Orphaned card
From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
Jump to navigationJump to search
|
This article contains old or outdated information, or has not been updated in a while. Please check the content of this article and update it as required. |
|
The subject of this article has no official name. The name currently in use is a fan designator; see below for more information. |
An orphaned card is a card that has little or no practical use due to restrictions placed on the pool of legal cards by the tournament format. These are often Evolution cards whose Basic Pokémon or Stage 1 Pokémon are not available, though occasionally Trainer cards will fall into this category as well.
| Name | Reason | TCG Set | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venusaur | The only Bulbasaur and Ivysaur at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until Bulbasaur was reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales. | Wizards Black Star Promos | 
|
| No Removal Gym | The only Energy Removal and Super Energy Removal cards went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. | Gym Heroes | 
|
| Pidgeot | The only Pidgey and Pidgeotto at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until these were reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales. | Southern Islands | 
|
| Ivysaur | The only Bulbasaur at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until Bulbasaur was reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales. | Southern Islands | 
|
| Exeggutor | The only Exeggcute at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until another Exeggcute was printed in Neo Destiny, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales. | Southern Islands | 
|
| Tentacruel | The only Tentacool at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until Tentacool was reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales. | Southern Islands | 
|
| Dark Crobat | The only Dark Golbat at the time went out of rotation in the 2002-03 Modified format. Until Pokémon Breeder was reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales. | Neo Destiny | 
|
| Rocket's Persian ex | The only Rocket's Meowth card went out of rotation in the 2006-07 Modified format. | EX Unseen Forces | 
|
| Porygon-Z LV.X Porygon-Z |
The latest Porygon and Porygon2 cards went out of rotation in the 2010-11 Modified format. This format later included a new Porygon card, making these cards no longer orphaned. | Majestic Dawn DP Black Star Promos |
 
|
| First Ticket | The rule change which took place on November 8th, 2013, made it so that the player who goes first is decided before cards are drawn. | Dragon Vault | 
|
| Ampharos | The latest Mareep and Flaaffy cards went out of rotation in the 2014-15 Modified format, where it could only be indirectly played with Cradily. | BW Black Star Promos | 
|
| Heliolisk | The latest Helioptile cards went out of rotation in the 2016-17 Standard format. This format later included a new Helioptile card, making this card no longer orphaned. | XY Black Star Promos | 
|
| Blissey | The latest Chansey card went out of rotation in the 2016-17 Standard format. This format later included a new Chansey card, making this card no longer orphaned. | XY Black Star Promos | 
|
| M Blaziken-EX | The only Blaziken-EX card went out of rotation in the 2017-18 Standard format. It could only be indirectly played with Ho-Oh-GX when Burning Shadows was released. | XY Black Star Promos | 
|
| M Swampert-EX | The only Swampert-EX card went out of rotation in the 2017-18 Standard format. | XY Black Star Promos | 
|
| M Gengar-EX | This card was released outside Japan when there was no Gengar-EX in the Standard format. | XY Black Star Promos | 
|
| Crobat BREAK | The latest Crobat card went out of rotation during the 2016-17 Standard format. This format later included a new Crobat card, making this card no longer orphaned. | XY Black Star Promos | 
|
| Lucario Spirit Link | This card was released when there was no Lucario-EX in the Standard format. | XY Black Star Promos | 
|
| Palossand-GX | The latest Sandygast cards went out of rotation in the 2019-20 Standard format. This format later included a new Sandygast card, making this card no longer orphaned. | Celestial Storm | 
|
| Hydreigon | The latest Deino and Zweilous cards went out of rotation in the 2019-20 Standard format. Another Deino was later printed in Darkness Ablaze, but there were no sanctioned tournaments to use these cards together. | Dragon Majesty | 
|
| Electrocharger | Electropower went out of rotation in the 2020-21 Standard format. | Team Up | 
|
| Machamp | The latest Machop and Machoke cards went out of rotation in the 2019-20 Standard format. It remained orphaned in the 2020-21 Format until another Machop was printed in Champion's Path. | Detective Pikachu | 
|
| Typhlosion | The latest Cyndaquil and Quilava cards went out of rotation in the 2020-21 Standard format. It could only be indirectly played with Chandelure. | SM Black Star Promos | 
|
| Greninja | The last Froakie and Frogadier cards were out of rotation by the time of this card's printing in the 2021-23 Standard format. Until a new Froakie was printed in Obsidian Flames, it could only be indirectly played with Orbeetle or Vaporeon VMAX. | SWSH Black Star Promos | 
|
|
This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. |
