Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Astral Radiance, dialga, palkia, pokemon, Pokemon TCG

The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Astral Radiance Part 31: Origin Forme Alts

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 two of the most sought-after cards in the set.

Both Origin Forme Palkia and Origin Forme Dialga get Alternate Arts in this set and damn are they beautiful. Say what you will about these Pokémon designs, and the Internet has certainly spoken, but the quality and inventive style of these two cards cannot be denied. I love how both of these cards play with time and space like Palkia and Dialga themselves, creating interesting and complex images that could only appear on an Alternate Art.

Oswaldo KATO delivers a Palkia V Alternate Art that makes the world look like a chess board. Is Palkia a chess piece or the mastermind playing the game? Then, we have my personal chase card of the entire Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance expansion, the Dialga V Alternate Art. This time-bending beauty is illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, the artist behind the iconic Base Set Charizard. Arita always delivers bangers, but this is a next-level addition to his immense, staggering catalog.

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 Full Art section of the set.

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