There’s a new Pokemon trading card set that’s aimed at beginners and lapsed fans

I want to get back into this so bad

I play a lot of card games. Competitive, cooperative: I’ll try them all. That’s partially why I’ve dipped in and out of the Pokemon Trading Card Game since 1998. While I’m generally not down with blind box collectible packs, starter sets like the newly announced Battle Academy box do a decent job of pulling me back in to relearn games and acquire that sweet, sweet new keyword knowledge.

In short, trading card games periodically release pre-built decks of cards so that you know exactly what you’re getting. Fantasy Flight Games bases their entire “LCG” model around it to avoid gambling, which is why I gravitate toward their games so often. With other companies, the idea is to suck you in with the pre-set starter boxes: then get you to whale-up and buy tons of packs to get cooler cards. Jokes on you: I stop there!

In this particular “Battle Academy” kit for Pokemon, you’ll get three decks (Pikachu, Charizard, Mewtwo), along with three rulebooks and a game board (no mat? Way to cheap out). The idea is that you start with the former two, then work your way up to Mewtwo. It’s not a new concept, but it’s a new box, so lapsed Pokemon card game fans could give it a shot with a family member during quarantine.

It’s out as of yesterday worldwide, and will run you 20 bucks.

Battle Academy [Pokemon]