Whats to come with the launch of The Scarlet & Violet 3 Booster

The Best Pokémon Obsidian Flames Products To Get Your Hands On

The latest expansion from the Pokémon Trading Card Game is almost here, as Scarlet and Violet Obsidian Flames releases on 11th August 2023. As with all set releases, there are lots of products available and it can be a bit overwhelming knowing what to go for. Fear not! Because we have a comprehensive guide as to what the available products are and what the best ways for you to get your hands on Obsidian Flames are.

As with all Scarlet and Violet sets so far, Obsidian Flames follows the new standards for booster pack contents. Each pack contains 11 cards, which consist of one holo or better, 2 reverse holo (of which one could be an illustrator rare), 7 common and uncommon cards and an energy card, as well as a code card for the online game. This new format has proved really popular and I know that I love getting multiple holo cards in a single pack!

So we all know what to expect from the booster packs, but what about what’s inside each of the different product boxes? Let’s look at them and break down each one.

Can I Still Get Booster Boxes?

Booster boxes are the best and most efficient way of getting your hands on Pokémon cards and with the upcoming release of Scarlet and Violet 3: Obsidian Flames, things are no different. Each booster box contains 36 booster packs and, while you are not guaranteed certain cards, you are guaranteed a good mix of cards and are likely to pick up multiples of the staple trainers. You are pretty likely to pull some ex cards, a couple of Full Arts and possibly even a Gold Card. Booster boxes are fantastic fun to open with your friends, especially if the price is more than you can afford or want to pay. Why not split the cost with some friends and then split the packs up from the box? Then all sit together and rip some packs and have a good time!

Booster boxes are always good for ‘investment’ purposes in Pokémon, that is, keeping a booster box sealed in the hope that the value will rise in future and you will then be able to sell it on for a profit. This set looks to be no different, especially with the inclusion of another big Charizard card. As with previous cards, Charizard fuels many people’s nostalgia and has grown into being one of, if not the most popular Pokémon worldwide. This set includes the first ever Tera Type Charizard as well as a beautiful Gold version of the card as well. It is always a good idea to think about the long term collectability of the set which can include asking yourself some general questions first; are there plenty of playable cards? Does it contain good artwork or popular Pokémon? What is the supply like? By answering these questions you can see that one in particular stands out. The Charizard ex is going to be a chase card for people for years to come.

Do I Have To Buy Booster Boxes To Get The Cards?

There are plenty of other ways that you can get your paws on Obsidian Flames packs. Elite Trainer Boxes are superb for getting lots of little extras that you need on your Pokémon journey. Buying an Elite Trainer Box is like going to the PokeMart and leaving with a box with everything you need in it! Firstly, you get 9 booster packs to open and enjoy, and Elite Trainer Boxes are notorious for having some pretty sweet pulls in the packs. That’s not all though, you also get enough Obsidian Flames sleeves to sleeve a full deck with some spares and some dice and counters for playing the game. You also get the box which it comes in, which is perfect for storing cards and you get some dividers, which fit perfectly into the ETB. you could easily use an empty ETB to store your cards in and use the dividers to separate them into Pokémon, Trainers and Energy. But that’s not all folks! You also get a code card for the Pokémon Trading Card Game Live and a Promo card as well. As you can see, Elite Trainer Boxes are stuffed full of goodies and are perfect for getting going with collecting. Even the empty boxes come in handy at the end of it. ETB’s are great value and I always have fun opening them up.

3-pack blisters are next and these are exactly as they sound. They contain 3 packs and a Promo card. The Promo cards for Obsidian Flames are Eevee and Houndstone. 3-pack blisters are usually pretty good value although the Promo cards are not usually very playable. They are collectable though and holo versions of some regular common/uncommon cards can be cool. I have found over the years that 3-pack blisters will generally have a good pull amongst their packs, so can be a cheaper way to improve your chances of getting a hit if that’s what you are looking for.

What If I Only Have Some Change For A Single Pack?

Don’t worry, the Pokémon Company has thought of every eventuality. Similar to the 3-pack blisters, we have single pack checklane blisters and premium checklane blisters. These 2 different types both contain a single pack and a Pokémon coin. The difference is that the single checklane blister contains just a single Promo card, in this case either Pawmi or Paldean Wooper. The premium checklane blister contains a full evolution line of Promo cards, this includes the Basic, Stage 1 and Stage 2. For Obsidian Flames, the Promos are the Kingambit line and the Annihilape line. The premium blisters are a little more expensive but you do get the full evolution line which is nice.

You can also get loose single packs for the set and these are generally from opened booster boxes or other opened products. These are probably one of the cheapest ways of getting the cards and you can choose exactly how many packs you want. You can also get single packs in the cardboard sleeves which offer even more randomness than the loose packs. These are usually slightly more expensive than the loose packs.

I Went To A Prerelease Event And Loved The Kits, Can I Get Them?

Well, fear not as finally we have Build and Battle kits and the Build and Battle Stadium. The Build and Battle kits are what you would expect to receive at a prerelease event and contain 4 booster packs and a pre-built, 40 card deck for you to compete in the prerelease event with. These are obviously for use at the prerelease events, however often places will have spares which they are able to sell off afterwards. On a similar note, we have the Build and Battle Stadium. These are excellent for getting together with a friend and doing your own prerelease style event. They contain everything you need to get going, including 2 Build and Battle boxes, 4 extra booster packs, an energy brick to help with your deck building, some dice and markers and you can use the box afterwards to store everything in. These are excellent for getting started with the set and are good value for money as well.

What If I Only Want A Few Individual Cards?

Some people only ever want a couple of the cards from each set, perhaps their favourite Pokémon or maybe a highly collectable card. In these cases it is far more cost effective to just buy the single cards. This can be through pre orders or just wait until the set releases and there will be plenty of singles for you to buy. You can even head down to your local league and trade for the cards you need. If you are not enthused by the excitement of opening packs, and you know which cards you want, then buying singles is always the best option.

Final Thoughts On All The Products

As with every set release, there is a super selection of sealed goodies for you to choose from. For getting the staples from the set and some extra hits then always go for the booster box. They are the most expensive product but you get the most out of them. Build and Battle kits and stadiums are brilliant for playing with your friends and are the best to help you get playing quickly. Elite Trainer Boxes are the best for starting your collection and have everything you need for storing and playing.

I’m really excited for the release of Obsidian Flames and cannot wait to open some packs with my friends and build some new and exciting decks. If you haven’t done so already, why not check out our guide to the best cards in Obsidian Flames and join in with the hype of Pokémon’s newest set.