Sword & Shield Archives

Over the past two years, we've seen renewed interest in the hobby due to a number of factors, including the 25th Anniversary, strong Sword & Shield-era sets featuring stunning Alternate Arts, influencers, box breaks, COVID-19 lockdown pushing people to find hobbies, and more For a time, sets and cards that were readily available quickly became[...]

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[...]

Credit: Pokémon TCG Whenever I do these spotlights, I am always surprised when I see how some artists who have come to feel like staples of the hobby have only been contributing for a few years. Atsushi Furusawa was first credited in 2021's Sword & Shield – Chilling Reign This was the second expansion of the Sword & Shield[...]

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[...]

The art-themed Crown Zenith closes out the Sword & Shield era with a bang, as the Scarlet & Violet series block will launch in March 2023 Crown Zenith introduces two new card types: Illustrator Rares and Special Illustrator Rares, called Art Rares and Special Art Rares in Japan Illustrator Rares are much like Illustrator Rares,[...]

Over the past two years, we've seen renewed interest in the hobby due to a number of factors, including the 25th Anniversary, strong Sword & Shield-era sets featuring stunning Alternate Arts, influencers, box breaks, COVID-19 lockdown pushing people to find hobbies, and more For a time, sets and cards that were readily available quickly became[...]

Teeziro's first official credit was in Sword & Shield – Chilling Reign, but it is actually the above Charizard art that initially got this artist noticed Teeziro submitted this Charizard illustration, depicting the iconic Fire-type Pokémon flying over a wintry village, as part of the 2019 Pokémon TCG Illustration Grand Prix[...]

Over the past two years, we've seen renewed interest in the hobby due to a number of factors, including the 25th Anniversary, strong Sword & Shield-era sets featuring stunning Alternate Arts, influencers, box breaks, COVID-19 lockdown pushing people to find hobbies, and more For a time, sets and cards that were readily available quickly became[...]

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[...]

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[...]

The Pokémon International has provided an early look at products from the new special set Crown Zenith releasing tomorrow, January 20th. The art-themed Crown Zenith closes out the Sword & Shield era with a bang, as the Scarlet & Violet series block will launch in March 2023 Crown Zenith introduces two new card types: Illustrator Rares and[...]

The art-themed Crown Zenith closes out the Sword & Shield era with a bang, introducing two new card types: Illustrator Rares and Special Illustrator Rares, called Art Rares and Special Art Rares in Japan Illustrator Rares are much like Illustrator Rares but they do not show Pokémon with Trainers, rather showing them in their environments or[...]

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[...]

The Pokémon International has provided an early look at products from the new special set Crown Zenith releasing tomorrow, January 20th. The art-themed Crown Zenith closes out the Sword & Shield era with a bang, as the Scarlet & Violet series block will launch in March 2023 Crown Zenith introduces two new card types: Illustrator Rares and[...]

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[...]

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[...]

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[...]

These Galar Knock Out Collections contain three reprint cards from the Sword & Shield era featuring Galarian Obstagoon from Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike, Galarian Slowking from Sword & Shield – Chilling Reign, and Dragapult once again from Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike. The cards will be rendered in galaxy foil[...]

Credit: Pokémon TCG Nishida has gone on to create many memorable cards spanning all types, including the memorable Cheryl Full Art Trainer from Sword & Shield – Chilling Reign which exudes the character's kindness, the Sylveon V Alternate Art from Sword & Shield – Evolving Skies that turned a cute bakery scene into a highly sought after chase[...]

The art-themed Crown Zenith closes out the Sword & Shield era as The Pokémon Company International plans to switch over to the Scarlet & Violet series block in March 2023 Crown Zenith is largely based on Japan's VSTAR Universe, which was a reprint set with a large Secret Rare section which introduced two new card[...]

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[...]

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[...]

Credit: Pokémon TCG Oswaldo KATO is a relatively new arrival in the Pokémon TCG, contributing his first card in Sword & Shield – Chilling Reign He started off with a big hit: Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX Alternate Art This set also had four other cards by KATO, including a Venipede and three standard Trainer Stadiums: Path to the[...]

The international versions of Pokémon TCG sets differ with, for example, the latest international set Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest being an adaptation of Japan's Incandescent Arcana and Paradigm Trigger sets Japan's promotional cards are all different, with international collectors building the SWSH Black Star Promo set of 305 cards and Japanese collectors building the S-P Promo Set of 350[...]

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[...]

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[...]

We have counted down the best Alternate Arts, the best Character Rares, the best promo cards, and the best sets of the Pokémon TCG in 2022… but what was the best overall card? It would be wild to pick one single winner in a year as important to the hobby as this, the final run of[...]

As the Sword & Shield era wraps up, let's take a look back and rank the Top Five products of 2022. Products of 2022 Credit: Pokémon TCG Eeveelution V Tins: These were a nice surprise The original solicitation for these products included the artwork seen on Umbreon, Sylveon, and Espeon V from Sword & Shield – Evolving Skies[...]

Still, this set would rank above Champion's Path and probably equal to Celebrations when ranking special sets of this era. Shining Fates is a much better set and Crown Zenith is set to top them all. 4. Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance This set, which includes a Trainer Gallery subset and Alternate Arts, ranking so low isn't damning of Astral Radiance[...]

We are winding down the Sword & Shield era which means that this is the last full year of SWSH Black Star Promos, with SV Black Star Promos on the way as we lead into the Scarlet & Violet era In honor of the year's end, let's look back at the top promo cards of 2022. SWSH Black Star Promo[...]