The special sets of the Pokemon Trading Card Game are often more about collectability than playability. Still, the newest expansion does a great job of offering at least a bit for everyone! Here are our picks for the best Scarlet & Violet 151 cards.

The coolest Scarlet & Violet 151 cards

Fans with nostalgia for the original 151 may also be fond of the quick-play TCG antics of Hitmonchan, so it’s nice to see a new one with some bite. It has a Counterattack ability that damages the opponent when it’s hit, and a two-energy Excited Punch attack that hits for 60 on turn one and 120 on consecutive turns.

In terms of visuals, we really like the Illustrator Rare sets that depict a whole evolution line in the same environment. What’s somewhat less common in the TCG is extending this treatment to the “normal” cards, but sometimes we see it and we’re glad when we do! Take this set’s Gastly line, for example. It’s an experimental art style, and a willingness to go off-model a bit that we miss from the card game’s early days.

The set’s Mewtwo might be the best of both worlds. The art is menacing, and the Reflective Barrier attack has a “come at me, bro” feel. It just chips away for 20 damage, but any attack it takes is also taken by the attacker. It’ll at least make an opponent hesitate a bit, we think.

The most interesting Scarlet & Violet 151 cards

The headlines may be about the return of Kadabra, but the new Alakazam ex takes full advantage of the opportunity to evolve. Its Dimensional Hand attack can be used from the bench, dealing 120 damage with two energy. It certainly ain’t the most impressive damage number, but it’s the ability to put something else in the front that’s so appealing. Certain creatures have great abilities from there! And at the very least, you can hide behind a one-prize creature while you chip away and build up your board.

And it looks like The Pokemon Company is trying to make fossils a thing again? With cards like Antique Helix Fossil, the card game is returning to unique fossil cards rather than consolidating them into one for easier play. In exchange, each has its own Ability, like Helix Fossil’s Stadium play prevention. Is it… good? Eh, probably not. But they’re trying things over there, and we appreciate that, at least.

The most meta-relevant Scarlet & Violet 151 cards

Giovanni’s Charisma is one of those cards that’s just so simple that its usefulness can slip under the radar. But competitive players will have no problem seeing the appeal of accelerating your energy play while hindering your opponent. Sure, it goes into their hand, but high-speed pro decks have no problem finding that one energy a turn anyway. It’s truly the most effective ploy Giovanni has ever managed.

Meanwhile, there might be some use for Leftovers? Healing has never been the best in a competitive environment, but the Item card passively heals 20 every turn to your active Pokemon. It could matter around the edges enough to see some use.

The cutest Scarlet & Violet 151 cards

Bulbasaur is an easy win for team cute, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore it when it’s there. All three starters are drawn with love, but we’ll give the edge to the grass pal for relative degree of difficulty. And speaking of difficulty, they actually managed to make a cute Koffing? The air pollution Pokemon probably shouldn’t be cute, but here we are.

Our favorite, though? Seel. It’s chilling out on an ice floe, tongue out, having the sort of day that we wish we could have.

Honorable mentions go to a Poliwhirl trying and failing to hide in a wallpaper texture and a Chansey holding a four-leaf clover. (By the way, it seems like there’s some truly wild stuff you can pull off with Chansey’s Lucky Bonus ability if you actually use it in your deck.)

Also, hey: it’s worth shouting out TPCi’s graphic design team this time. The colored silhouette motif makes for some attractive packaging. Great work!

The latest Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion set, Scarlet & Violet 151, launched September 22, 2023. For more Pokemon TCG coverage, including a full overview of the set, check out our archive.

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