The Pokemon Sword & Shield TCG expansion set is the beginning of some significant changes to the way the game will be experienced by casual and competitive fans alike. The set will introduce a rule change to the way the first turn of the TCG is played, preventing the player who has won the first turn of the game to play a Supporter card on their first turn, attempting to mitigate the advantage players have when they can set the tempo of the game. It’s a dramatic change, but it feels like the perfect time to implement it with Sword & Shield shaking up the Pokemon world so dramatically that it’s likely going to be looked back retrospectively as the advent of a new generation of fans.
That’s because Pokemon Sword & Shield (the video games, not the TCG expansion) changed the way fans experience the mainline games with its debut on the Nintendo Switch late last year. The title restricted the amount of Pokemon fans could catch and spurred on one of the biggest controversies in Pokemon history with the National Dex debate, but when players went hands-on with the title at launch, the same magic that has made the franchise a juggernaut was still there. In fact, Pokemon Sword & Shield reviewed quite well, with many critics noting that the games served as excellent points to begin a new player’s journey into the world of Pokemon thanks to a smaller roster, more user-friendly features, and a presence on the Switch that meant the game was both portable and palatable as a console title.
In the case of the Pokemon Sword & Shield TCG expansion, the card game is mirroring its video game counterpart almost identically: the set, from its design to its rule changes to the way aesthetics have changed, is one of the most important ones released in recent memory. It’s also the best shot those who haven’t gotten into the TCG yet have at getting involved on a more even playing field, and new fans - those who may have just begun their journey with Pokemon in Sword & Shield - will get to learn the rules as they are now, without having to revise how they understand the card game. In short, the Pokemon Sword & Shield TCG expansion feels extraordinarily important for any fans of the tabletop offering, and the set is dynamic and exciting enough to make good on the promise of a more “fresh” start than other expansions might traditionally offer.
One of the most exciting changes coming to the Pokemon TCG is the Pokemon V variant of Pokemon. Pokemon V work very similarly to Pokemon-EX and Mega Evolutions, and they can be built upon with Pokemon VMAX cards, which give them absurd amounts of HP, more powerful attacks, and an extremely double-edged sword mechanic where players who are able to beat them can claim a whopping three prize cards. It’s a high risk and high reward style of play that will both restrict deckbuilding and breed creativity in terms of using them most effectively and protecting them, and it beautifully mirrors the way that Pokemon Sword & Shield’s Gigantamax and Dynamax Pokemon offer the same risky style of battling.
Another change that players are excited about is a new round of Item cards that could shake up competitive TCG play. Many players have tagged Quick Ball, coming in the Pokemon Sword & Shield TCG expansion, as a standout during preview season. As a card that can grab any basic Pokemon from the deck, it makes finding V cards - which are considered basics - trivial, and will add consistency to decks looking to embrace the new cards that are coming to the game. Here’s a quick look at some of the most exciting Item cards in the set:
It isn’t just the base set that’s exciting, and it won’t just be competitive players who stand to benefit from the many changes coming to the Pokemon TCG as it prepares for the Sword & Shield series of its life cycle. With Pokemon Sword & Shield TCG comes a trio of theme decks that could not be better for new players and new fans in general, as they mirror the time-honored tradition of selecting a starter Pokemon and beginning a trainer’s journey into the world of the video game franchise. The three theme decks coming with the set are Inteleon, Rillaboom, and Cinderace, the final evolutions of the most recent generation of starters: Sobble, Grookey, and Scorbunny.
Having cracked open the theme decks and played them against each other, they’re startlingly similar to the way trainers can battle their Pokemon in the video games - and just like those, typing matters a bunch. Having access to all three was especially fun since the decks basically make one person play as the “rival” in each instance. For younger fans of the game or those who’ve always wanted to learn, the Pokemon Sword & Shield TCG theme decks make a game that has been around for decades much easier to learn than it has any right being.
Finally, the Pokemon Sword & Shield TCG expansion also makes some small aesthetic adjustments to the way Energy cards appear. It’s nothing too major, but they do look cleaner and sleeker, and very much fit in with the sense that the set’s release coincides with a “new” version of a classic.
Watching the Pokemon TCG continue to grow and adapt to pressures from its community as they grow as well, it’s clear that the Pokemon Company has been paying attention to what fans want. A revised rules policy that attempts to make the game more balanced, more flashy additions to keep consumers interested in the game’s art style and presentation, and attention paid to all types of players make the Pokemon Sword & Shield TCG expansion one of the most important in the game’s history. It will be interesting to see how things unfold from here but, if nothing else, trainers across the world can be confident that the Sword & Shield series of the Pokemon TCG is starting off right.
Next: Pokemon Sword & Shield’s Expansion DLC Explained
The Pokemon TCG: Sword & Shield expansion launches on February 7, 2020 and will introduce new Pokemon V and VMAX cards to the game. Screen Rant was provided with a booster box of the new expansion alongside all three theme decks for the purposes of this preview.
