Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Astral Radiance, darkrai, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG

The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Astral Radiance Part 24: Darkrai VSTAR

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 check out one of the set's VSTARs.

Darkrai gets both a V and a VSTAR in Astral Radiance, and both are pretty great-looking cards. The Darkrai V comes from artist takuyoa, who delivers a solid illustration rendered in an interesting style. It uses a very subtle application of 3D-style art that we often see on this card, with the illustration's lack of defined line art creating a ghost-like effect to Darkrai. A very solid Ultra Rare. Then, we have the Darkrai VSTAR from mainstay arthouse 5ban Graphics. In this VSTAR, Darkrai charges forward, surging with the golden energy associated with this card type. The way that Darkrai bursts through the border of the card like an old-school EX makes this one look as if it has caught a moment of intense action in a single image.

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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