The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Silver Tempest Part 15: Unown VSTAR

In November 2022, Pokémon TCG released the final main series set of the Sword & Shield era. The expansion, Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest, came out on September 9th, 2022. It is the twelfth set under the Sword & Shield banner and it adapts the Japanese sets Incandescent Arcana and Paradigm Trigger, with its Trainer Gallery subset adapting cards from VMAX Climax. The Lugia-themed Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest also continues both Radiant Pokémon as well as the Trainer Gallery, a special subset of Character Rares, Character Super Rares, Full Art Trainers, and Black & Gold VMAXes that began in the first set of the year, Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars. Follow me on a journey through this latest set as we appreciate the artwork, discuss the card’s place in the set, and theorize as to what certain elements of the expansion may imply for the future of the Pokémon TCG. Today, we continue with another Ultra Rare from Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest.

The Pokémon TCG knows what they’re doing and I love it. A set that has Lugia and Unown chase cards has to be purposefully referencing the beloved Neo era. The Neo era, which introduced Generation Two to the TCG, kicked off with Neo Genesis which boasted a Lugia holographic chase card. The second set, Neo Discovery, had multiple Unown cards. The third, Neo Revelation, had both Lugia and Unown. The final, Neo Destiny, has a slew of Unown.

Unown gets an Ultra Rare feature now along with Lugia in Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest, looking more badass than I thought possible for this letter-themed Pokémon with Unown V illustrated by N-DESIGN Inc. Artist PLANETA Mochizuki takes over for the gleaming, brilliant Unown VSTAR which looks as if a portal opening up and an entire alphabet’s worth of Unown are pouring out.

Stay tuned for the continuing journey through Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Silver Tempest. Next time, the spotlight continues with the main set of this expansion.