The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Brilliant Stars Part 39: CSRs Begin

Pokémon TCG has released the first set of 2022. The expansion, Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars, came out on February 25th, 2022. It is the ninth set under the Sword & Shield banner and is the first to include the Pokémon-VSTAR mechanic. VSTARs are a replacement for the VMAX mechanic, which is being phased out of the main portion of the set after this release. Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars also debuts the Trainer Gallery, a special subset of Character Rares, Character Super Rares, Full Art Trainers, and Black & Gold VMAXes that can be pulled in the reverse holo slot. Follow me through a journey through this latest set as we appreciate the artwork, discuss the card’s place in the set, and discuss what certain elements of the expansion may imply for the future of the Pokémon TCG. Today, we’ll begin with the Character Super Rare section of the Trainer Gallery subset.

So what’s the difference between the Character Rare cards we’ve been looking at and this new card type, Character Super Rares? Character Rares, also called Character Cards, are standard Pokémon cards featuring artwork that illustrates the bond between Pokémon and their Trainer. These are rendered on flat holographic foil. Character Super Rares take that idea and apply it to an Ultra Rare card mechanic, like Pokémon-V and VMAX. This first card we’re showing off, the Boltund V CSR, shows the Electric-type dog with its trainer, Sonia with artwork by GIDORA. Another major difference here is that Character Super Rares actually have a light texture to them which isn’t as deeply etched as the texture of Full Arts but is quite noticeable.

Stay tuned for the continuing journey through Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars. To look back on this series, click the Brilliant Stars tag below. Next time, this journey continues with the Trainer Gallery subset section of the set.