Pokemon TCG Pocket players discover unfair rules for tying games
The Pokemon CompanyPokemon TCG Pocket has rules for draws, one which players are discovering are horribly skewed, allowing for tied games to be resolved in an unfair way.
Unlike the tabletop game, Pokemon Pocket has a points-based system. KO’ing a Pokemon scores a Point while defeating an ex Pokemon nets two Points. There are currently no Exodia-style alternate win conditions, as Pokemon Pocket is all about winning battles.
It’s possible for two players to score 3 Points at the same time, due to counter damage, such as the kind inflicted by Druddigon’s Rough Skin Ability. As discovered by users of the PTCGP Reddit, there are strange rules for determining when a game is declared a tie or when one player wins.
The Pokemon CompanyPokemon TCG Pocket draws depend on the Bench
If a Pokemon Pocket match ends with both Pokemon being knocked out and they still have Pokemon on the Bench (or none), then it’s declared a tie. Both Druddigon and the Poliwrath card from Genetic Apex can accomplish this with counter chip damage.
However, if one player has at least a single Pokemon the Bench and the other doesn’t, then they’re declared the winner, regardless of who inflicted the final blow.
A tie also happens even if one player scores four Points (by earning two and then defeating an ex Pokemon,) so long as both Actives are knocked out at the same time and the Benches are clear.
This isn’t a fair way to give one player a victory over another. If both Active Pokemon are knocked out and three Points are scored, then it should be a draw. The fact that one player has a Pokemon on the Bench is meaningless, as the game ends immediately, and it cannot influence the battle.
Hopefully, this quirk of the rules will be resolved in a future update, especially with Pokemon like Druddigon becoming a huge part of the meta. With counter Pokemon in the game, it’s possible to swing a victory through nothing more than a single ‘Mon on the Bench.