pokemon WOTC-20 Format
Welcome to the world of WOTC-20!
A Retro Pokemon TCG format, created and curated by the players at gamesIRL!
Format rules
- Decks must be exactly 60 cards, and contain a maximum of 20 total Trainer cards.
- Before starting a match, decide if coins will be used. If either player objects, dice are used for the entire match. Evens are heads, odds are tails.
- When a player takes a mulligan, their opponent may draw up to one extra card per mulligan before setting up benched Pokémon. EFFECTIVE 12/17/2020 In addition to normal mulligans, players may each take up to one additional mulligan even if their hand contains one or more basic pokémon. They still reveal their hand and their opponent still may draw up to one card for this mulligan.
- During each players' first turn of the game, they draw a card at the start of the turn, may play any number of Trainer cards including one Supporter, and may attack. Players may not evolve any of their Pokémon on their first turn.
- Supporter is a subtype of Trainer. Therefore, all Supporter cards are also Trainer cards. Supporters remain next to the active Pokémon until the end of the turn, when they are discarded.
- Poké-Powers and Poké-Bodies are subtypes of Pokémon Powers. Pokémon Powers which list “Special Conditions” that make them stop working and all Poké-Powers use the Conditions errata below. This makes older Pokémon Powers susceptible to Burn, and newer Poké-Powers immune to Poison.
- Cards released only in Japanese are not legal, unless it is a functional reprint of an English card. Translations will be provided by a tournament official if needed.
- All cards are played as-written unless indicated below with a listed erratta. We will continue to evaluate further card erratta.
- Playing with reprints from after Skyridge is not advised, as the wording of these cards may not reflect their correct functionality.
- There are no “official” rules for a Base Set – Skyridge format. The historic rulings from both Wizards and contemporary sources will be used as a starting point, but we will deviate from those rulings to create a better unified format. The head judge of any event has final say in that event for card rulings or tournament procedures.
- WOTC-20 is designed to be fun and competitive, and all decisions will reflect this philosophy. Discussion of the rules is encouraged, and this page will be updated as the format evolves!
Legal Expansions & banned cards
The following sets are legal in WOTC-20:
- Base Set
- Jungle
- Fossil
- Base Set 2
- Team Rocket
- Gym Heroes
- Gym Challenge
- Neo Genesis
- Neo Discovery
- Neo Revelation
- Neo Destiny
- Legendary Collection
- Southern Islands
- Expedition
- Aquapolis
- Skyridge
- Wizards Best Promos
- Wizards Black Star Promos #1 - #53
The following cards are banned in WOTC-20:
- Lass (Base Set 75, Base Set Two 104) Lass defined and warped formats where it was permitted. This card is excluded to prevent lopsided early turns that lead to non-games.
- Super Energy Removal (Base Set 79, Base Set Two 108) The efficiency of Super Energy Removal kept a large number of strategies out of early formats.
- Psyduck (Fossil 53, Wizards Promo 20) Simalar to Lass, being locked out playing the game by Psyduck’s attack can be a real headache.
- Chaos Gym (Gym Challenge 102) This card leads to an undesirable amount of variance. Games where it is in play aren’t determined by skill.
- Sneasel (Neo Genesis 25) The perfect storm of free retreat, a good resistance, amazing attacks, and natural synergies make this Pokémon an easy exclusion.
- EFFECTIVE 2/20/2023 Erika's Jigglypuff (Gym Challenge 69) Responsible for too many non-games due to its strong turn one attack.
- EFFECTIVE 7/12/2023 Muk (Fossil 13 & 28, Legendary Collection 16) Hampers deckbuilding and restricts the pool of viable strategies with its ability to shut off Pokemon Powers.
What? WOTC-20 is evolving!
Mr. Mime, originally a vintage Japanese exlusive card, has now been printed in English in the PTCG Classic decks! Given how great this card fits in WOTC-20, we have decided to add it to the format!
Effective 4/1/2024 - Mr. Mime (PTCG Classic, Japanese Vending Series) is now legal to play in WOTC-20!