Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Crown Zenith, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Sword & Shield

Complete Set Review: Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith

Complete Set Review: Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith should be remembered as a staggering height for the hobby during its most daring era.

The Sword & Shield era of the Pokémon TCG has come to an end. Three years of expansions dedicated to the region of Galar, with some love for Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl's revitalization of Sinnoh and Pokémon Legends: Arceus's introduction of the ancient region of Hisui, have led to this moment. Crown Zenith, a special set celebrating the Sword & Shield era, was released on January 20th, 2023. It was primarily an adaptation of Japan's VSTAR Universe set and also featured a collection of cards that were cut from other English-language sets and more. Like other special sets, including Champion's Path, Shining Fates, Celebrations, and Pokémon GO, Crown Zenith packs were found in specially branded products like Premium Collections and Elite Trainer Boxes rather than booster boxes. This set featured the Galarian Gallery subset, which introduced Illustration Rares and Special Illustration Rares, originally called "Art Rares," to the hobby, which set the standard for the following Sword & Shield era, which used these card types as their primary Secret Rares. Today, we conclude our spotlight with a complete expansion review of Crown Zenith.

A goodbye to Galar, Hisui, & Sinnoh

Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest was the final main series set of the Sword & Shield era, but Crown Zenith was a victory lap. This special set gave many cards a new treatment called Illustration Rare and Special Illustration Rare, which we will get into below. I love how Crown Zenith paid tribute not only to just Galar but also Hisui from Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Sinnoh, which was the focus of the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes that came out during Generation Eight.

Crown Zenith delivers on many different fronts. It features the Galarian Gallery subset, which can be pulled in the reverse holo slot, and the pull rate is quite high. It does just about everything right, using the main numbered set to adapt missing Japanese cards from previous sets and promos while also giving the final species that needed its Gigantmax form on a VMAX its time to shine: Hatterene. It included two kinds of Energy Cards to collect beyond the standard: Reverse Holos and textured "Full Art" Energies. Finally, it includes the surprise Pikachu Illustration Rare in the main set, which was textured, making it the only card of this style that we've seen get such texture.

One thing I love about Crown Zenith that may seem silly is that we got it at all. The last time Japan closed out an era with Alola's Tag-Team GX All-Stars, it was simply never adapted in English. Now, we got it all!

The Galarian Gallery sets the standard for the future of the Pokémon TCG

The Galarian Gallery pushed forward a main aspect of Sword & Shield. Sword & Shield brought artwork to the foreground of the hobby with Alternate Arts and Character Rares. Now, we see Illustration Rares and Special Illustration Rares introduced here, which are essentially cards showing Pokémon in their habitat or an interactive scene. They are very similar to Alt Arts, but Illustration Rares use the non-textured format of Character Rares (minus the Trainer), and Special Illustration Rares add texture and a mechanic. These carry over into the Scarlet & Violet era as the main hits of the era. The Galarian Gallery also featured Special Illustration Rares for Trainers (a first!), a nine-card connecting set of Illustration Rares by Kouki Saitou, and the four crown jewels of the set, Gold Alt Art VSTARs by AKIRA EGAWA featuring Arceus, Origin Forme Palkia, Origin Forme Dialga, and Origin Forme Giratina.

Final Rating

10/10: This is a historic set. Its focus on art set the standard for future sets while also being a beautiful embodiment of what the Sword & Shield era has been. It's by far the best set since Sword & Shield – Evolving Skies and is a shoo-in for the best special set (non-booster box set) of all time. Crown Zenith should be remembered as a staggering height for the hobby and a worthy tribute to the most daring era of the Pokémon TCG… so far.

Stay tuned for the journey through this special set as we continue to spotlight the cards and artwork of Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith. Next time, the spotlight continues with the Galarian Gallery subset. You can read more about this iconic trading card game right here at Bleeding Cool.

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