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All Changes to the Pokemon TCG in Scarlet & Violet, Explained

Nothing too crazy.

Promotion for the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG. Image Source: The Pokemon Company

The next set block for the Pokemon TCG, Scarlet and Violet, is quickly approaching and bringing some changes to the game with it. You’re probably wondering what will be different when the new set drops, so here’s everything you need to know about all the changes to the Pokemon TCG in Scarlet and Violet.

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What’s Different About Scarlet & Violet in the Pokemon TCG?

All of these changes are confirmed on Pokemon.com as of their Dec. 9, 2022 announcement.

Tools Are Their Own Card Type

The most important change made by the Scarlet & Violet set block is that Tools are no longer Item cards. They’re now a separate trainer category like Stadiums and Supporters. Item locking effects no longer prevent a player from attaching Tools to their Pokemon, but Whimsicott’s VSTAR’s Trick Wind attack still does.

New Prices for Packs

Individual pack prices are increasing with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet too, and will now be $4.49 per pack. However, the packs will now have three foil cards in them to maintain the same value to players. Elite Trainer boxes will have one more pack and another full art card to keep up with inflation price increases.

New Card Borders

There are minor cosmetic improvement with the new set block too. All cards will now have silver borders on the front instead of the current yellow borders to keep things consistent with Japan. Another change is that set symbols will be replaced by set codes like SV1, and will be in the bottom left corner of cards. Japanese cards have had this feature for years, and the feature is now coming to international cards.

Pokemon cards from the first Scarlet and Violet set.
Image Source: The Pokemon Company

New Energy Card Layout

Energy cards will now have the type symbol in the bottom right of the card, making it easier to count the number of energy attached to a Pokemon. Additionally, Basic Energy will be listed at the top of these cards, and the energy type symbol will be in the card’s name.

That’s all there is to know about every change coming in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG. Check out some of our other Pokemon content like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC rules, and the best cards to pull from Silver Tempest and Lost Origin.

About the author

Ryan Bruckner

Ryan Bruckner, a University of Wisconsin grad and cat dad, wrote for Twinfinite from September of 2022 to March of 2023. A large contributor to the site's Pokemon Scarlet & Violet coverage, Ryan also often wrote about Star Wars and the Pokemon TCG.

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