Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Greninja, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, V-Union

Pokémon TCG Product Opening & Review: Greninja V-UNION Box

The Pokémon TCG has released three new products featuring a brand new card type: the Pokémon V-UNION. Pokémon V-UNIONs are made up of four cards that come together to make a single piece of artwork like a more complicated version of the Legend cards from HeartGold SoulSilver. When put together, the cards function as a single, playable card. This new mechanic was launched in three boxes: the Mewtwo V-UNION Special Collection, the Greninja V-UNION Special Collection, and the Zacian V-UNION Special Collection. In this second of three openings, let's open up the Greninja box.

The Pokémon TCG Promo

First, my overall reaction to V-UNIONS as a card type from the first box I opened (the Mewtwo Special Collection) contains info on this style of  card:

The V-UNIONs are Black Star Promos and also come with a fifth card: a Professor Juniper card that is the same for each box. The first thing I noticed was the texture of the card. I was expecting these to lack texture and be more similar to Pokémon V, but there is a noticeable grainy texture not on the artwork but on the grainy, black border. The cards are certainly strange to look at when not put together, which is more of a collector issue than a player issue. As a collector, I suggest putting these in a binder with the rest of your Black Star Promos for the full effect. Personally, I have a nine-pocket binder and my idea is to put the cards in the first, second, fourth, and fifth slot, filling up the rest of the page with an energy card corresponding to the V-UNION's typing.

The Greninja artwork is the least impressive of the three, but that's not quite that big of a deal. It's still an awesome card with a dynamic action pose. The fact that this is the least visually interesting of the three is less of a slight against this one and more a compliment to the high-quality artwork the Pokémon TCG used to launch this mechanic.

The Pokémon TCG Packs

• Sword & Shield base
• Sword & Shield – Vivid Voltage
• Sword & Shield – Chilling Reign
• Sword & Shield – Evolving Skies

This is the same as the other two boxes. It's a good selection and, though it's all Sword & Shield, we do have a representation of the start of the era, the middle with Vivid Voltage, and the two latest packs. I could've done with a Sun & Moon-era offering, but this was good.

The Pulls

Just like the Mewtwo V-UNION Special Collection, I had one hit of the four packs. However, it was a much better hit. The Sword & Shield base pack was the only one that offered something above a non-holo rare, and it ended up being a Full Art Snorlax V, which is among the more highly coveted cards in the set. I didn't have it either which was a nice surprise, as you don't really go into a box like this expecting major hits.

Overall

I end up with the same reaction as the Mewtwo V-UNION Special Collection. If you can only afford one, I'd say go Mewtwo, but if you're a Pokémon TCG fanatic like me, this is an essential item with the debut of a fun new card type.

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