Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokémon EX, Pokemon TCG, Pokémon XY

A Holographic History Of The Pokémon TCG: Pokémon-EX

Over the years, the Pokémon TCG has featured many different patterns used on their holographic cards. Some patterns lasted for years, while others had short stays, making them markers for their short time in the franchise. In this next installment of A Holographic History of the Pokémon TCG, let's take a look back at a style of card that wasn't an era-specific holofoil pattern, but instead a style of Ultra Rare card that spanned both the Black & White and XY era: the Pokémon-EX.

Not to be confused with the lowercase ex style of cards that featured silver holographic borders in earlier sets, the capital Pokémon-EX were introduced in the Black & White: Next Destinies expansion in February 2012. This was the fourth set in the Black & White era, and this brand new mechanic that it introduced would remain a staple of the Pokémon TCG for years to come. The final set to include EX cards was XY: Evolutions, which was mostly a Base Set reprint except for the inclusion of these Ultra Rare cards, which added some much-needed spice to the set.

These EX cards were foil as a rule, but did not include the holo pattern of the era. Instead, they have their own pattern as you can see above in the Leafeon, with rainbow light shining through the foil areas on the bottom text, the borders, and the area behind Leafeon. EX cards were similar to the Lv.X cards of the past in that the Pokémon was seen breaking through the border of the artwork. The card's borders also saw different effects in the artwork depending on the type of card.

When looking back at the history of the Pokémon TCG, there were Ultra Rares before Pokémon-EX but these truly set a pattern in a way like no card before. These cards introduced the idea of an Ultra Rare (better than holo) card that could be pulled in the main portion of the set that then had a textured, Full Art version at the end of the set. This dramatically changed the goal of pack openings for collectors and the impact remains today, with both Pokémon GX and Vs continuing the Ultra Rare/Full Art structure these introduced. The Full Art EX cards deserve their own dedicated piece, though, as they include some of the absolute best art in the TCG.

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