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

Pokémon TCG Opening: Stellar Crown Elite Trainer Box

Today, we are opening an Elite Trainer Box and a Build & Battle Box of the new Pokémon TCG expansion, 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 Elite Trainer Box and Build & Battle Box.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown Elite Trainer Box

An Elite Trainer Box box comes with nine packs, a Noctowl Illustration Rare, card sleeves featuring Terapagos in is Stellar Form, and items that benefit gameplay and collecting, such as dividers, damage counter dice, a coin-flip die, and more. Note that the above link leads you to a Pokémon Center version of the box, which features an additional stamped copy of the Noctowl card and two additional packs. Let's take a look at what we got.

My hits included:

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

My favorite overall card from all three products I've opened is the Stellar Tera Gavaltuna ex Full Art. It is undeniable that Alternate Arts, Illustration Rares, and Special Illustration Rares rule the state of modern Pokémon TCG collecting, and rightfully so. They blew open the doors of what Secret Rares could look like, allowing the most sought-after cards to also be the most creative. However, I've always loved Full Arts, and I feel that they've become underrated in the current era. The simplicity of the Tera Full Arts in the Scarlet & Violet era is very appealing to me, and I love how the new Stellar rainbow border looks on these. You can see this new visual effect below.

Now, let's crack open the Build & Battle Box.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Stellar Crown Build & Battle Box

Build & Battle boxes are the kits available at pre-release events that feature four packs of the set, a deck-building set of cards, and one of four holographic promos stamped with the set's logo. The available promos are Ledian, Crabominable, Drifblim, and Bouffalant. My box had Bouffalant.

My hits included:

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

For four packs? An ex and an ACE SPEC ain't bad! I recommend this product for both completionist collectors like myself who are collecting every promo card from this era and those who are looking to give this set a try without going all in on a Booster Box. Four packs will surely whet your whistle for more, though…

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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