Hello everyone! This is Elena from Gaia Storm TCG and it is a pleasure, as always, to be back here! I usually tend to receive many messages from new players trying to start their adventures in Pokémon TCG asking for some advice. So let’s see some steps I usually recommend!

1.         Get general information: No big secret. Any new player needs to gather as much information as possible about the game they want to be in. It is not only a question of getting to know certain mechanics and cards but also, to understand things like available platforms to play (both psychical and online), the different formats and the existence of a ban list / rotation. After all, you don’t want to start building a deck that is going to rotate after a month! Official webs and introductory guides are ideal for this purpose.

2.         Get familiar with the metagame and pick a deck you are conformable with: Next, the key part is to understand the different levels of competitive tiers and the most played cards of the format. Bear in mind, however, that metagame in Pokémon is always evolving so there isn’t something like one deck that beats them all. Tournament results are great to see what and why is winning around the world. Also, YouTube channels are the perfect source to see how strategies work.

3.         Consistency is key: It doesn’t matter what kind of deck you are trying to build, your goal is first to make it consistent. In order to do this, my advice is go get certain cards and items that will help you draw. A typical skeleton for any deck consist of N, Cynthia, Sycamore, Ultra Ball and Tapu Lele GX so these cards must be a priority. Don’t spend all your savings getting just a couple of GX attackers! Since Tapu Lele might be a bit pricey at the moment for a new player, you can change it for more draw supporters.

4.         Level up!: Instead of going from the very beginning for a tier 1 deck (unless you are 100% sure), the best route is to start with a more economic deck and then make it better adding certain cards. That way, the player has time to test the waters and get to know the game. Theme decks like Garchomp and Empoleon (Ultra Prism) are great options to start for little money!

So now that you have all the information about the game and have tested it, you are more than ready to enter Victory Road. CCG Castle is a great place for all your needs so if you are trying to build any deck, this is your chance! Thanks for reading!