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It’s here! It’s finally here!
This week marks the release of the Pokemon TCG’s Scarlet & Violet Base Set in Japan. The Japanese cards have been released as 2 different sets: Scarlet EX and Violet EX, with the same number of cards and SRs. This is interesting for English collectors on several levels. Firstly, it allows us to see all of the artworks for the set, giving us an insight into the English set (to be released in March). Secondly, it helps us start to understand pull rates and highly sought after cards to focus on in a few months.
Base Set releases have typically been an underwhelming, dip-your-toe-in-the-water type affair. Since the release of EX Ruby & Sapphire, where the SR collection was Electabuzz, Magmar, Scyther, Hitmonchan, Lapras, Sneasel & Mewtwo in stunning extended-border holo EX cards, we’ve seen very muted introductions to new generations (with the exception of HGSS). So, we’re talking 20 years of The Pokemon Company declining to treat us right off the bat…
(Check this out for a throwback to the good old days https://www.pokellector.com/EX-Ruby-Sapphire-Expansion/ and https://www.pokellector.com/HeartGold-SoulSilver-Expansion/ )
Diamond & Pearl contained only the 3 Sinnoh starters in EX form: https://www.pokellector.com/Diamond-Pearl-Expansion/
Platinum gave us 6 Lvl. X cards including 2 Shaymin and a Drapion: https://www.pokellector.com/Platinum-Expansion/
Black & White contained our first ever full art cards but there were only 2 and there was nothing else of consequence: https://www.pokellector.com/English-Black-White-Expansion/
Then, XY, Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield all contained the generation’s legendary Pokemon, with 2 randomly chosen Pokemon from the original 150 who arguably just became the biggest focus of the sets (Snorlax in SWSH, Umbreon in S&M and Blastoise in XY).
Scarlet & Violet has already blown the game wide open.
The set is by no means perfect. It’s by no means excellent. But it’s GOOD. And that’s a huge start to a new generation with massive expectations attached.
This is a situation built as much from necessity as it is from momentum, let’s state that first and foremost. The Pokemon Company have raised prices and from the looks of things behind the scenes, from a retail perspective, the flow-on effect will be significant. Only time will tell whether the extra ‘rare’ cards added to each pack will truly make up the difference in price but the set we’ve been given first up is a step towards bridging that gap.
12 Full Art Pokemon, 8 Full Art Trainers, 24 Illustration rares and 10 Special Illustration rares and 6 gold cards is one hell of a lineup. The awesome thing that comes as a welcome addition (technically a subtraction) is the loss of the rainbow cards that had survived through both Sun & Moon and SWSH. The significant majority of collectors were definitely agreed on the lack of imagination and creativity attached to rainbow cards which were basically all reprinted versions of cards within the same set, just with a different colour scheme. Apart from the occasional Pikachu or Charizard, rainbow rares were harder to pull and somehow still less valuable to collectors than their full art counterparts. They felt like a lazy way to bloat set sizes and justify the inclusion of more secret rare cards. With a change in price, an increase in eyes on the hobby as well as a new generation of Pokemon, rainbow rares see themselves out the door (hopefully and most likely forever).
SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION RARES / OUR NEW ALTS
S&V has some fire in it. Regardless of how you feel about the Pokemon taking the focus, some of the SIR (Special Illustration Rare….get used to that shocker of a name) cards are absolutely top tier. I’m in love with the Great Tusk and Miraidon alts (let’s just call them alts…). Here are all 10 from S&V base, including the alt trainers.
I think this is a huge forward progression on modern alt arts. It might take some time to get used to not having things the way they were previously set out for us but again, the removal of every full art trainer’s second card as a rainbow rare version of the same print and the addition of 4 more commissioned artworks is a huge bonus for several reasons. I’ve long been a vocal detractor when it comes to trainer cards. Especially when it comes to them taking preference over any Pokemon card. Most trainer fans sit firmly in the TCG-player camp as they matter immensely when it comes to gameplay. I am not a TCG player, I am definitely a collector and I collect Pokemon cards for…..you guessed it…. Pokemon.
However, the trainer alts give new life to ‘people cards’ and help ingratiate them further into the hobby from a collector viewpoint. There are now trainer cards I want and I’d definitely not have said that 6 months ago. The Miriam is going to be a VERY sought after card in both English and Japanese.
Spidops and Gardevoir are the most underwhelming of the above bunch but they have a story to finish and it makes them very interesting in their own right. Great Tusk is my personal favourite from the set. It’s a beautifully drawn piece of art that speaks directly to the S&V game and its scenery. Miraidon’s theme continues and matches the ETB promo. As does Koraidon’s which is a fantastic alt. The huge tick for these two Pokemon is that their stories develop here, immediately. I want to dislike them for a multitude of reasons but Pokemon KEEP giving me reasons to love them. I think I’m on the cusp of being all-in on Miraidon fandom and I was not expecting that when they announced the games back in 2022. This differs immensely from what we got in SWSH base, which was gold full art Zacian/Zamazenta cards and a wierdly alt-art-esque Snorlax. By the time Zacian and Zamazenta got alternative love in SWSH, the generation was drawing to a close and it was too late for most people to jump on the train.
FULL ARTS
While not much has changed from a visual design perspective when it comes to full arts, there is a noticeable step up in texture and in-hand look to full arts in the Japanese set. Check out this video from Neon Cactus on Youtube: https://youtu.be/7migP3MsEuk?t=1111 (it should take you to 18:31, skip forward if not)
Here he pulls a Full Art Miraidon and it looks gorgeous. If the English set bridges the texture gap to Japanese at all, full art cards should be the biggest beneficiary.
I’m not in love with the tera Pokemon decision, if I’m being honest. It appears as though the Pokemon who receive the Terastallised treatment in sets moving forward will be in their tera form in both regular rare EX cards and full art EX cards, with no alt or further focus. Including Gyarados and Arcanine (two widely-beloved Pokemon) in this set, just to give them crystal full arts seems like a shame and a wasted opportunity. However, the full art cards are decent in their own right and definitely a step up from regular full arts.
Also, didn’t we have a full art Magnezone in Lost Origin?? Yep, we did. Who’s jonesing for 2 full art Magnezone cards in 3 sets?! If it’s you, shoot me a DM… we need to have a chat…
FULL ART TRAINERS
Full Art trainers stay mainly as what we know to be full art trainers. Take a look below.
GOLD CARDS
The other big missed opportunity feels like Gold Cards. After the pure fire that Crown Zenith produced with the 4 joint Gold Alt cards, I know a lot of us were hoping for more of the same. That wasn’t to be in S&V base but it is what it is. These golds are nothing to scoff at and I like the inclusion of the rare candy. A valuable tool in all Pokemon games getting some love. ALSO: NO GOLD FAIRY ENERGY?! BRING IT BACK ALREADY!!!!
ILLUSTRATION RARES
Finally, Illustration Rares are here to stay. What were known as ‘Trainer Gallery’ cards in the last few sets of SWSH are sticking around but with silver borders, which I think benefits them the most (see thievul from Vstar Universe vs. Thievul from Crown Zenith *vomits*). There are some very, very cool artworks in this set of cards. They’re varied, unique and interesting. They bring life to the lower end of the set and I’m a huge proponent of these continuing. I think it’s the best decision TPC have made in years. It helps people access what are effectively ‘alt arts’ for less than $10 AUD on a very consistent average. That rules.
My big stand-outs from this set are Kingambit, Slowpoke, Drowzee, Clauncher, Armarouge and Fidough. There are several more that really stand out, too.
FINAL MUSINGS
So, on first impressions Scarlet & Violet’s first iteration is a positive, solid platform on which to build a new generation of Pokemon Cards. I definitely like a LOT more than I don’t and that’s already more than I think most people expected from a base set release. There are chases for collectors and the return of EX cards for players. We’re starting strong and I, for one, can’t wait to see what S&V brings over the next few years!
Champy.
What did I miss? What cards are you excited for? How do you feel about the set? Let me know in the comments below!
