The Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown expansion offers a deep dive into the mysteries of Tera Pokémon with Tera Pokémon ex vying against powerhouse Pokémon ex for the crown. In order to win this royal rumble, you’ll need to have some tricks up your sleeve, from enormously helpful ACE SPEC cards to clever attacks that have to be used at the exact right moment. But there’s more to this expansion than epic battles; the artwork provides an opportunity for the Pokémon’s personalities to shine, showcasing their whimsy, beauty, and strength. Dip a toe into the waters of the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown expansion, officially available September 13, 2024.

Falinks

As the Formation Pokémon, Falinks has a reputation for being regimentally ready for battle as the six individuals that comprise this Pokémon strategize their way to victory. And yet illustrator Gapao’s depiction of this Pokémon is dreamy, rife with soft flowers and plants. That doesn’t mean that this Falinks isn’t ready to wreak havoc on opponents, however. With Form Ranks, Falinks allows you to search your deck for up to 2 Basic Pokémon and put them onto your Bench. It makes sense that the Formation Pokémon would be interested in helping get your Pokémon quickly into action. And Falinks’s All-Out Attack is equally strategic, doing 30 damage, plus an additional 90 damage if Falinks used Form Ranks on its last turn. A Basic Pokémon that can do up to 120 points of damage certainly has a fighting spirit that’s worth leveraging.

Raging Bolt

Artist kodama’s Raging Bolt looms above the battlefield surrounded by blue and yellow sparks of electricity flying in all directions. And the Paradox Pokémon is ready to harness the power of the storm with its Thunderburst Storm attack, doing 30 damage to one of your opponent’s Pokémon for each Energy attached to Raging Bolt. Then there’s Dragon Headbutt, which does an incredible 130 damage—an immediate Knock Out for many Pokémon, proving that Raging Bolt is as much a powerhouse as a Paradox.

Briar

When you’re roughly two-thirds of the way through a fiercely fought Pokémon TCG battle, Briar is ready to sweep in and help hand you the victory. This Supporter card has a very limited window of use. When your opponent has exactly two Prize cards remaining, if your opponent’s Active Pokémon is Knocked Out by damage from an attack used by your Tera Pokémon, Briar allows you to take one additional Prize card, bringing you closer to securing the win. Clearly, this requires a very specific set of circumstances to occur, but this is certainly something to consider when building your next deck. All it takes is a Tera Pokémon, Briar, and perfect timing.

Iron Boulder

This may be the Paradox Pokémon, but there’s no confusion about why you’d want to include Iron Boulder in your next deck. Its Adjusted Horn attack does 170 damage—if you have the same number of cards in your hand as your opponent. Have an ironclad plan, though, because if your hand sizes don’t match, the attack does no damage. While the circumstances have to be perfect to pull off, there are not a lot of Basic Pokémon capable of doing 170 damage. While plenty of Pokémon ex can wield that much damage, they’re often a riskier option because you also lose two Prize cards when they’re Knocked Out. Iron Boulder’s name accurately captures this Pokémon’s physical stature, but artist GIDORA captures the behemoth in a flash of movement, charging headlong toward its opponent.

Dachsbun ex

Dachsbun ex is not loafing around when it comes to battle, with its impressive 250 HP. Its Time to Chow Down Ability is paw-sitively amazing, providing the opportunity to heal all damage from each of your Evolution Pokémon when you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve one of your Pokémon during your turn. Unfortunately, you subsequently have to discard all Energy from those Pokémon. Then there’s its Wonder Shine attack, which does an impressive 130 damage and renders your opponent’s Active Pokémon Confused. Setting aside its battle prowess, Dachsbun ex as illustrated by You Iribi is a joyful, adorable presence.

These are just a few of the incredible cards you'll find in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown expansion. See what other cool cards you can discover when the expansion releases on September 13, 2024.