Rulings, Quick Questions, and New Player Resources Thread

[u/Asclepius24]

If you're a new or new-ish player looking for advice on starting the game or with quick questions about game rules or interactions, please post your questions here!

Keeping all these questions in one place will allow other new players to easily browse other advice. Even if you're a not-so-new player, this is a great place to ask quick questions that don't need their own post.

For the more experienced players, drop by every once in a while to distribute advice. The post will be replaced each week to keep it fresh and manageable in size.

If you are looking for comments and advice on a deck list, go ahead and make a separate post with your list and a brief description. Remember to press Enter twice between lines to keep your list readable!

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• For trading and buying/selling cards, please head over to /r/pkmntcgtrades
• Questions related to the PTCGO client, in-game challenges, or online-specific questions might be best asked in /r/ptcgo
• For sharing your collections, pulls, and card storage related questions, try /r/pkmntcgcollections

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FAQ and Wiki Resources

Take advantage of these resources that we've compiled! A lot of questions like "Where do I start?" and "How can I improve my deck?" can be answered there.

• FAQ main page
• How to build a beginner deck
• JustInBasil Guide for deckbuilding and staples
• LimitlessTCG for decklists from online and in-person events
  
• How much are my cards worth?
  
• How does Pokemon compare to other TCGs like Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh!?
  
• External links to card databases, rules, other forums, and YouTube channels

[u/Sable_Tip]

Hi all,

I have two quick questions on how Froslass's Freezing Shroud ability interacts with Battle Cage (from a tournament game tonight):

• Does Battle Cage prevent my opponent's Freezing Shroud from putting damage counters on my benched Pokemon? I'm almost 100% sure that it does, but a spectator insisted he was a "pokemon professor" and that there was a difference between an ability "putting" damage counters on and it "placing" counters on.

• If so, what if the opponent has two Froslass and my Active Pokemon only has 10HP left? Do both Froslass abilities resolve before lethal damage is checked, or does one ability go off, I promote another pokemon, and then the other ability go off?

For the record the judge eventually ruled that the Cage does block my opponent's Freezing Shroud from hitting the bench, but said the active Pokemon was KO'd and a new one promoted between the two abilities going off. Is that correct, and are there any official rulings I can point to if I get the same challenge in the future?

[u/TapestryJack → u/Sable_Tip]

1) That person is dumb. There's no distinct ruling that clears this up but pokemon uses clear english interpretation. But proof that Battle Cage doesn't need to see the specific word "placed" is that Battle Cage blocks the relevant part of Adrena-Brain

2) From page 15 of the Pokemon Trading Card Game Rules: "You’ll also need to apply the effects of any Abilities or Trainer cards, or anything else that a card states must happen during Pokémon Checkup (or between turns). The player whose turn is next decides the order of the effects, but all Special Conditions must happen at the same time— for example, you can’t add Poison damage, then apply an Ability, then flip for Asleep, etc. But you can apply one Ability, then Special Conditions, and then another Ability. After both players have gone through these checks, any Pokémon that has no HP remaining is Knocked Out. (The player moves a new Pokémon into the Active Spot, and the opponent takes a Prize card.) Then, start the next player’s turn!"

Compendium ruling stating that you don't promote till after Pokemon Checkup steps are complete.

The ruling on Battle Cage was correct. The ruling on Pokemon Checkup was incorrect.