Tools of the Trade

As a league leader, I help a lot of people, mostly young ones, but some older as well, get into the game, learn to play, etc. Typically the first few weeks at league are spent learning to play the game, and then building decks, learning what a metagame is, etc. After that process is sorted, though, the first question I typically get is:

“What am I going to need to play Pokémon, besides cards?”

Because I’ve been asked that so many times, and because I kind of get tilted about seeing people recommend bad products on various message boards, I decided to write this article detailing exactly what you need to get started playing, collecting, and trading Pokémon cards at a high level.

Before we begin: This is all my opinion. I’m sure you’re going to disagree with me, and I’m sure I’m being a snob. I’m not saying this article is the be all, end-all, these are just my opinions about the most superior accessories in the game. If you disagree I’d love to discuss and debate with you in the comments section. :)

Without futher ado…

DICE

The simplest (and sometimes the most important) accessory in Pokémon are the dice. Dice act as both damage counters and coins, and sometimes even status markers and things of that nature.

I’m not certain that there are huge differences in brands of dice. Right now I’m rocking pink, 12mm Chessex in a 36pack block, as pictured to the right. There may be better brands, and I’ve heard of a few brands that promise more fairness in their rolls, but I’ve never really investigated it myself as it doesn’t really matter because I ALWAYS flip heads (fact).

Per the 2009-2010 tournament rules, you’ll also want to have a clear die, for flipping purposes (or you could just use a coin, but lets be serious). I rock two translucent, uncolored ones right now, but you could get away with one. I think the most you’d need in this format is four, but you could also just flip one four times, if you’re not as lazy as me.

DECK BOXES

Deck boxes are probably the most crucial accessory for a Pokémon player. Like dice, there really isn’t a whole lot of variety that I’m aware of. I know those Ultra Pro double deck boxes were super popular a while back, but I don’t think it really matters.

I personally use a Japanese Pokémon-themed one, like the picture above (except mine is roughly 1000× cooler because it features LUXRAY). The best place to buy such things, in my opinion, is http://www.hardrock-pokemon.com, but I’ll let you make your own buying decisions. Vote with your wallet, etc.

Deck boxes are pretty simple. They hold your deck. I just like the Pokémon themed once because they fit the cards snug and they’re stylish.

STORAGE BOXES

This is probably a fringe item that definitely isn’t necessary and not everyone uses, but I couldn’t live without it.

I use the one above (actually I just retired it and now use a Professor one thanks to PokéMathter), and it’s the absolute perfect size. It holds my deckbox, dice, pen (for match slips), and mascots (Luxray and Garchomp KIDS forever) perfectly.

I won’t spend too much time on it as, like I said, it’s not really all that important, but it’s a must have for me.

SLEEVES

This is probably where the article gets a little controversial, if any CCG accessories article can be called that.

Sleeves are probably tied with deckboxes as to what’s most important. If you don’t play with sleeves you’re diminishing the shelf life of your cards greatly, there’s no denying that.

I personally only use KMC sleeves, and will only ever use KMC sleeves for the foreseeable future. They’re, in my mind, simply the best. I’ve used all the other major brands of sleeves, and KMC are without a doubt the finest I’ve found. They’re the best quality at the best price. What sets them apart from most other sleeves, in my mind, is that the borders are thicker, meaning that you won’t get the corners of your sleeves bent from shuffling roughly like you will with so many other sleeves.

I know everyone has their own opinion about what sleeve brands they trust, but to me, it breaks down like this:

KMC > Player’s Choice > Dragon Shields > Ultra Pro > Everything else.

The biggest margin in that chart, in my opinion, is between Dragon Shields and Ultra Pro. I honestly don’t understand why everyone loves Ultra Pro sleeves. They are consistently the worst quality sleeve I’ve ever used, and I’ve been playing various card games for the past 5 years or so. Unless you have some weird magic on your side that allows subpar sleeves to become great quality out of nowhere granted by a Genie that only gave you one wish (and boy did you mess up on that wish), never use Ultra Pro sleeves.

BINDERS

Binders aren’t really important for playing Pokémon, per se, but if you plan on amassing a collection of cards that you someday might want to exchange with other players for their cards, you’re probably going to want to pick one up.

There’s only really 2 tiers of binders: Monster Protectors, and everything else.

For those who don’t know, Monster binders are German-made high-quality binders that have padded, sewn-in pages that load from the side to prevent theft and accidental droppage. They come in 2 varities, one is made of a super durable, thick plastic and the other is a more stylish, lighter plastic. I currently have one of each and they’ve served me well for the entire time I’ve had them.

That being said, they’re super overpriced. I paid $25.00 for each of mine, and I think that’s a pretty decent price. Online you can find standard ones for anywhere from $20.00 – $40.00, depending on the area, color, etc. In hobby stores they’re likely to be much, much more expensive.

If you have the money and want to make a solid investment to protect all of your cards, they’re a very wise choice. However, I fully concede that they are ridiculously expensive when compared to other binders, even if they are of superior quality.

PLAYMATS

My name is Kenny Wisdom and I am a playmat addict. I currently have 4, and I’m always looking for good prices on more. I can’t help it, I love them. I love the design and I love that they protect my cards and give me a designated playing space. They help keep me organized and looking stylish as HECK.

They’re probably the most unnecessary product of all time, though. They do keep your sleeves cleaner as I said before, and there is some argument to be made that your sleeves won’t break as easily if they’re being slapped down on foam rather than a table, but I digress. Nobody NEEDS a playmat. I don’t need a playmat. I just can’t stop buying them.

One word of advice: I personally dislike the Pokémon branded playmats. They all have decent designs (except the Darkrai one with the zones outlined, UGH), but they’re much too thick, and when folded in with my other playmats they often get creases down the middle. This probably isn’t a big deal for you because your’e not as special needs obsessive compulsive picky about it as I am, but be warned.

——————————————

I think that about wraps up this article. Know of any obvious accessories I’ve missed? Disagree with me about something? Feel free to leave it in the comments.

Reader Interactions

197 replies

  1. Perry Going

    i always have my case. it holds my 11 decks, playmat, extra sleeves, and my 5 containers of dice.

  2. DialgaAceHydra

    Awesome man. I'll need to print this out to use in my binder like a to-do list to see what I need
    All in all, it was a great read.

  3. Jason Windham

    You are missing a few items.

    Pocket Watch?

    Notebook?

    Pens?

    Spare sleeves?

    Spare dices?

    Plushies?

    Battle dictionary?

    Toploaders?

    Extra basic energies?

    :P:P:P

  4. Chris Barrieau

    True. And for new players, and experienced ones too, damage counters very often work just fine rather than buying expensive dice…..

  5. Sledd

    Not a bad article, but nothing groundbreaking or too much new info that i already didn't know(except, perhaps the which brand beats which part). It was nice to have this article, but I feel that it didn't have enough meat to it to be the article for the entire day. I think an article like this should be put on 6p along side another article.

  6. Cam Graybill

    I feel this should have been like a stickies forum post, or with another article…. not an article by it's self. Personally I love ultra pro deck sleeves, I've had 120 black ones for about a year, and they never rip or tear…

  7. Jay

    It should also be pointed out the huge price gap of all this stuff. Most of the pictured stuff are the high end versions you can also get all of this for like $10

  8. Kenny Phan

    I never really notice the quality between Player's Choice Sleeves and KMC Sleeves. I use sleeves where it's ALL even. I hate purchasing sleeves where some sleeve is bigger or smaller than the other, even by a slight. It aggravates me and lately, Player's Choice sleeves have been doing those to me. I still have my old sleeves [Player's Choice] from back in 2008 in great shape and they are all EVEN. I've been wanting to purchase new ones, but afraid to spend the money and end up with UNEVEN sleeves…

    As for dice vs. coin, is it true that you have to flip a coin to determine who goes first or not as oppose to rolling a die or dice.

    And playmats, I generally am not a huge fan of the mouse pad type of playmats. I was always using my old Spellground Playmat back from 2005. Apparently those are rare now, which I was totally oblivious too. I wish I knew earlier, because I would have asked for higher quality drawings on it… Oh well.

  9. Matthew Tidman

    I agree about the Ultra Pro Sleeves. I have some that have been with me since I started playing the game back in the early 2000s that are still usable today. That said, I also bought some metalic ones once upon a time that had textured backs. I still have those sleeves, but you can see the backs of the cards through some of them where the texture has rubbed off. Lesson learned: always go for smooth-back deck protectors. My only major complaint with Ultra Pro is that stupid little holographic bump. I know they want to brand everything they sell, but seriously? That has single-handedly cause more deck protector breakage than anything else.

    More off-tangent-ness: Whatever happened to selling 100 deck protectors IN a deck box? It was so useful as you'd have extras to replace those that got damaged and you didn't have to shell out the extra money for a deck box since the sleeves came in one. And which card games use 50 in a deck? Magic requires a minimum of 60 cards and Pokemon has 60. Yu-Gi-Oh! uses a different style card. /tangent-rant

  10. Cam Graybill

    I don't think he mentioned it, but at states and regionals they gave out a coin that had burn on one side, and poison on the other, it was really cool

  11. Collan Baker

    Does anyone know where you can get Poison/Burn markers that aren't the crappy cardboard one's you get in a starter deck?….and not the regionals or states ones.

  12. Colin Peterik

    He stated right off the bat that this would intrigue mainly to newer/younger players. I think you did a fantastic job of being both informative and entertaining. Quality article!

  13. Matthew Tidman

    According to the tournament rules a dice roll can be a replacement for any coin flip. So you may roll a die to decide who goes first. It just has to be random.

  14. venny kid

    Agreed. I use dice as damage counters while my brothers use counters. Its sooo much easier to tell how much damage is on my Pokemon by reading the faces rather than counting a stack of counters!!! Plus, you look more professional with dice than stray counters all over your play space.

  15. venny kid

    I too HATE the fact that you have to buy TWO packs of sleeves to have sixty. Would it kill them to put in ten more???

  16. demian aguirre

    steel skin clips
    forceps grooved awl retractors needles
    gouges and saws
    intestinal clamps blunt dissectors
    scalpels pins toothed directors.

    tools of the trade forceps and blades
    skillfully lathed for us to maim.

    CARCASS m/m/m/m/m/m/

  17. Cam Graybill

    lol, yeah and I always mistakenly get the yugioh ones that are like 1/8 of an inch smaller and the pokemon cards don't fit in them :0

  18. Kyle Warden

    I bought some nice 36 Translucent 12mm Chessex red dice, reall nice roll to them on certain tables but i found out fast that the tables at my local BR's and Cities are wierd and the dice won't roll they just flop, I do recommend having at least 1 diffrent colored dice because at some tournaments they require it so a veteran player let me have 1 of her blue translucent dice.

  19. Matthew Riddle

    Why do I like it so much? Because it's important information that EVERY new player asks about or needs to know about. Articles likes these, even if they aren't deck/strategy discussion, are examples of thinking outside the box and presenting the community with information they need but never thought about asking for.

  20. Matthew Riddle

    Okay, don't like the bashing of Ultra Pro sleeves. I mainly use Ultra Pro (mat back) sleeves and have had 0 problems with them. I've tried every other type of sleeve (Dragon Shield, KMC, official PR sleeve, etc) and have had sticking of sleeves if left in any heat, constant bending of edges during shuffling, and even tearing.

    Of course that is your opinion, but you do pretty much come out and say not to use Ultra Pro whatsoever, and that is a bit more than an opinion, it's more of a concluded statement.

  21. Alex Pike

    That was an EPIC article. You sir, are a legend.

    Two Thumbs Up

  22. Alex Pike

    Plushies are the best!

    I have some of those phone charm thingies too!

    Heck, I even have a Charmander Cushion. It gives a superior sitting experience, allowing me to shout my attacks out with greater authority when oblittering my opponent's to the deepest pits of hell :)

  23. Alex Pike

    Hah you should join my club, the amount of times I've gone to the counter and someone behind me has shouted, “WRONG SLEEVES” -_-

    Damn you *shakes fist* I've only ever split 1 sleeve ever before and today i split 3. The only thing you can find in the UK are Ultra Pro sleeves.

    I also hate that you buy some, and no matter where you look you NEVER find the same colour EVER again. I have so many different colours of sleeves with only 4 left over. So last time i bought some I went a little crazy and got 600 of the same colour while they had some :D I WILL win somehow ^^

  24. jordan baker

    people who carry around plushies fall into one of three catagories.

    1. they suck at pokemon

    2. they are girls

    3. both

  25. Alex Pike

    The opponent must agree to the use of a dice in place of the coin.

    I personally like to annoy the heck out of them and force them to use my coin. I only ever use 2, which have been so well used over the years the colour has been entirely stripped from them making them black on both sides :D Then they have to strain to see what they've flipped.
    This in turn will hopefully cause a headache, migraine, or at least a general moan which from my side of the table, can be quite amusing :D

  26. Alex Pike

    It is at this moment, i recommend we hide behind the sofa o_0

  27. Alex Pike

    Shhh no one needs to know!

    I also have a little plastic Pikachu dude that when placed on your hand or a metal surface lights up and says “Pikachu…. Pikachu…. Pikachu” :D

    This when placed on a wet hand will electrocute your opponent.

    See all of these obsured belongings all have secret uses ^^

  28. Alex Pike

    Oh but you missed out on the original little glass damage counter stones in blue and orange that came in the Theme Decks for the first few players.

    These are reserved for the most awesome of damage counter placement moments.

    So that's just me that uses them then? Yup, thought so :D

  29. Karol Nowak

    Nice article! Definitely well written, and very detailed as well. This article will help many new players when they begin to play in leagues and tournaments.

    Once again, great article! I really did enjoy reading it!

  30. Collan Baker

    I'm sure they're great I just wasn't playing the game when they gave those out so I didn't get them.

  31. Collan Baker

    Sounds like the kind of dbags I hate playing against

  32. Kenny Wisdom

    Thanks for the reply, Sledd. Sorry it wasn't up to snuff. My ideas were to educate the new players about stuff you need, while at the same time informing the veterans/giving my opinion/starting some controversy about which brands were the best to use.

  33. Kenny Wisdom

    Ah, sorry you didn't like the article.

    Ultra Pro are probably the most widely contested deck sleeves. Some hate them some love them. I can't stand them, but as is evident here and elsewhere, others think they're the best. I guess I was a little harsh on them in the article heh.

    Thanks for reading.

  34. mewuk85

    Oh I love the darkrai one with my professor sleeves, I think its only worth playing with it if you earned it not bought it!

    KMC for sleeves all the way have to agree with you on that.

    Chessex dice very nice come in great colors to match sleeves and mat. also very nice size and rounded edges.

    On deck boxes, I Personally think ultra pro hard cases are the best way to go you can drop them spill (accidentally) on them and cards never get compromised.

    Card binder storage, monster great, great, great. cards never slip out.

    great article, best in DAYS!!!!!!

  35. mewuk85

    Yeah have to full agree with you on ultra pro, don’t slide rite and they get caught on the mats and tear.
    U were not harsh at all they really suck. Personal opinion. cant please them all. lol

  36. mewuk85

    old school chansey coin all they way!!!! don’t matter if its illegal. lol

  37. Evan Baker

    Haha… “way off base”? Geeze, you'd think he insulted your mother or something. It made me laugh pretty hard. Let's be honest, plushies are ridiculous, especially since the vast majority I've seen have belonged to players in the Master's Division.

  38. Alex Pike

    Well it says flip a coin, and they give you a coin. So why use a dice?

    People only seem to have started using dice recently and I don't know why. Apart from the cardboard damage counters they give you now really SUCK.

  39. Chris Barrieau

    Actually, though I do think there's some very handy stuff in here, the author could have mentioned “You can choose to use damage counters or dice. Personally, I prefer dice. There are damage counters that come in deck boxes, or you can hunt down the old school ones. Alternatively, you can buy some good quality dice under these brand names that I would suggest to you: …” Now newbies might think they HAVE to spend 10$ on a set of dice.

  40. Chris Barrieau

    I agree. I strongly dislike players playing with dice. It's easy for a die to just roll a bit and cause argument over how much dmg is on a pokemon, and some players might think “Oh well I play with odds as heads!” instead of as tails, and then you're frustrated because they won their coin flip and you don't know if they're telling the truth, then you doubt their honesty in the game, and… I dunno. I just don't know why people use dice. It kinda gets to me. = But thanks for pointing out that I've the choice to force my opponent to use coins. And I totally agree that if they don't get their own coins it's their own fault, especially if their opponent is allowed to make them use coins over dice.

  41. Chris Barrieau

    See I just keep it simple and play with my prerelease sleeves. =]

    • ...  → Chris

      Sad they don’t make prerelease sleeves anymore. They have those good looking but poorly made deckboxes at prereleases now.

  42. Chris Barrieau

    Or you're just a person who's still a little childish and cute? …Or you could be one of those creepy old 40 year old cheetoh-eating grandmother'sbasement-inhabiting WoW playing fat guys spending the rest of his welfare money that he didn't spend on WoW on Pokemon Cards? o3o …..But those, thankfully, are rare in Pokemon. =]

  43. John

    Same here, (even for yugioh which brings many LOLs) but some prerelease sleeves are better than others. The garchomp sleeves were horrible, but the arceus sleeves were ok. Not perfect or anything, just ok.

  44. Alex Pike

    The little cardboard damage counters are a nightmare. But so are dice. Sitting there finding the right number on the stupid thing fiddling around with the damn thing. And they're always really small, and then having to play with translucent ones you have to lean over and peer at it from directly above to make sure you're counting your damage right.

    If you use the coloured stones that came with the original theme decks it's simple. Blue = 10. Orange = 30. You don't have to sit and fiddle with these stupid little dice to find the right side and it's simple to add up. They're brightly coloured and a decent size. I can see there are 3 orange and 1 blue on my Miltank without having to peer over my card; and I know it's got 100 damage on it. I don't have to peer over these little dice to see a 6 and a 4.

  45. Collan Baker

    and it also says that you can use dice as a replacement for coins. I have no problem with you using a coin but when you force someone else to play with your coin (which may or may not be weighted for all they know) you're being a douche. fact.
    Also isn't up to the T.O. whether or not a player can use a die, not the opponent?

  46. Papa_Mash

    I agree…I don't think you can force your opponent to use coins/dice. if you object to your opponent's “randomizers” call for a judge and the judge will decide.

    Compendium…

    Q. In a sanctioned tournament, can the player object to the flipping device of the opponent and get it changed? A. If there is any question about the accuracy of the flipping device, call for a judge. The judge can decide if a device is sufficiently random or not. (Dec 4, 2003 PUI Rules Team).

    As I think someone said above…you can always use your opponent's randomizer.

    As far as damage counters, dice are acceptable damage counters….I don't think you can force someone to use old school counters in place of dice. If your opponent constantly rolls his dice into his damage counter dice or “accidentally” flips the damage counter dice when he moves his cards or something (e.g., when retreating) call a judge.

    Cam is right^^…if you use dice, you are supposed to use two colors/kinds of dice. A randomizer/rolling die must be transparent with rounded sides and your damage counter dice should be another color, etc. (don't have to be transparent) so that you don't mix them up when you roll the dice.

  47. Papa_Mash

    I don't totally disagree…however, your list is more of what you need when you go to a tournament.

  48. Papa_Mash

    Those are good to have but you only need burn and poison markers if you run a deck that places those effects. If your deck doesn't place those effects you don't need to bring the markers. Basically,it's the responsibility of the player who places effects on his opponent to provide the appropriate markers….still a good idea to have them though.

  49. Alex Pike

    Nope. For a dice to be used in place of a coin both players must agree to the use of the dice. If either player would rather that a coin be ones; then one of the players must provide an appropriate coin. If neither can produce a coin then they should both receive a minor warning for not having the right stuff to play in a tournament.

    But that's just being picky. I've only ever seen it done once.

  50. Chris Barrieau

    Ooh ok thanks. =] Also, I re-read the comments on rules for dice. Sorry for my out-of-place comment then. ^_^”

  51. Alex Pike

    There's no standardised damage counters, you can use anything you like as long as both players know what they mean. I've seen people emptying their wallets and using pennies to avoid a warning for not having damage counters XD.

    As for randomisers, if a player would prefer for a coin to be used then a “sufficiently random” coin must be used. Why must the dice have rounded sides? o_0

  52. Chris Barrieau

    omfg xD I don't think it's worth waiting 5 years for that :P I'd rather just use 'em. :P but that's my opinion. =]

  53. Chris Barrieau

    D: But I like my garchomp sleeves. :( I also have the Giratina Sleeves. Those're cool too. =] I also have the MD sleeves but those are wrecked. XD

  54. Chris Barrieau

    Sorry, wasn't trying to stereotype, just give a general image. Did not mean to offend. ^_^”

  55. Chris Barrieau

    People should be able to do what they want. Live and let live, ya? =]

  56. Chris Barrieau

    Actually, it's a player's responsibility to bring their own stuff. If you don't have dmg counters, you could get a warning. If you don't bring dmg counters to many tournaments, you could even be refused entry to a tournament (In extreme cases.) The rules apply just the same for coins, I'm sure they'd apply the same for burn/poison markers.

  57. Papa_Mash

    You may be technically correct but I wouldn't be sure the direct analogy to damage counters here works. This past regional I attempted to use my opponent's green poison marker but he said use my own…so I used a green die as a poison marker and he objected and called a judge. The judge said she really didn't have any problem with the green die but since my opponent was the one doing the poisoning he should supply the poison markers. The judge could have been wrong but we ended up using my opponent's poison markers. The bottom line to me is that if anyone is burning and/or poisoning his or her opponent and that person hasn't brought any markers and/or doesn't let his or her opponent use them, then that person is either a dumbass or just an ass.

  58. Papa_Mash

    …said “sides” should have said “corners”…..See Rule 17.5.2 of the Pokemon Tournament Rules…”Dice must have well‐rounded corners to ensure that it rolls on the playing surface.” http://bitcast-g.bitgravity.com/pokemon/pokemon

    Damage counter dice do not have to have rounded corners only rolling dice.

  59. Alex Pike

    Fair enough. I suppose sharp edged dice have a tendency to slide.

  60. Chris Barrieau

    Haha! Wow. :P That's lame as hell. I hate playing against assholes like that. I totally agree that if you're playing a poison/burn deck, then you should, out of politeness, bring extra burn/poison stuff. I usually carry about 20-30 dmg counters, 2 burn counters, 2 poison counters, and 2 or 3 coins. Just 'cause when I get frustrated over one coin, I use another. It's purely a psychological thing, but it helps me cope when I get shitty ass luck. :P

    However, I remember studying for the professor test and it said that if a player does not bring their own playing equipment, they can get warnings and so on.

  61. Alex Pike

    Yeah i just read throught it (Papa Mash's post below), at our nationals we could ask for a coin to be used. I noticed if you read through to the bottom it's only recently been changed that dice are acceptable in place of a coin.

  62. Alex Pike

    I'm pretty sure the ultra pro ones don't actually have anything written on the packaging :/

  63. Alex Pike

    They're great but just about impossible to get hold of anymore.

    You don't have to read or look at a number. It's just a blob of colour. Which is why i love em

  64. Jordan Baker

    you're wrong. POP has a section in their rules that specifically says that dice can be used, it then goes on to describe an acceptable dice (see-thru, rounded edges, etc).

  65. Jordan Baker

    people can have plushies if they want, but they should also know that if they carry around a stuffed animal and they are over the age of 12 they are probably going to be made fun of.

  66. Alex Pike

    Well it drove me mad of not having the same colour. In my cupboard i have

    Green Matt
    Green Shiny
    Green Shiny with a weird pattern
    Black Shiny
    White Matt
    Red Shiny
    Bronze Shiny
    Bronze Matt
    Gold Shiny
    Grey Matt
    Purple Matt
    Black with some Funky Circular Pattern

    all in piles of 40. As whenever you go back to get more sleeves, they're totally different colours.
    So i went a “little crazy” and bought a whole load of black ones. Now i could kind of do with a few more; and can i find any more black matt sleeves? Of course not…

    500 is nearly as bad XD

  67. Cam Graybill

    it was well written, and well explained, and you had a good reason, but it is not a topic I would write an article about

  68. Cam Graybill

    when I got my entei-suicuene-raikou sleves they gave me 56 :( and, they wouldn't give meh a nother pasck cause they run out :0

  69. Cam Graybill

    lol, they actually proved that some of the old metal coins flip tails more than heads… hence the release of plastic ones (and their cheaper)

  70. Cam Graybill

    'My name is Kenny Wisdom and I am a playmat addict.'

    lol forever! funniest part of article :)

    edit: woah, I talk too much.. I broke 100 comments :0

  71. Andrew

    What a creative idea for an article – paraphenalia of the trade! Props for the idea which will be useful for new players, but it was also pretty complete and well-written.

  72. Collan Baker

    You are the ONLY person I've ever seen think that dice are difficult to use, and more complex than tons of little gems floating around. Honestly if you can't read a dice, you shouldn't be playing a game this complex…maybe try Jenga?

  73. Alex Pike

    I loved that bit too!

    Yes, yes you do post too much; as do I. Oops

  74. Alex Pike

    There are actually some pretty cool versions of Jenga around!

    I know quite a few people who hate using dice, but they have no alternative.

    Everyone I know who has played from Base set onwards all use the gems as their just so much easier to use.

  75. Alex Pike

    I think it's something that should be put in the instruction book things in the Theme Deck boxes. It was so well written and complete; wouldn't change a word.

  76. Chris Barrieau

    I'm the same. I'm currently top commentor of the month. …oops? ^_^”

  77. Matthew Tidman

    I still have a dice bag full of them. I love using them for casual games, but I definitely see the appeal of dice for tournaments where space is occasionally an issue.

    Kenny may be a playmat addict, but I'm totally a damage counter addict.

  78. Adam Capriola

    Cam check your e-mail / edit your article that you submitted, I left some
    notes on it.

    Thanks,

    Adam

  79. mewuk85

    Don’t feel bad its better to earn things of that sort! become a pokemon professor :)

  80. mewuk85

    WOW!!!!! really. well its all in how you take care of them also/

  81. mewuk85

    Do any of you know what the brand of dice are, that are 1/4 the size of the chessex are?

  82. mewuk85

    Plus…………….its not like were playing Slap jack or Speed. Some people do play pokemon like that. I have acctually watched people poker shuffle their cards…………ITS HORRIFIC!!!!!!!!! AT least i know im not trading with that guy. LOL

  83. Garrett Williamson

    This was a really cool article. Something different and useful. Im in the works or becoming a league leader. I finally got a monster binder and with in a week I wanted to go buy a three ring binder and some pages. Dont get me wrong, the binder is great! It holds a ton of cards and I love the fact the the slots are perfect size for sleeving the cards but with in a week the front cover bubbled up and cracked. Did that ever happen to any of yours? Also I have more deck boxes than anyone needs. Ultra pro ones, no pokemon designed ones haha. Hey, for two bucks I cant complain! :) Iv got like three tins full of sleeves, most of which are still sealed. I guess Ill be prepared when the time arrives haha. And finally at long last I got a play mat. The POP one with an ultra ball on it. A kid at league traded me it for a ttar prime.

  84. mewuk85

    only a few more years and will get it.how long u been playing for?

  85. mewuk85

    I dont think any one out their carries gem mint 10 cards but, the highest rating ill give cards that have been taken out of their package and put into binders. is a gem 9. but after their player………their played rite.

  86. Matthew Tidman

    I was reading through the rules about acceptable sleeves today and the section after it deals with counters and special condition markers (section 17.4 if you want to look it up). States that it players are responsible to bring their own damage counters and special condition marked with them, so technically the judge was wrong. Granted, the person you were playing with sounds like he was being a jerk and rules lawyering a little. I would think that unless that was a major event all you would get would be a caution, and the fact that you had a green die would have covered you unless that die was the same as your damage-counter dice or your randomizer.

  87. bobtehhobo

    Should have included coins and counters as an alternative to dice. I personally use coins and counters almost exclusively.

  88. Papa_Mash

    Thanks for citing the rule but I stick by my initial statement. I don’t think 17.4 answers the question. The answer to this question is in the Pokémon Penalty Guidelines, Section 7.5.2 (http://bitcast-g.bitgravity.com/pokemon/pokemon…). That section states:

    7.5.2. Major
    Occasionally errors are made that have a much larger impact on the tournament’s operation. Some can cause a major delay in the timeliness of the event; others can cause a significant inconvenience for the players around you. In some extreme cases the penalty for this infraction can be escalated to a Game Loss for a first offense.

    Examples of Procedural Error: Major include:
    ….
    Failure to provide status condition markers IF CARDS IN YOUR DECK USE THOSE CONDITIONS.
    Failure to provide damage counters.

    Recommended Starting Penalty:
    Tier 1: Warning
    Tier 2: Warning

    Note the ALL CAP phrase indicating that the Warning (or if escalated to a Game Loss) is to be applied to a player who fails to provide the status condition markers “if cards in your deck use those conditions.”

    This is why I said above that all of you were “technically” correct. However, I stick my by initial statement that you only need burn and poison markers if you run a deck that places those effects.

  89. Matthew Tidman

    I think that the point of that guideline is to stop a game from coming to a grinding halt because neither player brought special condition markers. The guideline is under the section that deals with errors “that have a much larger impact on the tournament's operation.” If a player whose deck does not cause status effects doesn't bring effect markers I can see it as an honest mistake which shouldn't delay the game too much. If the player playing the effects doesn't have markers it sounds intentional and could cause serious delay of game if neither player has them.

    I'd think that the player affected would receive a caution as the problem could have been avoided if the markers had been brought. Might be something to ask the rules team about though because it is a little vague.

  90. matt mona

    great article finally someone puts up something that can really help u in tournaments

  91. Darrian Goode

    i know what u mean about the playmats having one says that ur a serious competitor and u know what ur doing besides playing on a mat looks good on camera. i personally like using yu-gi mats, or naruto mats.

  92. Sina Zweig

    Hey Chicago, Get completely ready to eat an Okie sandwich. Ball Hall is 1 of the coolest Diy spaces ever. Big open…

  93. venny kid

    That’s true. People are talking about their sleeves and cards like they’re playing 52 card pickup and slapping them down. Personally, I want to treat them with dignity after spending so much money on them…

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