Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Brilliant Stars, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, zekrom

The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Brilliant Stars Part 36: Zekrom & More

Pokémon TCG has released the first set of 2022. The expansion, Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars, came out on February 25th, 2022. It is the ninth set under the Sword & Shield banner and is the first to include the Pokémon-VSTAR mechanic. VSTARs are a replacement for the VMAX mechanic, which is being phased out of the main portion of the set after this release. Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars also debuts the Trainer Gallery, a special subset of Character Rares, Character Super Rares, Full Art Trainers, and Black & Gold VMAXes that can be pulled in the reverse holo slot. 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'll continue with the set's Trainer Gallery subset.

• Octillery Character Rare: Pictured here with its trainer, Fisher, Octillery's Character Rare is one of the most bright and detailed in the Trainer Gallery. Shinya Komatsu draws a dock and villain so detailed that you could get lost looking at the backdrop, the character interaction, and even the way the ropes twist.
• Zekrom Character Rare: While the value of the Character Rares is relatively low (this is due to the availability of subset cards, certainly not lack of interest!), this is one of the hits that collectors seem to like most. Artist AKIRA EGAWA delivers a painterly vibe that stands out from all other cards in the set and, on top of that, both Zekrom and its trainer N are popular. Cards featuring Trainers tend to be more popular with female characters due to the "waifu" hunters, but N breaks that mold a bit.
• Dusknoir Character Rare: Artist Megumi Higuchi delivers a spooky Dusknoir, pictured with its Trainer, Morty. This cool card is all blues and purples, with the yellow elements of both Pokémon and Trainer popping beautifully.

Stay tuned for the continuing journey through Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars. To look back on this series, click the Brilliant Stars tag below. Next time, this journey continues with the Trainer Gallery subset section of the set.

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