Can Promos and Cards from Theme Decks Be Used in Tournaments?

[TooChang]

Hey guys,

So i just started collecting pokemon cards again not too long ago, but now i want to start playing it as well.

I havent played competitively before and the last time i battled anyone was about 13 years ago lol.

Anyways i was wondering if cards from starter/ theme decks or promo EX cards can be used in pokemon league/ tournaments or do they have to be cards from boosters?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[thom ye]

starter decks are typically a good way to start learning the game.
but they typically will not be competitive in tournaments.
check which sets the starter decks are based upon, they may or may not be legal for the current season.
reminder. world championship decks are not legal for tournaments.
usually.... you need to pull cards from boosters.
but ebay or trades is the best way to get the cards you need.

 

[TheGuardian118]

Yes they can be, most of them are the exact same cards as the version from the booster packs. That said, the theme decks themselves are generally weak. However, sometimes it's a good way to get specific cards if you're just starting out. Like the volcanion theme deck is a good way to grab two of the non EX volcanion cards. Which looks like it's currently a $2 card, so two of them would be worth $4 of the $12 normal cost. Whether the other cards in the set are worth the remaining $8 will depend on your collection though.

Promos can be used as if they were normal cards. There are numbered cutoff points for Standard and Expanded. XY36 and up are allowed for standard for the 2017 season.

http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/pokemon-tcg-format-rotation-for-2017/