Where you can play your celebratory cards

This year is Pokemon’s 25th anniversary, and the TCG is celebrating with a special set full of reprints, remixes, and comeback mechanics. Comprised of the 50 Celebrations card set itself and several related products featuring their own promo cards, this is one of the most exciting releases of the year for the game.

RELATED: Pokemon TCG Official Formats Explained: What Are Standards, Expansions, Legacy, and Theme?

That being said, the celebrations can also be quite confusing when it comes to which cards you can play in which formats. Here’s everything you need to know about the formats in which Celebrations is legal.

Standard

The easiest way to find out if a card in Celebrations is legal under the current standard (after September 10, 2021) is to check the lower left corner of the card. If it is Standard legal, there will be a small Regulatory mark D or E. If there is not, it is not.

In Celebrations, the whole main set is standard legal, as are most promotional cards provided in linked products. This means that the following Celebrations cards are legal in Standard format:

• Ho-oh

• Reshiram (version 002/025)

• Kyogre

• Palkia

• Pikachu

• Flying Pikachu V

• Flying Pikachu VMAX

• Surfing Pikachu V

• Surfing Pikachu VMAX

• Zekrom (version 010/025)

• Meow

• Xerneas

• Cosmog

• Cosmoem

• Lunala

• Zacian V

• Groudon

• Zamazenta V

• Yvetal

• Dialga

• Solgaleo

• Lugia

• Teacher search

• Meow

• Pikachu VMAX

• Lance V’s Charizard

• Sylveon black V

• Pikachu V

• Poke ball

• Pikachu V-UNION

Extended

It’s in the set that the legality of Celebrations gets more complicated, as the cards must have debuted or been reprinted in an expansion released since the original 2011. Black and white basic set.

Celebrations confuses things a bit as it both introduces a range of new extended format cards and reprints a number of older cards that may or may not be legal, depending on when they were last printed. All Standard legal cards listed above are also legal in extended version, as well as:

• Reshiram (version 113/114)

• Zekrom (version 114/114)

• Mewtwo EX

• Tapu Lele GX

• Xernéas EX

• Mr. Rayquaza EX

• Here is Team Rocket!

Heritage

Legacy is a digital-only format that uses cards between HeartGold & SoulSilver 2010s Basic Set and Legendary treasures of 2013. While Legacy is being phased out with the introduction of Pokemon TCG Live, you can still redeem Celebrations Boosters on TCG Online, meaning you can play some of these cards in Legacy for the few months it still exists.

The legal cards in Legacy are:

• Reshiram (version 113/114)

• Zekrom (version 114/114)

• Mewtwo EX

• Donphan

• Poke ball

Unlimited

Unlimited is an unofficial format that allows all cards released to be played. It’s the format you’re most likely to play at the kitchen table or with friends, while Standard and Expanded are both supported at formal events.

In Celebrations, there are certain maps that are specifically prohibited from hosted tournaments, meaning you can only play them in Unlimited or in another fan-made format. These are:

• Florizarre

• Charizard

• Gradevoir ex

• Blastoise

• Shiny magikarp

• Dark Gyarodos

• ___ Pikachu (Birthday Pikachu)

• Rocket’s Zapdos

• Luxray GL Niv.X

• Mew ex

• Claydol

• Groudon from the Magma team

• Shadow Star

• Cleffa

• Garchomp C Lvl. X

• Impostor Professor Oak

• Rocket administrator

• Dragapult

• Zacian Lvl. X

• Mimikyu

• Mild toxicity

• Hydregon C

• Greninja Star

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