Pokémon TCG Pull Rate Quest: Astral Radiance Part Two

Too often, Pokémon TCG influencers will rush to make a sweeping statement about a new set’s pull rates. It’s going to be interesting to see how the latest set, Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance, is seen because it has a special Trainer Gallery subset consisting of Character Cards, Character Super Rares, Full Art Trainers, and Black and Gold VMAXes that can be pulled in the Reverse Holo slot along with the new card type Radiant Pokémon. This increases the number of pulls that one can expect to get in a Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance opening. In the interest of dispelling the idea that we can establish pull rates so early in a set’s existence, I’m here with Pull Rate Quest, a series at Bleeding Cool where I open Pokémon TCG sets to show that you win some… and you lose some. I love the idea that openings like this can help show people what to expect in a set, but remember… a lot of it comes down to the luck of the draw. Let’s open a booster box of Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars and see what we can get in this installment of Pull Rate Quest.

Here are my pulls from this Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance booster box:

• Regular holos: 5
• Radiant Pokémon: 2
• Pokémon-V: 5
• VMAX: 0
• VSTAR: 1
• Full Art V: 2
• Alternate Art V: 0
• Full Art Trainer: 1
• Rainbow Rare VSTAR or VMAX: 0
• Rainbow Rare Trainer: 1
• Gold VSTAR: 0
• Gold Trainer Item or Stadium: 0
• Trainer Gallery – Character Rare: 3
• Trainer Gallery – Character Super Rare: 1
• Trainer Gallery – Full Art Trainer: 0
• Trainer Gallery – Black & Gold VMAX: 1

Which means…

• OVERALL PULLS ABOVE HOLO-RARE: 17

This was among the best boxes I have ever opened. As I wrote last time, a perfect box is, to me, one with a Full Art (or two) and a Secret Rare. For the Full Art slots, any equivalent Rarity (Full Art V, Alt Art V, Trainer Supporter) counts and Secret Rares encompass Rainbow Rares and Gold Cards as well as, pre-Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars, Alternate Art VMAXes.

This box delivered a stunning three Full Arts and one Secret Rare in the main set alone. This included Irida Full Art Trainer, which is currently the third most valuable card in the set. Amazingly, my Secret Rare was the Rainbow Rare equivalent version of this card.

Now, the Trainer Gallery also delivered heavily with three regular Character Rares, the Calyrex Character Super Rare V, and the Calyrex Black & Gold VMAX. Add to that the two Radiant Pokémon and this is a box that would be beyond any reasonable expectation.