Pokemon TCG Surging Sparks Expansion: What’s New and Our Best Pulls

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Pokemon TCG Surging Sparks Expansion: What's New and Our Best Pulls

As a longtime collector and avid player of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (PTCG), I must say that the Surging Sparks set has truly stirred my excitement! With its impressive roster of new cards, this latest expansion offers a fresh wave of strategies to explore and challenges to conquer.

For close to three decades now, the popular game known as Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) has been adored by many, and this year saw an additional surge of affection with the successful debut of its compact version, Pokemon TCG Pocket. Although the thrill of collecting cards is the primary draw, there’s just something special about the tactile experience of handling physical cards. The tabletop version of Pokemon TCG continues to expand with new releases, and recently, Game Rant has unboxed a few products from the latest expansion, Surging Sparks.

The latest expansion for the Pokemon Trading Card Game is centered around the Terarium landscape introduced in the Indigo Disk DLC of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. This set features critters that have previously appeared in the tabletop game, but they are now showcased within scenes inspired by the Unova-style locale. The Surging Sparks expansion introduces new Stellar Tera Pokemon from Generation 9 games along with novel card mechanics such as Ace Specs, combos, and additional elements. Notably, this expansion draws cards from the Japanese Super Electric Breaker and Paradise Dragona collections, with a specified number of chase cards included.

  • 8 ACE Spec cards
  • 18 Pokemon Ex cards
  • 21 full art Pokemon and Trainer cards
  • 23 illustration rare Pokemon cards
  • 11 special illustration rare Pokemon and Supporter cards
  • 6 hyper rare Gold cards

Every Product Available From Pokemon TCG’s Surging Sparks Expansion Explained

There are a few products to choose from when collecting Pokemon TCG‘s Surging Sparks set:

  • Booster packs, each containing 10 Surging Sparks cards
  • Booster boxes, each containing 36 booster packs
  • Build and Battle sets, each containing 4 Surging Sparks booster packs and a 40-card deck with one of four unique foil promo cards randomly selected between Magneton, Indeedee, Gouging Fire, and Chien-Pao
  • The Elite Trainer Box, containing nine Surging Sparks booster packs, 65 card sleeves featuring Stellar Tera Pikachu, 45 Pokemon TCG Energy cards, the player’s guide to the Surging Sparks expansion, 6 damage-counter dice, a coin-flip die, condition markers for Burned and Poisoned, the Surging Sparks collector’s box and four dividers, and finally a foil promo card for Magneton
  • Checklane blister packs, each containing a booster pack, a promo card between Pachirisu and Wooper, and a coin-flip die
  • 3-booster blister packs, each containing three booster packs and a promo card between Zapdos and Quagsire
  • Booster Bundles, each containing six booster packs of Surging Sparks

Pokemon TCG Surging Sparks: The Best Pulls For Competitive Play and Collectors Explained

There are plenty of
good cards in

Pokemon TCG’s Surging Sparks

set
, including amazing pulls for both competitive players and collectors. There are various cards that are not particularly hard to get that may boost some decks significantly, such as Magneton knocking itself out and giving the opponent a Prize Card, but giving any Electric-type Pokemon up to three Energy cards from the discard pile. For collectors, there is no shortage either, with great cards like Alolan Exeggutor Ex and the various Gold cards in the set. These are some highlights:
  • Latias Ex: Latias Ex is a great support Pokemon to have in a deck, as its Ability makes Basic mons in play have no retreat cost. On top of that, it has a three-Energy attack called Eon Blade that deals 200 damage, but it makes Latias Ex incapacitated to attack on the next turn. Luckily, this critter can be retreated at no cost thanks to its Skyliner Ability. Latias Ex is available in full art and special illustration rare treatments for extra value, too.
  • Koraidon: This new version of Koraidon in Pokemon TCG can wreak havoc when combined with Gen 9’s Ancient Pokemon cards, as it has a two-Energy attack called Unrelenting Onslaught that deals 30 damage plus 150 if an Ancient Pokemon attacked on the user’s last turn. This also proves to be effective when combined with Latias Ex’s Skyliner Ability, as Ancient Pokemon are all Basic, making them able to attack on a turn, then retreat at no cost for Koraidon to sweep on the next.
  • Stellar Tera Pikachu Ex: Perhaps one of the best cards from Surging Sparks overall, Pikachu Ex is a great pull for both collectors and competitive players, as it fits seamlessly into the popular Blissey Ex deck that’s winning tournaments in Pokemon TCG. Much like the Stellar Tera Pokemon cards from Stellar Crown, Stellar Tera Pikachu Ex has a three-Energy attack that requires Grass, Electric, and Steel to deal 300 damage at the cost of discarding three energy cards. On top of that, it also has Resolute Heart, making it stay alive at 10 HP if an attack dealing damage would KO it.
  • Stellar Tera Alolan Exeggutor Ex: This card is arguably Surging Sparks‘ mascot alongside Pikachu and Latias, and it proves to be equally strong and amazing to pull. With its Swinging Sphene attack, costing 1 Grass, 1 Water, and 1 Fighting Energy, Stellar Tera Alolan Exeggutor Ex is technically guaranteed to KO an opposing Pokemon. Players will need to flip a coin, and if heads, Alolan Exeggutor Ex will KO an active Basic Pokemon, whereas if tails, it will KO a benched Basic mon. With a great number of Pokemon cards being Basic, it’s hard to see this critter miss its heavy strike.

The best pulls outside of competitive include:

  • All regular Pokemon Ex cards and Stellar Tera Ex Pokemon cards, of which there are 9 each
  • All 8 ACE Spec cards
  • All 23 illustration rare cards (featuring Exeggcute, Vivillon, Shiinotic, Castform, Larvesta Ceruledge, Feebas, Spheal, Bruxish, Cetitan, Stunfisk, Latios, Mesprit, Phanpy, Vibrava, Clobbopus, Alolan Dugtrio, Skarmory, Flapple, Appletun, Slakoth, Kecleon, and Braviary)
  • All 14 Full Art Pokemon cards (featuring Durant Ex, Scovillain Ex, Milotic Ex, Black Kyurem Ex, Stellar Tera Pikachu Ex, Latias Ex, Stellar Tera Palossand Ex, Stellar Tera Flygon Ex, Stellar Tera Hydreigon Ex, Archaludon Ex, Stellar Tera Alolan Exeggutor Ex, Stellar Tera Tatsugiri Ex, Slaking Ex, and Cyclizar Ex)
  • All 7 Full Art Pokemon Trainer cards (featuring Clemont’s Quick Wit, Cyrano, Drasna, Drayton, Jasmine’s Gaze, Lisia’s Appeal, and Surfer)
  • All 7 Special Illustration Rare Pokemon cards (Durant Ex, Milotic Ex, Stellar Tera Pikachu Ex, Latias Ex, Stellar Tera Hydreigon Ex, Archaludon Ex, and Stellar Form Alolan Exeggutor Ex)
  • All 4 Special Illustration Rare Trainer cards (Clemont’s Quick Wit, Drayton, Jasmine’s Gaze, and Lisia’s Appeal)
  • All 6 Gold Cards (Stellar Tera Pikachu Ex, Stellar Tera Alolan Exeggutor Ex, Counter Gain, Gravity Mountain, Night Stretcher, and Jet Energy)

Game Rant was provided a look at Pokemon TCG’s Surging Sparks set.

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2024-11-11 17:05