How to play Pokémon. Basic rules and game play

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) is a fun, strategic game where players use decks of Pokémon cards to battle against each other. The goal is to knock out your opponent's Pokémon and collect Prize cards, with the first player to collect all their Prize cards winning the game. Here’s a basic guide on how to play Pokémon:

1. The Setup

Each player needs:

  • A 60-card deck: Your deck consists of three types of cards: Pokémon, Trainer, and Energy cards. A good deck usually has a balance of these card types.
  • A coin or dice: Used to determine heads or tails for certain effects.
  • Six Prize cards: These are set aside at the beginning of the game, and you take one every time you knock out an opponent’s Pokémon.
  • Play area: Both players have a setup that includes an Active Pokémon area, Bench, Deck, and Discard Pile.

2. Types of Cards

There are three main types of cards in the Pokémon TCG:

  • Pokémon Cards: These represent the Pokémon that you use to battle. They have HP (Hit Points), attacks, and abilities.
  • Trainer Cards: These provide various effects like drawing cards, healing Pokémon, or searching your deck for specific cards.
  • Energy Cards: Energy is needed to perform attacks. There are different types of Energy cards (e.g., Fire, Water, Psychic), corresponding to Pokémon types.

3. The Play Area

  • Active Pokémon: This is the Pokémon currently battling. You can only have one Active Pokémon at a time.
  • Bench: You can have up to five Pokémon on your Bench, waiting to replace your Active Pokémon or use their abilities.
  • Deck: The pile of cards you draw from during the game.
  • Discard Pile: Where used or knocked-out Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards go after use.

4. How to Start

  1. Shuffle your deck: Both players shuffle their decks and draw the top seven cards as their starting hand.
  2. Set up Pokémon: Each player places a Basic Pokémon in the Active Pokémon spot. If you don’t have any Basic Pokémon in your hand, you reveal your hand to your opponent, reshuffle, and draw a new hand.
  3. Set up your Bench: You can place up to five Basic Pokémon on your Bench.
  4. Place Prize cards: Take the top six cards from your deck and place them face down as your Prize cards.
  5. Flip a coin: The player who wins the coin toss decides who goes first.

5. Turn Structure

Each player’s turn is made up of several phases:

  1. Draw a card: At the beginning of every turn, you draw a card from your deck.

  2. Basic actions you can take (in any order):

    • Play Basic Pokémon: You can place Basic Pokémon from your hand onto your Bench.
    • Attach 1 Energy card: You can attach one Energy card from your hand to any of your Pokémon (Active or Benched).
    • Evolve Pokémon: If you have a Pokémon's evolved form in your hand, you can place it on top of the corresponding Basic Pokémon (or another evolution stage) to evolve it. Pokémon can't evolve on the same turn they were played or evolved.
    • Play Trainer cards: Trainer cards can have different effects, like healing or searching your deck for certain cards. You can play as many Trainer cards as you like (except Supporter and Stadium cards, which can only be played once per turn).
    • Retreat your Active Pokémon: You can switch your Active Pokémon with one from your Bench by paying the Active Pokémon's Retreat Cost in Energy. The Energy used for retreating is discarded.
    • Use Abilities: Some Pokémon have special abilities that can be used during your turn.

  3. Attack: Once per turn, you can attack with your Active Pokémon if it has enough Energy attached. Attacking ends your turn.

    • To attack, declare the attack name and the Energy cost required for that attack.
    • After attacking, apply the damage to your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
    • Some attacks may have additional effects, like applying a special condition (e.g., Paralysis, Poison).

6. Winning the Game

You win by one of the following conditions:

  • Knocking out your opponent’s Pokémon: When you knock out an opponent’s Pokémon by reducing its HP to 0, you take one of your Prize cards. If you take all six Prize cards, you win the game.
  • Your opponent runs out of cards: If your opponent cannot draw a card at the beginning of their turn because they’ve run out of cards in their deck, you win.
  • Your opponent has no Pokémon in play: If your opponent has no Pokémon left on the field (both Active and Benched), you win the game.

7. Special Conditions

Some attacks or abilities can apply special conditions to Pokémon. These include:

  • Asleep: The Pokémon cannot attack or retreat. Flip a coin between turns; if heads, the Pokémon wakes up.
  • Paralyzed: The Pokémon cannot attack or retreat on its next turn. Paralyzed Pokémon recover at the end of the affected player’s turn.
  • Burned: The Pokémon takes 20 damage between turns. Flip a coin; if heads, the Pokémon is no longer Burned.
  • Poisoned: The Pokémon takes 10 damage between turns (sometimes more depending on the effect).
  • Confused: If the Pokémon attacks, flip a coin. If heads, the attack proceeds normally. If tails, the Pokémon does 30 damage to itself.

8. Energy and Attacks

  • Energy Cards: Pokémon need the right type and amount of Energy attached to perform attacks. For example, a Fire-type Pokémon might need Fire Energy to attack, while a Water-type Pokémon needs Water Energy.
  • Energy Costs: The energy cost of an attack is indicated by the symbols next to the attack. Some attacks require specific types of energy, while others allow for any energy type.

Basic Tips for Beginners:

  • Balance your deck: Include a good mix of Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards. A balanced deck helps you in different situations.
  • Evolve strategically: Evolve your Pokémon to make them stronger, but be mindful of when to evolve to avoid leaving yourself vulnerable.
  • Use Trainers wisely: Trainer cards can turn the tide of battle, so make sure to include them in your deck and use them at the right time.
  • Energy management: Don’t attach Energy to Pokémon that you’re not planning to attack with soon. Focus your Energy attachments on Pokémon that are in battle or soon will be.

By following these rules and tips, you'll be able to jump into the exciting world of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and start playing!

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