Pokemon TCG

Pokemon Trading Card Game brings the beloved video game and anime series to life in card form. Players take on the role of Pokemon Trainers, using their Pokemon to battle opponents in strategic head-to-head matches.

The game features hundreds of Pokemon characters from all generations, each with unique attacks, abilities, and HP. Build your deck, evolve your Pokemon, and prove you're the very best!

Objective: Take all 6 of your Prize cards by knocking out your opponent's Pokemon, or win if your opponent has no Pokemon in play or can't draw a card at the start of their turn.

Deck Requirements: 60 cards exactly. You can have up to 4 copies of any card (except basic Energy cards).

Setup: Each player draws 7 cards. You must have at least 1 Basic Pokemon in your opening hand to start - shuffle and redraw if you don't. Place 1 Basic Pokemon face-down as your Active Pokemon, and up to 5 more on your Bench. Draw 6 Prize cards face-down.

Each turn follows these steps:

1. Draw: Draw 1 card from your deck
2. Actions (any order, multiple times):
   • Play Basic Pokemon to your Bench
   • Evolve your Pokemon
   • Attach 1 Energy card (once per turn)
   • Play Trainer cards
   • Retreat your Active Pokemon
   • Use Abilities
3. Attack: If you have enough Energy attached, use one of your Active Pokemon's attacks

After you attack, your turn ends.

Pokemon Cards: Your main battlers. Come in three stages - Basic (play directly), Stage 1 (evolve from Basic), and Stage 2 (evolve from Stage 1). Each has HP, attacks, weaknesses, and resistances.

Energy Cards: Power your Pokemon's attacks. Attach 1 per turn. Come in 11 types matching Pokemon types.

Trainer Cards: Instant effects. Three subtypes: Items (use immediately), Supporters (1 per turn, powerful effects), and Stadiums (stay in play affecting both players).

Play Areas: Active Spot (1 Pokemon fighting), Bench (up to 5 Pokemon waiting), Deck, Discard Pile, Prize Cards (6 cards, take 1 when you KO opponent's Pokemon).

There are three ways to win:

1. Prize Cards: Take all 6 of your Prize cards by knocking out opponent's Pokemon. Each KO lets you take 1 Prize (some powerful Pokemon-ex or Pokemon-V award 2 or 3 Prizes!)
2. Bench Out: Win immediately if your opponent has no Pokemon in play at any time
3. Deck Out: Win if your opponent can't draw a card at the start of their turn

Pro Tip: Prize card management is crucial. Sometimes it's better to KO multiple small Pokemon than one big one!

Every Pokemon card packs a lot of information into a small space. Here's what each part means:

Pokemon Cards

• Name & HP (Top): The Pokemon's name and Hit Points. Higher HP = harder to knock out. Cards with 'ex' or 'V' in the name are powerful but give up extra Prize cards.
• Stage & Evolution (Top-Left): Shows if it's a Basic, Stage 1, or Stage 2 Pokemon. Stage 1/2 cards show which Pokemon they evolve from.
• Type Icon (Top-Right): The Pokemon's type — Fire 🔥, Water 💧, Grass 🌿, Lightning ⚡, Psychic 🔮, Fighting 👊, Dark 🌑, Metal ⚙️, Dragon 🐉, Fairy ✨, or Colorless ⭐.
• Illustration (Center): The card art. Full-art and alternate-art versions have art that extends to the edges.
• Ability (Blue Box): Special effects that activate without attacking. Read carefully — some trigger automatically, others require you to choose.
• Attacks (Middle-Bottom): Each attack shows its Energy cost (left), name (center), and damage (right). Some have additional effects in the text.
• Weakness & Resistance (Bottom-Left): Weakness doubles damage from that type. Resistance reduces damage by 30 from that type.
• Retreat Cost (Bottom-Right): Energy you must discard to switch this Pokemon to your Bench.
• Regulation Mark (Bottom Corner): A letter (D, E, F, G, H) that determines which formats the card is legal in.

Trainer Cards

• Item: Play as many as you want per turn. One-time effects.
• Supporter: Powerful effects but limited to one per turn. This is the most important rule beginners forget.
• Stadium: Stays in play and affects both players. Only one Stadium can be active at a time.
• Pokemon Tool: Attach to a Pokemon for ongoing effects. Usually one per Pokemon.

Energy Cards

• Basic Energy: 11 types matching Pokemon types. Unlimited copies allowed in your deck.
• Special Energy: Provide unique effects beyond just Energy. Limited to specific counts per deck (usually 4).

A Pokemon TCG deck is exactly 60 cards. No more, no less. Here's how to build your first competitive deck:

The Golden Ratio: 15-30-15

A balanced starting formula:

• ~15 Pokemon: Your attackers, support, and setup Pokemon
• ~30 Trainers: Items, Supporters, Stadiums, and Tools
• ~15 Energy: Enough to power your attacks consistently

This ratio shifts depending on your strategy, but it's a solid baseline.

Building Your Pokemon Lines

• Keep evolution lines tight: If you run a Stage 2, use 4-3-3 or 4-3-2 counts (4 Basic, 3 Stage 1, 2-3 Stage 2). Rare Candy lets you skip Stage 1.
• Don't run too many different Pokemon: Focus on 2-3 attackers max. Consistency beats variety.
• Include draw/search support Pokemon: Cards like Lumineon V, Radiant Greninja, or Bibarel (Headwater) help you find what you need.

Trainer Card Essentials

Every competitive deck runs a core engine:

• 4x Professor's Research or Iono: Your main draw Supporters. Always run 4 copies of your primary draw.
• 4x Nest Ball or Ultra Ball: Search for Pokemon. Consistency is king.
• 2-3x Boss's Orders: Force an opponent's Benched Pokemon active. Wins games.
• 2-3x Rare Candy: If running Stage 2 Pokemon, this skips Stage 1 entirely.
• 1-2x Switch or Escape Rope: Get your Active Pokemon out of trouble.

Energy Tips

• Match your attackers: Only include Energy types your Pokemon actually use.
• Consider acceleration: Cards that attach extra Energy (like Electrode ex or specific Trainers) let you run fewer total Energy.
• Special Energy is powerful: Double Turbo Energy, Jet Energy, and others provide unique advantages.

Common Beginner Mistakes

1. Too many different Pokemon: Running 1 copy of 15 different Pokemon means you'll never find what you need. Run 3-4 copies of your key cards.
2. Not enough draw Supporters: You should have 8-10 draw/search Supporters total.
3. Too much Energy: More than 15 Energy usually means dead draws. Trust your Trainer engine.
4. No win condition: Every deck needs a clear plan to take 6 Prize cards. Build around it.
5. Ignoring the meta: Check what decks are winning tournaments on Limitless TCG before building.

Start with a Theme Deck or League Battle Deck

If you're brand new, buy a League Battle Deck (~). These are pre-built, tournament-adjacent decks that teach you real strategy. Upgrade from there by swapping in better Trainers and refining your Pokemon lines.