Now that Sword & Shield—Brilliant Stars,
the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, has arrived, we want to take a closer
look. After all, Pokémon TCG cards have such beautiful and varied artwork that
they merit further examination. Below are a few of the cards in the new
expansion that stood out to us. Maybe you’ll see one of your favorites or
discover a new hidden masterpiece.
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Oswaldo KATO illustrated two Pokémon in the Sword &
Shield—Brilliant Stars expansion: Torterra
and Bidoof. Although
these two Pokémon are quite different, the artist’s style gives the two cards a
unified look. Both Pokémon dominate their card artwork. Forced perspective
gives us the impression that the massive Torterra is looming over us, and Bidoof
is happily chilling out in the foreground of its card. Smaller characters in
the background (other Torterra on that card and Barry, plus a pair of Starly on
Bidoof’s) serve to increase the sense of scale. Both pieces also use stroke
lines to provide texture and shading, lending a distinctive style to both
cards. Curiously, that style is not seen on Oswaldo KATO’s Collapsed Stadium Trainer
card. Even so, the expressive use of shadows conveys the vastness of this
crumbling structure.
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A surefire way to add excitement to a battle is to show one
of the competitors channeling their energy into an extra-powerful attack. It
builds anticipation, highlights the strength of the move, and—let’s face it—it
just looks cool. Take this Lucario
card, for example. The streaks of energy from the massive Aura Sphere it is
holding glow with such force that the ground itself is being torn apart! Morpeko V is hangry and all
charged up as it’s getting ready to attack. This little Pokémon is dashing into
battle with electricity crackling on its cheeks. You can truly feel the power
ready to burst forth. When it comes to power, though, Arceus V appears tough to beat. This Mythical Pokémon is rearing
up while a massive glowing sphere forms high above its head. Is this its
Trinity Charge attack? Personally, we wouldn’t stick around to find out.
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You need to be careful when the subject of a photo or
illustration stares out at the viewer. When done well, a fourth wall break like
that can add personality, but when done incorrectly, it can make the subject
appear downright unnerving. Karrablast seems to be aware of that whole “unnerving” thing and
is leaning into it. The frowning Pokémon’s glare feels defiant. As though it’s
saying, “This is my tree. You just move right along.” Pachirisu, on the other hand,
couldn’t be happier to see us. Look at those wide eyes and that cheery grin!
Have you ever seen a Pokémon with a more welcoming expression? Toss us a berry,
Pachirisu. We’ll hang out with you for a while! We don’t feel quite as welcomed
by Tornadus‘ intense
stare. Intimidated is more like it. The Legendary Pokémon’s stern look and
flexing of muscles doesn’t necessarily feel confrontational, but they’re
clearly a display of strength. This Pokémon doesn’t seem like it will back down
from a battle.
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One of the best things about a new Pokémon TCG expansion is
checking out different artists’ interpretations of their subject matter. It’s
especially fun to see some of the unconventional takes on familiar Pokémon
designs. Sword & Shield—Brilliant Stars features a few very
interesting cards that have a wilder, almost psychedelic look to them. Check
out Magmar here—the bright, bold colors and deceptively crude
backgrounds give the scene a surreal feel. The same can be said for Vibrava. The artist’s use of
rainbow colors as swirls in the sky and splattered on the rocks in the foreground
bring an otherworldly aesthetic to this card. Mewtwo
and Sawk have a rough, sketched design. The sharp angles and
extreme poses energize these cards. Farfetch’d also has that sketched feel, but with exaggerated,
distorted backgrounds and its playful pose, the action depicted here seems more
lighthearted than battle-hardy.
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Whether it’s battling, trading, or just a Pokémon and its
Trainer hanging out, the world of Pokémon thrives on social interaction.
However, sometimes a Pokémon wants to be by itself. That feeling is depicted
quite well by Snorunt as it travels through this snowy forest. The tiny
footprints fading off into the distance add to the sense of isolation. Dusclops and Nosepass may not be wandering like Snorunt, but they’re no
less solitary. What thoughts are going through their heads in these lonely
places? It seems obvious what Beartic is thinking as it stands alone on an icy precipice,
its teeth bared as a cold wind rips past: that it is powerful, and even if no
one else is around, it’s going to shout it into the void. We should all have
that confidence!
As you can see, Sword & Shield—Brilliant Stars
is loaded with lots of incredible illustrations. Those detailed above are just
a sampling of the over 170 cards included in the expansion. Don’t forget to
take a moment to examine your cards when you’re flipping through them—you might
just discover a new favorite work of art.
Source: Pokemon
