Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Astral Radiance, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Sword & Shield

Pokémon TCG Pull Rate Quest: Astral Radiance Part Four

Too often, Pokémon TCG influencers will rush to make a sweeping statement about a new set's pull rates. It's going to be interesting to see how the latest set, Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance, is seen because it has a special Trainer Gallery subset consisting of Character Cards, Character Super Rares, Full Art Trainers, and Black and Gold VMAXes that can be pulled in the Reverse Holo slot along with the new card type Radiant Pokémon. This increases the number of pulls that one can expect to get in a Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance opening. In the interest of dispelling the idea that we can establish pull rates so early in a set's existence, I'm here with Pull Rate Quest, a series at Bleeding Cool where I open Pokémon TCG sets to show that you win some… and you lose some. I love the idea that openings like this can help show people what to expect in a set, but remember… a lot of it comes down to the luck of the draw. Let's open a booster box of Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars and see what we can get in this installment of Pull Rate Quest.

Here are my pulls from this Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance booster box:

• Regular holos: 5
• Radiant Pokémon: 2
• Pokémon-V: 5
• VMAX: 0
• VSTAR: 1
• Full Art V: 1
• Alternate Art V: 0
• Full Art Trainer: 1
• Rainbow Rare VSTAR or VMAX: 0
• Rainbow Rare Trainer: 0
• Gold VSTAR: 0
• Gold Trainer Item or Stadium: 1
• Trainer Gallery – Character Rare: 3
• Trainer Gallery – Character Super Rare: 1
• Trainer Gallery – Full Art Trainer: 1
• Trainer Gallery – Black & Gold VMAX: 0

Which means…

• OVERALL PULLS ABOVE HOLO-RARE: 16

Another terrific box. My ideal box tends to have three "big" hits of either Full Art or Secret Rare-level rarity. Normally, two Full Arts and a Secret Rare, while not expected, makes for a perfect opening and that's exactly what we got here. The Virizion V Full Art, Iridia Full Art Trainer Supporter (one of the most valuable cards in the set), and the Gold Temple of Sinnoh made this a banger of a box. As always, pulls are enriched by the Trainer Gallery.

Also, now I can confidently say that the presence of Radiant Pokémon emphatically does not take away from Trainer Gallery hits. My TG hits in each box have been on par with my Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars rates if not even better.

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