With the Pokemon Trading Card Game’s next expansion, Pitch Black, on the horizon, The Pokemon Company was kind enough to send me some products for review, which I was all too happy to blitz through in a storm of discarded foil packaging.
This opening couldn’t have been further removed from my last preview for Chaos Rising, where across 55 packs I pulled three SIRs (Greninja, AZ’s Tranquility, and Cinccino), as well as the fated golden Greninja ex from the set.
Pokemon TCG Pitch Black In A Nutshell
The Pokemon TCG is releasing a lot of smaller sets at the moment. It’s speculated by store owners that this is to allow The Pokemon Company to print the 30th Anniversary expansion (which should be plentiful in stock) into the ground. It’s great for those looking to complete full sets, but it also leaves things a little thin otherwise. Pitch Black might be the perfect example of that.
The set is the second in a row to have fewer than 200 cards, clocking in at even less than Chaos Rising’s 198, which made it the second-smallest in over a decade, and the similarities don’t stop there. There are only two real chase cards in this entire expansion, the Mega Darkrai ex SIR and Gold card, neither of which is as good as the frog, and the IRs pale in comparison to every recent set, too.
While CRI had some fan favorite Pokemon like Ampharos and Crobat, Pitch Black has Slowbro and… Thievul? The art on them, as is always the case, is great, but the list, which includes Toucanon, Goldeen, and Formantis, lacks any that people truly care about. I found this lack of a chase to be a big detriment to Pitch Black, and it didn’t help that my pulls were abysmal either.
A Decidedly Average Set With An Opening To Match
Now, I’m resigned to the fact that I’m never going to have another opening like my last one. In a lifetime of collecting the Pokemon TCG, I’ve never seen anything like it. This opening shows the duality of ripping packs, though, and I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.
From the 55 packs that The Pokemon Company sent me (a Booster Box, an Elite Trainer Box, a Build and Battle Kit, and a Booster Bundle), I don’t really have much to write home about.
I got the Misty Full Art, which is nice, I guess, but the Chandelure ex Full Art was the only other notable non-IR card I pulled.
I did pull five IRs, which is pretty much the standard for this number of packs. However, given the Pokemon represented on these cards, it was hard to get excited. Primarina was first out, my least favorite starter in history, then Toucannon, a dumb bird, Bastiodon, Dhelmise, and Manectric followed. Those three are all fine.
I can’t complain; I opened 55 packs for free, it’s just a hard set to get pumped over.
Closing Thoughts
It’s the third set in a row that I’ve described as “underwhelming”. It’s by no means bad, but following on from Ascended Heroes, which has some of the best cards in the TCG’s history, it’s a bit deflating. However, I will never stop harping on about how this will hopefully deter the scalpers that are plaguing the hobby.
Next up, however, is the 30th Anniversary Expansion, and I have no doubt this duck will be broken. The product lineup has now been revealed, and we’ve got a taste of the cards it’s set to include. Sure, it’s going to be a nightmare to get hold of, but if you can, you will be in for a treat.
- Original Release Date
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October 20, 1996
- Player Count
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2
- Age Recommendation
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6+
- Length per Game
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Variable
- Franchise Name
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Pokemon
