How to Get and Use Trade Tokens in Pokémon TCG Pocket
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The biggest post-launch update yet for Pokémon TCG Pocket is finally here, with trading and a new expansion dropping within one day of each other. But, while new packs are simple, trading is extremely complicated thanks to some specific limitations and the inclusion of Trade Tokens.
With the introduction of trading, you can finally swap cards with friends and get rid of some bulk to acquire the Pokémon you need to complete your collection. The only things standing in your way are Trade Stamina, Trade Tokens, and the mechanics that go into both of these new “currencies.”
Pokémon TCG Pocket: What Are Trade Tokens and Trade Stamina?
Both Trade Tokens and Trade Stamina are new forms of “currency” introduced to Pokémon TCG Pocket alongside the trading mechanic. These are how you will be able to perform trades in the game, meaning you will need a certain amount of each item before swapping cards with friends.
Trade Stamina works just like Pack Stamina and Wonder Stamina, which are used when opening free packs or selecting cards via the Wonder Trade.
With Trade Stamina, you will need to use a set amount of it in order to facilitate a trade with another player. It recharges one of the five Trade Stamina hearts every 24 hours but can also be refilled using other items if you want to speed the process up, just like other TCG Pocket stamina mechanics.
Trade Tokens are an entirely new piece to TCG Pocket and put a bigger roadblock in the way of trading specific cards.
How Do Trade Tokens Work in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
Trade Tokens are like passes you must get when trying to trade cards of a specific rarity in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
Some cards do not require Trade Tokens to trade and can be freely swapped with other players using just Trade Stamina. Once you get to higher rarity cards that aren’t limited by the TCG Pocket developers you will need to start using Trade Tokens if you want to trade them with friends.
How to Get Trade Tokens in Pokémon TCG Pocket
Trade Tokens work a bit like Shinedust and Card Flair, in that you will need to dismantle copies of rare cards in your collection to get Trade Tokens. Those Trade Tokens can then be used to trade rare cards with your friends.
As of the introduction of trading to Pokémon TCG pocket on Jan. 29, here is a full breakdown of each card rarity and how many Trade Tokens you get for dismantling one of each card.
Card Rarity | Trade Tokens Generated |
---|---|
1 Diamond/Common | None |
Two Diamond/Uncommon | None |
Three Diamond/Rare | 25 Trade Tokens |
Four Diamond/Double Rare | 125 Trade Tokens |
One Star/Illustration Rare | 100 Trade Tokens |
Two Star/Super or Special Illustration Rare | 300 Trade Tokens |
Three Star/Immersive Rare | 300 Trade Tokens |
Gold Crown/Crown Rare | 1,500 Trade Tokens |
You can’t trade anything above the single star or Illustration Rare cards in TCG Pocket yet, but that might change in the future. If you have duplicates of rare cards like Immersive Rares from previous sets or the new Space-Time Smackdown packs, you should probably hold onto those instead of using them to generate Trade Tokens.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Cards All Trade Tokens Costs?
When you look at dismantling your cards to get Trade Tokens, you should also know how much each card costs to trade.
Each card between that 1 to 4 Diamond range and sitting at 1 Star has distinct costs that typically more than triple how many Trade Tokens you need to send even one to a friend. This means you will likely need to dismantle at least four or five cards to trade one card of an equal rarity.
For all cards eligible to be traded, here is what it will cost you in Trade Tokens each time you want to exchange one with a friend.
Card Rarity | Trade Tokens |
---|---|
1 Diamond/Common | None |
Two Diamond/Uncommon | None |
Three Diamond/Rare | 120 Trade Tokens |
Four Diamond/Double Rare | 500 Trade Tokens |
One Star/Illustration Rare | 400 Trade Tokens |
The reason 4 Diamond cards cost more to trade than 1 Star cards simply comes down to a difference in usefulness in deck building.
The 4 Diamond or Double Rare cards encompass many of the strongest cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket, such as Pokémon ex which are the core of most top decks in the game. Even if you can’t get something like an Immersive Art Pokémon ex, you can still get a normal Pikachu ex that works just as well for your decks.
This means, that even with some limitations in place, trading in TCG Pocket currently still allows players to build out their collections with the help of their friends. It even offers you more ways to get more powerful cards that you are potentially struggling to pull while just opening normal packs.
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