How to play Pokemon TCG
Advanced rules playlist:
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0:00 – Objective
0:16 – Deck Requirements
0:34 – Types of Cards
0:55 – Starting a game
1:10 – Table Layout
1:50 – Picking starting Pokémon
2:38 – Starting the game
3:03 – Play Pokémon
3:09 – Evolve Pokémon
3:59 – Attach Energy
4:13 – Play Trainer Cards
4:47 – Pokémon Tools
5:04 – Retreating
5:45 – Abilities
6:12 – Attacking
8:26 – Checkup Phase
8:47 – Asleep
9:00 – Burned
9:12 – Confused
9:31 – Paralyzed
9:45 – Poisoned
9:57 – Special Conditions
10:20 – Advanced Rules
RULES:
The object of the game is to be the first player to either take all your Prize cards, knock out all your opponent’s pokemon, or to not run out of cards in your deck before your opponent. Each player provides their own deck of exactly 60 cards. When you are building a deck, you can only have 4 copies of a card with the exact same name, even if the image is different, except for basic Energy cards; and you must have at least one Basic Pokémon in it. There are 3 types of cards: Pokemon, which come in basic, stage 1, and stage 2; Energy, of which there is basic and special; and trainer, which contain itens, supporters, and statiums. Each player shuffles their deck. No one can look at or change the order of the cards in either player’s deck unless a card says so. Flip a coin and the winner decides who goes first.
Each player draws 7 cards from their deck to form their hand. Players may not look at their opponent’s hand unless a card says so. In the center of the table is the “In-play zone” which is shared by the players. On your half, you have your active spot, bench, deck, discard pile, and prize cards. Each player starts with, and must always have, one Active Pokémon. If your active pokemon is knocked out, move one pokemon from your bench to your active spot. You may only have one Active Pokémon at a time. If you run out of active pokemon, then you lose the game. Each player has their own discard pile located below their deck. Cards taken out of play go to the discard pile, unless a card specifically says otherwise. Typically, when a Pokémon is Knocked Out, that pokemon and all cards attached to it, go to their owner’s discard pile.
After drawing your hands, in turn order, each player places one basic pokemon from their hand face down in their active spot. If you don’t have any basic pokemon, show your hand to your opponent then return it to your deck, shuffle, then draw 7 new cards. This is called a mulligan. Repeat this process until you have a playable pokemon. Your opponent may draw 1 card for mulligan you took.
Each player may have up to 5 Pokémon on their Bench at any one time. Pokemon in the active spot and on the bench are considered “in-play”. Any Pokémon in play, other than the Active Pokémon, must be on the Bench. After each player has a basic pokemon in play, you may now, in turn order, play up to 5 additional basic pokemon face down to your bench, if you want.
After that, both players set aside the top 6 cards from their deck, face down to their prize area. When you Knock Out an opponent’s Pokémon, you take one of your Prize cards, at random without looking at them first, and put it into your hand. If you’re the first player to take their last Prize card, you win.
Both players now flip their active and benched pokemon face up and the game begins. On your turn you must first draw 1 card. If your deck is empty and you are unable to draw, then you lose the game. After you draw, you can perform any of the following actions any number of times, unless otherwise stated, in any order:
-Play a pokemon. Put a basic Pokémon from your hand face up onto your Bench.
-Evolve your Pokémon. If you have a pokemon card in your hand that says “Evolves from…” then the name of a pokemon you already had in play since the beginning of your turn, then you may play that card from your hand on top of that Pokémon. This is called “evolving”. You may evolve a Basic Pokémon to a Stage 1 or a Stage 1 to a Stage 2. You may not evolve a pokemon the same turn you put it in play or a pokemon you just evolved. When a Pokémon evolves, it keeps all cards attached to it and any…
