Sun & Moon Player's Guide (TCG)
| Sun & Moon Player's Guide (Solgaleo) | |
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| Sun & Moon Player's Guide (Lunala) | |
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| ISBN: | None |
| Pages: | 31* |
| Published: | 2017 |
| Publisher: | The Pokémon Company International |
| Author: | Wolfgang Baur |
The Sun & Moon Player's Guide is a booklet included within the Sun & Moon Elite Trainer Box detailing the Sun & Moon expansion of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The booklet is written by Wolfgang Baur and was published by The Pokémon Company International in 2017. The content features strategy for the new cards introduced within the Sun & Moon expansion as well as a complete checklist for the expansion.
Contents
Welcome to the Pokémon TCG: Sun & Moon Elite Trainer Box
This Elite Trainer Box contains a great combination of boosters, Energy cards, dice, card sleeves, and extras—congrats on stepping up your game to the Elite level. The Pokémon Trading Card Game: Sun & Moon expansion adds more than 140 cards to the Pokémon TCG and opens a whole new region for adventure — the sun-drenched shores of Alola!
Train hard, choose your Pokémon companions, and take the journey of an Elite Trainer! Train hard, choose your Pokémon companions, and take the journey of an Elite Trainer! Prepare your favorite Pokémon and Trainers for battle with the Sun & Moon expansion!
All-New Pokémon and Pokémon-GX!
This expansion includes lots of all-new Pokémon and a new look for the cards — plus terrific full-art treatment for the new Pokémon-GX! The new card layout looks sharp and is super easy to read, so let's take a look at what's new in Sun & Moon!
The Power of Pokémon-GX!
The Alola region is loaded with new Pokémon and new options for your game, including the awesome new Pokémon-GX. Each comes with a special GX attack, which is so powerful that you can only use one of them during the entire game.
Let's look at the legendary Pokémon Lunala as an example. Lunala-GX (66/149) has the Lunar Fall-GX attack for 
, which Knocks Out 1 of your opponent's Basic Pokémon that isn't a Pokémon-GX.
That's amazing, and Lunala-GX has a great ability and regular attack as well — which is good, because once you've used that Lunar Fall-GX attack, you can't use another GX attack for the rest of the game. This restriction is not per Pokémon, it's per player — so even if you have lots of Pokémon-GX in your deck you can only use a GX attack from one of them. It's likely to change the course of battle, so you'll want to choose your moment with care!
As you might expect, that level of power means that when one of your Pokémon-GX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes two Prize cards instead of just one. (If you played with Pokémon-EX during the XY Series, you're already familiar with this drawback.)
Let's take a closer look at some Pokémon-GX in detail!
New Pokémon-GX
As the expansion that introduces Pokémon-GX, Sun & Moon features an impressive roster of these new Pokémon: Decidueye-GX (12/149), Lurantis-GX (15/149), Incineroar-GX (27/149), Lapras-GX (35/149), Primarina-GX (42/149), Espeon-GX (61/149), Lunala-GX (66/149), Umbreon-GX (80/149), Solgaleo-GX (89/149), Tauros-GX (100/149), and Gumshoos-GX (110/149).
Overview of New Pokémon-GX
- Decidueye-GX is a Stage 2 Pokémon-GX (which means it evolves from a Stage 1 Pokémon, since Pokémon-GX follow the regular rules for Evolution). Its Feather Arrow Ability can put 2 damage counters of 1 of your opponent's Pokémon every turn, and the Razor Leaf attack does 90 damage for
. Its Hollow Hunt-GX attack puts three cards from your discard pile into your hand — awfully handy!
- Lurantis-GX is a Stage 1 Pokémon-GX with 210 HP and three attacks. Flower Supply for does 40 damage and attaches 2 basic Energy from your discard pile to any of your Pokémon (great for speeding up the big battlers), whilst its Solar Blade for does 120 to the opposing Pokémon and heals 30 from itself. Its Chloroscythe-GX attack for does 50 for each attached to it, which can add up fast!
- Incineroar-GX can deliver a Hustling Strike, an attack that costs
and does 10 damage plus 20 more for each Pokémon on your Bench — great for early Knock Outs if you can fill up your Bench quickly! Its Tiger Swing attack for does 80 damage, plus up to 100 more based on coin flips. The big one, its Burning Slam-GX attack, does 200 damage for that same and leaves your opponent's Active Pokémon Burned. And if the opposing Pokémon is still standing after all that, the new Burned rule guarantees it'll get at least 2 more damage counters between turns!
| New Burned Rule |
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| The Special Condition Burned works a little differently as of Sun & Moon. Between turns, put 2 damage counters on a Burned Pokémon. Then, that Pokémon's owner flips a coin. If heads, remove the Special Condition Burned from that Pokémon. Note that this rule applies any time a Pokémon is burned, even if the Special Condition is caused by a card from an earlier expansion! |
- Lapras-GX also has three attacks, and the first one is simple but powerful — Collect draws 3 cards for . The Transport Pokémon unleashes its icy power with Blizzard Burn for 160 damage (though it can't attack the next turn). Its Ice Beam-GX attack for
does 100 damage and leaves your opponent's Active Pokémon Paralyzed — a sitting duck for a Blizzard Burn next turn!
- Primarina-GX has 250 HP and can keep a Bubble Beat! That attack does 10 damage plus 20 more for each Energy attached to any of your Pokémon, all for . Its Roaring Seas attack for does 120 damage and discards and Energy from the opponent's Active Pokémon. The big Grand Echo-GX and heals all damage from all your Pokémon — which is probably a relief to your hard-battling crew!
- Espeon-GX is a Stage 1 Pokémon that evolves from fuzzy little Eevee into a fearsome foe! Its Psybeam for does 30 damage and leaves its opponent confused. Its Psychic attack for does 60 damage plus 30 damage for each Energy attached to your opponent's Active Pokémon, which is great in the mid- to late game. And its Divide-GX attack is a potential game-ender: for , you put 10 damage counters on your opponent's Active Pokémon in any way you like. Pile the up to take down a big threat, or spread them around to pick off the smaller ones!
- Lunala-GX has the Psychic Transfer Ability, which lets you move Energy around among your Pokémon, and its Moongeist Beam attack for does 120 damage and prevents healing during your opponent's next turn. As mentioned earlier, its Lunar Fall-GX attack doesn't waste time on damage at all — it's just an automatic Knock Out of an opponent's Basic Pokémon (though it doesn't work on other Pokémon-GX)!
- Umbreon-GX has the Strafe attack for
that does 30 damage and lets Umbreon slip away, swapping places with one of your Benched Pokémon. It can also use Shadow Bullet, for 90 damage plus 30 to one of your opponent's benched Pokémon — there's no hiding from Umbreon's attacks! Its Dark Call-GX attack discards 2 Energy from your opponent's Pokémon in any way you like, which should really slow down the big-Energy attacks!
- Solgaleo-GX has 250 HP and a magnificent mane! Its Ultra Road Ability lets you switch your Active Pokémon with one of your Benched Pokémon once each turn, which basically means all your Pokémon can retreat for free. On top of that, its Sunsteel Strike for
does 230 damage, but you have to discard all of its attached Energy. Finally, the Sol Burst-GX attack lets you search your deck for up to 5 Energy and attach them to your Pokémon however you like — a great way to make sure every Pokémon has exactly what it means, especially since it isn't limited to basic Energy!
- Tauros-GX has three attacks that cost each. First, there's the Rage attack does 20 plus 10 more damage for each damage counter on Tauros-GX. Then there's Horn Attack, which does 60 damage. The plan is to use Horn Attack for 60 damage until Tauros-GX has at least 5 damage counters on it, and then you can do 70 or more with Rage! And if you need one really big hit, its Mad Bull-GX attack does 30 damage times the number of damage counters on it — which could be up to 510 damage!
- Gumshoos-GX has the Search the Premesis Ability to look at your opponent's hand once a turn, and the Headbutt Bounce attack that does 100 damage for . It also has the wonderful Gumshoe Chance-GX attack for , which does 10 damage plus 50 more for each Energy attached to your opponent's Active Pokémon. The more Energy that the opposing Pokémon has attached — and remember the very popular Double Colorless Energy (136/149) counts as two — the bigger the hit, from a little bump to a gigantic KABLAM!
Alolan Pokémon!
You’ll find some familiar Pokémon with a new look in the Alola region! These are known as Alolan Pokémon. Note that “Alolan” is part of the Pokémon's name — this means that Alolan Persian can only evolve from Alolan Meowth, not from Meowth. It also means you can use four Alolan Diglett and four Diglett in your deck if you like.
One cool thing about Alolan Pokémon: many of them come with free attacks! The 
symbol in an attack cost means the Pokémon can use that attack without any Energy attached.
Four Easy Combos Plus a Tough One!
The Sun & Moon cards bring some great tools for power combos, along with some attack tricks and a revisit ofa classic theme! Here are three combos using Pokémon-GX, plus two more that exploit particular Abilities to make them shine!
- Back Bench Double Team
- Passimian (73/149) has a strong Team Play attack that does extra damage for each Passimian on your Bench, but the damage is limited because one Passimian has to be Active to attack. Fortunately, you can use Mew (XY — Fates Collide, 29/124) to bump that damage up. Its Memories of Dawn Ability allows it to use the Team Play attack, giving you the maximum amount of damage possible while all your Passimian hang out on the Bench, eating Berries and cheering Mew on!
- Spare Charge Combo
- Dragonite (96/149) has an excellent Dragon Wave attack that dishes out impressive damage at a low cost, but you have to discard a Grass Energy and a Lightning Energy every time you use it. The solution is to have a charger nearby: Vikavolt (52/149)! Its Strong Charge Ability can lend a hand, searching up a Grass and Lightning Energy from your deck and attaching them to Dragonite every turn. Could it be... the solution to to unlimited Energy has been right here the whole time?
- Sunflower Supply
- Solgaleo-GX can deliver serious damage with its Sunsteel Strike attack, but at the cost of discarding all of its Energy. Once Solgaleo-GX is depleted, use its its Ultra Road Ability to switch in Lurantis-GX. Then, you can use Lurantis-GX's Flower Supply attack to recharge Solgaleo-GX for another Sunsteel Strike.
- Moonlight Potion
- This is a new take on a very popular combo. Use Lunala-GX's Psychic Transfer Ability to move Energy away from a damaged Pokémon. Then, play Max Potion (XY — BREAKpoint, 103/122) to heal all the damage — with no downside, since the Pokémon has no Energy attached to it. But then you can move that Energy right back where you started — with a fully healed Pokémon that has all of its Energy!
- Feathered Forest Devolution
- OK, this is a three-card combo, but bear with us. First, use the Forest of Giant Plants Stadium card (XY — Ancient Origins, 74/98) to evolve into Decidueye-GX quickly, then use its Feather Arrow Ability to put damage counters on the opponent's Pokémon. If you want to use the Ability more than once, you can use Devolution Spray (XY — Fates Collide, 95/124) to return Decidueye-GX to your hand, and re-evolve right away thanks to Forest of Giant Plants. See how many damage counters you can drop without attacking!
Top Trainer Cards
Sure, Trainer cards don't have big HP and pulse-pounding attacks — but a Trainer's role is vitally important! Items, Supporters, and other cards can give you the margin of victory. Here are some cards to watch out for in the Sun & Moon' expansion!
- Big Malasada (114/149)
- Is your Confused Pokémon constantly hitting itself? Are you watching the poison damage pile up? Would you like to make that stop? Break out a Big Malasada! This tasty treat heals 20 damage and removes a Special Condition, and with all the Burned, Poisoned, Confused, and Paralyzed Pokémon out there, it's delicious and effective.
- Lillie (122/149)
- Lillie is a great Supporter, letting you draw until you have six cards in your hand — or up to eight, if it's your first turn! Fill up your Bench and come back for more!
- Nest Ball (123/149)
- The different kinds of Poké Ball are all interesting, but fans of Pokémon-EX know how powerful this particular effect can be. Search any Basic Pokémon from your deck and put it onto your Bench, just like that! (And yes, that does include Basic Pokémon-GX!)
- Poison Barb (124/149)
- Most Pokémon Tool cards are helpful in some way — this one is downright dangerous! Attach it to your Active Pokémon, and as soon as it's damaged by an opponent's attack, this tool leaves the Attacking Pokémon Poisoned! It's a good way to make sure that Attacking Pokémon pays a price!
- Professor Kukui (128/149)
- Most Pokémon professors help fill up your hand, but Professor Kukui also inspires your team to battle harder! When you play him, you draw 2 cards, and if you attack that turn, you'll do 20 more damage to your opponent's Active Pokémon. It can certainly mess with opponents who think they know how the next turn will play out!
- Team Skull Grunt (133/149)
- Team Skull is all about the sabotage! Your opponent reveals their hand, and you discard 2 Energy cards from it — and since it's your choice, it's a nice way to wipe out their Double Colorless Energy or other important Energy cards before they get into play.
- Ultra Ball (135/149)
- It's a staple at tournaments and in most competitive decks — for good reason! Discard 2 cards from your hand to search your deck for any Pokémon you want. You're always ready for for that clutch Evolution or key combo card with an Ultra Ball in hand!
- Rainbow Energy (137/149)
- Another tournament staple: attach Rainbow Energy to one of your Pokémon, and it provides a single Energy of any type you need.
Pokémon TCG: Sun & Moon Card List
This section lists the 149 cards in the Sun & Moon expansion, and their rarities, as well as the 14 secret cards.
Credits
Original Japanese Game
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English-Language Version
The Pokémon Company International
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Pokémon TCG: Sun & Moon Showcase
Your Adventure in a New Region Starts Now! These theme decks for Sun & Moon are ready to play right out of the box: Forest Shadow, Roaring Heat, and Bright Tide! Will your opponents face the marksmanship of Decidueye, the blistering burn of Incineroar, or the relentless tide of Primarina?
Forest Shadow Theme Deck
- From the Shadows!
- Moving through the trees with ultimate stealth: Decidueye! This hard-striking deck paints a target on your foe — and hits the bull's-eye. Take aim with the Forest Shadow theme deck!
Roaring Heat Theme Deck
- Leap into the Heat!
- Explode with the fiery power of Incineroar! Add fuel to the fire with a fast-burning, fast-punching team built of pure power and aggression. Throw it all into the fight with the Roaring Heat theme deck!
Bright Tide Theme Deck
- Let the Tide Roll in!
- Light up the waters and overwhelm your foe with Primarina! Combine water and lightning, and send your Pokémon team surging through howling storms with the Bright Tide theme deck!
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This article is part of both Project TCG and Project Merchandise, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Trading Card Game merchandise. | 
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