Help with Understanding Rotations
- Thread starter Clayton18
- Start date
I think one ought to take a step back and explain the different formats before covering set rotation... but just in case I'll mark that off in spoiler tags so you can skip it. It will make it easier for you to understand if you read it, but it is also lengthy, @Clayton18 .
Set rotation happens one per year, around Septemper 1st. Official sources announce it a month or three before (it varies). Since they began rotating sets once per year, it has only been skipped (well, technically it happened but zero sets were rotated) once. Typically Standard will lose three to five sets. Expanded was formed at the last rotation, so we don't know if it will lose anything at all, or if it will have a massive cut, or something in between. Players can make educated guesses based on past rotations, but those are still only guesses.
Sets are legal for official tournament play 21 days past the official release date for the set. XY: BREAKpoint and Generations are both legal.
There are several different formats, or officially recognized card pools, you can use when playing the Pokémon TCG. If you haven't yet, give this section of the official pokemon.com website a look.
There are two major divisions for formats:
The are a few Constructed Formats. Some feature set rotation, where older cards are no longer allowed. I'll get to the specifics in a bit. I believe there is currently only one card banned across all constructed formats, and that is Lysandre's Trump Card. I won't mention again that it is banned, so if I say something like "All cards from these sets are banned!" and that would include a set with Lysandre's Trump Card, it is an exception. You'll just need to look up a list of sets to get to know what, though packaging often includes a prefix before the set's name to let you know to which series it belongs.
There are two major divisions for formats:
- Constructed, where you build a 60 card deck from your own collection and bring it to the event.
- Limited, where you arrive at the event, pay your entry fee, and receive cards to build a deck there.
The are a few Constructed Formats. Some feature set rotation, where older cards are no longer allowed. I'll get to the specifics in a bit. I believe there is currently only one card banned across all constructed formats, and that is Lysandre's Trump Card. I won't mention again that it is banned, so if I say something like "All cards from these sets are banned!" and that would include a set with Lysandre's Trump Card, it is an exception. You'll just need to look up a list of sets to get to know what, though packaging often includes a prefix before the set's name to let you know to which series it belongs.
- Standard - This is one of the two most likely constructed formats you'll encounter. Sometimes referred to as XY-On because all the cards from the XY sets and promos are legal. The only confusing bit is that there are things like the XY: Kalos Starter Set that predate the actual set named simply XY. Some people will preface a set name with "XY" if it is part of this series of expansions. Black Star Promos numbered XY01 and higher are legal as well.
- Expanded - This format was added about a year ago, and gets its name because everything legal in Standard is legal here, plus all the cards released in the BW sets save for one additional banned card: Shiftry (BW: Next Destinies 72/99). Also legal are all Black Star Promos numbered BW001 and higher, as well as McDonald’s Collection 2011, McDonald’s Collection 2012, and McDonald’s Collection 2014.
- Unlimited - Decks may contain cards from any and all Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions and promotional cards that have been released in the United States. I believe Shiftry (BW: Next Destinies 72/99) is still legal here, though Lysandre's Trump Card is not. There may also be some odd promos that aren't legal, but it is usually pretty obvious. For example I don't think the one known as "Ancient Mew" is legal, and since it is in PokéGlyphics (not the same as Unown Font) and doesn't have the standard card backing is allowed.
- Unlimited (PTCGO) - I think this still exists, but unlike in the real life TCG, the PTCGO lacks cards from sets that predade the PTCGO's own release. As such its Unlimited Format won't have any cards from before HeartGold & SoulSilver.
- Theme Deck - As the name suggests, this is a format where it is Theme Deck versus Theme Deck. There are a few online only Theme Decks, plus a few "special" real world theme decks are excluded (or just don't count as Theme Decks by PTCGO standards).
- Legacy - The PTCGO features this unique format where all cards from the HS series of sets and promos, Call of Legends, and the BW series of sets and promos are all legal.
Set rotation happens one per year, around Septemper 1st. Official sources announce it a month or three before (it varies). Since they began rotating sets once per year, it has only been skipped (well, technically it happened but zero sets were rotated) once. Typically Standard will lose three to five sets. Expanded was formed at the last rotation, so we don't know if it will lose anything at all, or if it will have a massive cut, or something in between. Players can make educated guesses based on past rotations, but those are still only guesses.
Sets are legal for official tournament play 21 days past the official release date for the set. XY: BREAKpoint and Generations are both legal.
Thank you so much for your help!