Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith[]
(Japanese: クラウンゼニス Crown Zenith)
The upcoming Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, Crown Zenith, arrives on January 20, 2023. Among its 160+ new cards, you’ll find brand-new Radiant Pokémon, incredible Pokémon V, Pokémon VSTAR, and Pokémon VMAX, and the return of some popular cards from previous expansions with stunning new artwork. The expansion also contains a 70-card subset called the Galarian Gallery, which features dazzling illustrations. Here are some of the cards and details:
Details[]
| Series | Sword & Shield Series |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 20, 2023 |
| Number of Cards | Over 160 cards |
| Standard Legal Deck? | Yes |
Featured Cards[]
Mewtwo VSTAR[]
Mewtwo VSTAR starts things off with this action-packed card. Of course, when you’re witnessing a fierce battle between this Legendary Pokémon and a mighty Charizard, would you expect anything less than rampant destruction amidst swirling energy and flame? Fittingly, Mewtwo VSTAR is also equipped with some potent attacks. Its Psy Purge attack allows you to discard up to 3 Psychic Energy from among your Pokémon and does 90 damage for each card you discard. If your opponent has a lot of Pokémon V in play, you might want to unleash the Star Raid VSTAR Power, which does 120 damage to each one. They’ll certainly feel that attack!
Gardenia’s Vigor[]
Shifting from a chaotic battle to a serene botanical oasis, we have Gardenia’s Vigor. The Eterna City Gym Leader—watering can in hand—can be found alongside her Bellossom, Cherubi, and Cherrim friends amid a sea of flowers. Playing this Supporter card allows you to draw two cards. When you do, you can also attach up to 2 Grass Energy cards from your hand to 1 of your Benched Pokémon. It would appear that Gardenia can help her friends get charged up for battle!
Thievul[]
This Thievul card can’t help but stand out thanks to its striking color scheme: bright white highlights, inky black shadows, and a shock of red and orange. It has a noir vibe that certainly fits the Fox Pokémon’s style. Thievul’s Sharp Fang attack does a solid 110 damage, and its Baffling Ability could prove very useful if your opponent goes after your Benched Pokémon—if your opponent has two or fewer Prize cards remaining, this Ability protects your Benched Pokémon V from all effects of that opponent’s Supporter cards.
Rotom VSTAR[]
For a Pokémon that appears to be rushing into action, Rotom VSTAR is looking awfully concerned. The poor thing really has no reason to worry, though. With a respectable 250 HP, it’s tough, and its Scrap Pulse attack, which does 80 damage plus an additional 40 damage for every Pokémon Tool card you move from your discard pile into the Lost Zone, can cause a lot of trouble for your opponent with the proper setup. Rotom VSTAR even has a VSTAR Power that could prove useful if you need to refresh your hand: the Conversion Star Ability lets you discard any number of cards from your hand and draw an equal number. Cheer up, Rotom—we appreciate you!
Radiant Charjabug[]
Looking positively stylish in red, this Radiant Charjabug certainly stands out among its green peers. This little Pokémon is already ready to spread chaos by handing out small amounts of damage in unexpected ways. Its Linear Attack does 30 damage to any of your opponent’s Pokémon, whether it’s their Active Pokémon or one on their Bench. Not only that, but its Shocking Block Ability requires every player to put 2 damage counters on their Pokémon V whenever they attach an Energy card from their hand to that Pokémon.
Zeraora VSTAR[]
Players looking for an electrifying Pokémon VSTAR to help crush opponents have found a useful ally in Zeraora VSTAR. Not only is it capable of taking an impressive amount of damage with 270 HP, but it’s more than capable of doing substantial damage as well. Its Crushing Beat attack delivers 190 damage—enough to crush all but the most powerful opponents—and gives the option of discarding a Stadium in play. But the real star is the Thunderclap Pokémon’s VSTAR Power, appropriately named Lightning Storm Star. In this particular storm, lightning strikes not once, not twice, but four times. And best of all, players get to choose which of their opponent’s Pokémon get hit. Choose an opponent’s Pokémon four times—with the option of selecting the same Pokémon multiple times—and do 60 damage with each bolt. And while you can’t use more than 1 VSTAR Power in a game, it’s certainly worth it to unleash a lightning storm of epic proportions.
Radiant Eternatus[]
One of the greatest challenges of any Pokémon TCG battle is getting the cards you need out of your deck and into your hands. This is where Radiant Eternatus comes to the rescue. Due to the Radiant Pokémon rule, players can have only 1 Radiant Pokémon in their deck at a time. But Radiant Eternatus’s Climactic Gate Ability certainly makes this a Radiant Pokémon worth having. When you play Radiant Eternatus from your hand onto your Bench during your turn, you can search your deck for up to 2 Pokémon VMAX and put them onto your Bench. While this Ability ends your turn, it certainly gets a lot done. This allows players to bypass their more vulnerable Pokémon V and head straight for the Pokémon VMAX that can take—and dish out—greater damage. It’s also worth noting that this Radiant Pokémon has an attack called Power Beam that does 200 damage, more than enough to Knock Out most Pokémon.
Bea[]
Anyone who has ever wanted an autograph from a popular Pokémon Gym Leader is in luck. Galar’s famously intense Fighting-type Gym Leader Bea makes an appearance as a Trainer card that also happens to boast her autograph. Considering this Gym Leader is known for being highly energetic and focused on battle, it’s no surprise that Bea’s Supporter card allows players to discard the top 5 cards of their deck and attach any Energy cards that were discarded to their Benched Fighting-type Pokémon in any way they like. Bea’s always bringing the energy, and the Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith expansion is no exception.
Miltank[]
Miltank is part of the Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith expansion’s Galarian Gallery, featuring artwork that tells a story. In Miltank’s case, the art by Yuu Nishida showcases the Milk Cow Pokémon presiding over a wholesome farm feast that will leave your mouth watering. Despite being a Basic Pokémon, Miltank has some tricks up its sleeve. For one thing, its Miracle Body Ability prevents Pokémon V from doing any damage to it with their attacks. Be sure to use this Pokémon’s attack, Rout, when your opponent has a Bench full of Pokémon—it does 10 damage to start with, plus 20 more for each Pokémon on your opponent’s Bench. This card is so powerful that Piper Lepine used it as part of her winning Mewtwo V-UNION deck at the 2022 Toronto Regional Championships.
Melony[]
Galar’s Circhester Gym Leader may be as cold as ice, but her Supporter card brings some much-needed Energy to your gameplay. It’s part of the Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith expansion’s Galarian Gallery, and the artwork by saino misaki is especially endearing. The illustration captures Melony whipping up a feast of pancakes, salad, soup, and other dishes as her Eiscue oversees the food preparation. Just as a hearty meal delivers energy, this Supporter card allows the player to attach a Water Energy card from their discard pile to 1 of their Pokémon V and then draw 3 cards.