We’ve already seen some of the cool new cards you’ll find in
the upcoming Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, Sword
& Shield—Astral Radiance, but with new Pokémon V, Pokémon VMAX, and
Pokémon VSTAR to discover, along with more cards in the Trainer Gallery subset,
there’s still a lot to see. Here’s an early peek at some of the cards that can
be found in Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance, which arrives on May 27,
2022.
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Hisuian Samurott gains the power of a Pokémon VSTAR in this
card, and the Pokémon looks especially intimidating as it looms large on the
card, staring out at the player. The swirls of light surrounding it add to the
feeling of strength emanating from Hisuian Samurott VSTAR. Perhaps it’s getting
ready to use its Merciless Blade attack, which hits for 110 damage but will do
an extra 110 damage if your opponent’s Active Pokémon is already damaged.
You can get a jumpstart on that extra damage by using the Moon Cleave Star
VSTAR Power Ability, which lets you put 4 damage counters on 1 of your
opponent’s Pokémon. Just remember that you can only use one VSTAR Power per
game, so make sure you use it at the most opportune time.
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Milo, the Turffield Gym Leader, appears alongside Flapple in
this gorgeous Trainer Gallery card. This Grass-type specialist looks utterly
delighted as his Flapple partner helps gather baskets of apples from an
orchard. Very fitting that Flapple has an Apple Drop Ability, which allows you
to put 2 damage counters on 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon during your turn.
However, if you do so, you must shuffle Flapple and all attached cards back
into your deck. If you want to cause damage without sending Flapple away, the
Pokémon’s Acid Spray attack causes 60 damage and allows you to discard an
Energy from your opponent’s Active Pokémon if you get heads on a coin flip.
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With a gleam in its eye, a mischievous grin, and those
fierce-looking claws, there’s no doubt that Hisuian Sneasler V spells trouble
for your opponent. Those mighty claws are put to good use with the Pokémon V’s
Poison Claws attack, which has no attack cost. Although this attack doesn’t
cause any immediate damage, it does make your opponent’s Active Pokémon
Poisoned. This leaves your opponent open to a follow-up with the Dire Claw
attack, which hits for 80 damage plus 80 more for each Special Condition
affecting your opponent’s Active Pokémon. A clear-cut example of claws and
effect!
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Looking proud and stoic, Wyrdeer V appears ready to take on
all who dare challenge it. This Pokémon V exudes confidence—and how can it not,
when it has the support of your entire team? Wyrdeer V’s Frontier Road Ability
lets you move any amount of Energy from your other Pokémon to Wyrdeer V when the
Pokémon moves from your Bench to the Active Spot. If your team has been
thoroughly powered up, Wyrdeer V can find itself immediately overflowing with
Energy. This can be followed up with its Psyshield Bash attack, which does 40
damage for each attached Energy. With enough Energy attached, Wyrdeer V could
turn into a true powerhouse.
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The Hisui region’s Gapejaw Bog is an area within the Crimson
Mirelands. As the card art reflects, it seems to be a rather unpleasant place
to visit, filled with murky swamps, patchy ground cover, and barren trees. As a
Stadium card, it can be equally unpleasant: it puts 2 damage counters on any
Basic Pokémon played to the Bench from a player’s hand. This condition affects
both players, so although it can potentially hurt your opponent, make sure
you’re in a good position before you play this card, lest you become bogged
down as well.
Of course, these are just a handful of the 180-plus cards
that you can find in the upcoming Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance expansion. See what else you can discover when the expansion releases
on May 27, 2022.
Source: Pokemon
