Pokemon TCG is one of the most popular card games of 2023, featuring a rich competitive scene and many cards to collect from the beloved series. While it can be daunting and confusing to start from nothing, every aspiring Pokemon trainer must take their first steps to start their collection and do Pokemon battles.
This buyer's guide will tell you the best options for getting started with the acclaimed card game and which choices might interest you. From powerful competitive decks such as the infamous Mew VMAX to useful accessories and booster boxes, these items will give you a strong start as a Pokemon Trainer in the TCG!
Best Products To Get Started With Pokemon TCG In 2023
Pokemon TCG: Paldea Evolved Elite Trainer Box
Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly look wonderful on the sleeves!
The Pokemon TCG: Paldea Evolved Elite Trainer Box features colorful accesories and booster packs with powerful cards makes it an attractive choice for those looking to get into the game in 2023.
- Colorful Accessories featuring the starters of Scarlet/Violet.
- Paldea Evolved booster packs contain powerful staples.
- 45 Energy cards to start building decks.
- Cards synergies depend heavily on the cards pulled from packs
The Paldea Evolved Elite Trainer Box is impressive at first glance, showing a colorful box that leaves an impression while adding some striking accessories. It includes booster packs of Paldea Evolve, which feature popular cards such as the Iono trainer card. Iono is a staple to any deck with her powerful effect that allows you to draw more cards and control your opponent's hand.
This box also has sleeves featuring the starter trio of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. Its Grass, Fire, and Water combination goes well with the design of the sleeves and the dice, making it an appealing choice for those with a great sense of aesthetics and fashion.
Pokemon Battle Academy 2
Learn to play with Pikachu, Eevee and Cinderace!
Pokemon Battle Academy 2 is a board game that includes cards and will teach children how to play the game in effortlessly.
- Comes with 3 complete decks
- Easiest way to introduce the game to kids
- Large metallic coins of Pikachu, Cinderace and Eevee
- Comes with a board and other accessories
- The decks will struggle to keep up in tourneys
The Pokemon Battle Academy 2 Board Game is perfect for introducing kids to the world of Pokemon TCG! This set includes Decks to play, tutorials to learn how to play with, and a board to familiarize yourself with the game. The adorable Eevee, iconic Pikachu, and new powerful Cinderace are great Pokemon that interest kids with their beloved designs!
The rules are simple to understand and allow children to have fun while starting their card collection. It will grow little by little as they become full-fledged Pokemon trainers. Some powerful cards are also included from the V versions of the three iconic Pokemons!
Pokemon TCG: Mew VMAX League Battle Deck
Become a force to be reckoned with Mew VMAX.
The Pokemon TCG Mew VMAX League Battle Deck is the best way to enter the competitive scene for newcomers. Its infamous powerful effects, and level 3 status will deliver good performance at tournaments.
- Powerful cards are included to use in tournaments!
- This deck is able to win competitions out of the box
- Upgrading the deck is cheap and enhances it tremendously
- Comes with two copies of the main cards rather than three, which can lead to a bit of incosistency
If you want to enter the competitive scene, there is no better way to start than getting the Mew VMAX League Battle Deck! This is a level three battle deck, which is competitive-ready out of the box. Mew VMAX quickly rose to power in the competitive scene and became one of the mightiest decks to face off during a competitive tournament thanks to its incredible speed and power.
It also comes with Genesect V, another fearsome card to add to your collection with this Battle Deck. Genesect V allows you to draw as many cards as you have Fusion Strike Pokemon in play, paired with Mew VMAX Cross Fusion Strike, which will enable you to use the attack of any of your Fusion Strike Pokemons in the bench, once this deck gets going, is almost impossible to stop.
Pokemon TCG: Sword & Shield Lost Origin Elite Trainer Box
Try your hand at high-risk and high-reward with this box!
The Lost Origin, Elite Trainer Box, is the perfect way to start a collection of Pokemon cards. It includes dividers to organize your collection, booster packs, and sleeves featuring the fearsome Giratina.
- The accessories come in striking red and black colors.
- Cards feature the Lost Zone mechanic, which is incredibly fun to use!
- The box includes all the tools necessary to start and organize a collection of cards.
- Building a deck might be challenging for newcomers out of this box
The Lost Origin, Elite Trainer Box, includes eight booster packs of the Lost Origin Set. Like Paldea Evolved, Lost Origin Set also includes many popular and fun cards to use when building decks to play with. The mechanic of the Lost Zone allows you to set your cards into it to empower attacks and unleash devastating effects on your opponent.
The box is good for a collection starting point as it includes energy to build decks of all types, booster packs, and accessories. The package also comes with dividers to keep all your cards in perfect order and get you started in organizing your collection. It makes up for a great alternative to the Paldea Evolved box if you would rather get cards from the Lost Origin Set and a black-red color combination that is less colorful but striking.
Pokemon TCG: Chien-Pao ex Battle Deck
Unleash the harsh winter in this beginner-friendly deck!
The Chien-Pao ex Battle Deck is the cheapest way to get into Pokemon TCG without compromises. Try the game out with this easy-to-use deck featuring one of the newest legendary Pokemons!
- An easy deck to use and understand the game
- Chien-Pao ability delivers consistency in the deck across all matches
- Can be upgraded to be used in the competitive scene!
- Does not include sleeves, which are required to protect your cards
- Accessories are cheap and underwhelming.
The Chien-Pao deck is the best budget option for those starting to play the game, costing only ten bucks. This level 1 battle deck will allow you to understand the game's rules while being easy to use on the battlefield. Thanks to the strategy sheet, you will learn how deck strategies work and how to implement your tactics into future decks you build or acquire.
The Battle Deck also comes with a playmat and some accessories to get your feet wet in the game. Chien-Pao is one of the newest legendary Pokemon From Scarlet and Violet, and his ability will do wonders in getting newbies to keep playing and avoid bricking as it searches for more energy to add to your hand.
Pokemon TCG: Trainer's Toolkit
Get the value out of every cent with this Toolkit!
The Pokemon TCG: Trainer's Toolkit 2023 features the powerful Uber Arceus V line that can be used effectively with any deck! With over 100 energy cards, this toolkit provides huge value out of the box.
- The contents of the toolkit are amazing for its price.
- Arceus V lines are cards that are popular and influential.
- 100 Energy cards to add to your collection for deck building
- Has fewer booster packs that most boxes
- The booster packs might not offer enough cards to build a good deck
The Trainer's Toolkit 2023 is a popular product, and with good reason: it features a strong collection of cards along with the powerful Arceus V line. This toolkit has over 100 energy cards, four booster packs, and accessories to get you started, including sleeves, damage counters, and coins.
What makes this product the best value is that for 25 bucks, you get a huge amount of cards and powerful Pokemon for half the price of an Elite Box, making it the perfect choice for those trying to get worth out of their purchase. If you want the best value, go for this amazing toolkit!
Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Paldea Evolved Booster Display Box
Have fun opening over 36 booster packs!
The Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet-Paldea Evolved Booster Display Box includes over 36 booster packs, making it an attractive choice for those that want to start their collection the classic way by opening tones of packs!
- 36 packs means you get over 360 cards!
- Paldea Evolved features many important cards such as Iono
- Might contain tera pokemon cards with a crystalline appearance and gorgeous art!
- It can be quite pricey for a newcomer to purchase
- Lacks all accessories, no sleeves, dices, coins or damage counters.
- Doesn't include instructions on how to play the game.
If you would rather get booster packs due to the emotion of opening them or start your collection blind without any hand-holding, then the Paldea Booster Display Box is the best choice. This box monstrosity comes with over thirty-six booster packs of Paldea Evolved, one of the best current packs to get out there.
The sheer amount of packs ensures that you will get some amazing cards out of the box, and it might be a nostalgic experience for those that play card games in their childhood as you open them. While you might need more energy cards depending on the type of deck you want to build, this box is one of the best products to obtain a variety of powerful cards quickly.
These products come with the accessories needed to play a match of Pokemon TCG, damage counter, dice, coins, and cards. The best pick is the Paldea Evolved Elite Trainer Box due to its colorful design, booster packs featuring Paldea Evolved's powerful and staple cards such as Iono, and other features such as energy cards to build a deck.
Bottom Line
The Paldea Evolved Trainer box is the best overall pick for most people looking to start getting into Pokemon TCG in 2023. It includes enough boosters pack to start a small collection and make a deck, energy cards to fill the requirement for energy, accessories of all types with colorful flair and a player's guide to understand the game. With Scarlet and Violet release, there is no better time to start getting into Pokemon's newest region and that includes it's TCG counterpart. For those wanting to get into Pokemon TCG without spending too much, be sure to check the Chien-Pao League Deck as it cost 9.99 and includes accessories to boot. The deck is an easy way to try out Pokemon TCG while avoiding spending too much.
FAQ
Is the Pokemon TCG game popular?
The Pokemon TCG is one of the most popular card games in the world, so much in fact that there are tournaments in local stores and regional and global championships that require participants to win in sponsored events by the Pokemon Company.
How do I know if I can use a card in tournaments/stores/competitions?
The new Pokemon cards have letters in the bottom left corner of the card. These letters are D, E, and F. Cards with the letter D cannot be used in sponsored competition and most local stores' tourneys, so to be safe, make sure to build decks with the letter E and F when playing in stores. You can use any card to play with friends and family if your opponent doesn't mind.
Is Pokemon TCG fun to play?
Pokemon TCG is a lot of fun for both children and adults! It is a simple game once you understand the rules, but it also has many complex strategies to implement. It is a crown pleaser that can delight casual newcomers, fierce competitors, and those who love building collections over time.