Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: pokemon, pokemon cards, Stellar Crown, the pokemon company

Pokémon TCG Opening: Stellar Crown Booster Box

Thanks to The Pokémon Company Internation, we're opening a booster box of the new Pokémon TCG set, Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown.

Pokémon TCG has released its seventh main series set of the current Paldea-themed era: Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown. This set introduces Stellar Tera Pokémon ex. These cards feature special attacks that require three different types of Energy to use and are visually distinct with a rainbow border. The source material for Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown is Japan's Stellar Miracle. The Secret Rare section of Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown includes Full Arts, Illustration Rares, Special Illustration Rares, and Gold Hyper Rares. The Pokémon Company International was kind enough to supply us with new Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown products so we can give you an analysis of this set. These products include a Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown booster box, Elite Trainer Box, and Build & Battle Box. In this installment of our opening, we'll be opening the Booster Box.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown Booster Box

A booster box comes with 36 packs, which makes this product by far the best way to experience a new set. With that many packs, you are more-or-less guaranteed some solid hits and to make a huge dent in the set's checklist for commons, uncommons, and holo-rares. Let's take a look at what we got.

My hits included:

• Pokémon ex: 4
• Tera Pokémon ex: 1
• ACE SPEC: 2
• Full Art Pokémon: 1
• Full Art Trainer: 1
• Illustration Rare: 3
• Special Illustration Rare: 0
• Hyper Rare Gold: 1

Every time I open up a new Scarlet & Violet-era booster box for the first time, I feel lucky to be a lifelong Pokémon TCG collector. Looking back at the days of Base Set which came out when I was in junior high, a holographic card was the best possible pull. Just a few years ago, a single Alternate Art could make a booster box. There were many booster boxes that didn't even lead to a Secret Rare! Now, look at the above. Six Secret Rares. Illustration Rares and Hyper Rare Gold cards appearing in the Reverse Holo slot majorly enriches pack openings. While this is true of this entire era and not just Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown, that was my prevailing thought all through this opening as I pulled hit after hit.

Overall, this is a fun set. It's a transition moment, much the same way that Scarlet & Violet – Paradox Rift, which introduced Paradox Pokémon, was. The new addition is Stellar Pokémon ex which feature a gameplay change for deck-builders and a visual change for collectors. I saw in my Elite Trainer Box opening how the rainbow borders of Stellar ex cards look much better on Full Art ex cards than standard ones,  but you can see those Stellar borders on the Terapagos ex above.

Overall, this was a solid introduction to a set that seems like a lot of fun set-up with solid art and exciting Pokémon. While I don't think this will be a fan-favorite expansion of the era when all is said and done, it's certainly a set worth opening a booster box whether you're a player or collector.

Be sure to check Bleeding Cool every day to follow our in-depth Pokémon TCG coverage as we explore the hobby's past, present, and even future with upcoming set reveals.

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