Build your first Pokémon deck: step by step

Never played Pokémon, or out of it since childhood? How to turn your cards into a playable deck: 60 cards, evolution lines, Trainers, Energy and common mistakes.

Many people collected Pokémon cards as kids but never really played. Or their last game was years ago. This guide takes you in 7 steps from “I have cards” to “I have a playable deck”. No prior knowledge needed.

Pokémon in one minute

• At the start each player sets aside 6 Prize cards face down. When you Knock Out an opposing Pokémon, you take one. Whoever takes all 6 first wins.
• For Pokémon with a rule box such as Pokémon ex you take 2 Prize cards, for Mega Evolution Pokémon ex even 3.
• You also win if your opponent has no Pokémon left in play or cannot draw a card at the start of their turn.
• One Pokémon fights as the Active Pokémon, up to 5 wait on the Bench.
• Each turn you attach 1 Energy to a Pokémon. Attacks cost Energy, and attacking ends your turn.

What returning players should know

• Trainer cards now come in three kinds: Items (as many as you like per turn), Supporters (only 1 per turn) and Stadiums (stay in play for both players).
• The player who goes first may neither attack nor play a Supporter on their first turn.
• Nobody may evolve on their first turn, and you can't evolve a Pokémon on the turn you put it into play.
• If your opening hand has no Basic Pokémon, reveal it, shuffle and draw 7 again. Your opponent may draw 1 extra card for it.

Your old cards from the 90s are no longer allowed in tournaments. But in a game with friends you can play anything you agree on.

Step 1: How do you want to play?

• Casual play: all cards allowed as long as you agree. This is where we recommend you start.
• Standard: the tournament format. Only newer cards are allowed, recognisable by the regulation mark, a letter in the bottom left corner. Which letters are legal is listed on the official Pokémon website.

Step 2: Pick a main Pokémon

Every good deck has a star: a strong Pokémon that should take most of the Prize cards. Often that is a Stage 1 or Stage 2 Pokémon ex, for example Charizard ex. Check which strong Pokémon you own and build around it.

Stick to 1 Energy type, at most 2. Otherwise you will often lack the right Energy for your attack.

Step 3: Count your evolution lines

A Stage 2 Pokémon only works if its earlier stages are in the deck too. A proven split for your main line is 4-3-3: 4 Basic, 3 Stage 1, 3 Stage 2. For a second line 2-1-2 or 2-2 is enough.

The Trainer card Rare Candy evolves a Basic Pokémon straight into Stage 2, so you can keep the middle stage a bit leaner.

Step 4: The 60-card skeleton

This surprises many returning players: today half a deck is Trainers. They make sure you have the right Pokémon and Energy in hand at the right time.

Step 5: The key Trainers

• Drawing cards: Supporters such as Professor's Research. Plan 8 to 12 Supporters.
• Searching Pokémon: Items such as Nest Ball for Basic Pokémon or Ultra Ball for any Pokémon.
• Switching: Switch moves your Active Pokémon back to the Bench.
• Evolving: Rare Candy if you play Stage 2 Pokémon.

As with all cards: at most 4 cards with the same name. Only basic Energy may be played in any number.

Step 6: 4 copies beat lots of singles

Your most important cards belong in the deck 3 or 4 times, so you actually draw them. A deck of many different single cards plays differently every time and rarely well.

Step 7: Test and adjust

• Shuffle and draw 7 cards. A good opening hand has at least 1 Basic Pokémon and a card that draws or searches. Do this 10 times.
• Play a few games against friends or against yourself.
• Cards that never did anything go. Replace them with more draw cards or another copy of your star.

An example: a Fire deck for beginners

• Main line 4-3-3 of your star, for example Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard ex
• 2 to 4 more Pokémon that help with drawing or searching
• 10 Supporters that draw cards
• 12 to 16 Items: balls for searching, Switch, Rare Candy
• 12 Fire Energy

The shortcut: a ready-made deck as a template

The fastest way into the game is a ready-made deck. There are starter decks and League Battle Decks whose card lists are online. The free app Pokémon Trading Card Game Live also shows ready-made decks and exports them as a list. Paste that list into TCG-Completist and see right away what is already in your collection.

How TCG-Completist helps

1. Open 🃏 Decks in the account menu and click “New deck”. Choose Pokémon as the game.
2. Paste a list, for example “4 Charizard ex” or in the app's format “4 Charizard ex OBF 125”. English and German names are recognised.
3. You see right away which cards you own, which are missing and roughly what the rest costs.
4. If you want to play a specific Holo or Reverse, set the print with one click. Add missing cards to your wishlist with one click.

The deck builder is free.

The 5 most common beginner mistakes

1. Too few Trainers. 30 to 36, not 10.
2. Incomplete evolution lines. Without the earlier stages your star never gets into play.
3. Too many Energy types. Stick to 1, at most 2.
4. Too few Basic Pokémon. Otherwise you often have to mulligan.
5. Only single copies. Better 3 or 4 copies of your key cards.

That's all your first deck needs. Build it, play it and improve it after every game.