The Pokemon TCG game is quite an amazing and easy to pick up game. There are new players always entering the game while current players are always trying to stay on top of the game. So there are always people to have fun with when it comes to Pokemon and trading cards.
It is because of this reason that I decided to create a resource guide for both new and old players. A commonly asked question that I hear a lot is if there any kind of resource where they can learn more about the Pokemon TCG player. Instead of doing several seperate articles about different resources, I decided that one master list would be best. That way anybody can just copy and paste this article anywhere when a new parent or veteran player asks about resources. So I hope this article will help provide a good starting point for those parents and new players.
Meanwhile, I hope that this article will be useful to current players. There are some nice resources here that could help players keep up-to-date with some of the newest decks and ideas. This will also be useful for new players and parents who want to find out which decks are worth playing and could possibly be built.
So lets take a look at some of our resources! If you want to visit any of these resources then simply click on the image of that resource!
The Official Pokemon TCG Website- The first place I want to start is the Official Pokemon TCG website. This site has has really come along a long way since a year ago. You can find all kinds of articles ranging from the latest TCG news to which decks are doing well at big tournaments. You can even find the decklists of top preforming decks at the big tournaments. That way you can see which cards work best and incorporate what the top players are doing in your own deck. The official site even share some possible decklists featuring new cards to help players build decks using the new cards. Every player needs a place to start so why not start at the official source!
Of course, the official site also has the latest product news. This could be useful if you are wanting to know if something brand new and shiny is going to be release in stores soon.
The official site also has a League Locator to help players find Pokemon Leagues in their area. This could be useful if you want to play against other people in person and meet tons of great people.
2015-2016 Standard Format List- The second thing included is the current Standard format list of playable sets. Sometimes new players come into a Pokemon League with cards from the first base set. These card are not even playable due to numerous reasons such as power creep and the fact that Pokemon enforces a rotation once a year.
That is why I included the 2015-2016 Standard format list from the Pokemon TCG website. The current format is XY-on which means that all sets after XY are playable if you are planning to attend any kind sanction tournament. What makes this list useful is that it also has the set symbol that can be found at the bottom right hand side of every card. Simply look at the bottom right hand side of the card and see if that symbol is on the list. If it is then that card can be played.
This list does not include BREAKthrough but it is a good rule of thumb that if the cards reads 2015 or beyond on the bottom then most likely the card is playable in the current format.
Pokebeach– Pokebeach is one of the leading TCG news sites on the internet. It is constantly updating when new products that are being release in the United States and Japan. Water Pokemon Master is always keeping an eye out on what is being release in Japan when it comes to Pokemon TCG news. When a new set is coming out in Japan. WPM has scans from the new set and also reports on when new cards from future sets are being revealed.
There are some articles that you can read but you will need to be a paid subscriber to the website in order to read them.
PokeDecks- PokeDecks has been around for some time now. The content creator is from Europe but he knows his Pokemon TCG. He builds decks in Pokemon TCG Online, shows you the deck, explains what the deck does and then plays a few games using the deck. Even better, this Youtube channel builds decks that can be cheaply built and ‘rouge’. This is perfect for those who are building on a budget and want to use some lesser used cards. Some of the decks work better then others but either way you are going to have fun and learn a lot by watching this channel.
PTCG Radio- PTCG Radio is a podcast that talks about the Pokemon TCG on a weekly basis. It is hosted by Ross from the United Kingdom. This may be a podcast which uses YouTube as another avenue to host their podcast but this channel has plenty of unique videos. The PTCG Radio YouTube Channel is where Ross is able to talk about specific topics or breaking news about the Pokemon TCG. He also runs several special series that can only be found here. Lastly, Ross does commentary for several tournaments around the UK. Thanks to the tournament organizers, Ross is able to commentate and then upload the video of the match on his channel. Here you can see which decks are being played at tournaments and what he thinks about the success rate of each deck. This channel give you in-depth analysis that can’t be found anywhere else.
A Blue Golf Ball- Do you want more cool deck ideas? A Blue Golf Ball has them! He goes to Pokemon TCG Online to build decks and talk about them. He then plays them to give you a first hand look at how the deck works. He also shows off decks that may be commonly used. That way you are always on top of the TCG when it comes to the latest decks. These videos are perfect if you are looking for some easy to build decks and with a limited budget. So check out these videos.
Team Fish Knuckles- Team Fish Knuckles is a massive YouTube Channel that features content almost daily. Almost each day of the week features a theme such as Main Deck Monday, Rouge Tuesday, Expanded Thursday and Fan Friday. Each one of these days features a deck of some sorts that you can see the decklist and then watch it in action. Team Fish Knuclkes also does plenty of tournament analysis and interviews with top players. You really do want to take a look at this YT Channel just to see the many different ways you can play the Pokemon TCG and become inspired to build something great.
I hope you can find these resources useful. And make sure to come back next week for more TCG Jump!
