(Last Updated on 2025.11.09! This Blog is slowly updated as I play more; also, I am migrating from PokeGear.App to Limitless Deck Builder. Thanks for your patience.)

Revisiting Classic WotC-era Pokemon TCG Sets with more Deck-Building Opportunity!

Welcome to my little slice of Retro Pokemon Trading Card Game celebration! An off-hand comment and a search offering up Jason’s blogs led me to jumping head-first into poking around the Wizards-of-the-Coast-era formats from the 2000s (and some newfound ways to play).

For now, the Prop 15/3 and a variation of Base-Fossil (Point-Buy format) are my primary interests, but I will dabble some in writing about other formats as I exhaust my topic list. 🙂  All unlinked topics have not yet been written.

General resources

These topics should be suitable for any format! The following are on my list to write (but most likely near the bottom of priority to be completed…):

• Prizes, Probability, and Personal Tolerance to Risk
• Managing the Math of Pokemon Combat
• TCGOne – A Quick Tutorial on Playing (Most) Retro Anytime!
• Links! – Resources for WotC-Era Pokemon Trading Card Game Formats

Prop 15/3 (Base-Gym)

Prop 15/3, played for one major, sanctioned event (the 2000 East Coast Super Trainer Showdown), takes the Base-Gym format and adds restrictions (maximum 15 total Trainers maximum and 3 copies of each Non-basic-Energy cards) to create an environment where many different decks could be viable and play patterns allow for evolutions to compete against the common-placed competitive Mon of the era. The format has not been explored thoroughly and many exciting, competitive decks may still exist!

• The One-Day Format, Prop 15/3 (Base-Gym): An Introduction to Competitive Kanto Pokemon TCG Retro Joy (needs some updating, apologies)
• Welcome to the Elite Four: A Potential, Present-Day Metagame (Updated 2025.08.25)
  • Current Metagame Deck Lists (Updating! 2025.08.25)
  • June 2025 Metagame Summary
  • December 2024 Metagame Summary
• A Guide to Deck-Building (being reworked, apologies)
  • A Look at Viable Trainers (being reworked, apologies)
    • Spotlight: Chaos Gym (Minorly Updated 2025.10.21)
  • The Many Roles of Pokemon
• My Active Paper Decks (Updated 2025.10.15)

Base-Fossil “Point Buy”

Point-Buy is a format similar to the “Hall of Fame” formats in Japan; players get a number of points which they can allot to play cards that cost points. See more in the following:

• What is Point-Buy? Opening Up Base-Fossil so even Charizard Can Compete!
• Introduction, History & Future of Base-Fossil “Point Buy” (Updated with new points list 2025.06.29; introduction, history and future sections to separate eventually)

Base-Neo “Point Buy”

Point-Buy is a format similar to the “Hall of Fame” formats in Japan; players get a number of points which they can allot to play cards that cost points. See more in the following:

• Quick Intro to the Format with Deck Lists (Added 2025.10.13)

WotC Gym Leader Challenge

An attempt to play Gym Leader Challenge with only cards released by Wizards of the Coast. Games are fun (lots of laughs to be had) and have a good amount of variety (though do not discount the ability to play this somewhat competitively with friends)! 

• An Introduction to WotC GLC (Added 2025.11.09)

WotC-20 Singleton

See format link but with only one of each distinct card allowed in a deck. Up to four of a single Pokemon could be played in a single deck so long as they are functionally different cards: a deck could play 4 Charmanders (1 Base Set, 1 Team Rocket, 2 different from Expedition).

• No planned content as of yet! 😦

Rocket-Legendary Collection (aka Rocket-On)

I’ve only ever played Giovanni’s Machamp in this format, but the gameplay was interesting! I aim to explore this format without the Base Set Trainers in greater detail!

• No planned content as of yet! 😦