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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 dive into the first cards of the set.
Astral Radiance starts out with a Pokémon-V, and it’s an old-school Kanto favorite: Beedrill. Ayaka Yoshida delivers artwork here that utilizes the card type’s mostly standard 3D look for the figure, but the background which shows a forest thick with white flowers elevates this for collectors who take the time to appreciate the full drawing. The use of red lens flare also punches up the visual impact of Beedrill’s attack quite effectively.
Scyther gets two cards in this set. One is GIDORA‘s action-packed, hyper-detailed image of the Bug/Flying-type Pokémon bisecting a tree in a way that would make that wood-chopping thirst trap dude from TikTok jealous and the other is Uta‘s wild Scyther depiction straight out of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Both of these are solid additions to a history of stellar Scyther cards.
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 main set.
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