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The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Astral Radiance Part 34: Full Art Jirachi

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 more Full Art Pokémon V.

Cards of Astral Radiance. Credit: Pokémon TCG
Cards of Astral Radiance. Credit: Pokémon TCG

To the left, we have an incredibly sassy Hisuian Typhlosion V who, as drawn by 5ban Graphics, looks like it just got to the end of the runway. The background is a simple wash of red, orange, pink, and purple to evoke flames, which vibes well with Hisuian Typhlosion's excellent design. In the middle here is far and away my favorite Full Art of the set: Jirachi V Full Art by N-DESIGN Inc. The celestial swirl of pink and purple behind a cheerful, floating Jirachi makes this, to me, as beautiful as any Alt Art from Astral Radiance. Then, to the right, Ryo Ueda delivers a Machamp V Full Art with a yellow and red glow behind it that is fine, but doesn't take it the extra mile like the Jirachi and Typhlosion.

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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Theo DwyerAbout Theo Dwyer

Theo Dwyer writes about comics, film, and games.
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