Champions Format

Singleton

One copy of each card allowed. Basic energy is unlimited. Special energy follows singleton too (1-of each named special energy card).

60-Card Deck

2 Champion Pokemon + 58 support cards. Every deck is exactly 60 cards.

Support Deck Contents

The support deck can include items, supporters, tools, stadiums, and Pokemon with abilities (used as one-turn ability triggers).

Card Pool

Black & White set forward through current. Same card pool as GLC and Expanded.

600 HP

Every Champion enters play at 600 HP regardless of the printed HP on the card. Tools, abilities, stadiums, and healing push effective HP higher in practice.

No Evolution Chains

Champions enter play as the specific card chosen at deck-build. No Basic to Stage 1 to Stage 2 chains during the game. A Stage 2 card enters play directly as the Champion at 600 HP.

Any Pokemon Card is Legal

Basic, Stage 1, Stage 2, Tag Team, VMAX, ex, V, GX -- all qualify as Champions. The chosen card enters play directly at 600 HP regardless of its printed evolution stage. The only exceptions are V-UNION and Pokemon BREAK (see Ban List).

No Retreat

Champions stay in play until KO. There is no retreat mechanic.

No Bench

Champions are the only Pokemon on the field, outside of one-turn support Pokemon.

Partner-Protect Only

A Champion can only Protect its partner, never itself. The protecting Champion (B) steps in front of partner Champion (A) and absorbs incoming attacks aimed at A.

• •Team mode: the partner is the teammate's Champion.
• •1v1 mode: the partner is the player's other Champion.
• •Battle Royale mode: the partner is the player's other Champion (same as 1v1).

Cost to Activate

Discard one energy attached to the protecting Champion AND skip that Champion's next attack. Cost is paid the moment Protect is declared, regardless of outcome.

Damage Stacking

The protector still takes any damage from attacks already aimed directly at it. If both opposing attacks were aimed at Champion A and Champion B protects A, Champion B eats both attacks.

No Partner = No Protect

If a Champion has no living partner, Protect cannot be activated. A solo Champion loses access to Protect for the rest of the game.

Repeat-Protect Coinflip

If the same Champion declares Protect on consecutive opposing turns, a coinflip is required. Heads: Protect resolves normally. Tails: Protect fails, attack hits the original target. The full cost (energy + skip attack) applies on BOTH outcomes.

• •The streak attaches to the protecting Champion, not the protected partner.
• •One non-Protect turn clears the streak.
• •Prevents infinite Protect cycling while keeping the decision tense.

Counter: Gust/Switch Effects

Any card or ability that switches or gusts the opponent's Pokemon bypasses Protect. Boss's Orders, Escape Rope, Pokemon Catcher, Cross Switcher, Counter Catcher, and Pokemon abilities that force a switch all work. The original card conditions still apply (e.g., Pokemon Catcher still requires a coinflip). The Protect cost is still paid even when bypassed.

One-Turn Ability Triggers

Support Pokemon enter play for one turn only to use their ability, then go to discard. Think of them like one-shot artifacts in MTG.

Recyclable

Trainer cards can return Support Pokemon to deck or hand from the discard for reuse.

Active Spot Requirements Ignored

If a support Pokemon's ability says "this Pokemon must be in the Active Spot" or "while this Pokemon is Active," that requirement is ignored. There is no active/bench distinction in Champions — the support Pokemon is simply in play.

"This Pokemon" Targeting Still Applies

If an ability says it only affects "this Pokemon" (e.g., heals this Pokemon, boosts this Pokemon's attacks), it still only affects the support Pokemon itself — NOT your Champions. The active spot condition is waived, but the self-targeting is not.

Self-KO Abilities

Pokemon whose abilities knock themselves out to activate can still be used as support Pokemon. They resolve the ability, then go straight to the discard. The self-KO is part of the cost.

Damage Reduction Abilities

If a support Pokemon's ability says "your Active Pokemon takes less damage," the support Pokemon stays on the board and the effect lasts until the start of that player's next turn. It does not go to discard at end of turn like a normal support Pokemon.

Example

Charizard (Pokemon GO set) has an ability that doubles Fire Energy. Bring it in for a turn, and your Champion's "20x number of Fire Energy attached" attack hits double.

Standard Attach Rate

One energy attach per turn unless an ability says otherwise. No format-wide energy acceleration baked in.

No Power Surge Stacking

No chaining multiple energy-acceleration abilities in the same turn.

Game Start

Both players put their Champion(s) into play at the start of the game. Draw 7 cards. No mulligan.

No Prize Cards

Champions has no prize cards. Win by KO'ing the opposing Champion(s).

Deck-Out Loss (Mill Rule)

If you cannot draw a card at the start of your turn because your support deck is empty, you lose the game. Standard TCG deck-out rules still apply. Mill is a valid strategy.

1 Tool Per Champion

Only 1 tool can be attached to each Champion at a time. Tool replacement and tool-removal effects work normally.

Standard Limits Still Apply

All standard TCG per-game and deckbuilding restrictions carry over to Champions. These apply to both your Champions and support Pokemon.

• •1 Radiant Pokemon per deck.
• •1 ACE SPEC per deck.
• •1 GX attack per game (if your Champion or a support Pokemon has a GX attack).
• •1 VSTAR Power per game (if your Champion has a VSTAR Power).

Player Chooses Attack Order

When both Champions attack in the same turn, the player chooses which Champion attacks first. There is no fixed order — the attacking player decides the sequence each turn.

Standard Rules Apply

Poison and burn still tick. At 600 HP, 10 damage/turn from a status is supplemental, not a primary strategy.

Resolution Order

When multiple coinflip effects trigger on the same incoming damage, they resolve in this order:

• •1. Repeat-Protect coinflip (if applicable). If tails, Protect fails immediately.
• •2. Ability-based block flips (e.g., 'flip a coin, if heads prevent all damage').
• •3. Damage-reduction flips (e.g., 'flip a coin, if heads halve damage').

Gust/Switch Effects (Protect Counter)

Any card or Pokemon ability that switches or gusts the opponent's Pokemon bypasses Protect. This is not limited to Boss's Orders — Escape Rope, Pokemon Catcher, Cross Switcher, Counter Catcher, and Pokemon abilities that force a switch all work as Protect counters.

• •Fires reactively after the opponent declares Protect. Bypasses the Protect redirect and forces the attack onto its originally announced target.
• •All original card conditions still apply: Pokemon Catcher still requires a coinflip, Cross Switcher still needs 2 cards played together, Boss's Orders still uses your supporter slot, etc.
• •The Protect cost (energy + skip attack) is still paid by the defender even when bypassed.
• •In team mode, both partners may play gust effects on the same Protect event.
• •Cannot be played if the repeat-Protect coinflip already failed (Protect already failed naturally).
• •Pokemon abilities that gust/switch (e.g., Ninetales, Lysandre's Trump Card effects on abilities) also bypass Protect with the same reactive timing.

Search-to-Bench Cards

Cards that search the deck for a Pokemon (Nest Ball, Buddy-Buddy Poffin, etc.) auto-play the target instead of sending to hand/bench.

• •Since there's no bench, the Pokemon goes directly into play as a one-turn support Pokemon.
• •The ability triggers immediately on play.
• •Search costs still apply (Quick Ball discards 1, Ultra Ball discards 2, etc.).
• •Auto-play replaces the hand-to-bench step, not the card's stated cost.

Bench-Damage Cards

Spread attacks and bench-damage effects route to the partner Champion.

• •In all modes, the partner Champion is treated as the bench.
• •An attack that says "X damage to each Benched Pokemon" routes onto the partner Champion.
• •Manaphy-style "prevent damage to Bench" cards protect the partner.
• •Single-target attacks are unaffected (attacker picks the target normally).