Special Conditions in the Pokémon Trading Card Game explained

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a battle of strategy, luck, and deck-building mastery. While most games revolve around dealing damage and knocking out your opponent’s Pokémon, there’s a sneaky way to take control of the battlefield—Special Conditions.

Table of contents

• All Pokémon TCG Special Conditions
• How Special Conditions work in PTCG
• Competitive Strategies in Pokémon TCG for Special Conditions
• What is the most powerful Special Condition in PTCG?
• How do Special Conditions interact with abilities and tools in PTCG?

All Pokémon TCG Special Conditions

Left: a Burn counter, Right: a Poison counter. Image by The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Special Conditions affect a Pokémon’s ability to attack, retreat, and survive in battle. Unlike normal damage, these status effects in the Pokémon Trading Card Game can completely alter the flow of a game, disrupting strategies and forcing tough decisions. There are five core Special Conditions that have appeared consistently throughout the game’s history: