Pokémon TCG: Shining Fates Expansions Review | Zatu Games (2024)

Hello Pokéfans. I'm back to look at another special expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG): Shining Fates. Shining Fates focuses on those elusive Shiny Pokémon, there are over 100 of them to collect from this set:

Reveal a Shining Destiny!

Shiny Pokémon are so extraordinary that they're almost never seen, and Trainers who catch them are considered quite lucky... and yet they can be yours in the Pokémon TCG: Shining Fates Expansion!

For those unfamiliar with the game, Pokémon TCG is a collectable card game for two players. It's based on the Pokémon anime (and video game) franchise. Players can collect cards representing their favourite Pokémon from throughout the franchise's history, build a team, and battle it out. Originally published by Wizards of the Coast in 1996, it is (since 2003) now published by The Pokémon Company. Over 30 billion cards have been sold worldwide since the games initial release.

The game continues to grow and expand. Each year, new expansions add to the pool of available cards.

The Set

Shining Fates is the fourth "special" expansion, released alongside the Sword & Shield Series. This series (like the Pokémon Sword & Pokémon Shield video games) focuses on Generation VIII Pokémon and the Galar Region. Like the Champions Path expansion before it, Shining Fates boosters are only available in specially marked products.

First released in February 2021 (UK), the set contains 195 cards. Shining Fates contains 73 cards. The 122 other cards are Shiny Pokémon and form a separate subset (Shiny Vault). One card from the Shiny Vault can appear in a booster pack, in place of the Reverse Holofoil card. The Set includes nine Pokémon V, and seven Pokémon VMAX.

The product range for Shining Fates includes the hugely popular Elite Trainer Box and:

- Pikachu V Collection.

- Three tins (Eldegoss V, Boltund V, and Cramorant V).

- Four mad party pin collections (Bunnelby, Dedenne, Galarian Mr. Rime, and Polteageist).

- Two VMAX Collections (Shiny Crobat and Shiny Dragapult).

Shining Fate products contains cards from the Japanese Shiny Star V subset, the VMAX Special Set, and the Venusaur & Blastoise VMAX Starter Sets. The Shiny Star V set alone contains a huge 330 cards (140 of which are secret cards) for players to collect.

Thoughts

Shining Fates is undoubtedly a set with high appeal for collectors. The amount of desirable (and valuable) cards is impressive. The full art shiny cards are currently on sale for £20-£30+ each. The possibility of plucking those makes cracking Shining Fates packs particularly fun!

It's also a great set to check out if you want some powerful Pokémon V and VMAX for your decks. In addition to the nine V and seven VMAX from Shining Fates, you'll have a chance to pull 17 V, 10 VMAX from the Shiny V set.

Notable cards that stand out to me are Eldegoss V, Crobat V, Ditto V, and Ditto VMAX. Eldegoss and Crobat have great abilities and make great additions to a deck. Ditto looks interesting, I think players will have fun building around it and will come up with some successful standard decks.

Shining Fates is definitely a set to check out if you're a Pokémon TCG fan.

Shining Fates Card List