The release of Evolving Skies, the latest expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, is a big deal for the game's constantly growing community. Not only is it one of the largest sets to date, beaten only by 2019’s Cosmic Eclipse set, it's also making some bold changes to a class that was mysteriously absent for too long. With the introduction of 237 new cards, fans of both the trading card game and the Pokémon franchise in general, are spoiled for choice. Yet while the sheer scale of the set should be enough to please players looking to diversify their collections, the impressive spread of cards does pose some drawbacks.
As with most Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions, Evolving Skies highlights two core themes: Dragon types and Eeveelutions. While fans of Eevee will no doubt enjoy seeing their favorites represented on the traditionally gorgeous V and V Max cards, the return of Dragon types is the real cause for celebration. Since the start of the Sword and Shield era, Dragons have been missing from the game, puzzling many players with their absence. Ask any Pokémon fan and it's likely that they’ll name-drop a Dragon type as one of their favorite pocket monsters; Seeing them return to the Pokémon Trading Card Game is a sight for sore eyes.
Sporting some tweaked mechanics and a new card design template, Dragon types have never been better. While many Dragons still make use of attacks that require two different energies, the entire class has seen a massive buff thanks to their new lack of both weaknesses and resistances. The removal of Fairy type should see Dragons climb in prominence in the forthcoming meta, lead by Rayquaza VMAX which sports some of the best alternative card artwork in the set and is a must purchase for players looking to be competitive.
Beyond everyone’s favorite giant green sky serpent, Evolving Skies does feature a decent spread of effective attacking Pokémon. As usual, players will want to be hunting for those Pokémon V and VMAX. The latest expansion features a good variety of these powerful cards and while they may not be necessary to build a competitive deck that can hold its own in a casual setting, they certainly provide an edge in combat. Standouts from the set, in terms of playability and effectiveness, include Suicune V, Sylveon V and Umbreon VMAX.
This isn’t to write off some of the smaller Pokémon who should also prove effective going forward. Players looking to capitalize on the early-to-mid game should be looking for Flaffy, a card many are considered to be one of the best in the Evolving Skies set due to its Dynamotor ability providing legs to most one-prize decks, many of which have recently been lacking in power.
While it’s always difficult to say which cards will feature prolonged play, the 2021-2022 Standard format rotation looming in the distances makes predictions even more challenging. Given the recent popularity of Battle Styles, it’s good to see The Pokémon Company further supporting Rapid Strike and Single Strike Pokémon. Many cards that sport this feature have traditionally been playable in a variety of decks, regardless of their type; many players have even been able to craft powerful decks exclusively around the mechanics. Given the impending rotation of Tag Team Pokémon, it’s likely that these Pokémon will become even more prominent going forward.
Yet while the sheer variety on display in Evolving Skies is likely a dream come true for those looking to collect and display their cards, the general bloat of the set is noticeable. Given the fact that Evolving Skies is a combination of three different Japanese sets (Skyscraping Perfection, Blue Sky Stream and Eevee Heroes), the general bulk of the expansion makes sense. Yet many of the standard Pokémon cards feel like filler. Every trading card game will include a healthy amount of filler, yet Evolving Skies feels saturated in these cards. Given how many cards were cut from the Japanese versions, one has to wonder if some of these would have been better if they were saved for future expansions.
Despite the excessive filler, there’s a lot to love in Evolving Skies. The power boost and resurrection of Dragon types should hopefully result in some fresh deck archetypes, while collectors have been blessed with some gorgeous art to proudly display in their collection. While it may be daunting for new players to jump in via Evolving Skies, long-time fans will no doubt enjoy the continued support of Rapid and Single Strike Pokémon and The Pokémon Company's commitment to diversifying the competitive metagame.