The stars are coming out to shine in the next Pokémon
Trading Card Game expansion, Sword & Shield—Brilliant Stars. There are over 170 cards in this latest
collection, including new Pokémon V and Pokémon VMAX. Also featured are brand-new
Pokémon VSTAR, which evolve from Pokémon V and come equipped with a mighty
VSTAR Power, a special Ability or attack that can turn the tide of a battle. Just
be aware that you can use only one VSTAR Power per game (and don’t miss our earlier look at the Pokémon VSTAR gameplay
mechanic, which includes a
peek at Arceus VSTAR and Charizard VSTAR). Now let’s take a peek at one of
these new Pokémon VSTAR and a few of the other awesome cards that you can find
when the Sword &
Shield—Brilliant Stars expansion
releases on February 25, 2022.
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The Mythical Pokémon Shaymin may seem adorable, but it’s
looking about as fierce as it can on this Shaymin VSTAR card. Appearing in its
Sky Forme, Shaymin VSTAR is ready for action with an impressive 250 HP and an
attack that has the potential to do a lot of damage if you play it late in the
game. With a low cost of just 1 Grass Energy and 1 Colorless Energy, Revenge
Blast does a solid 120 damage on its own and another 40 damage for each Prize
card your opponent has taken. So, if your opponent is down to the last of their
six Prize cards, this attack will slam them for 320 damage! Not only that, but the
VSTAR Power Star Bloom can revitalize your team by healing 120 damage from each
Grass-type Pokémon on your Bench. When played at the right time, Shaymin VSTAR
could pull you back from the brink of defeat.
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This excited-looking Boltund is part of a special subset of
cards that you can find in the Sword
& Shield—Brilliant Stars
expansion. Dubbed the Trainer Gallery, this subset features over 20 cards that
showcase a Pokémon alongside its Trainer. On this Boltund V card, we see the Pokémon
getting hyped up as Sonia prepares to step out. Perhaps it’s time for a walk?! As
energetic as Boltund seems, it also brings that energy into battle. Its
Electrify attack lets you search your deck for up to 2 Lightning Energy and
attach them to your Benched Pokémon in any way you like. Not only is this a
great way to power up your team, but it also boosts Boltund V’s Bolt Storm
attack, which does 10 damage plus an extra 30 damage for each Lightning Energy
attached to all your Pokémon. Amp up your team a few times with Electrify, and
Bolt Storm will give your opponents a jolt they won’t soon forget.
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Simisear looks quite adept at controlling its flaming attack
on this Simisear V card, which features two attacks that feel directly inspired
by the card’s red-hot artwork. Like Boltund V, Simisear V’s first attack is useful
for getting your team ready for battle. Bursting Power does 20 damage and also
lets you attach up to 2 basic Energy cards from your hand to your Pokémon. Get
some Energy cards in your hand, and your team will be ready to go in no time.
Simisear V’s Flare Juggling burns extra bright if your opponent has been
powering up, too. This attack does 90 damage on its own, plus 30 more damage
for each Energy attached to their Active Pokémon.
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Standing defiantly atop a rocky peak, Luxray is ready to
take on all that dare to oppose it. The steely look in its eyes hints at the
power it’s ready to unleash with its Energy Crush. For the cost of just 1 Lightning
Energy, this attack does 50 damage for each Energy attached to your opponent’s Active
and Benched Pokémon. Like Simisear V above, the more your opponent has prepared
for battle, the more damage they’ll suffer when going up against Luxray. If you
need an attack that doesn’t rely on your opponent, Luxray’s Flash Impact attack
hits for 110 damage for the same cost of 1 Lightning Energy. Just be aware that
this attack will also do 30 damage to 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
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Is your Pokémon TCG game heating up? Want to get some hot
new cards out of your deck and into your hands? Playing a Kindler card could
get you what you’re looking for. This card lets you look at the top 7 cards of
your deck and put up to 2 of them into your hand. If the cards are favorable,
you’ll find one that matches your need. However, just as the Kindler keeps a
flame fed by adding a log to the fire, you’ll also have to discard a Fire
Energy card from your hand to use this Supporter card.
This, of course, is just a sampling of the cool cards in the
upcoming Pokémon TCG: Sword &
Shield—Brilliant Stars. See what
else you can discover when the expansion releases on February 25, 2022.
Source: Pokemon
