Differences between Pokemon TCG and Pokemon TCG Pocket
Pokemon TCG Pocket, set to release in a few weeks on October 30, 2024, will be quite different from its physical counterpart, TCG. Although both are Card Games where you must collect cards and build the perfect deck to dominate your opponents, a few of Pocket's mechanics will be slightly different. Knowing about these differences can help veterans adapt quickly and become the top players even in the digital release of Pokemon TCG.
This article will cover all the known differences between Pokemon TCG and its Pocket version so that you can quickly master the mechanics and start winning big.
All known differences between Pokemon TCG Pocket and Pokemon TCG
Below you can find a list of significant differences between Pokemon TCG Pocket and TCG.
Number of Cards per deck
The first key difference between both versions is the number of cards your deck can hold. Pokemon TCG allows your deck to hold 60 cards, while TCG Pocket only permits 20 cards.
No Energy Card in TCG Pocket
Tying up with the last point, one of the major reasons Pokemon TCG Pocket has less number of cards is because Energy Zone replaces the Energy Cards from the physical version.
These energy zones will generate energy for your Pokemon once per turn that you can use to attack, retreat, or utilize a trainer's ability to gain an advantage during a match. The type of deck you will use also affects the amount of energy you can get. So, a varied deck will struggle with energy as it will be randomly distributed between each type.
Different Win Conditions
The win condition in TCG Pocket is also quite different from its physical counterpart. To win a match, you will need to get a total of three points. You gain one point by knocking out your opponent's basic Pokemon and two for ex-Pokemon. The first one to reach three points will win the match.
This is vastly different from TCG which uses Prize Cards as the win condition.
Also Read: Is Pokemon TCG Pocket available globally?
TCG Pocket has a fixed weakness value
TCG Pocket also has a different valuation when it comes to Pokemon's weakness hits. While TCG features a multiplicative value (4x), TCG Pocket goes for an additive system (+20) on your damage.