Pokémon Deck

What's in a Pokémon Deck?

A Pokémon Deck contains a total of 60 cards. It may contain duplicates, but will generally be built with about:

• 20 Pokémon Cards
  
• 30 Trainer Cards
  
• 10 Energy Cards
  
• 1 Exclusive GX Card

The exclusive Pokémon GX card isn't always included; it depends on the type of game.

Depending on the Deck you buy, you can get much more than a simple pack of TCG cards. They often come with several TCG accessories such as condition markers, dice, a rulebook, a playmat and maybe a case to protect your cards. If you want these products outside the packs, you can always get Pokémon Card Sleeves sold individually.

For the luckiest among you, it's possible to pull Rare Pokémon Cards exclusive to the Deck purchased, such as a Pokémon GX, super powerful for your TCG card battles.

Their advantage is that they're ready to use if you want to face other Trainers in casual or competitive matches. A Pokémon Deck is often inspired by characters from the animated series, so the cards match a certain Trainer. The most experienced among you will even go as far as building their own Card Deck !

How to build a Pokémon Deck?

To build a Pokémon Deck, you often need a wide choice of cards on hand and a lot of experience with the Pokémon TCG universe. There are many combinations, but you need to consider the different types of Decks if you want to play with a particular Pokémon: you'll need the right number of Trainer Cards and enough Energy Cards to meet the needs of your strongest Pokémon.

There are two main TCG play styles:

Basic Pokémon Deck

In a basic Pokémon Deck you build yourself, you'll rely on about 10 to 14 Pokémon. This leaves more room for your Trainers and Energy to boost the power of your strongest Pokémon. Careful, a Basic Deck doesn't mean a Weak Deck! On the contrary, it remains very strategic and relies less on regular attacks. 

Evolution Pokémon Deck

An Evolution Pokémon Deck generally has more Pokémon; between 16 and 20 cards. This leaves less room for Trainer and Energy cards, but it allows an often more offensive play style. Pokémon GX cards will have a big impact here, as they make your Deck dangerous at any moment!

Which Pokémon Deck should you choose?

Choose the Pokémon Deck that inspires the most confidence based on the Pokémon cards it contains, which Trainer it comes from (or is inspired by) and above all, the strategic potential for TCG battles. To stay up to date, it's worth going for Sun & Moon or Sword & Shield Decks.

Of course, you can always buy a pre-built one and then customize it with cards you already own: just one rule — don't go over 60 cards in the Deck, and you'll be fine! If you want to add to your current game, you can try your luck and get the Pokémon of your dreams in Pokémon Boosters sold individually.