Pokemon cards are a popular collectible that allow two players to engage in a game of battle. Kids can use these cards to play with their friends or as a way to enhance a role-playing game. Whether your child is a collector or a gamer, it’s important to buy from a reliable source that sells authentic products. Buying from unlicensed sellers could lead to fraud and other problems.
Pokemon is a Japanese franchise that has been around for more than 20 years (2021 marked its 25th anniversary). The brand includes TV shows, trading card games, video games and toys, all of which are designed to help kids learn about the world around them while having fun. Each player is a Pokemon trainer, who trains their Pokémon to battle other Pokémon and compete in tournaments.
Each player builds a 60-card deck, which consists of Pokemon cards and supplemental support cards like energy cards and item cards. The goal is to have enough cards to create a Pokemon team, which are then used to battle other teams.
When it’s a player’s turn, they draw seven cards from the top of their deck and put them into their hand. They then put one Basic Pokemon from their hand face down on the playing area or “field” a few inches in front of them. The rest of their Pokemon are placed on their bench (behind their active Pokemon) and the game begins.
Players can take a variety of actions during their turn, including attacking. Each attack requires a specific amount of Energy, indicated by the number to the left of the Pokemon’s name on the card. The color of the Energy can also be important. Some attacks require colorless Energy, while others require specific energy types.
Other actions that can be taken include recharging, retreating and using an ability. Recharging lets the Pokemon heal, while retreating swaps it out for a Pokemon on the bench. Pokemon with abilities have descriptions of their effects on the card and can be played for various purposes during the game, such as reducing damage counters or helping an attacking Pokemon.
Once a round of battle is completed, either by knocking out all six of a player’s opponent’s Pokemon or by running out of prize cards, the winner is declared. The most common path to victory is through winning a series of rounds by taking prize cards. Usually, a player takes one prize card each time they knock out a Pokemon controlled by their opponent. The more prize cards a player takes, the quicker they win.
For those who really want to make a mark in the collecting and battling scene, there are even special trophy cards available. These rare items have a player’s name written on them, such as the second-place winner in the 2002 summer tournament’s Fukunishi Tomoki card, which went up for auction in 2020 and sold for $25,400. These special collectibles are only available to those that place at the very top of a tournament. Pokemon cards
