Getting Back into the Game

[RedHatTrick]

Hey there PokeBeach. I haven't played the Pokemon TCG since SPs were the big decks; I played BlazeRayChomp and Gyarados for a while, and then Yanmega/Magnezone when the game transitioned towards HG/SS. I haven't played with a single Black and White or XY set. I am interested in getting back into the game, since I have so many fond memories of it. I've tried reading up on the current metagame, with Seismitoad EX, Yveltal EX, etc. but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all the rule changes and new mechanics like no attacking on the first turn, EXs, Megas/Primals, ACE SPECS, Ancient Traits, etc. and was wondering if you guys had any advice as to what decks I should look into, what is popular, where I should invest my money (seeing as I have no modified legal cards), etc. Also any advice on the new tournament structure and Championship Points system would be nice too, seeing as the whole OP system seems to be different as well. Thanks in advance for any and all help!

 

[Purrloin]

Today would be a great time to get a look at some examples of competitive decks, with the Spring Regional Championships being streamed on Pokemon's official Twitch channel. If you've missed most of it, they will have it archived in the Past Broadcasts section of their profile page. (You can also watch recent past tournaments in the archives too.)

The best way for newcomers or returning players to become (re)acquainted with the rules is by playing PTCGO, in my opinion. It's free, and you'll get a handful of free cards to play around with when you sign up. More cards can be purchased with in-game coins or by putting in codes found in real-life packs and theme decks. You could also try TCG One here on Pokebeach.

Since you lack modified cards, it might a good idea to buy a few theme decks in order to gather some legal Trainer cards. Maybe start with a Fairy theme deck so you can get some Fairy energy cards too.

Keep in mind that there are two formats currently being played in official Pokemon tournaments: standard (modified) and expanded. Expanded allows cards from BW-On, while Standard currently allows Boundaries Crossed-On (but the next modified rotation is coming soon). So even if you end up with some soon-to-be-rotated cards, you can still use them in Expanded for the foreseeable future.

Are there any specific questions you have regarding the various mechanics you mentioned?