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Pokémon TCG Japan Reveals Ex Starter Deck: Melmetal Ex

Originally introduced in Pokémon GO, Meltan and Melmetal will be featured in Pokémon TCG Japan's ex Starter Decks coming soon.


A wave of Pokémon TCG ex Starter Decks are coming to Japan on July 7th, 2023. The ex Starter Decks will go for 550 yen and have not yet been revealed for English-language release. These will likely be brought into another Pokémon TCG expansion or even as SV Black Star Promos. The ex Starter Decks will include Decidueye ex, Clefable ex, Greninja ex, Vicitni ex, Houndoom ex, Melmetal ex, Miraidon ex, and Koraidon ex. There will also be two secret decks that have not yet been revealed. The Pokémon ex mechanic, the main mechanic of this new era, continues in these decks.  Today, let's take a look at some cards featuring the Meltan line.

ex Starter Deck cards. Credit: Pokémon TCG
ex Starter Deck cards. Credit: Pokémon TCG

Meltan, the Mythical species originally introduced in Pokémon GO — the first-ever Pokémon to boast that unusual honor — is featured in Melmetal's ex Starter Deck. Meltan's card shows this little Steel-typed Mythican hopping around with an expression of joy on its face in the middle of a junkyard. That joy turns to rage when Meltan evolves into Melmetal, who delivers a crushing, border-breaking blow on Melmetal ex. Melmetal's expressive eye/face is inverted into a line representing a scowl. It makes me marvel at how much emotion PLANETA Igorashi can convey with such a simple face in Melmetal's character design. This card bursts with electricity, which will surely make the starry holo pattern used for this card type during the Scarlet & Violet era stand out even more.

One thing, though, is that this preview makes me even more bummed that I've yet to catch a Shiny Meltan during one of its limited events in Pokémon GO!

Japanese sets often give us early ideas of what the English-language sets may include, so be sure to keep an eye on our coverage. You can stay tuned for previews of Scarlet & Violet cards as well as updates on everything Pokémon TCG right here at Bleeding Cool.


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Theo DwyerAbout Theo Dwyer

Theo Dwyer writes about comics, film, and games.
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