Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Astral Radiance, Hisui, pokemon, Pokémon Legends Arceus, Pokemon TCG

What Will Be The Ultimate Pokémon TCG: Astral Radiance Chase Card?

We are on the precipice of Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance pre-release weekend. That means we are about to get a taste for the new set. Astral Radiance is based on the Hisui region that debuted in Pokémon Legends: Arceus and introduced new regional variant species, split evolutions, Origin Formes, and more. This set will primarily adapt three Japanese sets into English: the Starter-focused Battle Region, the Dialga-focused Time Gazer, and the Palkia-focused Space Juggler. Let's see if we can determine what will be the ultimate chase card of Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance by looking to these three sets.

First, before we get started, as a general note I will not be theorizing on what is in the Trainer Gallery, so don't look for any of those references. The Pokémon TCG has provided me with materials for an early opening, which you can look forward to on Friday. Because of the fact that I have that access, I'm going to completely limit my theories here to the three sets on which we know that Astral Radiance will be based.

First, the cards that potentially have a good shot at the chase card mantle are the gold VSTARs from each set, pictured above. Battle Region had Gold Hisuian Samurott, Time Gazer had Gold Origin Forme Dialga, and Space Juggler had Gold Origin Forme Palkia. Japanese sets get one Gold VSTAR each but English releases have set no such limits. If these make it into the set, and why wouldn't they, they'd be high coveted and rare pulls. However, reception to these new Origin Formes hasn't been overwhelmingly positive, and Samurott's popularity is much less than Typhlosion. Because of this, I think it could actually be Hisuian Typhlosion Rainbow Rare that edges the Gold VSTARs out as a popular hit. People love Fire-type starters, even if this new version is a Psychic.

Truth is, though, I think it's still going to be all about the Alternate Arts. While Origin Forme Palkia and Dialga didn't get warm reception from the entire fanbase, the Alt Arts from Space Juggler and Time Gazer pictured above show these new godly Pokémon in stunningly beautiful illustrations. We also got a Machamp Alt Art in Time Gazer that could appeal to Kanto fans.

So what'll it be? I think the biggest hit in Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance will end up being the Origin Forme Dialga Alt Art by Mitsuhiro Arita who originally drew the Base Set Charizard. It's Arita, it's an Alt Art, and it's stunningly gorgeous.

What do you think will be the biggest chase card of the set?

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