How To Play
The ultimate guide to learning the Pokemon TCG
By Sockiller@hotmail.com
I will start off by saying this: The pokemon card game, despite what idiots say, does not bear much of a resemblance to the horribly satanic Magic: The Gathering. It is different in many ways, including the fact that it is a lot easier to play.
First of all, there are 4 types of cards. Basic pokemon: The cards that fight in the game, Evolutions: The cards that are put on Basic pokemon to make them stronger, Trainers: Cards that cause certain effects in the game and then are discarded, and energy: Cards that are attached to pokemon to make them attack.
Let's start by looking at basic pokemon. You know that they're basic pokemon because is says "basic pokemon" above the name of the pokemon in the upper left corner. These are the cards that you will play throughout the game to fight your opponent's pokemon. First of all, a pokemon can be any of 7 types (ex: water, fire, psychic...). This is the pokemon's element and most pokemon of the same type have the same characteristics (ex: Many fire pokemon have to discard energy for their attacks). In the upper right corner the pokemon has a HP total (ex: 50 HP). This is how much damage the pokemon can take before it is knocked out, keep in mind that weaknesses & resistances can alter the amount of damage done to the pokemon. Every pokemon has a weakness, a resistance, or both. They are listed at the bottom of the card aside retreat cost. The color of the type the pokemon is weak or resistant to is listed there. If a pokemon takes damage from a pokemon of the type it's weak to, it takes double the damage it normally would've recieved. If a pokemon is attacked by a pokemon of the type it is resistant to, the damage is reduced by the amount indicated on the card (ex: Farfetch'd has a -30 resistance to fighting attacks). If for some reason a pokemon has a weakness and resistance to the same type, (porygon could use conversion on farfetch'd and change it's weakness to fighting also) then weakness is applied first and then resistance. After the damage is figured out, an amount of damage counters (1 for each 10 damage) is placed on the pokemon. You can use anything for damage counters, just something to indicate how damaged the pokemon is. After that, if the damage counters exceed the pokemon's HP, that pokemon is knocked out (it leaves the fight and goes into the discard pile) and the opponent gets a prize, i'll get to prizes later. Attacks also might have a secondary effect, such as poisioning or confusing the opponent.
If an attack has an affect like this, it will be indicated below the name of the attack on the card. Such examples are:
Flip a coin, if heads the defending pokemon is now paralyzed.
If the pokemon is not knocked out by this attack, return it and all cards attached to it to the opponent's hand.
Flip a coin, if tails this pokemon does 10 damage to itself.
If the defending pokemon has any energy cards attached to it, choose one of them and discard it.
The special effects in pokemon are:
-Sleep
-Paralysis
-Poison
-Confusion
If a pokemon is put to sleep, it cannot attack or retreat as long as it is asleep. You flip a coin after each player's turn to see if the pokemon wakes up. You wake up on heads.
If a pokemon is paralyzed, it cannot attack the turn immedietly after paralysis occured. The pokemon is also incapable of retreating. The paralysis wears off after that turn.
If a pokemon becomes poisoned, it will take 10 poison damage after
each player's turn. Poison won't wear off unless the pokemon is retreated or a trainer is used to heal it. If a pokemon is knocked out by poison, the opponent gets a prize just the same as if it was knocked out by an attack.
If a pokemon is confused, every time it tries to attack, you flip a coin. On heads, the attack goes on normally. On tails, The attack does nothing and the attacking pokemon takes 20 damage (dont apply weaknesses or resistances). I the attack had a energy discard effect on the attacking pokemon (ex: Discard 1 (fire) energy attached to this pokemon in order to use this attack) and the coin flip is tails, that effect is also implied to the pokemon in addition to the 20 damage.
A pokemon can be poisoned and have one other status effect at the same time, but not:
Paralysis + Sleep
Paralysis + Confusion
Sleep + Confusion
Some pokemon also have pokemon powers. These will be indicated by the text Pokemon Power: something (ex: Pokemon Power: Energy trans) in the text where attacks normally are. These powers can be used on your turn any time before you attack, unless the power is always in effect. Also, most pokemon powers are neutralized as long as the pokemon with the power is asleep, confused , or paralyzed, but not poisoned. The pokemon power does whatever the text sais, but doesn't count as an attack. So you can use a power and attack in the same turn.
As for attacks, These are the main way you win a game. The attacks are displayed in the text below the pokemon's picture. The attack's name itself will be in bold letters. The circles to the left of the attack represent the amount of energy needed to use that attack. You must have at least that much energy attached to the pokemon to use the attack. White circles represent requirements that can be met by any kind of energy. The number to the left of the attack (if any) is the amount of damage that the attack will do (this value may be altered by weaknesses and resistances). And as described before, many attacks have secondary effects that can result in almost anything happening.
Now I shall move on to evolutions. These cards are cards that can be played on basic pokemon and other evolutions to make them stronger, in turn the evolutions usually have higher retreat and attack costs, so it's not always a good idea to evolve. You cannot play an evolution card on a basic pokemon that you played this turn, nor can you evolve the same pokemon twice in the same turn.
Now for the trainer cards. Trainers can do anything from removing damage from your pokemon, to screwing with your opponent's hand. A good deck (with the exception of a stall deck) will have about 10 trainers. Any less than eight and the deck will become too inbalanced. Basically, a trainer is played during your turn (with the exception of defender, according to its text), does what it says, and is added to your discard pile.
The discard pile is just a "boneyard" for your cards. The discarded cards are put in a pile that is off limits to you without the aid of a trainer.
And finally, energy. These cards are the cards that power up your pokemon and enable them to attack. You can attach them to the pokemon (only one per turn) so they can attack. There are six basic energy types:
Water
Fire
Grass
Electric
Fighting
Psychic
There are energy for each type of pokemon. Most pokemon need the energy of their own type, but some pokemon, Exeggcute for example, can use other types of energy. Those are the basic energy types, but there is also double colorless energy. This is not a basic energy card. It provides two colorless energy and CANNOT be used as any kind of energy, only to pay for colorless energy requirements. Energy is also needed for retreating. Under the pokemon's retreat cost is an amount of energy. This is the amount of energy you must discard from that pokemon if you want to retreat it. Retreating a pokemon is putting the pokemon on your bench and swapping it for another pokemon on the bench. I will tell you what the bench is later.
Now that you know the types of cards, I will move on to basic gameplay. First of all, you must have a 60 card deck of cards (no more, no less). The guidelines for the deck are:
- EXACTLY 60 cards
- No more than four of each card other than basic energy
A good mix of cards for a normal two color deck is:
- 28 Energy
- 10 Trainers
- 14 Basic Pokemon
- 8 Evolutions
If you want more of a "haymaker" type deck (a fast deck with big, cheap basic pokemon), then cut down on the evolutions and add more bbp's (big, basic pokemon) like Electabuzz and Hitmonchan.
Now that you know to make a deck, let's go through how a game would go. First, each player draws 7 cards from their deck (after shuffling). They then draw 6 more cards and put them face down (without looking at them). These cards are prizes. Then each of you put down one basic pokemon from your hand facedown. If you don't have any basic pokemon in your hand, shuffle your hand back into your deck and draw 7 new cards. If this happens, your oppnent, if they choose to, may draw 2 extra cards. You may also put as many basic pokemon on your bench as you like. Your bench is the place where the pokemon that aren't fighting stay. You can put up to 5 pokemon on your bench at one time. Keep in mind however, pokemon on your bench aren't completely safe. Pokemon like Gengar and Hitmonlee can hit the pokemon on your bench and knock out weak ones very quickly. After you put down the basic pokemon, flip a coin to see who goes first. Let's say that you go first. Your first turn begins. During your turn you may do any of the following:
- Draw 1 card (you have to do this)
- Play an energy card (only one)
- Play a basic pokemon (as many as you want)
- Play an evolution card (as many as you want)
- Play a trainer card (as many as you want)
- Use a Pokemon power (it depends)
- Retreat a pokemon (as many times as you want)
After you have finished, You may choose to attack (if you can). If you knock out a pokemon in the attack, you then take a prize. This can be helpful because you might get a needed card there.
Your opponent will then do this too and it will go back and forth like this until one of you wins. There are three ways to win.
- You Get all 6 of your prizes before your opponent does
- You knock out one of your opponent's pokemon and they don't have one on the bench to replace it
- Your opponent runs out of cards
So now you know how to play pokemon TCG.
Questions or Comments? mail me at sockiller@hotmail.com
