Pokémon TCG Prerelease tournaments give players a chance to get their hands on the newest expansion early and try out the latest cards in action. Pokémon TCG: Sun & Moon—Lost Thunder Prerelease tournaments will be held from October 20–28, shortly before the expansion launches on November 2, 2018. Check with your local game store to see when they're hosting one of these events!
When you sit down to play at a Prerelease tournament, you'll receive a Build & Battle Box containing a 23-card Evolution pack that includes an exclusive foil promo card, plus four 10-card booster packs from Sun & Moon—Lost Thunder. From this pool of cards, you’ll construct a 40-card deck. Try to include Pokémon of types that have a lot of cards in your pool, and finish up using your Trainer and Energy cards. (Energy cards will be provided by the Tournament Organizer.) You’ll get to keep the cards you open, so it’s a great way to start building your collection of Sun & Moon—Lost Thunder early.
The promo card you'll receive is a cool collector's item, with a shiny foil stamp marking it as a Prerelease promo. It can also be used in your deck, and it’s likely to be a powerful part of your strategy! Plus, this time, each promo card features a Legendary Pokémon. Take a look at the four promo cards available at Sun & Moon—Lost Thunder Prerelease tournaments, and get some tips to make the most of whichever you pull:
Suicune (SM149)
You’ll have some fun strategic options available if you pull Suicune from your Build & Battle Box. What makes Suicune shine is its Frozen Flow Ability, which lets you force your opponent to swap their Active Pokémon out for one of their Benched Pokémon. This disruptive effect is especially powerful in a Prerelease tournament, because it’s difficult to quickly attach Energy to a bunch of different Pokémon. Suicune’s Aurora Gain attack is a little pricey, but it can potentially restore a lot of HP over a long match with assistance from Frozen Flow. Be creative: a low Retreat Cost of only one can allow for some unorthodox plays where you move Suicune up to be your Active Pokémon, use Frozen Flow, and retreat.
Raikou (SM150)
Giratina (SM151)
The Renegade Pokémon is a tricky partner, but it has the potential to do some incredible damage if you can power it up. It needs three Energy—two of which must be Psychic—just to attack with Shadow Impact. But the attack’s impressive 130 damage will Knock Out most opposing Pokémon in a single blow, making for a tantalizing investment. Try including Basic Pokémon with lots of HP in your deck to absorb Shadow Impact’s downside—putting 4 damage counters on 1 of your own Pokémon. Giratina’s unusual Distortion Door Ability can only be used while Giratina is in your discard pile, making for a fun and unique card. It allows you to retrieve Giratina from your discard pile even if it has been Knocked Out, and the damage it adds can be a cheeky way to finish off a weakened opponent.
Tapu Lele (SM152)
Look forward to fun battles in Sun & Moon—Lost Thunder Prerelease tournaments October 20–28!
