Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Brilliant Styars, Eeveelution, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG

The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Brilliant Stars: Top 5 Trainer Gallery Cards

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 count down the top five cards of the set's Trainer Gallery subset.

• 5… ACEROLA FULL ART TRAINER SUPPORTER: Acerola is one of the most unique Trainers in the franchise, and I love how her presence in the Trainer Gallery permeates the set in multiple ways. While this is obviously an Arceus and Charizard set, Acerola and Mimikyu have made their presence known with multiple cards, including this fun Full Art.
• 4… VAPOREON CHARACTER RARE: All of the Eeveelution Character Cards in this set are terrific, but the one I pick among the CRs is this due to the beautiful, painterly scenery that details an unbelievably realistic environment.
• 3… UMBREON V CHARACTER SUPER RARE: Yeah, I know. Picking this over the VMAX may be crazy to some people, but I think this card better shows the bond between Karen and Umbreon. It seems as if Umbreon is passing by, catching Karen's eye for the first time here.

• 2… SYLVEON VMAX CHARACTER SUPER RARE: Believe it or not, I initially didn't love this card. It took seeing it in person to see the true sparkling and pastel majesty of this image. With huge, blue eyes, Sylveon looks like the God of Fairy-types in this beautiful CSR.
• 1… MIMIKYU VMAX CHARACTER SUPER RARE: Finally, we have my favorite card of the Sword & Shield era. This Character Super Rare perfectly embodies why this card type is so special. It subverts the idea of Mimikyu as a creepy Pokémon, it shows the bond between Mimikyu and Acerola in a truly heartwarming way, it illustrates how a Dynamax Pokémon looks in scale to a human, and it shows how this card type deviates from the normal art styles expected with beautiful, unique colors. I could go on. It is, simply, perfect.

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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