Difference from Pokemon TCG Physical Cards

Difference between Pokemon TCG Pocket (Pokemon Card App) and the traditional physical card game. See differences in cards, battle rules and decks for Pokemon TCGP.

Card Differences

Physical Cards And Cards In The App

Cards that have appeared in the physical Pokemon card game do not appear in the Pokemon card app. Cards have been adjusted for the app, such as the Charizard ex below, where HP and damage are adjusted for the app.

Physical	App

There are cards with the same illustrations

Cards with matching images may also appear in the Pokemon card app. While these cards have similar images, their effects have been adjusted to fit the Pocket TCG format.

Physical	App

Source: Pokemon TCG Database

Different Rarity Symbols

The rarity symbols in the Pokemon card app differ from those of physical cards. In the app, the rarity is indicated by the number of “♦︎” or “★” symbols.

Rarity
1 Diamond			2 Diamond			3 Diamond			4 Diamond
1 Star				2 Star				3 Star
Crown						Promo

New “Immersive Cards” Introduced

Physical	App

The Pokemon card app features a special kind of card called “Immersive Cards.” These cards allow you to experience the feeling of jumping into the world of the card’s illustration.

Deck Differences

Decks Consists of 20 Cards

In the Pokemon card app, decks must be composed of 20 cards. You can also use the auto-build feature to create a deck automatically.

Only Up To 2 of The Same Cards Allowed

You can only include up to 2 of the same cards in a deck. However, note that regular Pokemon and Pokemon ex cards are treated as different cards.

No Energy Cards

Unlike physical Pokemon cards, Energy Cards are not included in decks in the Pokemon card app. Instead, there is a new feature called the Energy Zone.

▼More details here

Battle Differences

New Energy Zone Feature

The Pokemon card app features a new “Energy Zone” element that is not found in the physical game. One energy appears in the Energy Zone each turn.

Prize Cards Replaced by Point System

Pokemon TCG Pocket does not use prize cards and instead, a point system determines who wins. The first player to earn 3 points by knocking out the opponent’s Pokemon wins.

Bench Size Limited To 3 Cards

In the physical Pokemon card game, the bench size is limited to 5 cards, but in the app, it is limited to 3 cards.

First Turn Actions Is Different

The differences for the first turn are that support cards can be used, attacks can be used, but you cannot attach energy from the Energy Zone.

Support Cards Can Be Used

In the physical Pokemon card game, support cards cannot be used on the first turn, but in the app they can be used on the first turn.

Attacks Can Be Used

In the physical game, you also aren't able to attack the opponent on the first turn, but in the app this is allowed.

Cannot Attach Energy

Energy cannot be attached on the first turn in the app, as energy does not appear in the Energy Zone until the second turn. Energy attachment becomes possible from the second turn onward.

Initial Hand Size Is 5 Cards

You draw 5 cards at the start of a match. Since decks have 20 cards, this means you draw 1/4 of your deck at the start of the game.

No Mulligan Rule

In the app, there will always be at least one Basic Pokemon in your starting hand of 5 cards, so there is no Mulligan rule like there is in the physical Pokemon card game.

Hand Size Limit Of 10 Cards

The hand size limit is 10 cards. If you exceed this limit, cards are sent to the discard pile.

Turn Limit Of 30 Turns

A single game is limited to 30 turns. If the match reaches the turn limit in the app, the match ends in a draw.

Deck Exhaustion Doesn’t Result In A Loss

In the Pokemon card app, you do not lose if your deck runs out of cards. In such cases, you simply skip your draw phase for the rest of the game.

Weakness Is Calculated As +20 Damage

In the physical game, weakness is calculated using a multiplier (×2), but in the app it is calculated as an additional 20 damage.

Bench Pokemon Immune to Weakness

Just like the physical version, benched pokemon do not take extra weakness damage.

No Resistance

In the physical game, resistance can reduce the damage a Pokemon takes, but in the app there is no resistance.

Damage is Capped at 990

While no explicitly stated damage limit is listed on any of the cards, the maximum amount of damage that an attack can deal in a single instance is capped at 990.

Related Articles

Recommended Articles Before Release

Recommended Articles Before Release
How to Play and Features	New Card Information
Physical Game and App Differences	Immersive Cards
Trading Cards	Is There a Switch & PC Version?
App Release Date	How to Pre-register

Type List

Type
Grass	Fire	Water	Lightning	Psychic
Fighting	Darkness	Metal	Dragon	Colorless

Rarity List

Rarity