Pokémon TCG Pocket brings the addictive thrill of opening card booster packs to your mobile device. It’s the best digital adaption of the classic card game we’ve seen. However, there’s more to do than open daily packs of cards. You can show off your collections in binders, add flair to cards, and engage other players in fast-paced battles. With this much going on, you may miss the game’s important features. This guide walks you through crucial tips and tricks you should know to build your collection quickly and win battles.
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8 Complete every Solo mission before diving into PvP
Solo battle rewards are extremely generous
After opening a few packs and building your dream Pokémon card deck, you may be tempted to dive into the game’s PvP mode to test your mettle against other players. However, we recommend completing all the game’s Step-Up Battles first.
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Step-Up Battles teach you how to battle and come with generous rewards. You can earn a whopping 366 Pack Hourglasses from completing the introductory missions, corresponding to 30 packs. Completing all these missions and opening the respective packs gets you well on your way to building the best decks in the game.
Source: Pokemon TCG Pocket / X
7 Only use Wonder Picks for EX cards
Don’t miss out on rare opportunities
Wonder Picks lets you randomly select a card from someone else’s opened booster pack. The game regularly updates a list of 14 booster packs where you can Wonder Pick, taken from random players and your friends. However, they are only available for a few hours, and you need Wonder Stamina to select one. While booster packs containing common cards cost one Wonder Stamina to Wonder Pick, you need three Wonder Stamina to Wonder Pick from a booster containing rarer cards, including coveted ex Pokémon.
Save your Wonder Stamina to only pick from booster packs containing ex or rare full art cards, so you won’t miss out when they appear. Wonder Picks are the best way to grab elusive rare cards, so husband your Wonder Stamina carefully.
6 Obtain essential Item Cards before you play PvP matches
These cards are necessary for every competitive deck
Every competitive deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket includes a selection of item cards. Poké Ball and Professor’s Research are found in all the best decks, while X Speed and Potion are almost as common. However, unlike the best cards in the game, these Item Cards are easy to get.
Before you head into the Shop, complete all the Guide missions (found in the lower-left corner of Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Battle section). Completing each mission earns you a single copy of an Item Card. Next, head to the Shop to buy an additional copy of every item card for two Shop Tickets each. Make sure you have two of each before building your PvP decks.
5 Collect cards in different languages
Add some regional variety to your collection
When you view a card’s details in your collection, tap the globe icon at the top of your screen to see if you collected that card in a different language. You can show off this language variant in your binders and showcases, but the game translates it into your language during a battle.
The best way to collect foreign-language cards is to play PvP battles and add all the players with foreign characters as your friends, as this is an indication they speak a different language. After they accept your friend request, Wonder Picks of their booster packs include cards in their language.
4 Create showcases to earn more shop tickets
No need to dive into PvP to earn free tickets
After you complete a PvP battle, your opponent can send you a thank you message and a shop ticket whether you win or lose. This is the most reliable way to earn shop tickets. However, there’s another way if you aren’t a fan of battling.
If you create showcases or binders and set them to public mode, people can send a “like” reaction as if they are a Facebook post. Every like you get on your showcase or binder earns you a shop ticket, so only create collections with your best cards to stand out.
You can only earn up to five shop tickets from other players a day.
3 Complete your daily missions to earn the most rewards
You can do this just by opening packs
Logging in to Pokémon TCG Pocket each day earns you a Wonder Pick Hourglass and Shop Ticket. Completing two more missions earns you four Pack Hourglasses on top of this. The best part about these extra missions is that there are five daily missions, but you only need to complete three. If you want, you can open your two daily packs to complete your daily missions.
- Log in
- Open one booster pack
- Open two booster packs
- Wonder pick one time
- Participate in one battle
2 Save your pack points until the very end
You don’t want to miss your chance to complete your collection
Every booster pack you open earns you five pack points. You can redeem these points for individual cards from the same booster pack set (for example, Genetic Apex) while that set is available.
If a booster pack set is removed from Pokémon TCG Pocket, you can’t open more packs or redeem your pack points for that set. Save your pack points until the end of a booster pack set’s lifespan, then spend them all to grab the last few cards you need to complete your collection. The most expensive cards cost 2,500 pack points, while a standard ex card costs 500.
1 Use the Premium Pass’ free trial as early as possible
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Premium Pass offers you the chance to open an extra pack a day. You can also complete missions to earn extra consumable items and customization options. However, its two-week free trial is extremely generous. You can comfortably complete all the Premium Pass missions in two weeks, earning extra Pack Hourglasses.
On top of these free items, you can open 14 extra packs during the trial. However, the Premium Pass missions revolve around collecting cards of unique types. Open three packs every day to complete the missions quickly.
Pokémon TCG Pocket is simple but addictive
These tips help you realize why Pokémon TCG Pocket is one of the best new Android games you shouldn’t miss. There’s more to come, so open the app regularly for new missions, new events, and new booster packs.
