Discover the Excitement of Pokémon TCG Obsidian Flames

The Pokémon Trading Card Game has always followed its highly successful release schedule in the modern era and every 3 months we get the release of a new main set. The Scarlet and Violet era is no exception to this rule and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Obsidian Flames comes out on 11th August 2023. This new set has been really hyped and it’s easy to see why. New Tera ex Pokémon, including the first Tera types to change their typing, loads of playable new cards as well as a new Charizard card. Seems like the ingredients for a winning recipe!

With the release of Obsidian Flames just around the corner, we thought we would take a look at some of the information we know about the set and how you can get involved with the community and enjoy the excitement of Pokémon.

What We Know About Obsidian Flames

Despite the release date still being a couple of weeks away (at the time of writing), we do know a lot about the set, including most of the cards that will be a part of it. There are 20 new Pokémon ex, including Pidgeot ex, Tyranitar ex and most excitingly an all new Charizard ex. There are set to be over 190 cards in the Obsidian Flames expansion and lots of these look very playable. Head over to our blog post on our top picks from Obsidian Flames to discover more about which Pokémon we think will be changing the meta.

There are also several Pokémon coming which throwback to old sets and this has people very excited. Cleffa, for example, has 30HP and the Grasping Draw attack, which costs zero energy and says ‘Draw until you have 7 cards in hand.’ Now that is very similar to the Cleffa from back in the Wizard’s of the Coast era of the 2000’s, which had the Eeeek attack which was a shuffle draw 7 (or 6 on the later versions). Another reappearance is being made by Pidgeot ex, with its Quick Search ability. We first had a Pidgeot card with this ability way back in 2004’s Fire Red Leaf Green set and the card was a major player back then. The Pokémon TCG has changed a lot in the last 20 years and so we will have to wait and see if the new Pidgeot ex is as good as it was back then. The final card that deserves a special mention is Bonsly, who is getting their second ever English card and first since Diamond and Pearl all the way back in 2007. For 16 years Bonsly has waited for their chance and now it’s finally here. Well done Bonsly!

We also know that the special illustration cards will be returning once more, with, as Pokémon puts it, ‘Dozens of Pokémon and Trainer cards with special illustrations.’ That’s really exciting as the special illustrations have proved to be hugely popular since they debuted in the Scarlet and Violet Base Set. We have been treated to some gorgeous cards which people have been scrambling to get their hands for their decks. The special illustrations can add tons of value to a set and I think it will be the same for Obsidian Flames.

Obsidian Flames booster packs will continue to have the 2 reverse holo cards and a guaranteed holo or better, which has been great for pack opening enthusiasts and means you know that you are going to get something good in every pack! It also really helps if you’re going for those master sets, as you now get 2 reverse holo per pack instead of the 1 that you got before. That means you should manage to snap up all those reverse holos twice as quickly as you used to!

How Can I Get Involved With Obsidian Flames?

As with all new sets, pre release events are a great way to get involved and even get your hands on the set a couple of weeks before the official release date. Pre release events run at your local game store, usually in the two weeks leading up to release. You could even do your own mini event at home by purchasing some Build and Battle kits or a Build and Battle Stadium box and getting your friends together for some battling. There are lots of upcoming tournaments which you can attend, all of which are on the Play Pokémon website.

There are lots of ways that you can get hold of Obsidian Flames cards, whether that’s buying packs and boxes to open or by trading with your friends. The community has lots of friendly people who are happy to help you get the cards you need for your collection or for your new deck.

Will Obsidian Flames Be A Collectable Set?

As with all sets, it’s difficult to know in advance. Who would have thought Sun and Moon era booster boxes would be selling for hundreds if not thousands just a few years on? Obsidian Flames has a lot going for it though. Firstly, it has a very sought after Charizard card. In fact, it’s the first ever Tera type Charizard and it also has a gold card version. This alone will make the set somewhat of a chase set for a lot of people. It has lots of similarities to the Sword and Shield set, Darkness Ablaze, which was also the third main expansion in that series. That set contained the Charizard VMAX, which helped to push its popularity up. Obsidian Flames is a bit different as it contains lots of Art Rare cards and Special Art Rare cards, which will help its popularity and potential long term value.

Outside of the Charizard, I don’t think the set is hugely collectable, apart from the aforementioned Special Illustration cards. There are some playable cards which I believe will form some part of the meta over the next couple of years that Obsidian Flames is Standard legal. From conversations I’ve had in the community, I do think that Obsidian Flames is being slept on a bit. If that is the case then perhaps sales will not hit as well as previous sets and print runs may be cut short. If that happens then I would definitely recommend picking up some boxes or products to keep sealed for a few years, if you are in a position to do so. If you just enjoy opening packs, collecting cards or playing with them, then go for it. Get together with your friends and rip some packs, trade some cards and enjoy Pokémon for what it is. Some people enjoy collecting sealed items and I think this set could be a surprise down the line.

Final Thoughts On Scarlet and Violet Obsidian Flames

I am really excited for this new set and have my eyes on some of the cards for my new decks. The Scizor holo card is one I’m most excited for and I think it’s going to be an extremely powerful deck. I’m really looking forward to getting some packs opened and seeing some of the fantastic new artwork that’s coming in the set.

I have already got my pre orders put in and can’t wait for them to arrive on my doorstep. You can do the same at our website and join in with the thrill of Obsidian Flames. I hope everyone keeps enjoying this wonderful hobby and I hope you are all as excited for this set as we are!