Champions Path

Status: Released (September 2020)

The Hunt for Charizard Takes a New Path

On September 25, 2020, "The Hunt" began. Champion's Path was a special holiday expansion that, like Hidden Fates, was only available in sealed collection boxes. The set itself was relatively small, but it contained two holy grails: the "Shiny Charizard V" and the "Rainbow Rare Charizard VMAX." These two cards alone drove massive demand, with collectors buying out store shelves instantly in hopes of pulling the shiny black dragon.

Wailord V and Not Much Else

Competitive players, however, found Champion's Path to be mostly a sweep wasteland. Aside from the beautiful "Wailord V," which saw niche play in water decks for its high HP, the set offered very little for the standard format. It will be remembered forever as a "Charizard or Bust" set—a pure collector's product that lived and died by the value of its two chase cards. While not a player's favorite, it remains a pivotal moment in the pandemic-era collectibles boom.