Hi, its been almost 20 years and Im getting back into pokemon cards.
I'm looking to buy 2 pokemon decks to start me out. Sorry for the noobish question butt....
Is the XY expansion playable with new Sun & Moon cards <<<<
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Theme_Deck_(TCG)#Sun_.26_Moon_Series
Welcome back. I'm going to sound like a condescending jerk but for your own sake, I'm going to start by pointing out its a more newbish question than you realize because it isn't really beginning in the right place. It is also going to be scary long, but that's in part because I don't know what you know. To give you good advice, we'll need to know what you know
and what is it you're looking for out of this game. Before that, though, let me recommend you go
here is a link to the Play! Pokémon Rules & Resources page of
the official Pokémon website. Some valuable things to read there for TCG players:
- Pokémon TCG Rulebook
- Play! Pokémon TCG Rules and Formats
- Play! Pokémon Deck List
- TCG Errata
- Pokémon TCG Banned Card List
- Sun & Moon—Crimson Invasion Banned List and Rule Changes Quarterly Announcement
- 2017 Pokémon TCG Promo Card Legality Status
- Pokémon TCG Penalty Guidelines
At least read the TCG Rulebook all the way; pretty sure it answers your question about XY-era and SM-era cards, but if not, then one of the other documents there does
and I'll answer it myself anyway. Out of the Constructed Formats (the ones where you build a deck at home and bring it to play), we have Unlimited, Expanded, and Standard. Almost no one uses Unlimited because that's where
everything is legal, at least if it was released as a local language card. While it can get a bit confusing as things have evolved over the years, all the official stuff can work together. Some of the oldest Trainers (several from
Base Set) are more powerful than nearly anything current, but most new Pokémon are far stronger than what came before them. For Expanded play, everything from the Black & White era and later is legal, less some banned cards. For Standard play, it begins with
XY: BREAKthrough (we won't worry about the promos) but currently has no banned cards. Standard is the most likely you'll encounter for organized play, though Expanded isn't too far behind.
What you're looking for out of this game also affects what you should buy. Besides budget constraints, think of what experience you're looking for out of this game:
- The hypocasual experience, where maybe you and a friend will bust out these two decks once in a while to play each other? Basically, forget the trading and collecting, this will just be a "card game" for you?
- The casual experience, where you're ultimately going for more than just a deck or two, but it'll mostly be you and your friends, maybe a little bit of Pokémon League?
- The semi-casual experience where you might be a regular at League and Pre-Releases, but you're not bothering with most other events?
- The semi-competitive experience where you are hitting pretty much everything can, but that leaves out most major tournaments?
- The competitive experience, where you're aiming to at least attend a Regionals (probably more than one), and Worlds (with some luck)?
- The hyper-competitive experience, where you're aiming to win the World Championships, or at least make one of the notable top cuts?
Theme Decks a.k.a. Starter Decks are mostly just a tool for teaching people the fundamentals; even the semi-casual player should probably avoid them. If that
is the route you're determined to go, I must
disagree with some of the advice you've already received here. I'll explain where, but I've got a decent amount of experience with Theme Deck versus Theme Deck matches. Theme decks have always been poorly built when compared to even to most casual decks
but since the BW-era, they seem to be slowly improving, becoming a bit more consistent and less full of fluff. In short (relatively speaking), I wouldn't bother with any Theme Deck from before
Sun & Moon unless it has a specific card you want in it. For Theme Decks, Rock Steady and Luminous Frost are very good; Steel Sun, Hidden Moon, and Roaring Heat are fairly good; Forest Shadow and Bright Tide are merely "okay" (maybe not even that).
You might want to consider
World Championship Decks if you only want to dabble in the game; the powers-that-be select four of the top performing decks from the previous World Championship and release commemorative decks with a special printing of the cards that are
not legal for tournament play. It can still be good for learning advanced strategies, especially on a budget. Ask for more info, though, because some years' picks are better balanced against each other than other years'.
If you are thinking about even half-seriously getting back into the game, Battle Arena Decks might be the best bet. They are actually meant to help players get into Expanded, as they focus on stuff that is Expanded legal but no longer Standard legal
however a lot of the Trainers and Energy in them are legal for both formats. They may also be good if you just want something for you and a friend to play, as Battle Arena Decks are actually
two decks sold together, supposedly balanced against each other.
*whew* I know I am vague in some areas, but it is because I ended up being so detailed in others. I know it is a lot to take in, but it is nice to know these things
before you start spending money.
Speaking of which, you can also play the game "for free" via the Pokémon TCG Online. This is an
official product from Pokémon; they give you some cards to start out, and you can get more by redeeming codes that come with new TCG product (even regular booster packs)
or through in game rewards. The PTCGO features a Theme Deck mode (where my experience with them comes from), Standard, Expanded, and something called the "Legacy" Format, which uses HS-era and BW-era releases (probably because the PTCGO doesn't have cards from before
HeartGold/SoulSilver). I actually haven't played the game using physical cards in
years, sticking with the PTCGO instead (as I can't attend most tournaments).
