Pokemon Cards
The Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet expansion welcomes Paldea into the Pokémon TCG with a flurry of powerful Pokémon. Among them are a host who have unique strengths and are eager to get into the action of your next TCG battle. Dondozo, Arcanine ex, and Oinkologne ex aren’t projected to be world-beaters, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them (and their artwork) all the same—you may even unlock their true potential!
We’ve asked three Pokémon TCG experts to take these cards for a spin and put together decks that are worth a second look when it comes time to battle!
Pokémon Trading Card Game Live Launches 2023
Pokemon Cards Trading Game is a strategy-based card game that is usually played on a designated play-mat where two players (assuming the role of Pokémon trainer) use their Pokémon to battle each other. Each player plays one Pokémon onto the field and attacks their opponent’s Pokémon.
A Pokémon that has sustained enough damage from attacks–that reaches or exceeds its HP–is referred to as being “Knocked Out”. For each of the opponent’s “Knocked Out” Pokémon the victor scores 1 Prize Card, although some special card mechanics grant up to 2 or 3 Prize cards in accordance with their higher hierarchy.
Prize cards are primary win conditions, with the possession of six Prize cards being an instantaneous win. Other ways to win are by “Knocking Out” all the Pokémon the opponent has on their bench (i.e. the row behind the Active, fighting Pokémon that houses five additional Pokémon to supplant the active Pokémon if it retreats or is “Knocked Out”) so the opponent has no Pokémon left, or if at the opponent’s turn there are no cards left to draw into their deck.
Players begin by having one player select heads or tails, and the other flips a coin; the winner of the coin flip will decide who goes first or second. (Dice may be used in place of coins, with even numbers representing heads and odd numbers representing tails; dice are also primarily used in official tournaments organized by The Pokémon Company).
The player going first cannot attack on their first turn, unless they have a card that specifies otherwise. Players shuffle their decks and draw seven cards, and then each play one Basic Pokémon onto the field. This Pokémon, or the Active Pokémon is the one that is actively attacking and receiving damage. If a player does not have any Basic Pokémon, they must call mulligan, shuffle, and then draw another hand until they draw a Basic Pokémon; the opponent may draw one additional card per mulligan.
Once both players have at least one Basic Pokémon, they can play up to five more Basic Pokémon onto their Bench Players, and then take the top six cards
Pokémon Trading Card Game Live Launches
Prepare to show off your Pokémon TCG skills to players everywhere when Pokémon Trading Card Game Live exits global beta and launches officially on June 8, 2023, at 10 a.m. PDT. This game is the latest way to experience the excitement of the Pokémon TCG, and its release date coincides with the newest Pokémon TCG expansion, Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved. Look forward to this expansion including over 15 brand-new Pokémon ex, including Chien-Pao ex, Ting-Lu ex, and more!
To celebrate the end of the global beta and the official launch of Pokémon TCG Live, a special global beta-themed cosmetic set featuring a coin, deck box, and card sleeves will be available to players who log in to Pokémon TCG Live between May 2, 2023, at 10 a.m. PDT, and June 6, 2023, at 10 a.m. PDT. You can still complete levels in the current Battle Pass and earn rewards until June 8, 2023, so there’s no better time to log in to Pokémon TCG Live.
Players looking to migrate their accounts from the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online to Pokémon Trading Card Game Live before the end of the global beta can find more details at the Pokémon TCG Online Sunset FAQ. Thank you for playing the Pokémon TCG Online, and we look forward to seeing you in Pokémon TCG Live!
