Featured Post

HotShot Pickleball @hspickleball is Live on @kickstarter

Image
Pick Your Pickle and Prepare for Puns: Pickleball's Board Game Just Launched. A fast, fun, irreverent board game that celebrates the joy of Pickleball. Fans of silly puns, pickles, and fast-paced games alike have a new game to add to their list of must-haves: HotShot Pickleball. This delightful card-drawing board game is quick to learn and gives a surprising amount of opportunity to lightly strategize as you race to the ball and attempt to hit it back over the net to your opponent. The debut release from indie studio Midnight Trading Co., HotShot Pickleball was made while game designer Robert Gelb was recovering from an Achilles injury sustained, ironically, by playing Pickleball. For those who haven’t heard of pickleball, it's the fastest-growing sport in the world, with over 32 million players last year. HotShot Pickleball is a lively, family-friendly game that combines the fun of the sport with a cast of quirky, pickle-themed characters like Stew Cumber, Kim Chee, and Corni...

Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield Battle Styles Set Officially Revealed

The English set that will be based of the upcoming expansion Rapid Strike Master and Single Strike Master in Japan Battle Styles was announced. Sword and Shield Battle Styles will be SwSh 5 and be released on March 19th after Shining Fates (SwSh 4.5).

The set will include 163 cards (+ secret rares) including; 60 Battle Styles cards, 12 Pokémon V cards, 16 Full-art Pokémon V cards, 6 Pokémon VMAX cards, 19 Trainer cards, 6 Full-art Supporter cards, and 2 Special Energy cards.

  • English: Battle Styles
  • French: Styles de Combat
  • German: Kampfstile
  • Italian: Stili di Lotta
  • Spanish: Estilos de Combate
  • Brazilian Portuguese: Estilos de Batalha

New Mechanics

This new set introduces a mechanic similar to prior expansions like Black and White's Team Plasma and Team Magma where cards belong to one of two Battle Styles, either Rapid Strike or Single Strike. These cards will have abilities and trainers that allow you to draw cards with this typing or enhance them with special energy or items.

In addition they have created a new mechanic that involves EX, GX, V and other cards with Rule Boxes. The Empoleon card has an ability that stops all Basic Pokémon's Abilities unless they have a Rule Box. This is a great way to keep new cards and existing cards from being played as unintended and getting banned in the future.

Products

As previously revealed by distributors the set will include;

  • Booster Packs (MSRP $3.99)
  • Mini Portfolio (MSRP $4.99)
  • 1-Pack Checklane Blisters (MSRP $4.99)
  • 3-Pack Blisters (MSRP $12.99)
  • Checklane Evo Blister (MSRP $5.99)
  • Elite Trainer Box (MSRP $39.99)

You will also note the lack of Theme Decks, which confirms my beliefs that the new V Battle Decks would be replacing them. I'm still curious how this will impact the Pokémon TCG and if they will just allow all purchased decks including Battle Arena and Battle League Decks to be played.

Revealed Cards

For additional Pokémon and Trainers including the Japanese Promos that will most likely come in future V Boxes and Tins see the Single Strike Rapid Strike article.

Official Description

Do you feel like taking your opponent down with a single, powerful punch—or seizing victory with clever, technical attacks that keep your opponent guessing? You'll soon get your choice with the release of the Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield—Battle Styles expansion, coming March 19, 2021. The expansion will debut an exciting new gameplay mechanic called Battle Styles, introducing two different forms of attack: Single Strike and Rapid Strike. The former is the Pokémon equivalent of a throwing a knockout punch; the latter is like a chess game using tactical attacks to build steadily to victory.

Single Strike cards are accented with red, while Rapid Strike cards are adorned in blue. Additionally, both Trainer and Energy cards are available in Single Strike and Rapid Strike Styles to help Trainers develop a deck around their Battle Style of choice.

The Sword & Shield—Battle Styles expansion will include Battle Style Pokémon such as Single Strike Urshifu V, Rapid Strike Urshifu V, Single Strike Tyranitar V, and Rapid Strike Empoleon V, among others. Combine previously introduced VMAX mechanics with the new Battle Styles, and you get Single Strike Urshifu VMAX and Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX in their Gigantamax forms.

Here's what else you can expect from the Sword & Shield—Battle Styles expansion coming out in booster packs, Elite Trainer Boxes, and special collections:

  • 60 Battle Styles cards
  • 12 Pokémon V and 16 full-art Pokémon V
  • 6 Pokémon VMAX
  • 19 Trainer cards and 6 full-art Supporter cards
  • 2 Special Energy cards

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

HotShot Pickleball @hspickleball is Live on @kickstarter

Bardsung: Tale of the Forsaken Glade by Steamforged Games Coming Soon to Gamefound