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In May 2022, Pokémon TCG released the second main series set of 2022. The expansion, Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance, came out on May 27th, 2022. It is the tenth set under the Sword & Shield banner and is the first to include the Radiant Pokémon mechanic. Radiant Pokémon are similar to Shining Pokémon of the past as they include a Shiny Pokémon with holofoil and texture on the figure rather than the background. The difference, though, is a special holo pattern on the text area of the card. Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance also continues the Trainer Gallery, a special subset of Character Rares, Character Super Rares, Full Art Trainers, and Black & Gold VMAXes that began in the previous set, Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars. 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 begin with the Trainer Gallery subset from Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance.
The previous set Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars introduced the concept of the Trainer Gallery, a 30-card subset that can be pulled in the reverse holo slot of 2022 Sword & Shield main series sets. This subset includes the return of Character Rares and the debut of Character Super Rares along with Full Art Trainers and Black & Gold VMAX cards.
Character Rares picture Pokémon with their Trainers. First up is Abomasnow with its trainer Bryce as illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, one of the most iconic artists that has ever contributed to the TCG. He is most known for his Base Set Charizard. The cool, non-pattered foil of this card looks terrific with the white, crisp coloring.
Then, we get Flapple and Milo picking apples together on this bright and fun card illustrated by Misaki Hashimoto.
We close out today’s spotlights with Taira Akitsu‘s gorgeous Kingdra Character Rare, which pictures this Pokémon with its trainer Clair, blasting through a body of water and kicking up autumn leaves from nearby paths.
Stay tuned for the continuing journey through Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance. To look back on this series, click the Astral Radiance tag below. Next time, this journey continues with the Trainer Gallery section of the set.
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