Summary
If you’re dazzled by shiny Pokemon cards and love hunting and collecting all the special cards that the Pokemon Trading Card Game puts out, then Paldean Fates is quite possibly the best special set the company has ever released.
Most of the set is made up of great reprints from the past few sets, with tons of great cards making their way back into players' hands with all-new artwork and sometimes with brand-new rarities. If you’re planning on opening a few packs from the set, you’re going to want to keep an eye out for these cards.
10Pikachu
You Can’t Go Wrong With A Good Pikachu
One Pokemon who has been thestar of the franchise since its inceptionhas been Pikachu, the little yellow mouse who has been everyone’s favorite Pokemon for ages. The latest printing of Electric-type Pokemon is a special shiny one, showing off some of the best that Paldean Fates brings to the table.
While this Pikachu doesn’t do much in terms of playability, it’s a standard Basic Pokemon all things considered, it is pretty rare to get a shiny version of a Pikachu on a card, especially one that looks as good as this one.
9Paldean Student
There’s Always More
A pretty interesting Trainer card is making its debut in Paldean Fates. Paldean Student lets you search your deck for a Pokemon card that doesn’t have a rules box, so no ex, V, or Tera Pokemon, and then add it to your hand. You also get to repeat this for each other card you have with the name Paldean Student you have in the discard pile.
You can pitch extra copies of Paldean Student early in the game to other card effects and still be able to maximize the number of Pokemon you can get when you play it.
8Iono
Reset Your Hand
Iono is one of those cards that you always need a few copies of, and if you’re running low, Paldean Fates is the best place to get one from. Paldean Fates certainly has copies of the uncommon Trainer in its packs, but there’s also a chance for something better.
One of the unique Special Illustrations coming in the set is a beautiful version of Iono with a wonderful pastel pallet. The card features some of Iono’s partner Pokemon, making it a great addition to a deck or collection.
7Squawkabilly ex
Never Run Out Of Cards
It’s not too uncommon to run out of cards early on in your game if you don’t have a reliable way to refill your hand. So long as it is the first turn, Squawkabilly ex is the answer to your empty hand and a way to keep going on your next turn.
When Squawkabilly enters the board, so long as it is your first turn, you’re able to discard your hand and draw six cards. You really only want to play one of this card, since you can only activate this ability once on your turn, but it is still a fantastic card to add in any deck.
6Technical Machine: Crisis Punch
A TM To Win With
TMs have proven themselves to be a powerful new addition to the Pokemon Trading Card Game, and with Crisis Punch, you get another way to completely knock out an opposing Pokemon with one hit.
Crisis Punch gives you a new attack that you’re able to only use for one turn, but could be just what you need to make a comeback. For three Colorless Energy, you get to use Crisis Punch, an attack that deals 280 damage to your opponent’s active Pokemon, but it can only be used when your opponent has exactly one Prize card left, truly making a last resort in a match.
5Moonlit Hill
Psychic Decks Get A Boost
Stadiums are an integral component in many Pokemon decks, especially one as powerful as Moonlit Hill. Once on your turn, you can discard a Psychic Energy from your hand in order to heal all your Pokemon 30 damage each. This powerful tradeoff is a great boon given how efficient Psychic decks are at returning Energies.
Sure your opponent can do the same thing but if they’re playing anything other than a Psychic themed deck, you’re the only one who’s going to keep your Pokemon healing turn after turn. Combine it with Gardevoir ex’s ability to recur Energies and you have an engine to help you win the game.
4Miraidon ex
Power Up Your Electric Pokemon
Say you have an empty Bench and are hurting for a few extra BasicLightning Pokemon to get the gameback under your control. That’s where Miraidon ex comes in.
During your turn, you may search your deck for two Basic Lightning Pokemon and put them directly into your Bench. Basic Pokemon also includes a lot V and other special types of Pokemon, letting you get some powerful cards and drop them in play, ready to face down your opponent.
3Mew ex
A Legendary ex Card
Mew ex has been a staple in quite a few decks in recent months, providing consistent card draw and a last-resort attack that’s as good as your opponent’s Active Pokemon’s best attack. With its Restart ability, you get to draw cards until you have three cards in your hand. Sure the maximum amount of cards you draw off of it is relatively low, it is a guarantee that you’ll have something in hand.
Then, the Genome Hacking attack copies one of your opponent’s Active Pokemon’s attack and uses it against them. While you’ll likely rarely have Mew out in the Active spot, in a Psychic deck where you may quickly power it up Mew ex could come through in a pinch.
2Gardevoir ex
The Psychic Beatdown
Speaking of very power Psychic Pokemon, Gardevoir ex is back to rush down your opponents with a powerful metal attack.
Paldean Fates has three versions of this card coming in the set, a regular version which has the original basic artwork on it, a shiny Ultra Rare version that features the Psychic Pokemon in their shiny color pallet, and the Special Illustration version, which also has a shiny version of Gardevoir but this time they’re dancing in a moonlit lagoon.
1Charizard ex
The Tera Terror
One of the fastest and most powerful cards to debut in recent sets, Charizard ex has proven itself to be a powerful attacker and efficient engine to powerful itself and your other Pokemon.
If you don’t already have a Charizard ex in your collection or didn’t commit to building a deck based around this powerhouse, this is the perfect time to chase one down, especially since it received a Special Illustration version, one that takes the Darkness Type version of the Fire Type Pokemon and gives it stunning new artwork.
