Must Have Cards From Pokémon TCG’s Scarlet & Violet Paradox Rift
Posted by Magic Madhouse on 26th Dec 2023
Paradox Rift is the fourth main instalment in the Scarlet and Violet series and it was released on 3rd November 2023. Paradox Rift is a massive set and features some incredible cards that have got players and collectors very excited. We got our first look at the new ‘Ancient’ and ‘Future’ Pokémon and Trainers and these have really shaped the way that the competitive scene is going. They have some powerful interactions when used in the right combination and have really distinctive art styles as well. All of the cards we’ve chosen for our list have unique artwork, special abilities or powerful attacks that have helped them earn their spot. Paradox Rift has been a huge hit with both players and collectors and looks as though it is going to pan out as one of the best sets from the Scarlet and Violet era. Today, we are going to have a look at the Top 10 cards from the set and why they deserve a place on our list. So without further ado, let’s dive into our favourites.
Paradox Rift is the fourth main instalment in the Scarlet and Violet series and it was released on 3rd November 2023. Paradox Rift is a massive set and features some incredible cards that have got players and collectors very excited. We got our first look at the new ‘Ancient’ and ‘Future’ Pokémon and Trainers and these have really shaped the way that the competitive scene is going. They have some powerful interactions when used in the right combination and have really distinctive art styles as well. All of the cards we’ve chosen for our list have unique artwork, special abilities or powerful attacks that have helped them earn their spot. Paradox Rift has been a huge hit with both players and collectors and looks as though it is going to pan out as one of the best sets from the Scarlet and Violet era. Today, we are going to have a look at the Top 10 cards from the set and why they deserve a place on our list. So without further ado, let’s dive into our favourites.
#10 - Gholdengo ex (252/182)
Gholdengo is a new Pokémon revealed for the Paldea region and has made its way onto our list thanks to it being a very playable card with a huge potential in the game. The Alternate Art version also looks like a cheese string which I think is hilarious! All in all, this card has proved very popular with both collectors and players and should continue to do so in the future.
#9 - Groudon (199/182)
Everyone knows and loves Groudon and this incredible artwork has managed to secure it a Top 10 place on the list. Although it has not seen a huge amount of competitive play, the stunning artwork has made it a real hit with collectors. You can feel the heat of the card as Groudon roars amongst the erupting volcanoes. If you have the chance, make sure you grab one of these beauties for your collection!
#8 - Steelix (208/182)
Now this one may be slightly influenced by my personal bias, because I love Steelix! I was so pleased when I saw this card and the artwork on this one has definitely not disappointed. What’s not to love about Steelix helping out on a construction site? It has some niche playability too and I’m still trying to make a Steelix deck work, although not very successfully so far!
#7 - Professor Sada’s Vitality (256/182)
Professor Sada is one of the new Paldea Professors and this card is a really special one. It not only has some stunning artwork featuring Sada and her Pokémon surrounded by school books, but it is also a very playable card. It is the driving force behind the extremely popular Roaring Moon ex deck which has been dominating the competitive scene recently. Pick up some copies of this amazing card now and you’ll have some great collection pieces and also some very competitive cards in your binder.
#6 - Mela (254/182)
Mela has proved herself to be a very popular character from Paldea and she gets a super card with brilliant art and a very powerful effect. This card helps to make fire decks very strong as it helps with draw support and energy acceleration at the same time. This card has been a smash hit with both collectors and players and it’s not hard to see why!
#5 - Aegislash (210/182)
While Aegislash might not be your first thought for a Pokémon card to feature in the Top 5, it has earned its place thanks to its special ability and its frankly stunning artwork. This lowly Aegislash cannot be damaged by ex or V Pokémon, which in today’s game is a massive benefit! Its aptly named ‘Mysterious Shield’ Ability works nicely with the art as Aegislash looks both mysterious and alluring. I expect to see more rogue decks featuring Aegislash running around the Pokémon TCG very soon.
#4 - Garchomp ex (245/182)
Garchomp was lucky enough to get its own Tera Type ex and so the usual Fighting/Dragon type is now a Water type, which makes for some interesting matchups. Garchomp ex has seen a fair amount of play and is a very useful card, thanks to its energy acceleration attack and free retreat cost. Not only that, but the Special Illustration Rare may be one of the best looking cards in the set and has proved very difficult to pull from packs. Its rarity, good looks and playability have all combined to make this card pretty valuable, not to mention its popularity with collectors.
#3 - Iron Valiant ex (249/182)
Iron Valiant is one of the new ‘Future’ Pokémon and has probably proved to be one of the most popular so far. This card is a stunner and really sells the futuristic look as well as featuring some of the other brilliant ‘Future’ Pokémon that are available. Iron Valiant ex has seen lots of play in the competitive TCG scene thanks to its strong ability, ‘Tachyon Bits’. It allows you to place 2 damage counters on your opponents Pokémon when Iron Valiant moves to the active spot. If you have 4 Iron Valiant in play and manage to switch each one into the active spot, you can place 8 damage counters on your opponents Pokémonand still have your main attack to do as well! This card looks as though it will be sticking around for a while so grab some copies now.
#2 Iron Hands ex (248/182)
Another ‘Future’ Pokémon smashing its way into the Top 3 is Iron Hands ex. This card has helped to make Lightning decks very relevant in the competitive TCG thanks to its attack ‘Amp You Very Much’ which allows you to take an extra prize card if the opponent's Pokémon was knocked out by it. The Special Illustration Rare also has the finest artwork in the set in my opinion. You can see where Iron Hands has run down the hill and smashed its way through the walls on the way down, leaving a hilarious Iron Hands shaped hole in each wall! The playability of this card has made it really popular and it will only continue to get better as it gets more support from upcoming sets.
#1 - Roaring Moon ex (251/182)
Roaring Moon ex is the powerful new ‘Ancient’ Pokémon that has found its way to the top of many Paradox Rift lists. Its incredibly powerful attacks and supporting cast have made the Roaring Moon ex deck almost unstoppable, particularly thanks to its ‘Frenzied Gouging’ attack which allows it to knock out any Pokémon in the game. Combine this with Professor Sada’s Vitality which we saw earlier and you have some good energy acceleration for this deck. I don’t think the artwork is as cool as some that we have had on this list, but its popularity and playability have allowed it to rise to the top. The Special Illustration Rare version is also the most valuable card in the set at the time of writing and it doesn’t look like that is going to change any time soon.
So that is our Top 10 list, hopefully you will agree with the stunning cards featured here. If you want to know more about them or pick up some for your decks or collections, head over to our store now where you can find all of these amazing Scarlet and Violet Paradox Rift cards.