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Nostalgia struck and it struck in the shape of Pokemon cards, way back in school Pokemon cards where all the rage and still are to some extent. Comic cons across the country you can find rare and hard to find cards for extortionate amounts of money and they're still as popular as ever.
This led me to looking around and searching for the kind of Trading card game set that would scratch that itch, the first edition was out of the question for quite obvious, financial reasons plus, the Pokemon trading card game landscape is quite populated to the point it's hard to know where to pick up the bug from again. After much searching on the internet I came across these battle styles booster card packs.
Released in 2021 they're a bit behind the curve which meant the price was right enough for me to buy a few packs but I was really drawn in by some of the imagery within the cards. No longer do the cards have simple drawings of Pokemon on them, these have Pokemon in action illustrations that offer unique collecting options when trying to acquire them all. For me, that's still a goal. I'd like one of each if i could get one but realise some of the rare ones are definitely going to be tricky. Nevertheless I bought some anyway.
The quality of the cards are surprisingly good, fairly thick and robust and the illustration on the front really stands out. The purpose of this set, when it was released, was to add new attack dynamics when using the cards in a battle. These mechanics are known as battle styles and are split between two. Single strike and rapid strike. Single strike gave the player the option to deliver large, direct blows to your opponent while rapid strikes were more strategic moves that you could build up and ultimately lead to victory. The release of the cards coincided with a DLC expansion of the sword and shield computer game in which the Pokemon Urshifi could learn either single or rapid strike within the game. This mechanic interested me as unlike when i was younger i'd really like to get into the strategic side of Pokemon card battles now. There are 60 cards within the set that are split between the two styles which includes energy and trainer cards to really mix up your play styles.
Back to the pack opening, I didn't really get anything exciting in mine but it was fun knowing what I could get and hoping lady luck was on my side. The pack consisted of 10 cards per pack and a card to use in the trading game online. This isn't something I used only because it doesn't interest me but it is a nice addition regardless. The set includes some of the old favourites, original 1st edition Pokemon but portrayed in a new, action packed way. The set also includes V Max cards which are gigantamax or dynamaxed versions of evolved Pokemon. These cards have raised base statistics on them such as high HP, high strength and attack power at similar costs to normal evolved cards making them a tough prospect in battle. The full list of cards released in this set also include some absolutely gorgeous rainbow holographic ‘shiny’ cards which include some of the trainers from sword and shield.
Opening the packs has just brought that nostalgic buzz of never really knowing what you'll get, the excitement of opening a pack to reveal if you got anything good or more cards for the swap pile. And now that I'm a fair bit older I'm drawn in by the strategic element that this set brings. I believe it's a great set to start from if you've either never given Pokemon TCG a game or you're a returning collector, like me just looking for a way back in. Highly recommended for this reason alone.
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