The Pokémon Trading Card Game Online has a feature that allows players to build their own custom decks after completing a few steps. Originally released in 2011 alongside Generation 5 Pokémon Black and White, TCG Online has allowed Pokémon card collectors to play the Nintendo tabletop game on Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS devices. In addition, players who grow their collection of cards in TCG Online can build custom decks to bring into battle.
In the TCG Online, players are able to face off against NPCs and other players with a digital version of the Pokémon TCG. The game features pre-made decks from the TCG's current expansion to help players quickly jump into a match. Although digital, trainers are actually able to unlock their own cards within the game's service to add to their collection.
Players can also use Pokémon TCG Online codes that can be redeemed to add more Pokémon cards to their accounts. Since 2011, almost every TCG product includes a special code card inside that can be used to unlock more Pokémon cards in TCG Online. Of course, once users start to build up their collection, they will want to start making their own unique teams to battle with. Below is a breakdown of how players can take the cards they have on their account and make their own custom decks in the TCG Online.
How To Create A Custom Deck In The Pokémon TCG
Every Pokémon TCG deck must have at least 60 Pokémon cards in order to be playable. While there is no hard rule for how a player should build their deck, trainers should generally have at least fourteen to eighteen Pokémon in their deck, and then a split between Trainer and Energy cards. Players will also want to have a main attacker who dishes out a lot of damage, such as Pokémon Brilliant Stars' Arceus VSTAR card and a group of supporter Pokémon. Below are the steps for building a custom deck in the Pokémon TCG Online.
- After starting the TCG Online client and on the home menu, click the second green icon at the top, which is an image of three cards.
- Select the "Deck Manager" option.
- Once on the Deck Manager page, click the "Create a New Deck" button.
- Players who want to create a custom deck that can be played in current tournaments should select "Standard." Those that want to build a custom deck that uses their entire collection should select "Unlimited" or "Legacy."
- Next, select the cards you want to be added to your deck by filtering through your collection. Finally, players must manually add each card by clicking them.
- After having 60 cards added to your custom deck, click the fourth green button at the top is a floppy disc logo, and then click "save" to finish your custom deck.
Another easy option for beginner TCG players is to use the "Deck Wizard" feature in the Deck Manager menu. Trainers will be able to pick two cards from their collection, and the TCG Online client will then build a deck around the selected Pokémon. Users can also edit this deck to make it custom. Players who want to use modern sets like May's Pokémon Astral Radiance TCG expansion will need to select the "Normal" option to make it compatible with the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online's current tournament ruleset.
Pokémon Trading Card Game Online is available on PC, macOS, iOS, and Android.