How to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game: decks, energy, turns and prize cards

TUREFF• •0

The Pokémon Trading Card Game has been played since the 1990s and is still going strong, with new expansions several times a year. It is easier to learn than it looks. This guide covers the basic rules, how to start a collection sensibly, and how to avoid fakes.

The three kinds of card

Pokémon cards: the creatures that battle. Basic Pokémon can be played directly; Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pokémon evolve from them. Each has Hit Points (HP), attacks, a type, and often a weakness and resistance.
Energy cards: attached to your Pokémon to power their attacks. Each attack lists the energy it needs.
Trainer cards: items, supporters and stadiums that let you draw cards, heal, search your deck or change the board.

Deck basics

A standard deck has exactly 60 cards, with no more than four copies of any card by the same name, apart from basic Energy. A typical beginner deck might be around a third Pokémon, a third Trainers and a third Energy, built around one or two main attackers. The easiest way to start is with a pre-built deck from an official product, which is designed to play straight away. Learn with it before building your own.

Setting up

Flip a coin to decide who goes first.
Shuffle and draw seven cards.
Place one Basic Pokémon face down as your Active Pokémon and up to five more on your Bench.
If you have no Basic Pokémon in hand, reveal your hand, reshuffle and draw again; your opponent may draw an extra card.
Put the top six cards of your deck aside face down as your Prize cards.
Both players turn their Pokémon face up and the first turn begins.

How a turn works

Draw a card.
Take actions in any order, as many as you like within the limits below.
Attack, if you have the energy. Attacking ends your turn.

The actions available in step 2:

put Basic Pokémon on your Bench;
evolve Pokémon (not one that came into play this turn, and not on either player's first turn);
attach one Energy card per turn;
play Trainer cards (only one Supporter per turn);
retreat your Active Pokémon by paying its retreat cost, once per turn;
use abilities.

The player who goes first cannot attack on their first turn.

Damage and knockouts

Damage is marked with counters. When a Pokémon's damage reaches its HP, it is Knocked Out and goes to the discard pile, and the attacker takes a Prize card. Weakness usually doubles damage; resistance reduces it. Some powerful Pokémon, such as ex cards, give up two or more Prize cards when Knocked Out, which is the price of their strength.

Special conditions

Attacks can leave a Pokémon Asleep, Confused, Paralysed, Burned or Poisoned. Each has its own effect between turns; the rulebook in a starter deck explains them on one page.

Ways to win

Take all your Prize cards.
Knock Out your opponent's last Pokémon in play, so they have nothing to replace the Active Pokémon with.
Your opponent cannot draw a card at the start of their turn because their deck is empty.

Playing digitally

The Pokémon Company has two official apps. Pokémon TCG Live is the digital version of the full card game, on mobile and computer, and a good place to learn the rules free. Pokémon TCG Pocket is a separate, mobile-only game built mostly around collecting and opening packs, with simplified battles. Beware of unofficial apps with similar names in app stores.

Buying cards sensibly

Decide whether you want to play or collect. Players should buy specific singles for a deck; packs are a lottery.
Set a budget. Opening packs is fun, but the rare cards you want are usually cheaper bought individually.
Buy from reputable shops, local game stores or well-reviewed sellers.
Local stores often run beginner events and league nights.

Spotting fakes

Compare with a card you know is genuine: fakes are often glossier or duller, with blurry text and wrong fonts.
Check the back: colours that are off, especially a washed-out blue, are a warning sign.
Look at the energy symbols and HP text for misalignment.
Real cards have a thin dark layer inside; a bright light through a fake can look different, but do not damage cards testing them.
Prices that look too good to be true usually are.

What deck did you start with, and what are you trying to build? Share your questions in the comments.