Sun & Moon—Guardians Rising

Status: Released (May 2017)

Tapu Spirit Guards the Meta in Guardians Rising

The power of the island guardians was unleashed on May 5, 2017, with Sun & Moon—Guardians Rising . This expansion is widely considered one of the best sets of the Sun & Moon era due to the sheer number of playable cards it introduced. The set featured the four island deities—Tapu Koko-GX, Tapu Lele-GX, Tapu Bulu-GX, and Tapu Fini-GX—each bringing unique strengths to the game.

Tapu Lele-GX and Garbodor

The undisputed king (or queen) of this set was "Tapu Lele-GX." Its "Wonder Tag" ability, which searched for a Supporter card when played, made it the single most important consistency card in the format, appearing in nearly every competitive deck. But for every hero, there is a villain. "Garbodor" with its "Trashalanche" attack punished opponents for playing Item cards, dealing massive damage for a single energy. This dynamic duo of consistency and punishment defined the competitive scene for years, securing Sun & Moon—Guardians Rising as a legendary expansion.