Pokémon TCG
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game that the Pokémon - video games from Nintendo builds. It was released in October 1996 in Japan and in December 1998 as the Pokémon Trading Card Game in North America by Wizards of the Coast , the company also responsible for the trading card game Magic: The Gathering .
With the appearance of the games Pokémon - Ruby Edition / Saphir Edition for the Game Boy Advance , Nintendo took over the distribution of the cards itself. In Germany, the trading card game is still distributed by Amigo . Rare cards sometimes achieve very high auction prices, for example one card has already been auctioned for $ 20,000.
Video game implementations
On December 18, 1998, Nintendo released a game for the Game Boy Color called Pokémon Trading Card . It is a kind of role-playing game in which the player moves around in a game world and plays card duels against other characters using the familiar "real" cards and rules. The game was released as a Pokémon Trading Card Game on March 31, 2000 in North America and on December 8, 2000 in Europe.
A second Game Boy game called Pokémon Card GB2 was released in Japan on March 28, 2001, but was not localized for other markets.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game Online is new. In the booster packs of the trading card game from the series "Black and White" codes are included with which you can unlock cards in the game. A profile with the Pokémon trainer club must be created to use it.
With “Pokemon Spiel Los!” There was also a German computer version that was primarily used to learn the rules.
Game concept
There are three types of cards: Pokémon cards, each of which represents one of the Pokémon characters known from video games, trainer cards that provide support, and energy cards that serve as an energy source for the attacks of the individual Pokémon.
Each player has a "deck" of 60 cards, of which he can take a set number in hand during the game. From these he can bring up to six Pokémon into play at the same time, with only one being the active, fighting Pokémon, while the rest of them sit on the "bench". If a Pokémon is removed from the bank, a new one can be brought into play from the cards in hand. Both players now take turns trying to attack the opposing Pokémon with their Pokémon using energy cards. The game ends as soon as a player has no more Pokémon in play or a player has defeated six of their opponents' Pokémon. The rules of the game can also be changed so that two Pokémon fight two at the same time (double combat).
The Pokémon types have been simplified compared to the video games: Instead of 17 types, there are only 11. Metal and darkness were only added with the Neo- extensions, Dragon with the Highness of Dragons set .
- Electric - mainly Electric Pokémon
- Colorless - mainly Normal, Flying, and Dragon Pokémon
- Fire - mostly Fire-type Pokémon
- Darkness - mainly dark Pokémon (from set "Sword and Shield also poison Pokémon)
- Combat - mainly Rock, Ground, and Combat Pokémon
- Metal - mainly Steel Pokémon
- Plant - mainly Plant, Poison, and Beetle Pokémon
- Psycho - mainly psycho, poison and ghost Pokémon (from set "sword and shield also mostly fairy Pokémon)
- Water - mainly Water and Ice Pokémon
- Dragon - mainly Dragon Pokémon
- Fairy - mainly fairy Pokémon (no longer available from the "Sword and Shield" set)
Typically, all card Pokémon are only one type, only some of the newer cards contain Pokémon with two types. In contrast to video games, the type of Pokémon and not the attack used is decisive for the effectiveness of the attack.
Later expansions contain Dark Pokémon , which, according to the story, are often used by evil trainers and organizations like Team Rocket . Also gym leader versions of certain Pokémon with stronger attacks and higher power points (KP), but also a higher demand for energy cards, also Bright Pokémon that are good through and through, and Shimmering Pokémon need different energy maps to an effective attack. There are also some Pokémon-EX cards that are stronger than their normal counterparts, but have less favorable consequences in the event of a knockout .
Pokémon attacks usually reduce the power points of the opposing active Pokémon. Energy cards are required for this. Depending on the Pokémon and the chosen attack, energy cards of different colors are required (see above).
Trainer cards give the player advantages. For example, using the cards "Potion" and "Super Potion" can reduce the damage suffered by a Pokémon in order to protect it from being knocked out. Others allow the player to search for Pokémon in their deck of cards, remove energy cards from opposing Pokémon or revive defeated Pokémon. There are many other types of coach cards.
Trainer cards can be divided into several subtypes:
- "Normal" trainer cards allow the player to cause special effects such as healing damage.
- Stadium cards have positive effects for both players, such as healing damage or suspending PokéPower . Stadium cards remain in play until another stadium card is played.
- Supporter cards also act as the "normal" coach tickets positive effects on the player who plays out. Each player can only play one support card per turn.
- ACE-Spec cards are particularly powerful trainer cards, of which only one may appear in a deck.
- Equipment cards work on a single Pokémon. They have positive effects such as healing or the reduction of withdrawal costs. Only one Equipment card can be attached to each Pokémon. Some equipment cards are removed after the turn in which they were played, others after the opponent's next turn, others remain in play until they are used, but most remain on the Pokemon as long as the Pokemon is capable of fighting and the effect is permanent .
- Technical machines equip the equipped Pokémon with another attack that it can carry out in addition to its own attacks. Technical machines are placed after the turn in which they are played.
Deck building rules
In the Pokémon trading card game, a deck basically consists of 60 cards, whereby no card (with the exception of basic energy cards and Arceus ) may appear more than four times. It is not the card itself that counts, but its name, so that only four cards with the name "Nidoran" are allowed if they come from different editions. However, it is quite permissible to have the same Pokémon in your deck more than four times if the cards have an attribute in their name. For example, a deck can contain four “Ampharos” and four “Ampharos EX”. Other attributes in card names are also “light”, “dark” and the names of trainers (for example “light Vulnona”, “dark Gallopa” and “Sabrinas Bluzuk”), Pokemon SP (for example Gengar SP) and mega development Cards (e.g. M-Turtok EX or M-Guardevoir EX).
Some cards have additional restrictions. For example, only four cards with the name "Icognito" can appear. Icognito are Pokémon that appear in the form of letters, so there cannot be two “Icognito A” and three “Icognito B” in one deck. Likewise, Pokémon cards with “Shimmering” in their names may only appear once (for example, the “Shimmering Mewtwo” card). Another limitation came with the “Thresholds exceeded” set, because from this set so-called ACE-Spec cards, which are very strong trainers, are published. You can only install a single ACE spec card in your entire deck.
Others
The cards are sold on the one hand in the form of prefabricated "theme decks" of 60 cards, on the other hand in the form of "boosters" (expansion packs with ten cards + energy card), the content of which cannot be foreseen. The cards are sorted according to three levels of rarity. "Tins", metal cans, are also sold. These usually contain three to five boosters and a promo card, which is included in every tin. By participating in tournaments and leagues, participants can win special cards that are not available in stores. However, these are mostly new editions of well-known cards in a different rarity.
New expansions appear roughly every quarter that add additional cards and sometimes new rules to the game.
There are currently around 11,000 different cards.
Web links
- Pokémon TCG - Official site of Amigo
- PokéWiki - The German Pokémon encyclopedia
- Description of the rules of the trading card game
- Explanation of the structure of a Pokémon card