Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: battle styles, blastoise, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG

Pokémon TCG Releases The New Battle Styles Expansion Today

It's finally here. Today, the newest Pokémon TCG expansion, Sword & Shield: Battle Styles, is officially released. This is the fifth Sword & Shield expansion following Sword & Shield base, Rebel Clash, Darkness Ablaze, and Vivid Voltage. It comes just one month after the release of the special Shining Fates set, which is selling out at retail locations everywhere due to booming interest in the Pokémon TCG. The same will likely be true of Battle Styles. Here are the products that collectors will have to look out for.

• Battle Styles Booster Box: For those looking to experience as much of this new Pokémon TCG set in one sitting as they possibly can, this is the way. 36 packs, no muss, no fuss.
• Battle Styles Elite Trainer Box (Single Strike & Rapid Strike): There are two versions of this box: Single Strike and Rapid Strike or, you know — red and blue. Each of these comes with eight packs of the new Pokémon TCG set, sleeves for the cards, dice, damage markers, a booklet with information about Battle Styles, and more.
• Urshifu V Box (Single Strike & Rapid Strike): While I haven't been able to crack this myself yet, footage I'm seeing seems to confirm these have two packs of Battle Styles, one Darkness Ablaze, and one Sun & Moon: Crimson Invasion in addition to an Urshifu V promo card and a reverse holo energy from Battle Styles.
• Blastoise VMAX Battle Box & Venusaur VMAX Battle Box: Each of these include regular size and oversized Blastoise and Venusaur VMAX promos respectively, and wow do they look great. If you managed to get your hands on the Blastoise V and Venusaur V promos that came with the decks earlier this year, these promos are going to pair beautifully with those. These boxes seem to all have two packs of Battle Styles, one Darkness Ablaze, and one Sun & Moon base which, I believe, makes this the better pack selection over the Urshifu boxes. Finally, these also have card sleeves in them. I personally can't wait until the Pokémon TCG goes back to glossy sleeves rather than matte, as the matte completely mutes the holo cards.

There will also be blister packs that include a holographic promo card, but certain sources have reported that those aren't being released along with this first wave so will be more difficult to obtain at first.

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