Pokémon TCG Pocketcomes pretty close to emulating the feel ofthe fullPokémon TCG, but it makes some smart exclusions that help streamline the experience. For those who want to play a full-fledged version of thePokémon TCGonline,there isPokémon TCG Live, which includes all the same rules as the on-paper version of the game. In contrast,Pokémon TCG Pocketis meant to be a quicker and simpler version of the game that is both more accessible and quicker to play.
WhilePokémon TCG Pocketkeeps a lot of the basic rules from thePokémon TCG,there are some notable exclusions from how the game and the Pokémon themselves work. Players looking for a more complex TCG experience might be somewhat disappointed by these exclusions, butthey are necessary for keepingPocketa casual experience. Hopefully, these features will stay absent as the game expands its card library.
10Losing When Your Deck Is Empty Wouldn’t Work
Running Out Of Cards To Draw Counts As A Loss In The Pokémon TCG
One common rule in many trading card games is that players automatically lose if they are forced to draw a card when their deck is empty. This is the case in the full version of thePokémon TCG, but it isn’t a rule inPokémon TCG Pocket. Instead, players simply get a message:“No card left in deck; unable to draw cards.”This rule makes a lot of sense when consideringthe difference in size between decks in the full TCG andPokémon TCG Pocket.
Pokémon TCG Pocket: All Cards Available in the Venusaur Drop Event
The new Venusaur Drop event in Pokémon TCG Pocket has introduced five new visually eye-catching cards to collect.
Decks on paper or inPokémon TCG Liveare required to have 60 cards in them, whilePokémon TCG Pocketdecksare a third of the size with only 20 cards. Decks that take longer to win the game would have a hard time closing things out before decking themselves, especially if they are running draw cards like Professor’s Research. By eliminating this rule,Pokémon Pocketplayers can run efficient decks without having to worry about decking themselves.
9Discard Synergies Would Force Longer Turns
Some Decks In The Pokémon TCG Interact With Discarded Cards
Discard synergies can add a fun dynamic to thePokémon TCG. Decks likea United Wings buildare a good example of how these decks can be a lot of fun, as players actually benefit from having more of their Pokémon in the discard zone. However, adding cards that interact with discarded cards also adds an extra layer of complexity to the game and leads to players having to pay attention to both discard piles.
Though it means sacrificing some fun interactions, it’s ultimately better thatPokémon TCG Pocketdoesn’t include cards that interact with discarded cards. If players had to be constantly checking discard piles to have all relevant information about the game, it would slow down gameplay. Because a big part ofPokémon TCG Pocket’s appeal is its streamlined gameplay, this added complexity would risk taking away one of the app’s main draws.
8A Maximum Hand Size Reins In Card Advantage
The Original Pokémon TCG Has No Max Hand Size
In the full version of thePokémon TCG, players are not restricted by the number of cards they have in hand. While this usually isn’t a huge issue in a game with 60-card decks,Pokémon TCG Pocketcould run into some issues if it continues to add cards that draw or search for cards. The more efficient decks become, the easier it would be for players to draw their whole deck, removing the variance which is an integral part of the game.
By limiting players to a hand size of 10 cards,Pokémon Pocket TCGrequires that players still pick and choose what resources they have access to. Even if they can draw their entire deck — though this is unlikely with the current card pool — players will still need to discard some cards to get back down to size. This will make it easier for players with less efficient decks to not get too far behind.
7Energy Cards Make Deckbuilding More Complicated
Pokémon TCG Pocket Gives An Energy Per Turn
Perhaps one of the waysPokémon TCG Pocketdiffers the most from its paper counterpart is the way it handles energy. In thePokémon TCG, players include energy cards in their deck which come in a variety of types. When drawn, players can attach energy to their Pokémon to fuel attacks. In contrast,Pokémon TCG Pocketsimply gives players one energy per turnto attach to one of their Pokémon, and there are no energy cards.
By excluding energy cards from the game,Pokémon TCG Pocketsimplifies the game in two ways. First, it ensures players will get at least one energy per turn, so it’s easier to predict when certain moves can be used. No energy cards also means deck construction is simplified, because players don’t have to worry about finding the right balance between energy cards and other types.
6Eliminating Prize Cards Make Draws More Consistent
Prize Cards Could Remove Important Pieces From A Deck
Before aPokémon TCGgame starts, players take the top six cards from their deck and place them face down. These are prize cards that players can earn during the game by knocking out an opponent’s Pokémon. While this is a good way to gain momentum during the game, it can also cause issues with one’s deck. If integral parts of a deck’s strategy get stuck as prize cards, it can seriously slow a player down. Cards that search for specific cards from a deck can also become dead draws if the card they find is in the prize pool.
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Battle System Should Take One Idea From Hearthstone
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is missing out on one in-battle feature that it should adopt from another trading card game, Hearthstone.
BecausePokémon TCG Pocketdoesn’t include prize cards,players are safe in the knowledge that every card they need is in their deck. This means cards like Pokéball are less likely to whiff, and there is a better chance of drawing into much-needed cards. That said, it would still be nice to have something similar to give a winning player momentum, which would make games even quicker.
5Ditching The Best-Of-Three Model Makes TCG Pocket More Fast-Paced
Pokémon TCG Events Are Sometimes Played In Best-Of-Three Matches
In-personPokémon TCGeventsare typically played in either best-of-one or best-of-three matches. Tournaments may opt to be best-of-three to cut down on the likelihood that a player loses simply due to bad luck during a single game. While this makes a lot of sense for official tournaments or events with prize support,Pokémon TCG Pocketis wise to stick with best-of-one matches.
Given the rate at which players onPokémon TCG Pocketconcede games — sometimes as soon as they recognize what deck their opponent is playing —it seems unlikely that players are looking for a longer time commitmentfrom their experience. By keeping games to a best-of-one format, players can grind one or two out quickly while on a quick break or public transportation without feeling committed to seeing out a whole best-of-three series.
4Deck Searching Would Make Games Feel Too Similar
No Pokémon TCG Pocket Cards Let Players Look Through Their Deck For A Card
AlthoughPokémon TCG Pocketdoes include cards like Pokéball or Caterpie that pull cards directly from the deck, the game doesn’t have any cards like the physical TCG’s Ultra Ball that allow one tosearch through their deck for a specific card. While thePocketcards still fulfill the duty of thinning out a deck and gaining card advantage, their somewhat randomized nature still keeps some level of variance in the game. This was a smart move in a game that only uses a 20-card deck.
In thePokémon TCGwhere players have 60 card decks, cards like Ultra Ball cut down on variance but don’t eliminate it.Pokémon TCG Pocket’s much smaller deck size means that adding even just a few cards that let players search for something specific would nearly eliminate any element of chance from the game. This would lead to games that all pretty much played out the same and were heavily dependent on who went first and the deck matchup.
3Buying Individual Cards Would Make Pokémon TCG Pocket Seem Pay-To-Win
Pokémon TCG Pocket Players Can Only Rarely Purchase Cards With Pack Points
It’s an unfortunate truth that trading card games often have a certaindegree of pay-to-win elementsto them. People who can afford better cards and afford to keep up with an ever-shifting meta will naturally have a better chance to succeed than players who can’t. Luckily,Pokémon TCG Pocketcuts down on this issue by making it very difficult to purchase copies of the game’s best cardsoutright.
Pokemon TCG Pocket Reportedly Earns Over $12 Million Just Four Days Post-Launch
A mere four days after its launch, the massively popular Pokémon TCG Pocket app has already amassed over $12 Million in revenue, according to reports
The only way forPokémon TCG Pocketplayers to get a copy of a specific card they want is to spend Pack Points on it. Players earn five pack points per pack opened, and the better cards in the game tend to cost around 500 pack points. This means players can only guarantee they get a single copy of a powerful card after opening 100 packs. While players can exchange real money for Poké Gold to open packs, it’s a much more inefficient method than buying singles in the physical TCG.
2Resistances Would Make Battles Last Too Long
Pokémon In The TCG Have Both Weaknesses And Resistances That Affect Damage
Not only are the rules ofPokémon TCG Pocketsimplified, but the Pokémon themselves also tend to be a bit simpler than their physical TCG counterparts. One way Pokémon were simplified was by removing typal resistances from cards. Resistances were the opposite of weaknesses on a Pokémon; instead of increasing the amount of damage a certain type of move would do to a given Pokémon, a resistance reduces damage from a type.
Pokémon TCG Pocketwas smart to keep weaknesses over resistanceswhen choosing between these mechanics. Weaknesses speed up battles, which is a benefit for a more casual game that is focused on streamlined experiences. Resistances, on the other hand, would only slow down gameplay, making games more grindy when a player had a bad typal match-up. That said, a resistance-like effect does pop up on Melmetal, but because it isn’t especially common, it isn’t as big of an issue.
1Set Rotations Can Make A Card Game Impossible To Keep Up With
There Is Currently Only One Set In Pokemon TCG Pocket
Keeping up with thePokémon TCGmeta can be pretty difficult for the average player. Sets rotate out once a year, being replaced by the latest year’s releases. This means the meta is constantly shifting, and players may have to buy a new deck if theirs rotates out. Luckily, this issue is not a problem withPokémon TCG Pocket.
There is currently only one set inPokémon TCG Pocket, with no indication that any of the sets from the game will stop being legal at some point. This was likely a better route to take than to importPocketversions of all the existing Standard sets, some of which would rotate out next year. Byavoiding the typical rotationmodel — at least for now —Pokémon TCG Pocketplayers don’t have to worry about their cards becoming illegal and having to start fresh with a new deck.
