Take a look at Dark type-shifted Charizard and other Pokémon from upcoming Obsidian Flame card set
A fiery Eiscue is among the odd Tera-type cards.
A Charizard card sporting Dark typing has appeared in the wild as part of the promotional push for the Pokémon Trading Card Game’s upcoming Obsidian Flame expansion. The type-shifted lizard is one of three Pokémon that will receive the special design when it launches later in August.
Type-shifted cards represent the terastallized Pokémon commonly found in the Paldea region, where the latest titles in the long running video game series take place. Terastallized Pokémon can appear with a radically different typing than their usual version, such as a Dark-type Charizard or Fire-type Eiscue. In the video game, this adds a layer of tactical complexity, and the same could be said for the TCG’s first foray, as well. Tera Pokémon appeared in earlier Scarlet & Violet-era sets but all stuck to their original typing.
The images come from a July 5th Pokébeach article that claims to show images of card standees sent to retailers as part of Obsidian Flame’s promotional material. The Dark-type Charizard ex card has 330 HP and a single attack that still requires Fire energy. It’s weakness has been switched to the Grass type, aligning it with most other Dark-type Pokémon cards.
Charizard’s one attack, Burning Darkness, gets stronger with every prize card an opponent claims. Iits ability, Infernal Reign, allows a player to search their deck for three Fire energy cards and attach them however they wish on the turn that Charizard evolved from its lower stages. This gives the new version of a longtime favourite a ton of burst speed and surprise potential, especially later in the game when you might be feeling caught on your back foot.
The other type-shifted terrastallized card is a Fire type Eiscue ex, which is paradoxically weak to Water while also using Water energy to power its one attack. Scalding Block wallops for a respectable 160 damage, and if the controlling player discards an energy from Eiscue ex, their opponents defending Pokémon can’t attack on the next turn. Something, something, offence and defence.
Images of the previously announced Lightning-type Tyranitar were revealed in Japanese, but an official translation is not yet available. Obsidian Flame is due to hit US and European retail on August 11th and will contain more than 190 new cards. The set will drop 15 new Pokémon ex to an already growing list of powerful critters that players can build into the centrepiece of their decks. Pokémon TCG Live players will receive the cards a few days after the physical release.