PTCG Glossary
The PTCG community has, over time, built a gargantuan glossary of game terms and lingo. Whether you’ve been in the hobby for a while or just starting, there’s always a chance that you’ll come across some unknown jargon.
Here is a comprehensive PTCG glossary of essential terms to help you keep up with the hobby. Treat it as your very own PTCG Pokédex!
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Ability (Abilities)
Some Pokémon have special powers denoted by the word “Ability”. These activate different effects such as drawing extra cards and healing damage. Abilities are different from attacks and both can be used on the same turn. Unless otherwise stated, each ability can be used once per turn. “Abilities” replaced the old “Poké Power” and “Poké Body mechanics.
Ability Lock
A term used to describe methods to stop an opponent from using Pokémon abilities. This puts the opponent at a severe disadvantage.
Active Pokémon
The Pokémon that is in the Active Spot area of the field. Each player must have an Active Pokémon at all times.
Aggressive (Aggro)
A deck strategy that focuses on dealing a lot of damage very quickly to take key knockouts in the early game and apply sustained pressure in the mid and late game. Low energy cost and high damage output attacks are essential for aggro decks.
Alternative Art (Alt Art)
Alternate versions of cards. The card attributes are the same as the original they are based on, but they have unique and often highly stylized artwork that is greatly sought after by collectors for their emotional appeal.
Attach (Attachment)
The action of putting a card onto a Pokémon to activate different effects such as attacks, abilities, and more. Attachments are usually Item or Energy cards.
Attack
Each Pokémon has one or more moves that deal damage and sometimes additional effects (as stated on the card). Attacks occur during the Attacking Phase at the end of the turn. Pokemon can only attack if the energy requirement is met and some effects can prevent Pokémon from attacking.
B
Basic Energy
A sub-type of Energy card used to charge up Pokémon attacks. Each Basic Energy provides a single energy to the Pokémon it is attached to. There are currently 11 types of Basic Energy in the Pokemon TCG, each matching an elemental type in the franchise. As many copies of Basic Energy can be included in a deck as a player wishes.
Basic Pokémon
The base form of a Pokémon denoted by the word “Basic” in the top left-hand corner. Basic Pokémon can be played directly on the Bench without evolving.
Battlefield
The table top on which two players “battle (play the game).
Bench
The area of each player’s field where up to five reserve Pokémon can be placed. Benched Pokémon enter the Active spot by retreating the active Pokémon or when the active Pokémon is knocked out.
Bench Sitter
Support Pokémon that stay on the bench where can safely use abilities such as card drawing, card searching, and even dealing damage from the bench. Keeping support Pokémon on the bench protects them from direct attacks.
Booster Pack
A random assortment of sealed Pokémon cards. They contain a mixture of Pokémon, Trainer, Energy, and in modern sets, code cards. Furthermore, each booster pack has a mixture of commons and rares. English packs contain 10 cards whilst Japanese packs contain 5-7 cards.
Bricking (Brick)
A negative term used to describe drawing a card, or cards, that have no immediate use. This can put players at a disadvantage as the opponent continues to set up plays. Bricking can happen to anyone due to bad luck, but the odds can be higher in poorly made decks.
Brick City
Players use this humorous term to describe a streak of bad draws (see bricking).
Burn
A Special Condition that causes a Pokémon to take 20 damage (2 damage counters) between each turn. A coin is flipped after damage is applied. If heads, the Pokémon is no longer burned. If tails, the burn remains.
C
Chase Card
Rare and valuable cards that are in high demand from the collecting community. Some booster sets are more popular and expensive compared to others if they contain chase cards.
Confused
A Special Condition where the affected Pokémon flips a coin before attacking. If heads, confusion is removed and the Pokémon attacks as usual. If tails, the attack does no damage and the attacking Pokémon does 30 damage to itself.
Control
A deck strategy that focuses on controlling battles by using manipulative moves such as hand disruption, ability lock, energy removal, and more.
D
Damage
The reduction of Pokémon HP as a result of being attacked. Accumulated damage is tracked by using damage counters
Damage Counter
A card, acrylic, or metal marker that is placed on Pokémon to keep track of damage. The number on the counter indicates the damage amount. For example, a damage counter that is marked with “10” indicates 10 damage. Some players prefer using damage dice over counters.
Damage Dice
A dice for keeping track of damage. The number on the dice indicates the damage amount. For example, placing a dice on a Pokémon with “50” facing upwards indicates it has taken 50 damage. If using a regular dotted dice, then multiply the dots by 10. For example, 3 dots equals 30 damage.
Dead Draw
A negative term used by players to describe drawing a useless card. Dead draws slow momentum and gives the opponent an advantage as they continue to set up. Dead pull is a variation of this term used by collectors to describe packs that do not contain valuable cards.
Deck
A stack of 60 cards used to play the game. Decks consist of a combination of Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards chosen by the player.
Decklist
A list of every card in a player’s deck following the Official Pokémon decklist template. Filling a decklist is mandatory for tournament participation because it helps prevent cheating.
Deck Building
The process of choosing 60 cards to go into a deck. Creating a good deck requires careful planning and players will tweak the deck ratio to suit their playing style. The final deck is also called a “build”.
Deck Out (Decking Out)
When a player has no more cards to draw at the start of the turn. Decking out is an automatic loss.
Deck Ratio
The number of Pokémon to Energy to Trainer cards in a deck.
Discard Pile
The area of the field where used cards are placed. Cards in the discard pile are no longer in play unless the effect of another card returns them to play.
Donk (Donking)
Winning a battle on the first turn by KO’ing the opponent’s only Pokémon. Donking was popular in the past but much harder now due to a rulebook update which prevents the first-turn player from attacking. It is still possible for the second-turn player to, on their first turn, win a battle by KO’ing the opponent’s only Pokémon.
Draw (Drawing)
The action of taking cards from the top of the deck. Cards are drawn at the beginning of a battle, at the start of a turn, or when card effects such as those from Trainers are activated (the number of cards drawn is always specified on the card)
E
Energy Acceleration
A strategy for bypassing the usual limit of 1 energy attachment per turn, by using effects from Pokémon abilities and Trainer cards. Energy acceleration allows players to quickly charge up high energy-cost attacks.
Energy Card
A type of card used to charge up a Pokémon attack or enable their abilities. Energy cards are sub-categorised as Basic and Special Energy.
Energy Requirement
The number of energy required to use an attack. This is represented by the number/type of energy symbols next to an attack. For example, an attack with 3 Fire symbols means the Pokémon needs to have 3 separate Fire Energy attached to use the attack.
Engine (Draw Engine)
A group of cards that are included in a deck to increase consistency by allowing extra cards to be drawn or specific cards to be searched from the deck. Engines usually comprise a carefully chosen combination of Pokémon and Trainer cards.
Evolve (Evolving)
The act of placing a Stage 1 Pokémon on a Basic Pokémon or Stage 2 Pokémon on a Stage 1 Pokémon. Pokémon become stronger as they evolve.
Evolution Line
The order in which Pokémon evolve from their Basic to Stage 1, and sometimes, Stage 2 forms. Charmander-Charmelon-Charizard is an example of an evolution line.
Expanded Format
A format that allows cards from the modern and older sets. The expanded pool of cards gives players more options in terms of deck building and strategy.
EX Pokémon
A type of rule box Pokémon with higher HP and more powerful moves than normal Pokémon. 2 Prize cards are taken when a Pokémon ex is knocked out. Not to be confused with the old “ex Pokémon” which have “ex” in lowercase and are thus different cards. For example, Venusaur EX and Venusaur ex are two different cards, meaning 4 copies of each can be included in an Expanded Format deck.
F
Field
Noun- the battlefield where two players play the game. Verb- the action of playing a Pokémon card on the battlefield.
Flooding
A negative term that is used to describe drawing too many of one type of card at once. This increases the risk of the player being left with dead (unusable) cards.
G
GX Attack
A powerful attack that is unique to Pokémon-GX. Players are limited to using one GX attack in any given battle.
Graded Card
Any card that has been evaluated, scored, and sealed in a protective case by a professional TCG grading company like PSA or Beckett. Graded cards usually much more valuable than their raw counterparts.
Grading
The process of turning a raw card into a graded card.
H
Hand
Noun- the cards that are held in a player’s hand. “Handed cards” are concealed from the opponent because they are not yet in play. Players draw 7 cards into their hand at the start of a battle and then 1 card at the beginning of each turn.
Hand Disruption
A technique for manipulating an opponent’s hand, usually by forcing them to discard cards or shuffling cards back into the deck. Hand disruption is used to slow down an opponent to put them at a disadvantage.
Holo Rare
Rare cards with holographic, or “shiny”, artwork. Different categories of holos exist, including; normal holos, rainbow holos, gold holos, and radiant holos.
Hit Point (HP)
The amount of damage that a Pokémon can take before being “knocked out”. Different Pokémon have different HP levels. A Pokémon’s HP is displayed on the top-right corner of the card.
I
Item Card
A type of Trainer card that can be played as many times as a player likes during their turn (unless stated otherwise on the Item). Popular Items include Ultra Ball, Switch, and Rare Candy.
K
Knock Out (KO)
Pokémon become knocked out when their HP falls to 0. The Pokémon is discarded, along with all cards attached, and the opponent takes a Prize card. 2 or 3 prize cards are taken for knocking out a rule box Pokémon such as Pokémon V, VSTAR, VMAX, and Ex.
L
Lost Zone
The area of the field where cards are irretrievably removed from play. Certain cards and deck types are themed around using the Lost Zone mechanism to the players’ advantage.
M
Metagame (Meta)
Popular trends and strategies used in competitive Pokémon TCG. “Meta Decks” and “Meta Cards” are decks and cards, respectively, that are commonly seen in tournaments. Good players have strategies to counter the meta.
Mill (Milling)
A deck strategy that forces the opponent to draw all their cards and lose the battle via a “deck out”. To do this, mill decks combine attacks, abilities, and trainer cards to make the opponent draw and discard excessively.
Mint Condition
A collector’s term to describe a card in perfect condition with very few- if any- defects such as scratches and scuffs. Mint cards are highly valued by collectors for their potential at getting a good grading.
Mulligan
At the start of a battle, players take a mulligan if they have no Basic Pokémon in the 7 cards of the opening hand. The player reveals their hand, re-shuffles it back into their deck, and then draws a fresh hand of 7 cards. The opponent may draw an additional card for each mulligan taken.
N
Near-Mint (NM)
A collector’s term to describe a card that is not “mint” but still in good condition. Despite their small imperfections, such as light scratches or edge scuffs, NM cards are still valuable.
P
Paralyzed
A Special Condition that prevents a Pokémon from attacking or retreating. Pokémon automatically recover from paralysis on the next turn.
Poisoned
A Special Condition that causes a Pokémon to take 10 damage (1 damage counter) between turns.
Prize Card
6 cards that are set aside at the start of a battle. Prize cards are taken every time a player knocks out an opponent’s Pokémon and taking all six prizes wins the game.
Prized
When a card is unplayable because it is placed in the Prize cards. This becomes particularly disruptive if key cards are prized (include multiple copies of key cards to minimize risk).
Prize Mapping
Identifying and tracking key cards that are inaccessible because they have been prized. This is achieved by remembering the exact quantities of each card in a deck and using this to deduce which cards have been prized when searching through the deck. Prize mapping is an important skill that allows a player to effectively plan future moves during a battle.
Proxy
A placeholder that is used to represent a card not owned. Proxies are typically used during deck testing to determine if a candidate card should be obtained.
Pull
The term for obtaining cards by opening sealed products, usually from booster packs.
Pull Rate
The percentage likelihood of obtaining a rare when opening a booster pack. Pull rates are calculated by opening a large number of booster packs and counting the number of rares obtained. Pull rates vary between sets and rarity types. For example, the pull rate for normal holos is much higher than the pull rate for a rainbow rare.
R
Raw Card
Any card that has not yet been graded. All cards obtained from sealed products such as booster packs are considered to be “raw” until they have been graded.
Resistance
A defensive trait on some Pokémon that reduces damage taken by 30 from Pokémon of specific elemental types. For example, a Pokémon that is resistant to grass takes 30 less damage from grass-type Pokémon. Resistance is marked on the bottom of a Pokémon card, whilst elemental type is marked on the top right-hand corner.
Retreat
To swap the Active Pokémon for a benched Pokémon. This requires a retreat cost to be paid.
Retreat Cost
The number of energy cards that need to be discarded to retreat a Pokémon. This is shown on the bottom right-hand corner of the Pokémon card.
Rogue Deck
Any deck that is built around cards and strategies rarely seen in the meta- the overall aim being to surprise opponents. Rogue decks can be effective if executed well. However, they can also be extremely risky in competitive play.
Rotation
The removal of older cards from the Standard format every year to keep the game balanced. Annual rotations also encourage players to adopt new strategies to keep the game fresh and exciting.
Rule Box
A Pokémon card with a box marked with “Rule”. Examples include V, VMAX, VSTAR, EX, Radiant, and GMAX Pokémon.
S
Scoop (Scooping)
When a player voluntarily concedes a battle. Scooping is usually done when the player knows they cannot win.
Sealed Product
Unopened Pokémon TCG products, such as booster boxes or Elite Trainer Boxes. Sealed products are often kept by collectors or resold at a premium.
Single Prize
Pokémon without a rule box. One prize card is taken for knocking out a single prize Pokémon.
Sleeved Pack
Booster packs that have been sealed with an extra outer card layer. This is done to protect the pack from being tampered with. Some collectors believe sleeved packs offer better pull rates.
Snipe (Sniping)
Bypassing the opponent’s Active Pokémon to directly attack benched Pokémon. Sniping is used to weaken key Pokémon and set up key knockouts.
Special Energy
A sub-type of Energy card used to charge up Pokémon attacks. Hundreds of Special Energy exist, with each one providing a unique effect on top of the energy they supply (the effect is always stated on the card). Only 4 copies of a Special Energy card of the same name can be included in a deck.
Spread Damage
Simultaneously dealing damage to multiple Pokémon. Spread attacks are generally deal less damage than normal attacks, but they can be useful for weakening multiple targets to set them up for future knock outs.
Stadium Card
A type of Trainer card that stays on the field to activate ongoing effects. Playing a Stadium when one is already in play causes the old Stadium to be replaced by the new one.
Stage 1 Pokémon
The first evolutionary stage of a Pokémon. They are placed on top of a Basic Pokémon.
Stage 2 Pokémon
The second stage level of a Pokémon. They are placed over a Stage 1 Pokémon.
Standard Format
A format that only allows cards from the most recent sets, as defined by the Pokémon Company. Standard format is the most common format in competitive and casual play.
Staple Card
A selection of cards that are suitable in almost any type of deck or playing style. Popular staples include Professor’s Research, Ultra Ball, and Boss’s Orders.
Status Condition
These are Poisoned, Burned, Asleep, Confused, and Paralyzed. Status Conditions have negative effects on Pokemon, such as limiting what the affected Pokémon can do or causing damage to the Pokémon. Status conditions are also called “Special Conditions” or simply “Conditions”.
Supporter Card
A powerful type of Trainer card that can only be played once per turn. Popular examples include Professor’s Research and Boss’s Orders.
Sudden Death
A way to settle a battle when both players have the same number of Prize cards at the end of a timed round. In sudden death, the first player to take a Prize wins.
Swiss Round
A popular tournament format where players move through several rounds and compete against other winners. This is an efficient way to ensure that players play against others with the same record.
T
Tech Card
Cards that are included in a deck to counter specific matchups. Tech cards are situational and whilst they may not be part of the main strategy, they can swing the tide of a battle because their effects usually compensate for weakensses in the deck.
Tool Card
A special type of Item card that can be attached to a Pokémon to provide effects such as extra HP or reduction of damage.
Top Decking
Drawing into a key card at a critical moment. Top decking can result from luck or skill. Good players can use strategies and combos to increase the likelihood of top decking specific cards.
Top Cut
The final group of players in a tournament who move to single-elimination rounds.
Trainer Card
A type of card used to help a player win the battle. Trainers are sub-categorised as Supporters, Items, and Stadiums.
Turn
Two players take “turns” to progress a Pokémon battle. On their turn, a player performs a variety of actions such as attaching energy, playing Trainer cards, activating Pokémon abilities, and attacking.
V
V Pokémon
A type of rule box Pokémon with higher HP and more powerful moves than normal Pokémon. 2 Prize cards are taken when a V Pokémon is knocked out.
VMAX Pokémon
An evolved form of V Pokémon with significantly higher HP (more than VSTAR) and extremely powerful attacks. 3 Prize cards are taken when a VMAX Pokémon is knocked out.
VSTAR Pokémon
An evolved form of V Pokémon with higher HP, more powerful moves, and a VSTAR ability. 2 Prize cards are taken when a VSTAR Pokémon is knocked out.
W
Weakness
A negative trait on some Pokémon that doubles the damage taken from Pokémon of specific elemental types. For example, a Pokémon that is weak to fire takes x2 damage from fire-type Pokémon. Weakness is marked on the bottom of a Pokémon card, whilst elemental type is marked on the top right-hand corner.