Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: alolan vulpix, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Silver Tempest

The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Silver Tempest Part 9: Vulpix VSTAR

In November 2022, Pokémon TCG released the final main series set of the Sword & Shield era. The expansion, Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest, came out on September 9th, 2022. It is the twelfth set under the Sword & Shield banner and it adapts the Japanese sets Incandescent Arcana and Paradigm Trigger, with its Trainer Gallery subset adapting cards from VMAX Climax. The Lugia-themed Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest also continues both Radiant Pokémon as well as the Trainer Gallery, a special subset of Character Rares, Character Super Rares, Full Art Trainers, and Black & Gold VMAXes that began in the first set of the year, Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars. Follow me on a journey through this latest set as we appreciate the artwork, discuss the card's place in the set, and theorize as to what certain elements of the expansion may imply for the future of the Pokémon TCG. Today, we continue with one of the set mascots of Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest.

Sword & Shield – Silver Tempst takes its Alolan Vulpix focus from the Japanese set Incandescent Arcana. In my opinion, Incandescent Arcana and now, by extension Silver Tempest did Alolan Vulpix wrong by not giving it a Gold VSTAR or Character Rare/Character Super Rare, but we were at least lucky enough to get a terrific standard V and VSTAR. The Alolan Vulpix V is quite cartoony for this card style thanks to Ryota Murayama, who ramps up the cuteness here in a major way. I love that this stands out amongst Pokémon-Vs. PLANETA Hiiragi delivers Alolan Vulpix VSTAR which leans more into the 3D style while still being adorable in a way few Ultra Rares are. I appreciate that Silver Tempest did for Alolan Vulpix what Vivid Voltage did for Pikachu, which is giving the initial stage rather than the evolved form the Ultra Rare slot. Very few Pokémon get this treatment and I'd love to see more of it.

Stay tuned for the continuing journey through Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest. Next time, the spotlight continues with the main set of this expansion.

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