Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Cyndaquil, oshawott, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Rowlet

A Look Inside The Pokémon TCG Spring 2022 Collector's Chest

Last week, the Pokémon TCG released a new product: the Pokémon TCG Spring 2022 Collector's Chest. This release includes promo cards featuring the Starters of Pokémon Legends: Arceus: Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott. I was taken aback when I opened the box, which is cardboard rather than the normal lunch box-style tin of these products, and noted the promo cards. SWSH Black Star Promos are generally rendered in one of two styles: classic galaxy foil for most cards or the vertical bars of the current Sword & Shield style. These promos, however, have a completely unique holo pattern. Let's take a look at what the box offers and examine these cards.

Check out those holos! We'll get into how they're different in a bit but first, here's the original product description from the Pokémon TCG:

The Pokémon Trading Card Game: Collector Chest includes:

5 Pokémon TCG booster packs, 3 foil promo cards featuring Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott, a cool Pokémon coin, 4 colorful sticker sheets, mini portfolio to store your favorite cards, Pokémon notebook, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live. A Treasure Chest Packed with Pokémon! Sturdy metal case.

It looks like the metal case may have been changed at the last moment, evidenced by this description still being on retail sites but pulled from The Pokémon Center. The booster packs included are:

• Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars x 2
• Sword & Shield – Vivid Voltage x 3
• Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike x 1
• Sword & Shield – Evolving Skies x 1

Ope! That's more than five. No wonder the description was pulled. This may not be a metal box, but it's certainly better than advertised initially.

The coin features Arceus and is by far the most beautiful coin I've ever seen them release and it's not even close. I don't know where this coin holo pattern has been, but it reminds me of the Radiant Collection from Legendary Treasures. More coins like this, please.

Now, onto the cards. This is the major draw of the box to me. The holo appears in a shifting vertical line like the main series holo pattern currently active, but not that it doesn't have that textured double-bar effect. Instead, it moved across the card with a solid line in a similar way to the diagonal holo line of the XY era, though it is far more evident here. Also, all three cards have holo bleed with their text boxes rendered in a different texture than seen on normal cards. I wonder… are we getting an early look at the holo pattern of the upcoming Scarlet & Violet era or will this pattern be exclusive to these cards?

I personally wouldn't mind it! One thing I'd say, though… what about the holo pattern on the coin? Give us that for cards and perhaps holo-hype would return!

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