Pokémon Destined Rivals Set List – Everything You Need to Know

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Destined Rivals – Overview of the Set

One of the most beloved Pokemon TCG expansions of all time has to be Gym Heroes. Released way back in 2000, the set introduced Owner’s Pokemon, giving us the very Pokemon used by iconic trainers like Blaine and Misty. Though it has returned a couple of times since then, the idea of Owner’s Pokemon has always been an exciting one, and Scarlet & Violet’s Destined Rivals brings it back in a big way.

This expansion features the triumphant return of Team Rocket’s Pokemon to the TCG, with the villainous team and their many ‘mons being a core part of the set. But, like the recent Journey Together, there’s also a focus on some of the other rivals you’ve encountered throughout your journey, with champions Steven and Cynthia, gym leaders Marnie and Mystie, and rivals Ethan and Arven all adding to the stellar lineup of the set.

Full Set List – Cards Revealed So Far

At the time of writing, Destined Rivals hasn’t had its full setlist revealed, meaning there are all kinds of surprises still waiting for us ahead of its May 30 launch date. That being said, there are a handful of cards already confirmed to be coming in the set:

• Cynthia’s Roselia
• Cynthia’s Roserade
• Team Rocket’s Moltres ex
• Ethan’s Typhlosion
• Ethan’s Slugma
• Ethan’s Magcargo
• Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex
• Misty’s Psyduck
• Misty’s Staryu
• Misty’s Starmie
• Misty’s Magikarp
• Misty’s Gyarados
• Ethan’s Pichu
• Team Rocket’s Mareep
• Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex
• Team Rocket’s Mimikyu
• Team Rocket’s Tyranitar
• Team Rocket’s Garchomp
• Marnie’s Scrafty
• Marnie’s Grimmsnarl ex
• Arven’s Masbosstiff ex
• Steven’s Metagross ex
• Team Rocket’s Meowth
• Team Rocket’s Persian ex
• Team Rocket’s Porygon
• Team Rocket’s Porygon2
• Team Rocket’s Porygon-Z
• Arven’s Sandwich
• Spikemuth Gym
• Team Rocket’s Giovanni
• Cynthia’s Roserade (Illustration Rare)
• Misty’s Psyduck (Illustration Rare)
• Team Rocket’s Meowth (Illustration Rare)
• Kangaskhan (Illustration Rare)
• Ethan’s Ho-oh ex (Ultra Rare)
• Electivire ex (Ultra Rare)
• Emcee’s Excitement (Ultra Rare)
• Ethan’s Adventure (Ultra Rare)
• Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex (Special Illustration Rare)
• Cynthia’s Garchomp (Special Illustration Rare)

Though this set is full of incredible cards, it feels almost tailor-made to me, as it includes a ton of my favourite Pokemon! The entire Porygon line gets a slightly sinister Team Rocket version, Arven’s Masbosstiff represents the best Paldea Pokemon perfectly, and I just love Electivire. I definitely know which cards I’ll be looking to pull.

Key Cards from the Set – Must-Have for Collectors and Players

We won’t know the biggest cards in the set until we have the full list, but it’s safe to assume both Ethan’s Ho-oh ex and especially Cynthia’s Garchomp will be chase rares. Cynthia and her Garchomp are fan-favourites in the series, and its been a decent amount of time since Ho-oh has graced the game quite to this extent.

Mewtwo ex is also likely going to be one to pull. Mewtwo is one of those Pokemon, like Charizard or Rayquaza, that can single-handedly drive a set. People love Mewtwo, so having a Team Rocket’s version in Destined Rivals is sure to shift a few packs.

What is trickier to work out is the impact Destined Rivals will have on competitive play. Trainer’s Pokemon is inherently an insular mechanic, as you need to run multiple cards from that trainer to have any kind of payoff. I wouldn’t be surprised if the big competitive piece from this set isn’t one of the Trainer’s Pokemon, and instead something more generic, like a Trainer card or something like Electivire ex.

How Destined Rivals Impacts the Meta, And The Best Cards For Competitive Play

Though we don’t know for sure which cards will be included in Destined Rivals, we can make educated guesses thanks to its Japanese source material: Hot Wind Arena, and Glory of the Rocket Gang. There’s a few cards in both of those sets that have been making waves in Japanese play that should do the same when they finally arrive here.

The first is Team Rocket’s Moltres ex. This one introduces a brand new type of effect, letting you remove your opponent’s active Pokemon and any card attached to it from play. This isn’t a KO, so you won’t claim any prizes cards, but being able to just remove the opposing Pokemon from play could be utterly lethal if built around properly.

The Team Rocket Pokemon in particular could prove popular, even if Trainer’s Pokemon aren’t likely to se the game on fire. There’s a good package of cards in Glory of the Rocket Gang, like Rocket’s Ariana and Rocket’s Spidops. Team Rocket’s Giovanni is the cornerstone of this deck, letting you swap both your own and your opponent’s active Pokemon in a pinch.

Destined Rivals is definitely an expansion that will appeal more to collectors than competitive players, but it could well see a fun, if niche, deck arise with all the Rocket synergy. It all depends on whether you pull that Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex!

Popular Synergies in the Destined Rivals Set

Destined Rivals is absolutely chock full of synergies worth exploring, thanks to all of its Trainer’s Pokemon cards.

Take Ethan’s Magcargo. Its Lava Burst attack deals 70 base damage, but for each Fire-type energy you discard from it, you can multiply the damage up to five times for a whopping 350. Getting five energy onto Magcargo would be difficult, if it weren’t for Ethan’s Ho-oh ex’s ability to put two Fire energy on a benched Ethan’s Pokemon each turn!

Meanwhile, Misty’s Gyarados can deal even more with its Splashing Panic attack. L<oading your deck with nothing but Misty’s Pokemon and Energy could well be a great strategy, as Gyarados lets you discard the top seven cards of your deck to multiply its 70-damage attack by the number of Misty’s Pokemon you throw away. If you build your deck right, this could one-shot any Pokemon in the entire game.

Where To Buy Pokemon Destined Rivals Cards

Scarlet & Violet: Destined Rivals launches on May 30, but you’re still able to preorder all the booster packs, Elite Trainer Boxes, and booster bundles you need ahead of this fantastic set.

If you want something a bit fancier, why not go for the Mewtwo ex box? This includes copies of Team Rocket’s Giovanni, Team Rocket’s Meowth, and of course, Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex itself, alongside four booster packs.

Destined Rivals is not going to be a set you’ll want to miss. Between its brilliant art treatments, competitively viable cards, and a whole darn family of Porygon cards, this is definitely one I am very excited for!