Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Astral Radiance, drifloon, pokemon, Pokemon TCG, Wyrdeer

The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Astral Radiance Part 15: Drifloon & Wyrdeer

In May 2022, Pokémon TCG released the second main series set of 2022. The expansion, Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance, came out on May 27th, 2022. It is the tenth set under the Sword & Shield banner and is the first to include the Radiant Pokémon mechanic. Radiant Pokémon are similar to Shining Pokémon of the past as they include a Shiny Pokémon with holofoil and texture on the figure rather than the background. The difference, though, is a special holo pattern on the text area of the card. Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance also continues the Trainer Gallery, a special subset of Character Rares, Character Super Rares, Full Art Trainers, and Black & Gold VMAXes that began in the previous set, Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars. Follow me through a journey through this latest set as we appreciate the artwork, discuss the card's place in the set, and discuss what certain elements of the expansion may imply for the future of the Pokémon TCG. Today, we continue with the psychic types, including a new Hisuian evolution.

First up, we have a beautifully drawn Drifloon from artist Narumi Sato. Drifloon is one of my favorite Pokémon so I'm appreciative of any appearance, but this, in particular, is a terrific illustration. I love how Drifloon uses its stringy legs to cling to a tree branch in this intricately illustrated scene. What stands out the most to me here, though, is the texture. It looks as if this illustration was drawn on a slightly pulpy piece of paper with colored pencils, creating a comforting hand-drawn vibe to this perfect piece of Pokémon art. I also quite like Mizue's Wyrdeer, which uses a wholly green background to make this newly released species stand out. Wyrdeer is an evolution of Stantler revealed by this year's Pokémon Legends: Arceus open-world RPG.

Stay tuned for the continuing journey through Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance. To look back on this series, click the Astral Radiance tag below. Next time, this journey continues with the main set.

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