what deck ideas were posted by experts for beginners. At the time, I read an awesome post about Torterra and set out to buy the Arceus set since I needed a lot of commons from that set and I already had 3 Torterras.

The way I look at it, I would see what type intrigues you the most and focus around that. My first deck was a fire type starter deck (I love fire types, Infernape is my favorite!) and all I did was buy some booster to customize it to fit my playstyle. After a few months of getting back into the TCG I realized that I wanted a more "unique" deck and sought out to create my own consisting of the 3rd evolution cards which I owned the most of; coincidentally, they were Torterra.

From there, I just purchased a Torterra lv.X tin for the promo and I put that in my deck. Although there are many more advanced decks out there, the deck feels perfect for me and I feel good knowing I created the deck myself. Altogether I spent about $70 between the Arceus booster packs, the tin, and random booster packs for trainers.

Just remember; the key to perfecting your deck (aside from practice, of course) is trading! You'll be surprised how many people want those old trainers you have lying around or don't need. If I recall, the ones from HGSS are actually very good and many people will pay upwards of $10 for one. I could be a little off, but I would check out websites such as trollandtoad.com and professoroak.com.

Good luck with your newfound interest in the TCG!