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The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Obsidian Flames Part 15: Houndstone Ex

The Greavard line gets four cards in Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Obsidian Flames, culminating in a PS2-style Houndstone ex card.



Article Summary

  • Scarlet & Violet era begins, showcasing Paldea and new TCG mechanics.
  • Obsidian Flames set released, with Tera Charizard ex as the chase card.
  • Greavard line gets spotlight with four new cards, including Houndstone ex.
  • Artwork explored: Shibuzoh in the field and Houndstone's PS2-style card.

With Sword & Shield officially concluded, the Scarlet & Violet era of the Pokémon TCG kicked off in March 2023 with a focus on the ninth generation of Pokémon games and the new region: Paldea. It all began with the Scarlet & Violet base set, which introduced major, lasting changes to the hobby. Now, the borders of the cards have become silver, matching the Japanese releases. Another major change is that now, each pack culminates in at least a holo-rare and two reverse holos. The major mechanic of this era is the lowercase ex, which features a double holographic pattern of a horizontal shine and a starry sparkle. Full Art exs now use a green, foil outline around the Pokémon. The Secret Rare section of expansions going forward features Full Arts, Illustration Rares and Special Illustration Rare exs, Full Art Trainers, Special Illustration Rare Trainers, and Gold Hyper Rares. On August 11, 2023, the Pokémon TCG released the third set of this era, Scarlet & Violet – Obsidian Flames, which introduced Tera Pokémon with a Tera type differing from their base type. The chase card is a Dark-type Tera Charizard ex. In today's installment of this Scarlet & Violet – Obsidian Flames art spotlight, we continue with the Psychic-types.

Cards of Scarlet & Violet – Paldea Evolved. Credit: Pokémon TCG
Cards of Scarlet & Violet – Paldea Evolved. Credit: Pokémon TCG

The Greavard line features in Scarlet & Violet – Obsidian Flames with two cards for each stage. The Shibuzoh card to the left is a gorgeous and textured illustration that shows the Pokémon walking in a field of candles that match the flame upon his head. We get a more traditional illustration showing a domestic Greavard bounding down the stairs, drawn by Pani Kobayashi. The shadow on the wall is a great touch here. Artist Saya Tsuruta illustrates a creepy but colorful Houndstone, while 5ban Graphics goes full PlayStation 2 with a Houndstone ex.

Stay tuned for the journey through this special set as we continue to spotlight the cards and artwork of Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Obsidian Flames. Next time, the spotlight continues with the standard section of the set. You can read more about this iconic trading card game right here at Bleeding Cool.


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Theo DwyerAbout Theo Dwyer

Theo Dwyer writes about comics, film, and games.
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