Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Pokemon Trading Card Game, rebel clash

Reassessing Pokémon TCG: Rebel Clash: Trash Or Class?

I've written a lot of Pokémon TCG articles since my retrospective review of Rebel Clash, but I sometimes find myself thinking back to that piece. I was more positive about Rebel Clash than the overall Pokémon TCG community that, at the time, was calling it "Rebel Trash" due to a perceived lack of chase cards. However, time has done Rebel Clash well and, the more I think about the set, the more I find my initial grading of 6/10 off base. Here's why I think Sword & Shield – Rebel Clash will be a Pokémon TCG set to remember.

One of the most interesting parts of collecting Pokémon cards over time is looking back and seeing what sets become known for. What these sets add and take away from the game becomes a sort of living record of the history of the Pokémon TCG. For example, here is a breakdown of what every set has introduced since the Sword & Shield era kicked off:

• Sword & Shield base: Introduced the new holofoil style, Pokémon V, Pokémon VMAX, the new style of Full Art cards, Rainbow Rare Trainer Supporters, the new style of Gold Pokémon cards.
• Rebel Clash: Introduced the ongoing trend of Shiny Pokémon as the Gold Cards.
• Darkness Ablaze: Nothing introduced.
• Champion's Path: Introduced the new style of Full Art Shiny Pokémon, which would continue in Shining Fates.
• Vivid Voltage: Introduced Amazing Rares.
• Shining Fates: Introduced the new style of standard (or "Baby") Shiny.
• Battle Styles: Introduced the Single Strike and Rapid Strike mechanics, reintroduced Alternate Art Full Arts, introduced Alternate Art Secret Rare VMAXes.
• Chilling Reign: Expanded the selection of Alternate Arts in a huge way, which will continue through Evolving Skies.

In addition to introducing a trend that has been in every main series Pokémon TCG expansion since, Rebel Clash remains fun to open while sets like Darkness Ablaze and Champion's Path have diminishing returns. Rebel Clash has no single chase card, but I find that to be a good thing when cracking packs. When you pull the Charizard from certain sets, that's pretty much all you can pull. Those sets become a chase rather than a journey. That can be fun, but I think it's well past time we appreciate sets that aren't structured with huge lows and a single towering high. Rebel Clash isn't a mediocre set because of its variety, but rather a set that gets better with time because of it.

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