Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Fusion Arts, Fusion Strike, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG
Japanese Pokémon TCG: Fusion Arts Secret Rare Reveal Part 2
The Japanese-language Pokémon TCG continues to reveal cards from its September 2021 set. Fusion Arts, a Mew-themed set, will introduce Fusion as the third Battle Style, adding to the pool of Rapid Strike and Single Strike Pokémon. The set also includes Genesect V, Hoopa V, Chandelure V and VMAX, Boltund V and VMAX, Greedent V and VMAX, and more. For fans of the English-language Pokémon TCG, these reveals are notable because these cards are expected to appear in November 2021's English-language Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike along with cards from earlier this year that appeared in the Inteleon and Gengar VMAX High Class Decks. Let's take a look at the set's newly revealed Secret Rares.
As discussed in yesterday's installment of this preview series, the first two Secret Rare reveals saw the Pokémon TCG have a mixed reaction to the Mew VMAX Alternate Art which some felt was too similar in style to a standard VMAX. That is not something that can be said about the two Alternate Art Vs we're looking at here with Genesect V and Greedent V. When it comes to Genesect… wow. I thought the sleeping Tyranitar Alternate Art was a fun and wildly different take on a badass Pokémon. If you would've asked me if I thought we'd end 2021 with a card featuring a breakdancing Genesect, I'd bet my Celebrations pre-orders on a "no." Then, we have a card that I'm a little surprised at how much I love. In a Pokémon TCG set focused on Mew, I didn't think I'd be as excited to pull a Greedent Full Art of all things, but this is one of the cutest and most fun takes on an Alternate Art we've seen so far. There's no credit up for the artist yet and the photograph is too blurry to read, but the illustration here reminds me quite a bit of the soft artwork used for the Blissey V Alternate Art in Chilling Reign.
Fusion Arts was released in Japan on September 24th, 2021. Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike will be released internationally on November 12th, 2021.