PSA on Fake Pokemon Cards

Here at Three Mountain Games, we’ve noticed something concerning lately. We’re seeing an increasing number of fake Pokémon cards coming through our doors.

One of the hardest parts of running a game store is having to tell someone, especially a young collector, that a treasured Pokémon card they’ve been excited about isn’t actually real. Whether it’s a powerful Charizard, a beautiful full-art card, or a favorite Pokémon they received in a trade, the last thing we want to do is take away that excitement.

Unfortunately, counterfeit Pokémon cards are becoming more common, and some of them can be surprisingly convincing.

The good news? You don’t have to be a Pokémon expert to spot many fake cards!

There are a few simple things you can check at home before buying or trading Pokémon cards. We want to share three methods that can help you identify potential counterfeits.

1. The Light Test: Let There Be Light!

One of the quickest ways to spot many fake Pokémon cards is with something almost everyone has: a flashlight!

Genuine Pokémon cards typically have an opaque inner layer that helps prevent light from passing easily through the card. Many counterfeit cards are printed on cheaper cardstock without this layer.

Here’s how to perform the light test:

1. Grab a flashlight. Your phone’s flashlight works great!
2. Hold the Pokémon card in front of the light.
3. Look at how much light passes through the card.
4. Compare it with a Pokémon card you know is genuine.

What should you look for?

• Real cards: Generally block most of the light.
• Fake cards: May allow significantly more light through, sometimes making the artwork visible from the opposite side.

If your Pokémon card lights up like a miniature stained-glass window, that’s a good reason to investigate further!

Keep in mind that this test isn’t perfect. Different printings and very bright flashlights can produce different results. Always use more than one method before deciding a card is counterfeit.

2. Check the Edge: A Tiny Detail That Makes a Big Difference

Here’s a little trick many Pokémon collectors don’t know about.

Genuine English Pokémon cards typically have a thin, dark inner layer sandwiched between the printed front and back of the card.

If you look carefully at the edge of a card, you may be able to see this layer.

Here’s what to do:

1. Hold the card sideways at eye level.
2. Look closely at the thin edge of the card.
3. Use good lighting or a magnifying glass if necessary.
4. Look for a dark line running through the middle of the cardstock.

What should you look for?

• Real cards: Often have a thin black or dark gray layer visible along the edge.
• Fake cards: Frequently have an entirely white or uniform-looking edge because they lack that inner layer.

Not every genuine card’s dark layer is equally easy to see, and sophisticated counterfeits can imitate this construction.

Important: You may have heard about the Pokémon card “rip test,” where someone tears a card to look for that dark layer.

Please don’t do that! There’s no reason to destroy a potentially valuable Pokémon card when you can examine it without damaging it.

3. Check the Back: Does That Blue Look Right?

Sometimes the biggest giveaway isn’t on the front of a Pokémon card at all. It’s on the back!

The familiar blue Pokémon card back has a distinctive design, with swirling shades of blue surrounding the Poké Ball.

Counterfeit cards often struggle to reproduce the colors and fine details accurately.

Here’s what to do:

1. Find a Pokémon card you know is genuine.
2. Place it face down next to the card you’re checking.
3. Compare the shades of blue, the Poké Ball, and the surrounding swirl pattern.
4. Look closely at the sharpness of the printing.

Warning signs include:

• Blue coloring that’s noticeably too light, too dark, or unusually purple.
• Blurry or poorly defined swirl patterns.
• Washed-out or overly saturated colors.
• A Pokémon logo or Poké Ball that looks slightly different.

Small variations in color can occur between legitimate print runs and with normal card wear, so don’t judge a card on color alone.

And remember, Japanese Pokémon cards have a different back design, so make sure you’re comparing the same type of card!

Be Careful Who You Trade With!

Trading Pokémon cards is one of the best parts of collecting. There’s something special about finally getting that card you’ve been chasing, especially when you make the trade with another collector.

Unfortunately, not every trade ends happily.

Sometimes someone knowingly trades a counterfeit card. Other times, the person trading it genuinely has no idea that the card is fake.

That’s why we encourage everyone, especially our younger Pokémon trainers, to take a few moments to inspect cards before making a trade.

Remember:

• If a trade seems too good to be true, take a closer look.
• Don’t let anyone pressure you into trading quickly.
• Compare unfamiliar or valuable cards with genuine examples.
• If you’re uncertain about a card, ask someone knowledgeable before trading.

A little caution today can prevent a lot of disappointment tomorrow.

Join Us for Pokémon Tuesdays at Three Mountain Games!

Want to learn more about Pokémon cards, meet other collectors, and enjoy trading in a welcoming environment?

Join us every Tuesday starting at 4:30 PM for Pokémon Tuesdays at Three Mountain Games in downtown Reedsburg!

Bring your cards, meet other Pokémon fans, and enjoy being part of our growing Pokémon community.

Better yet, if you’re planning a trade and aren’t sure whether the cards are genuine, bring them to us before completing the trade.

We’ll be happy to help inspect the cards, look for signs of counterfeits, and help both traders understand what they’re exchanging so they can make an informed decision.

While we can’t guarantee the authenticity or value of every card, we’re always happy to share what we know.

Our goal isn’t just to help you build a great Pokémon collection. It’s to make sure everyone, from brand-new trainers to lifelong collectors, has a fun, fair, and welcoming place to enjoy the hobby.

Because at Three Mountain Games, we believe in Games for Everyone!

Three Mountain Games
46 East Main Street
Reedsburg, Wisconsin

See you Tuesday, Trainers!

Halloween Board Game Nights at Three Mountain Games This October

October is getting a little spooky at Three Mountain Games.

Every Tuesday night this month, our regular Board Game Night will feature a selected Halloween-themed game. Whether you enjoy tense survival, ghostly mysteries, zombie mayhem, or haunted houses, we have something different lined up each week.

Board Game Night is a great chance to try something new, meet other local gamers, and enjoy an evening of tabletop gaming in downtown Reedsburg.

Tuesday, October 6 – Dead by Daylight: The Board Game

We’re starting the month with Dead by Daylight: The Board Game, a tense game of survival inspired by the popular video game.

One player takes on the role of a deadly Killer while the other players become Survivors working together to repair generators and escape. The Survivors will need to coordinate their movements, predict the Killer’s plans, and stay one step ahead if they hope to make it out alive.

If you enjoy asymmetric games, hidden intentions, and plenty of suspense, this is a great way to kick off our Halloween lineup.

Tuesday, October 13 – Mysterium

The following week, things take a supernatural turn with Mysterium.

In this cooperative mystery game, one player becomes a ghost who can communicate only through mysterious illustrated visions. The other players take on the roles of psychic investigators trying to interpret those clues and solve the circumstances surrounding the ghost’s death.

Mysterium is atmospheric, imaginative, and perfect for players who enjoy deduction games without direct competition.

Tuesday, October 20 – Zombies!!!

On October 20, the undead take over with Zombies!!!

Players make their way through a city crawling with zombies while searching for a path to safety. Fight off the undead, interfere with your opponents, and try to survive long enough to reach the helipad — or prove your zombie-slaying skills by taking down enough of them to win another way.

It is chaotic, campy, and exactly the kind of zombie-filled fun that belongs in October.

Tuesday, October 27 – The Haunting House

We’ll finish the month with The Haunting House on October 27.

Players explore a mysterious haunted house filled with changing rooms, strange events, and plenty of unexpected trouble. Finding the way out will not be easy, especially when the house itself seems determined to keep everyone inside.

It is a fitting final game as we head into Halloween weekend.

Join Us for Tuesday Night Board Game Night

You do not need to already know how to play the featured game. We’ll help players get started, and our regular Tuesday Board Game Night is open to people of all experience levels.

Come for the Halloween theme, stay for the games, and maybe discover a new favorite along the way.

October Halloween Board Game Schedule

• October 6: Dead by Daylight: The Board Game
• October 13: Mysterium
• October 20: Zombies!!!
• October 27: The Haunting House

Join us at Three Mountain Games in downtown Reedsburg every Tuesday for Board Game Night and a month of spooky tabletop fun.

Full Event Calendar

Malediction Has Arrived at Three Mountain Games!

What happens when you take the tactical movement and positioning of a miniature wargame and combine it with the deck building and customization of a competitive card game?

You get Malediction, a new Miniatures Card Game that has officially arrived at Three Mountain Games!

If you love miniature games, card games, or both, this is one we’re excited to get onto the table.

What Is Malediction?

Malediction describes itself as a Miniatures Card Game (MCG), combining two styles of tabletop gaming that normally live in very different worlds.

Like a miniature wargame, you’ll move units around a physical battlefield, maneuver around terrain, fight opposing forces, and battle for control of important locations.

But instead of building your force entirely from a traditional army list, Malediction brings in a major element from customizable card games: deck building.

That means your choices aren’t limited to what miniatures you bring to the table. The cards you choose help determine how your warband plays, giving you another way to customize your strategy.

Enter the Malediction

Malediction takes place in the dark fantasy world of Agnar, where players take control of powerful heroes known as Seekers.

Your Seeker leads a warband into the dangerous region known as the Malediction in search of ancient Relics. Unfortunately, you’re not the only Seeker looking for them.

That means you’re going to have to fight for them.

Games are played across a tabletop battlefield using units, cards, terrain, dice, and rulers. Players alternate activating their units, maneuvering into position, attacking enemies, casting spells, deploying additional forces, and attempting to claim Relics.

And those Relics aren’t just there for the story — claiming them is an important part of winning the game.

Four Factions — Four Ways to Play

Malediction currently features four major factions, each approaching the battle for the Malediction differently:

Primal Blood
Order of the Shattered Throne
Conclave of the Spheres
Legion of the Fallen

Your faction and Seeker help shape your strategy, but deck customization gives you room to make your warband your own.

That combination should feel familiar to anyone who has spent time tuning a Magic deck — except now positioning your pieces on the battlefield is part of the puzzle too.

The Battlefield Matters

One of the things that immediately caught our attention about Malediction is that this isn’t simply a card game with miniatures representing your creatures.

Where those miniatures are standing actually matters.

Terrain, movement, positioning and objectives are all part of the game. Players have to think about where their units need to be as well as which cards they want to play.

Battlefields can also change from game to game, and when you combine different terrain layouts with different decks and Relics, there’s a lot of potential variety between matches.

You Don’t Need a 3D Printer

Here’s another interesting part of Malediction.

The game was designed around 3D-printable miniatures, and players who have access to a 3D printer can print highly detailed models for their armies.

But you do not need a 3D printer to play.

The starter set includes standees and the components necessary to get started, and physical miniature packs are also available for players who want traditional models without printing their own.

So whether you’re already buried under bottles of resin or have absolutely no idea what an STL file is, you can play Malediction.

How Many People Can Play?

Malediction supports 2–4 players, with a typical game designed to run around 60 minutes.

The standard head-to-head format lets two Seekers battle for control of the Malediction, while team play allows four players to fight in a 2-vs.-2 battle.

The game has also recently added Dominion, a free-for-all format for three or four players.

So this doesn’t have to be a game that sits on the shelf whenever you have an odd number of players.

Who Should Check Out Malediction?

We think Malediction is going to be especially interesting if you’re already a fan of games like Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer, skirmish miniature games, or customizable card games.

Card gamers get the fun of building and tweaking a deck.

Miniature gamers get movement, terrain, positioning and tactical combat.

Painters and hobbyists get some very cool miniatures to work with.

And players who aren’t interested in painting an entire army can still jump into the game using the included standees.

It’s a pretty interesting combination.

Malediction Is Available Now at Three Mountain Games!

We’re always looking for interesting new games to bring into Three Mountain Games, especially games that do something a little different.

Malediction definitely qualifies.

If you’ve ever looked across the store and wondered what would happen if the miniature gamers and card gamers somehow combined their hobbies, we may finally have the answer.

Stop into Three Mountain Games in downtown Reedsburg and check out Malediction!

Games for Everyone.

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