Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: lost thunder, lugia, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG

Pokémon TCG: Sun & Moon – Lost Thunder Complete Expansion Review

Bleeding Cool's retrospective journey through the Sun & Moon era of the Pokémon TCG continues. Now that our spotlight series has moved through the first nine sets of this block (Sun & Moon base, Guardians Rising, Burning Shadows, Crimson Invasion, Ultra Prism, Shining Legends, Forbidden Light, Celestial Storm, and Dragon Majesty), it is now time to look at the next set from this era: Sun & Moon – Lost Thunder. This expansion was released on November 2nd, 2018. This set was largely Zeraora and Lugia themed but it also included cards featuring other major fan favorites including Mimikyu, Suicune, and more. Today, we wrap up the series with a full expansion review.

The cards of Pokémon TCG: Sun & Moon – Lost Thunder

Sun & Moon – Lost Thunder is the end of what I'd call the first part of this series block before things kick into high gear with the next set, Team Up which was the dawn of Alternate Arts. Lost Thunder is a solid set with strong themes that both continue the vibes of the overall Sun & Moon era as well as its own focus. Lost Thunder focuses partly on the Johto region, paying homage to the Neo era of the Pokémon TCG. That homage comes about in the character choices including Espeon, Unown, and Lugia but also with cards that directly pull art from Neo-era sets.

Lugia & Zeraora

Lugia and Zeraora are the series mascots of Lost Thunder, and both Pokémon have strong features on standard GXs, Full Art GXs, and Rainbow Rare GXs. The Rainbow Rare Lugia GX is the overall chase card of the set and it is a worthy giant among Sun & Moon chase cards, but I'm equally appreciative of this set's debut of Mimikyu as a Full Art as well as its focus on unlikely spotlight Ultra Rares like Shuckle.

Though the Trainer Full Arts of this set aren't nearly as exciting as Celestial Storm, we do have an all-time great with Professor Elm's Full Art featuring the Johto Starters which feels like a Character Super Rare years before that card type would even exist.

Final Rating

6.5/10: With a strong focus on Johto and solid mascots in Zeraora and Lugia, Lost Thunder keeps up the quality of the Sun & Moon era without going the extra mile to become a standout set itself.

Stay tuned for the continuing journey through Pokémon TCG. Next up, we switch away from our retrospective series for a short while to examine and spotlight the latest main series set, Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance.

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