Hi there. In this Pokemon TCG post I cover the Shiny Treasures ex expansion that was released in Japan on December 1, 2023.
Topics
- Overview Of Shiny Treasures ex Set
- New Cards In The Set
- Some Cool Shiny Cards
- References/Resources
Overview Of Shiny Treasures ex Set
Shiny Treasures ex is a special expansion for the Pokemon Trading card game released in Japan on December 1, 2023. The English version is called Paldean Fates with its release date on January 26, 2023.
This set features reprints from the previous Scarlet & Violet sets (Base Set, Paldea Evolved, Obsidian Flames, Pokemon 151), Pokemon ex cards and Shiny Pokemon. Paradox Rift cards are not in this set.
Each pack of Shiny Treasure ex has 10 cards where 1 of the 10 cards is guaranteed to be a Pokemon ex card. This guaraneteed Pokemon ex card is nice as with most Pokemon sets in the past you would get a holographic card that is not a Pokemon ex/V/Vstar/VMAX etc. In one pack you can get an ex card or better.
New Cards In The Set
Amongst the reprinted cards from the Scarlet & Violet of Era (minus Paradox Rift) there are some new cards in the set. I feature some of them here. (Source: Justinbasil.com)
Charmeleon
This Charmeleon is nice for Charizard ex decks. Having 90HP makes it nice as it searchable with Level Ball. The effect of Charmeleon makes it such that it would immune to Sableye's Lost Mine attack.
The damage is okay at 50 damage for two fire energies.
Kilowattrel
This card is for a United Wings deck. Evolve the Wattrel into this. The first attack allows for attacking the opponent's Pokemon on the bench depending on the number of Pokemon with the United Wings attack in the discard pile. I guess it could be okay as it can target weak Pokemon on the opponent's bench.
Mime Jr
Mime Jr here is kind of interesting. There are some situations where the opponent plays all powerful Pokemon with good attacks on their side. Stuff like Pokemon Vs, VStars, VMax and Pokemon ex on their side. Mime Jr has a no energy cost attack that can copy an attack of the opponent's choosing. If the opponent has all good attacks you can copy a decent attack for free with Mime Jr.
This card is weak with 30 HP but it has free retreat cost and a situationally very good attack.
Great Tusk ex (Ancient)
This big Pokemon is good and bad at the same time. It is an Ancient Pokemon which is compatible with Professor Sada's Vitality. Its 250 HP is quite big for a basic Pokemon as most basic Vs and exs are from 180 HP to 220HP with a few at 230 HP. Using a Bravery Charm on this would give it 300 HP. Using an Ancient Booster Energy Capsule would give this Great Tusk ex 310 HP which is huge.
The attack cost is quite expensive at one Fighting Energy and three colourless energies for 260 damage. 260 damage is big as it knocks out almost any Basic Pokemon and maybe some Stage 1 two prize card Pokemon. Its ability is a con as you discard 5 cards from your deck at the end of your turn if this card is in the Active spot. You can disable this negative ability with the Path to the Peak stadium card.
Iron Treads ex (Future)
The effect of this card's attack is kind of nice as it would reduce a lot of damage done to it. Its attack of 150 for 2 Metal energy + colorless does not seem scary.
Gholdengo
Gholdengo ex is nice but with this single prizer version not so much. Maybe the first attack could power up something like Origin Forme Dialga V. The second attack costs too much for just coin flipping attack. I could be missing something about this one but for now this card is a skip for playing.
Cyclizar (Dragon)
I like the art design on this card. The attack cost is a bit much for its okay damage.
Clive
This card could be good. If there are zero supporters in the opponent's hand, you draw 0 and have wasted a Supporter play. One Supporter in their hand would be hand information + draw 2. Two Supporters in their hand would be hand information + draw 4 cards. This card is a gamble but the payoff could be good if the opponent hand size is something like more than 5 cards. (This card could provide some probability exercises or something.)
Nemona's Backpack
A Supporter card is a powerful Trainer card that you can play once per turn. The Supporter card Nemona is a generic Draw 3 cards supporter. There are more powerful Supporter cards out there than Nemona. Nemona's Backpack allows the player to put up to 2 Nemona supporter cards from the discard pile into the player's hand. Combinations that I can think of that could use this is Tinkaton ex or Gholdengo ex. Maybe Galarian Perrserker V.
Students in Paldea
There are two versions of the card Students in Paldea. I really like the artworks on these two. It looks colourful and fresh in my eyes.
The Supporter card effect is a non-rule Box Pokemon search. If there is another Students in Paldea in the discard pile you can search for another non-rule Box Pokemon. The worst case is using this Supporter card to get 1 Pokemon which is worse than Nest Ball as Nest Ball is an Item card that gets 1 Basic Pokemon to the bench. Maybe you get a good return if you can search for 2 non-rule Box Pokemon from this card. Three would be great but you would have to play 4 of this Supporter and have three in the discard. That would be too much deck space.
I think this card can maybe work in a Zoroark deck, a Regigigas deck with Pokestop or some single prizer deck.
Technical Machine: Crisis Shot
At first I thought this card is too situational. Although you do need the opponent to have 1 prize card remaining, the attack is very strong. A damage amount of 280 for 3 colorless energy is pretty good. Most Pokemon like VStars, stage 1 Pokemon ex and basics get knocked out by 280 damage. One combo is this Technical Machine with Cramorant. As long as there are four cards in the Lost Zone Cramorant attacks without any energy cost.
Decks with energy acceleration could use Crisis Shot too. I am thinking of stuff like Miraidon with Flaaffy, Armarouge fire decks with Magma Basin and maybe Dark decks with Dark Patch. I just don't know how it would play out in practice.
Espathra ex
At first I thought this card was not good. After a few looks at this I think this card is a good counter to Roaring Moon ex and Charizard ex (Dark type from Obsidian Flames). As this Tera Espathra ex is a (bug) grass type it hits Roaring Moon ex and Charizard ex for weakness and does double damage.
Espathra ex hits for 60 damage if there is one Psychic energy (Base cost). Another 30 damage is added for each Energy on both Active Pokemon. Note that it does not specify the type of energy so something like Double Turbo Energy is counted as two energies.
For Espathra ex to knockout a Roaring Moon ex in one hit would require the 230HP Roaring Moon ex and Espathra ex to have a combined 3 energies on both. The math would be 30 + 30 x 3 = 30 + 90 = 120 with double damage for the grass weakness. The damage would be 240 damage.
If the Roaring Moon ex has an Ancient Booster Energy Capsule to increase its HP from 230 HP to 290 HP, Espathra ex would need to hit for 150 damage which would be 4 energies on both active Pokemon. (150 x 2 = 300 for knockout).
To one hit a Charizard ex, both the Espathra ex and Charizard ex need to have a combined (Basic) energy count of five. When Charizard ex attacks it would mostly have 2 Fire energies. Espathra ex would need three energies on it for it to deal 180 damage (30 + 30 x 5 = 30 + 150 = 180). Hit the Charizard ex for grass weakness to deal double damage of 360 to one hit the 330 HP Charizard ex.
I think this card provides a good counter to most dark decks. Personally I look forward to this card's release in English in late January 2024.
Some Cool Shiny Cards
Shiny Treasures ex set features reprints of cards from the Scarlet 8 Violet series (minus Paradox Rift). The full pictures list can be found here. I feature a selection of shiny cards here in screenshots form.
Shiny Cards
Shiny Super Rares
There are also shiny versions of Pokemon ex cards. Here are a few from the screenshot below.
Illustration Rares
There are 4 art rares. These are Wugrtio, Palafin, Pawmi and Mimikyu. These arts are really nice looking.
Special Art Rares
These special art rares look really cool. Maybe except the Charizard ex. That is like the fourth or fifth version of the same Charizard ex from Obsidian Flames. Also Iono is back. That Iono would be in mega demand just like the one in Paldea Evolved.
There are also secret rare cards and ultra rare cards that contain gold borders. You can see them near the bottom of this page.
Which cards do you like? Which ones look cool to you? Are you a collector or player?
References/Resources