Theme format (TCG)

The Theme format of the Pokémon Trading Card Game was a format used in Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. With the discontinuation of Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, Theme is no longer playable in an official capacity.

Unlike other formats, only pre-constructed Theme Decks were legal for play. (Only the Theme Deck objects counted. Players could not play by having all 60 of the cards in a Theme Deck.) This included the Theme Decks released for each set as well as Pokémon Trading Card Game Online's starter decks and Mental Might. Decks did not rotate from Theme; even decks as old as the Green Tornado, Red Frenzy and Blue Assault from Black & White were allowed for use. As new Theme Decks were released, they were added to the format. However, starting from Battle Styles, sets were no longer released with Theme Decks. Instead, V Battle Decks were put out to accompany each set. V Battle Decks were not allowed in Theme, meaning the final decks added to the format were the Charizard Theme Deck and the Drednaw Theme Deck from Vivid Voltage.

Generally the Theme Decks created for later sets were stronger than the Theme Decks made for earlier sets, creating an metagame where Theme Decks older than the Lost Thunder decks Blazing Volcano and Storm Caller were rarely played. One reason some older decks like Destruction Fang were occasionally played was to meet type based Challenges for types that did not have more recent Theme Decks.

As each Theme Deck is pre-constructed, the printing of the card in the selected Theme Deck is used in the game. However, the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online will always use the effect of the latest printing of the card.

See also




Project TCG logo.png This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.