Pokemon has been a huge part of my life for a long time. I remember watching the show when it was on Kids WB. And playing the videogames when they first came out. Now that I’m older, I’m starting to get into Pokemon TCG. One can never be too old to learn something new.
Pokemon TCG is very different from the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG game. Unlike in Yu-Gi-Oh! where you can just buy 3 structure decks to create a fully functioning deck, in Pokemon you don’t do that. I actually highly recommend against that.
Getting Started
If you are completely new to Pokemon TCG, there are a few ways to learn how to play and get started. If you wish to learn to play there are 2 options. One is to go to the Pokemon website (found here), scroll all the way down until you see “How to play,” and then watch the informational videos on how to play. The other way is to download Pokemon TCG Live and go through the tutorial there.
Pokemon TCG Live is where you can play other people online and can complete missions in order to earn in-game extras. Like more cards, or deck sleeves, and coins. On TCG Live you can also input codes from card packs or decks that you buy in real life. These codes get the packs or cards on your TCG Live account.
Deck Building
If you just want to get started right away because you already know how play then lets get to deck building. It is Not a good idea to buy a bunch of booster packs to build a deck to get started. It’s better to buy pre-made or theme decks as they already having everything you need to start playing right away. However, they do not hold much value for reselling or trading. Battle decks on the other hand can be a bit more valuable. They may obtain more relevant cards used in the current game. Just note that there are different play levels. The higher the level the more difficult the deck is to play.
There is also another way to build a deck when you have no cards and are just starting out. You buy cards individually. It may take longer, but it is cheaper than buying booster packs and sets. My main recommendation if you have no collection and are just starting out, you can buy Pokemon Trainer Toolkits of the most recent year and then buy any cards you want or need individually. Trainer Toolkits will have some of the most relevant cards of the format and give you some extra stuff too.
Go Have Fun Playing Pokemon TCG
Now that you know how to play and are comfortable with everything, lets move on to even better things. As we all know, it’s no fun playing against the same person over and over. So go to your local card shop and see if they hold local Pokemon tcg tournaments. Or if you like you can continue playing against real people on Pokemon TCG Live in ranked mode. This will allow you to face others that are of the same rank as you.
There’s more… If you like competition then you should sign up to participate at different events. Starting from local entry-levels, you can compete in League Challenge, League Cup, Regional Championships, and World Championships for the those wishing to be a Pokemon Master!
Response Magic