Everything We Know About The Pokémon TCG Scarlet And Violet Release 

With the release of the Scarlet and Violet Pokémon game on November 18th, we all knew a new era of the Pokémon TCG was coming.

As the release date approaches and plenty of changes are promised, let’s take a look at the next series of the trading card game.

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Scarlet and Violet product basics

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is expected to release March 31st, 2023. The set will be comprised of over 190 cards, including at least 30 trainer cards and 10 new Pokémon ex cards.

As expected, it will include plenty of new Pokémon from the in-game Paldea region as well as old favorites. Collectors can expect several different changes in the Scarlet and Violet series besides Pokémon roster.

One major change is a shift from the iconic yellow border on cards to a silver one. This brings the TCG in-line with the aesthetic used in Japan in a move that “unifies the game on a global level,” according to this announcement.

In the same announcement, The Pokémon Company revealed another change that fills all collectors with dread: price increases.

Price changes are coming across the board, but it shouldn’t be too crazy of an increase. For example, booster packs are going up 50 cents, from $3.99 to $4.49. On the bright side, booster packs will now have more foil cards per pack with a minimum of three appearing in each one.

New mechanics in Scarlet and Violet

As expected, with a new series of cards comes new mechanics to the trading card game. This time, they are reviving Pokémon ex cards and introducing Tera Pokémon ex.

We don’t know much about the Tera versions yet, just that the Pokémon will have a crystalline appearance. For now, it looks like the new ex cards will function similarly to those of past releases.

If you are relatively new to the Pokémon TCG and aren’t familiar with Pokémon ex, think of them as V cards from Sword and Shield. The main difference between Pokémon ex and Pokémon V is that ex cards still need to evolve like most cards in the TCG.

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Release formats

At the time of writing, Scarlet and Violet series cards will have two release formats, blaster packs and elite trainer boxes. They are available for preorder here. Eligible preorders will receive an exclusive foil Lechonk card, check out this announcement for more information.

Blaster packs

Every blaster pack will contain 10 cards and one basic energy. We don’t have any specific information about contents outside of them having at least three foil cards per pack.

Blaster packs are available for sale in three different bundles, with the larger bundles coming in flashier boxes.

Looking at preorder prices for blaster bundles, there’s no incentive to purchase the larger ones for cost-savings.

Single Blaster Pack: $4.49 per pack

Booster Bundle(6 Packs): $26.49 divided by 6 = $4.49 per pack

Booster Display Box(36 Packs): $161.64 divided by 36 = $4.49 per pack

Elite Trainer Box

Two special elite trainer boxes are available for preorder, themed around the two legendary Pokémon for the series Koraidon and Miraidon.

Each box will have components themed around the legendary for that box, but these are just aesthetic differences. They are available for $59.99 at Pokémon Center. If you want the best bang for your buck for packs, you should stick with the above bundles since these boxes come out to $5.45 per pack.

Keep in mind that these elite trainer boxes include some other cool items which might be worth the dollar extra per pack.

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Each elite trainer box will have:

• 11 booster packs
• 2 full-art foil promo cards featuring the legendary of the box, one of the cards has a Pokémon Center logo.
• 65 card sleeves featuring the chosen legendary
• 45 Energy Cards
• Player’s Guide to the Scarlet and Violet Expansion(The cover has art of the chosen legendary)
• 6 damage counter dice
• 1 coin-flip die
• 2 plastic condition markers
• A collectors box designed to hold everything
• A code for Pokémon Trading Card Game Live

Scarlet and Violet checklist information

No full roster has been released yet, but here are a few Pokémon we know will be included from piecing together announcements. Some variations will include ex, Tera ex, and whatever secret rares are included this time around.

• Gyarados (Crystalline ex card)
• Arcanine (Crystalline ex card)
• Sprigatito
• Fuecoco
• Quaxly
• Koraidon
• Miraidon
• Lechonk

Besides those, we can expect other popular Pokémon from the Paldea region. Note that this is not a comprehensive list and is just speculation, so they are not confirmed.

• Cyclizar
• Fidough
• Cetitan
• Smoliv
• Kingambit
• Annihilape
• Pawmi

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Final thoughts on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet series for the trading card game looks to be a callback to an older period of the game. With V and VMAX cards gone, it appears that evolution will reemerge as an important game mechanic once again.

While VMAX was a nice switch-up for the game, Scarlet and Violet promise to return to a more traditional style of gameplay.

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Further Reading

Interested in reading more Cardlines content about Pokémon?

• Pokémon Release Formats
• Guide to Pokémon Card Collecting