.png)
Battle Guide
Launching on October 30, 2024, Pokémon TCG Pocket is a casual, fast-paced reimagining of the traditional Pokémon Trading Card Game for mobile-devices. All of your favorite elements from the tabletop card game are here, including collecting cards, building powerful decks and facing off against opponents in strategic battles. Check out this useful battle guide to help you jump into competitive battling!
UNLOCKING VERSUS BATTLES
Unfortunately, Versus Battles - battles against other real online opponents - are not available from the start. To unlock Versus Battles, you must hit Account Level 3, which you can achieve simply by opening packs and completing missions. Your initial Pack Hourglasses will help you open a number of packs immediately, unlocking the mode in no time.
In the meantime, be sure to check out Solo Battles to unlock more resources and get a feel for Pokémon TCG Pocket battling.
THE NEW BATTLE SYSTEM
The new battle system for Pokémon TCG Pocket is simplified from the standard tabletop TCG version to allow for less on-screen management and faster-paced battles. The remnants of traditional rules are there, but revitalized for mobile devices.
Similar to traditional Pokémon TCG, the battle starts with a Coin flip to decide which player will go first. Five cards are drawn, but the difference here is Pocket auto-draws at least one Basic Pokémon to eliminate mulligans and get into the game faster. Afterwards, you set your Active Pokémon and set up to three Basic Pokémon on your Bench - another simplification for the mobile-first version.
Pocket handles Coin Advantage by having the player going first only play Basic Pokémon and use Item cards and one Supporter - the player going first can’t attach Energy, attack or evolve Pokémon on Turn 1. The player going second, however, can play out their Turn 1 normally, including attaching an Energy and Attacking.
Each turn you’ll want to:
- Use any items
- Use a Supporter card
- Attach an Energy to one of your Pokémon
- Attack if able
Remember to Attack last - the turn ends after your Pokémon attacks.
THE ENERGY ZONE
Energy is also handled differently in Pocket. The new Energy Zone provides 1 Energy each turn depending on your deck composition - you no longer include Energy Cards in your deck. This is auto-set depending on the Pokémon Types in your deck, or you can manually set which Energy will be provided to your deck. The Energy Zone also provides a preview of what Energy Type will be provided next turn - helpful information for decks with more than 1 Energy Type.
KNOCK OUTS, PRIZE POINTS AND OTHER RULES
In the traditional Pokémon TCG, there are numerous ways to auto-lose a match, one of which being running out of cards in your deck. In Pocket, this is not the case, and you continue playing until a player earns three Prize Points or has available Pokémon.
During battle, you can Attack, use Abilities and Retreat simply by tapping the card and selecting the appropriate spot on the card. To play Supporter Cards or Item Cards, just drag them into the center of the screen.
Knock Outs are the primary way to win and result in Prize Points. A player needs to acquire three Prize Points to win a battle. Knocking Out a Pokémon is worth one Prize Point, but an EX Pokémon is worth two Prize Points, so be careful leaving your EX Pokémon too vulnerable.
EVOLVING POKÉMON
Evolving is the bread and butter of Pocket and it’s a great way to give your Pokémon a burst of HP, new abilities and powerful attacks. You can evolve a Pokémon whether they’re in the Active Position or on the Bench simply by dragging a Stage 1 or Stage 2 Card over the corresponding Pokémon, but remember, a Pokémon needs to be in play for a full turn before it’s eligible for Evolution.
GOTTA CATCH ‘EM ALL
Your Pokémon journey awaits! Now that you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to dive into our Cards Database to start forming your target list and visit the Tier List to find the best decks to play.