Pokémon Obsidian Flames Rare Cards

The third main set from the Scarlet and Violet Pokémon series was Obsidian Flames, which was released on 11th August 2023. Many of you will remember Obsidian Flames as simply, ‘The Charizard Set’. That’s right, this is the set that featured 4 different Charizard ex cards and there are not going to be too many surprises when it comes to which cards are at the top of our list of most valuable and rare cards from this set.

Obsidian Flames revolved around these powerful Charizard cards and provided plenty of support for Fire type Pokémon in general. What was special about the Charizard ex released in Obsidian Flames, is that it is a Tera Type Pokémon and so despite it usually being a Fire type, it is now a Dark type, although it still uses fire energy for its attacks. Aside from the big Charizard cards, we also got some other useful attacking Pokémon and also the best support Pokémon we have had in a long time, Pidgeot ex. Pidgeot is incredible, thanks to its ability ‘Quick Search’. This allows you to search your deck for any card and put it into your hand. That is such a powerful effect that can find you the piece you need to evolve a key Pokémon or the game winning Boss’s Orders to drag a weakened Pokémon into the active spot for a big knockout.

Top Rare Cards In Obsidian Flames

As you guessed from the opening, the top cards in this set are the Charizard ex variants with a small supporting cast. Many of the cards featured amongst Obsidian Flames most wanted are illustration rares that are sought after by collectors more than players.

Let’s start at the top with Charizard ex. The big card of the set and one which has seen a lot of competitive play and success. There are 4 different versions in the set, including a regular ex, Hyper Rare ex, Full Art Tera Type ex and a Special Illustration Rare ex. We will have a look at these in more detail later on.

The Pidgeot ex that we mentioned earlier is very sought after by players thanks to its ability, but it also got an amazing Special Illustration Rare version in the set which is just simply beautiful. This card, alongside its pre-evolution versions of Pidgey and Pidgeot, are very reminiscent of early Pokémon games and finding Pidgey along Route 1.

We’ve also had some highly underrated ex cards in this set, including Toedscruel ex and Tyranitar ex, which got a Tera type version. The usual Fighting type is now a Lightning type, which can give you some really nice type coverage in certain matchups. Toedscruel has a powerful attack that is able to dish out 280 damage as well as an ability that protects your benched Pokémon from damage counters. I expect these cards to see a lot more play in future as they get more support.

Some of the Illustration Rare cards in this set were excellent and remain a strong hit with collectors. The Ninetales is a great example of a card which doesn’t have much value in the playing community but is one of the most sought after in the collecting scene. The same goes for Gloom, Scizor and Cleffa, although Scizor has seen some competitive play. All of these cards are a delight to look at in your binder and have as display pieces and it’s obvious that Pokémon have put a lot of effort and time into getting these Illustration Rares just right.

Charizard ex Variants and Their Value

As this set is all about the Charizards, it felt right that we should give it its own focus spotlight. We mentioned earlier that there are 4 different versions of the same card in just this 1 set, that’s pretty mad! Each card has a different rarity and value and as it is also a very playable card, prices have remained quite elevated, particularly because players and collectors are both trying to get their hands on it.

The regular Charizard ex is still more expensive than most other ex cards from the Scarlet and Violet era and will set you back about £15-£20. As we move up the rarity scale, we also move up in value and the Tera Type Full Art ex will cost you about £25-£35. This card saw its value drop significantly when it got a matching promo card in the Charizard collection box. The Hyper Rare ex (the gold card) is the next most valuable of them and this has seen a quite significant price drop since its initial release. You can now pick up these gold cards for around £30-£40, a far cry from the £70+ they were fetching close to release.

Of course, the most valuable Charizard ex from this set is the Special Illustration Rare version, which has seen a massive price variance recently, but which will likely set you back somewhere in the region of £75-£100. This card was pretty tough to pull from the set and has a really nice artwork, which is why it is sitting comfortably at the top of the value charts for Obsidian Flames.

Pidgeot ex: Rarity and Controversy

Pidgeot ex also received a handful of different versions in this set, including a regular ex, a Full Art ex and a Special Illustration Rare card. Despite this being one of the most playable cards in the set and having some of the best art in the entire Sword and Shield series, the Special Illustration Rare Pidgeot can be picked up for less than £15. Just let that sink in for a second, that’s less than the regular ex version of Charizard. I feel bad for you Pidgeot, I really do.

Pidgeot has seen its fair share of controversy, with many people saying that it is too overpowered for today's game. Being able to search your deck for any card is extremely strong. Some people argue that it is a Stage 2 Pokémon, with a low HP basic, in a fast paced meta and that its overall impact on the game is not as bad as it could be. Others argue that having the ability to search out any card, every turn of the game, is way too much and has generally been on single use only cards in the past. As far as we know, Pidgeot ex is here to stay and looks to be a staple of the game going forward.

The Artistic Appeal Of Special Illustration Rares

Illustration Rares and their Special counterparts are some of the prettiest cards in the game these days. We’ve mentioned the Ninetales as being one of the most incredible artworks from the whole Sword and Shield block and there are plenty of others in Obsidian Flames which could easily be in the same conversation. The Pidgeot ex is another that kindles good memories of old games and the Cleffa is simply a beautiful piece of art. I think it's criminal that these cards are some of the finest that Pokémon have given us in years and yet most of them can be yours for less than £10 each. I can only hope that these cards get the love they deserve in future and we see some price increases when people actually realise how good they are.

Strategies for Collecting Rare Obsidian Flames Cards and Predictions For Future Trends

You may have guessed from the last section that I highly rate Illustration Rares and suggest picking up whichever ones you can find. I think these will be more valuable in years to come. As well as this, the obvious card is the Chariard, but I would be looking to grab the Full Art and the Hyper Rare versions because they just seem pretty darn cheap right now. You could even consider grading some of these rarer and prettier cards for your collection and future price increases. Obsidian Flames is still a relatively new set and so we may see further price settling as people decide where the market should be headed. I think collecting the Pidgeot ex is a good play as they are only going to become more popular with players as new sets are released and new decks come to the fore. Most importantly though, collect the cards that you like and enjoy. If you have a favourite Pokémon and enjoy trying to get every card of it, then go for it. Pokémon is a hobby to be enjoyed, whether that’s playing or collecting, and enjoyment is the number one thing you should seek from it.

We have a huge range of Obsidian Flames cards in stock on our website, including those brilliant Illustration Rares mentioned earlier. Why not have a browse and pick up some of your favourites for your collection.