Alternate Formats

Mix up the game with countless variations!

Ace Trainer Showdown, an expandable single-prize format for multi-type decks.

Base Set Evolution, a custom-card spiritual revamp of the Base-Fossil format with modern mechanics.

Cubes are formats using a predesignated set of cards, typically played in a draft format. Building decks out of a cube is one of the best way to teach new players how to play.

Other Formats

Gym Leader Challenge (GLC)

Take on the role of a gym leader in this single-prize, single-type, singleton format with no Rule Box cards allowed. Created by Andrew Mahone of Tricky Gym, visit the official website for more information.

Pauper

In Pauper, all cards must be Common, Uncommon, or a higher rarity printing of a Common or Uncommon card. Local environments may have their own banlists and additional restrictions on legal sets. (Commonly, Alt Formats will restrict anything printed prior to Black & White)

Theme Format

In this format, any card that has ever been printed in a Theme Deck, V Battle Deck, or ex Battle Deck is legal. Some environments may remove the V/ex Pokémon from the pool to encourage single-prize play. Note that "Deluxe Battle Decks" and "League Battle Decks" are not legal.

Block Formats

In Block Formats, all cards printed in a generation are legal. For example, Galar Block would be all cards from Sword & Shield up to but not including the release of Scarlet & Violet. The most popular Block Format is RSE-PK, the Hoenn Block. The Kanto Block format often makes an exception for Neo Genesis, the first Johto set.

Sharpie

In Sharpie format, use a Sharpie on the inner sleeve of a card to delete card text. Professor's Research reads "Discard your hand and draw 7 cards", but with a Sharpie, you can completely remove the part about discarding your hand. Or you could nerf Dragapult ex by removing "your opponent's" on Phantom Dive, causing the player to harm their own Pokémon. Sharpie cards can be combined into a Draft Cube to deter players from making effects too powerful, lest their opponents draft it!