Pokémon TCG expansion introduces new Pokémon Legends: Arceus cards
And brings back the Lost Zone.
The newest expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game sees the return of the Lost Zone and the introduction of several new Hisuian cards.
Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Lost Origin is a new expansion for the trading card game that brings back the Lost Zone gameplay mechanic, which was first introduced in the HeartGold and SoulSilver expansion released in 2010. The expansion – which also added Pokémon LEGEND cards such as Ho-Oh and Lugia – featured a small collection of cards, such as Gengar Prime, that would force an opponent to discard one or more cards into a pile separate from their main discard pile.
Similarly to the likes of banished cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game and exiled cards in Magic: The Gathering, cards sent to the Lost Zone in the Pokémon TCG are nearly impossible to retrieve, unlike cards that have been discarded normally.
Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Lost Origin sees the return of this gameplay mechanic with several cards that force players to discard cards to a separate pile, including Giratina VSTAR – a dark-type Pokémon card that evolves from a V Pokémon and has a special ability. Giratina VSTAR is one of six VSTAR Pokémon cards featured within Lost Origin, alongside 14 Pokémon V cards and a single VMAX card.
On top of the inclusion of the Lost Zone gameplay mechanic and the V, VSTAR and VMAX Pokémon cards, Lost Origin will also contain several Pokémon cards based on Hisuian Pokémon found in the video game spin-off Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The new Hisuian Pokémon cards include Hisuian Zoroark VSTAR and Hisuian Goodra VSTAR, alongside several Radiant Pokémon cards.
Radiant Pokémon were introduced in the Astral Radiance set, the cards feature powerful basic Pokémon that players can only include one of in their decks. Lost Origins includes three new Radiant Pokémon such as Radiant Gardevior, with each Radiant card featuring shiny artwork and having their own unique ability players can utilise against their foes.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a game for two players that sees participants using their respective Pokémon decks against each other. At the start of the game, players draw their hands and place a basic Pokémon card into their active slot, before placing any additional basic Pokémon cards onto their bench. Players then take turns to play cards from their hand – such as items or energy cards – or perform an attack using their active Pokémon, as long as they have the required amount of energy placed on that card.
Should a player manage to reduce an opponent’s active Pokémon to zero health, they’ll receive a prize card – sometimes more than one – and be one step closer to victory. Players win the trading card game if they manage to obtain six or more prize cards or leave their opponent without an active Pokémon or any left on their bench.
The Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Lost Origin is set to be released in booster pack form, Elite Trainer Boxes and special editions, as well as a Pokémon Centre Elite Trainer Box in September.