Game-flow terms
Tempo: who's dictating the pace of the game. Brick: an opening hand with no playable lines. Mulligan: starting with no Basic Pokémon and forced to redraw. Topdeck: drawing the exact card you needed off the top.
Prize trade terms
Prize trade: the running ratio of prizes you take vs. give up. 2-for-1: trading one of your Pokémon to KO two of theirs. EX trade: KOing an EX gives 2 prizes vs. 1 for a basic — fundamental to all decisions.
Deck archetype terms
Aggro: fast, low-cost attackers that race the opponent. Control: slow, resource-stripping decks that win in the long game. Tempo: middle ground, prioritizes board state turn-by-turn. Combo: relies on specific multi-card synergies.
Tech terms
Tech card: a 1-of slot to answer a specific matchup. Pivot: switching your active Pokémon. Snipe: damaging the opponent's bench. OHKO: one-hit knockout. Donk: winning on turn 1 or 2 by KO'ing the opponent's only Pokémon.
Ladder terms
Climbing: actively trying to rank up. Tilting: making bad plays after losses due to frustration. Net-decking: copying a deck list from online instead of building your own. Counter-meta: choosing a deck specifically because it beats the most popular ladder picks.
Got questions?
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