Pokémon TCG’s Next Set Astral Radiance To Focus On Legends: Arceus

If you’re a Pokémon TCG collector, the months in between set drops may seem to drag on and on. The excitement of a newly released expansion with so many unknown cards to pull is heaven for some collectors and players, and I’m no different. What we can do, though, to pass the time between sets is to look the Japan’s more frequent Pokémon TCG releases. Japan, you see, releases smaller sets that the Pokémon Company International adapts into bigger expansions. We can now look to three Japanese sets (along with a special bonus fourth set) to get a good idea of what the next English-language expansion, Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance, will contain.

Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance will primarily adapt three Japanese sets. Note that this isn’t a strict adaptation as certain cards will be left for other sets, but we can still use the information from these sets to gather what we will see in Astral Radiance. Those sets are:

• Battle Region
  • Primary focus: the Hisuian Region that debuted in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
  • The main hits: the Hisuian Starter evolutions.
  • Vs: Virizion, Starmie, Hisuian Typhlosion, Hisuian Decidueye, Hisuian Samurott, Garchomp.
  • VSTARS: Hisuian Typhlosion, Hisuian Decidueye, Hisuian Samurott.
  • VMAXes: None.
  • Radiant Pokémon: Greninja, Hawlucha, Heatran
  • Full Arts: Virizion, Starmie, Hisuian Typhlosion, Hisuian Decidueye, Hisuian Samurott, Garchomp.
  • Full Art Trainers: Cyllene, Rozanne, Kamado.
  • Alt Arts: None.
  • Rainbow Rares: Hisuian Typhlosion, Hisuian Decidueye, Hisuian Samurott, Cyllene, Rozanne, Kamado.
  • Golds: Hisuian Samurott, Choice Belt, Jubilife Village.
  • Character Rares: Roserade, Chandelure, Wyrdeer, Kleavor, Mightyena, Hoothoot, Garchomp CSR, Starmie CSR
• Time Gazer:
  • Primary focus: the Hisuian Region.
  • The main hits: Origin Forme Dialga.
  • Vs: Hisuian Lilligant, Luxray, Jirachi, Machamp, Origin Forme Dialga, Wyrdeer.
  • VSTARS: Hisuian Lilligant, Origin Forme Dialga.
  • VMAXes: Machamp
  • Radiant Pokémon: None.
  • Full Arts: Hisuian Lilligant, Luxray, Jirachi, Machamp, Origin Forme Dialga, Wyrdeer.
  • Full Art Trainers: Adaman, Gardenia’s Vitality, Zisu.
  • Alt Arts: Hisuian Lilligant, Machamp, Origin Forme Dialga.
  • Rainbow Rares: Hisuian Lilligant, Machamp, Origin Forme Dialga, Adaman, Gardenia’s Vitality, Zisu.
  • Golds: Origin Forme Dialga, Trekking Shoes, Path to the Peak.
  • Character Rares: None.
• Space Juggler:
  • Primary focus: the Hisuian Region.
  • The main hits: Origin Forme Palkia.
  • Vs: Beedrill, Heatran, Origin Forme Palkia, Kleavor, Hisuian Sneasler, Oranguru.
  • VSTARS: Origin Forme Palkia, Keavlor
  • VMAXes: Heatran.
  • Radiant Pokémon: None.
  • Full Arts: Beedrill, Heatran, Origin Forme Palkia, Kleavor, Hisuian Sneasler, Oranguru.
  • Full Art Trainers: Irida, Grant, Choy.
  • Alt Arts: Beedrill, Origin Forme Palkia, Hisuian Sneasler.
  • Rainbow Rares: Heatran, Origin Forme Palkia, Kleavor, Irida, Grant, Choy.
  • Golds: Origin Forme Palkia, Temple of Sinnoh, Double Turbo Energy.
  • Character Rares: None.

This upcoming Pokémon TCG may also adapt new cards from Lucario VSTAR Deck and Darkrai VSTAR Deck (certainly the Darkrai cards). It will also contain another Trainer Gallery subset like Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars which will likely adapt more Character Rares, Trainers, and Black & Gold cards from Japan’s VMAX Climax along with, I’d guess, some Character Rares from Battle Region.