Prerelease Strategy Guide

1. Focus on Strong Pokémon

Why it matters: In the limited card pool of a prerelease, you often don't have as many powerful cards to choose from as you would in a regular constructed deck.

What to do: Sort through the Pokemons that you pulled from the boosters, as well as your promotional card. Look for those with:

• High HP (helps them stay in play longer)
• Damage-dealing attacks that cost a reasonable amount of Energy
• Support abilities (e.g., draw power, Energy acceleration)

2. Energy is Key – Stick to One Type if unsure

Why it matters: With only 40 cards and a limited pool, you want your Energy attachments to be consistent. Splitting between multiple Energy types can cause "dead hands" where you have the wrong Energy for the wrong Pokémon.

What to do:

1. Identify the type you want to focus on based on your strongest Pokémon, as per the previous section.
2. Evaluate the cards that comes with your prerelease kit, especially the promo.
3. Pokemon with colorless Energy requirements can be included in any deck.
4. Aim for around 10-14 Energy in a 40-card deck when focusing on a single type.

3. Trainer Cards are Helpful

Why it matters: Trainer cards can often swing the momentum of a game by drawing extra cards, searching for specific Pokémon, or disrupting your opponent's plans.

What to do:

• Include Trainer cards that let you draw more cards, search your deck, or recover Pokémon/Energy from the discard pile.
• Look for Supporters that help you cycle through your deck faster; pulling the right card at the right time can win a match.

4. Type Matchups Matter (But Don't Overdo It)

Why it matters: Exploiting Weakness can help you take KOs more easily. However, in prereleases, your card pool is limited, so you don't want to chase too many different types just for potential matchups.

What to do:

• If you happen to pull a Pokémon that can exploit a commonly used type in the prerelease set, consider it.
• Otherwise, stick to synergy and overall strength of your cards.

5. Evolution is Powerful

Why it matters: Evolution cards in prerelease kits are often designed to be accessible, and they can have high impact for relatively low cost. Stage 2 Pokémon may be tough to get into play, but if they're strong, they can swing games.

What to do:

• Check how easy it is to find or draw your Evolution line.
• If you pull multiple copies of a Stage 1 or Stage 2 line (and the lower stages), consider building around it.
• If your Stage 2 line is inconsistent or you only have one copy of the Basic and Stage 1, it might still be worth including if it's powerful enough to justify the risk.

6. Read Cards Carefully

Why it matters: Prerelease sets often introduce new mechanics or keyword abilities you might not be familiar with yet.

What to do:

• Take time during deck building to read each card's text thoroughly.
• Don't miss details like secondary effects (e.g., special conditions, extra draw, Energy acceleration) that can change your strategy.

7. Aim for 40 Cards

Why it matters: The standard deck size at prereleases is 40 cards to allow for a faster pace with limited sets. Games are typically 4 Prize cards (instead of 6).

What to do:

• Start with about 15–18 Pokémon, 8–12 Trainers, and 10–14 Energy. Adjust as needed based on your card pool.
• Keep your deck slim so you consistently draw what you need.