Sword and Shield

Status: Released (February 2020)

A New Era Begins with Sword & Shield

On February 7, 2020, the Pokémon TCG entered the Galar region with the Sword & Shield base set. This expansion retired the "GX" mechanic and introduced "Pokémon V" and the colossal "Pokémon VMAX." VMAX Pokémon featured massive HP scores (scaling over 300!) and devastating attacks, mimicking the Dynamax and Gigantamax phenomena from the video games. The set also changed the turn-one rules, preventing the player who goes first from playing a supporter card, which fundamentally altered the game's pacing.

Zacian V and Metal's Dominance

The undisputed king of this new era was "Zacian V." Its "Intrepid Sword" ability allowed players to accelerate metal energy directly from the deck and draw cards, creating an incredibly fast and consistent engine. Combined with "Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX" (from the previous block), Zacian V formed the "ADP/Z" archetype that would terrorize the format for years. On the collector's side, the "Marnie" Full Art trainer card instantly became one of the most chased cards in modern history, setting the trend for "waifu" tax in the TCG community.