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 What is Neopets?Neopets.com is a really cool site where you can adopt and name your very own Neopet. If you you're not familiar with neopets.com then you should go check it out. There are games, shops, messaging and the world of Neopia® to explore. Best of all, it’s totally free! Go on, take a look, I'll wait here for you. The Neopets trading card game is an exciting game that combines the rich world of Neopia with the fun and collectability of trading card games. The BasicsIf you're new to the world of trading card games and would like to know what it's all about then read on and we'll bring you up to speed faster than my pet Meerca can say "I'm hungry" (which she says quite a lot). If you're already familar with trading card games in general then you'll want to follow one of the links below to learn the rules and specifics of the Neopets TCG...
Trading Card GamesA trading card game (or TCG for short) lets you choose cards from a greater pool of cards to build your own deck to play the game with. This way your deck will reflect your preferences for strategy and your ideas for clever card combinations. It's almost like there are two games in one, building your deck with the cards you collect, and then playing the card game with a friend.
The base set of the Neopets TCG contains 234 cards total, available in booster packs of 8 random cards each. When you sit down to play a game of Neopets TCG with a friend, you only play with a deck of 50 total cards (40 in your deck and 10 basic Neopets), and that's a lot less than 234. What this means is that you pick and choose from all the available cards which cards you'd like to play with, and your opponent does the same thing, so even though you're both playing the same game you could very easily be playing with completely different cards. Every time you play a trading card game there's the possibility of seeing some new combination of cards or style of playing that you haven't seen before, just as there is the ability to develop in yourself a new style of play or selection of cards, and that's the main reason the many fans of TCGs worldwide continue to play year in and year out, there's always something new. That's the basic idea. For more detailed information on building your own decks as well as hints and tips from experienced players, keep an eye on our Strategy section for articles and features that can help you in your game. The GameAs I said earlier, to start playing the Neopets trading card game you don't need to build your own deck right away because the Two-Player Starter box comes with two decks pre-built for you and your opponent. All you need to dive right in to the fun is a friend to play with. When you open a starter box you'll find, among other things, a big poster-like thing. This is your playmat and it's intended to be your surface for playing the Neopets TCG. Spread it out on a table or counter and take a look at it before you start to play. In addition to having places to set your cards and some great Neopets artwork, you'll also note that the basic rules for playing the game are written right on the playmat. You don't need to fiddle with the rulebook to begin your first game, just break out the cards and follow along with the instructions on the playmat and you'll be a Neopets TCG master in no time (relatively speaking, of course). That's about as far in to the gameplay as I want to get here in "The Basics" but you'll find the Quick Play Rules (aka: the rules on the playmat) as well as the complete rules for advanced play listed here on the web site for your perusal. I certainly hope you enjoy the Neopets TCG as much as I do and that I'll see you again here on the Neopets TCG web site. | |||||||||
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Let's start with the first part, putting together a deck. It's important to note that the 
