Posted in: Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: pokemon, Pokemon TCG, Sun and Moon

Pokémon TCG Sun & Moon Base Expansion: Complete Review

For the past few weeks, we have taken a journey through the history of the Pokémon TCG with our spotlight on the Sun & Moon base set. Now that this set is more than four years old, let's bring it all together to determine where this expansion stands in the rankings.

The beginning of the Sun & Moon era in the Pokémon TCG

Sun & Moon isn't looked at by many as a fan-favorite set, but I personally feel it started this new era of cards off with a solid foundation. Often, the first set of a new era feels very much like it's finding its voice. For example, this set introduced Pokémon GX cards as a replacement for EX cards, changed the style of Full Arts, and introduced the concept of a large number of Secret Rares that continues today. All major, lasting changes.

As a collector, I found GXs then and now to be a visual improvement over EXs. GX definitely did lean too heavily on the CGI-style artwork of 5ban Graphics, which can look a bit too lifeless at times, but the expanded size of the artwork on these cards gave the artists more room to show off their skills. What was definitely a loss in quality, and an extreme one, is the Full Arts. The XY era used golden lines and patterned backgrounds for their textured Full Arts, while Sun & Moon uses blue lines and removes the background entirely in exchange for a flat color. These look better in person due to way the texture gleams, but this was not a great change at the time. What did work, though, was the art style of the Trainer Supporter Full Arts and the Rainbow Rares, which made this set fun to collect.

The Cards

Sun & Moon has some real, underrated hitters. While it lacks the themed intrigue of later sets, it has a solid offering of cards with the best being the GX, Full Art, and Rainbow Rares of Espeon and Umbreon. Every set with Eeveelutions as the main pulls is a win. It also has a Lillie Full Art that remains relatively affordable compared to later Sun & Moon era sets like Ultra Prism, which is a bonus.

Catch the full 14-part breakdown of the main cards of Pokémon TCG: Sun & Moon right here.

Final Rating

Overall, Sun & Moon kicked its era of the Pokémon TCG off with a fairly strong set. It won't go down as a hugely beloved set, but it laid the foundation for all-time classic expansions including Team Up, Cosmic Eclipse, and Hidden Fates.

6.5/10.

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