New to TCG ONE, looking for some tips and answers to some questions

Hey all, apologies if this is in the wrong place. I’m a new(ish) players, and new to TCG ONE.

Some background: I used to enjoy the Pokemon TCG in the EX era and dropped off around the beginning of Diamond/Pearl sets. My primary TCG experience was with Yugioh, which I played competitively at local tourneys and such, dropping off in the middle of the XYZ era. I recently got the urge to re-explore the Pokemon TCG, and TCG ONE was recommended to me.

This isn’t the first time I’ve used an online TCG simulator. I was active on a Yugioh browser-based site (Yugioh Nexus I think? It’s been a few years) so I have some familiarity with them. What I’m realizing now however, is that Pokemon TCG has different formats, which wasn’t really a thing in Yugioh, or at least when I played. You just observed the ban list and that was that. I didn’t ever play much Magic the Gathering, but it seems that Pokemon TCG is similar to how MTG’s formats work, cycling out older sets, etc.

So given my limited background with the Pokemon TCG and TCG ONE, I have a few questions:

First, is there a way to stick to the older sets? I have a lot of nostalgia for the original 150 cards, but my favorite sets were in the EX era (FR/LG specifically, and Team Aqua/Magma). I didn’t play any Pokemon games past Platinum, so I’m not familiar with Generation 5 and onward, and would prefer to play sets that focus on Generations 1-3. Pokemon Emerald is my all-time favorite Pokemon game, with Leaf Green coming in a close second, for context on my preferences. Is there a format that’s best for me? I saw that an EX format has been added to TCG ONE; is that a format purely using EX-era sets? If so it seems like the format I should be playing.

Next, how should I go about getting started on TCG ONE? Is career mode a good way to start? Or should I just make some custom decks? I never played Pokemon TCG competitively like Yugioh, so I admittedly am hesitant to hop into a lobby with people running advanced strategy decks. Is there a good place to go to brush up on my game knowledge and even get a refresher on the rules and flow of the game? A tutorial lobby or new player lobby perhaps?

Lastly, is there a ranking system? And if so, how can I avoid playing ranked games until I get a solid deck going? Do casual lobbies exist?

That’s it I think. Basically, I’m unsure of how to “get started” with TCG ONE, where to go first, which sets to play… and I definitely don’t want to annoy people by loading into a match and having no idea what I’m doing. Pre-4th/5th gen sets are extremely preferred.

Apologies for the noob questions but I’d rather go into this with some context. Thanks for any help or tips you all can provide!

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“First, is there a way to stick to the older sets? I have a lot of nostalgia for the original 150 cards, but my favorite sets were in the EX era (FR/LG specifically, and Team Aqua/Magma). I didn’t play any Pokemon games past Platinum, so I’m not familiar with Generation 5 and onward, and would prefer to play sets that focus on Generations 1-3. Pokemon Emerald is my all-time favorite Pokemon game, with Leaf Green coming in a close second, for context on my preferences. Is there a format that’s best for me? I saw that an EX format has been added to TCG ONE; is that a format purely using EX-era sets? If so it seems like the format I should be playing.”

Career lets you play cards from base set to ex format.

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Thanks! I played a few games and have gotten acquainted with the systems. Although now that I’ve begun to unlock additional sets in career mode (Ruby/Sapphire, etc), do I need to refrain from using those cards when playing in the Gym format? Is there a safeguard that makes sure I don’t bring “illegal” cards into a game? I don’t want to cheat on accident. My plan is to get comfortable with each format and slowly work myself up.

I’m unsure how to create a new deck since I can’t seem to filter cards by format, only TCG set. Edit: Whoops, nevermind, it looks like the filter for format is on the right-hand side of the deck editor!

Last Edit I swear: I think I managed to get all my questions answered playing career games today. I think R/S - on (2005) is where I want to be for now. Cheers

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Cheers and welcome to the site!