The Pokemon Trading Card Game’s special sets are always an aesthetic treat for TCG fans. Paldean Fates is no different, leaning into enthusiasts’ passion for shiny hunting with a suite of the differently-hued variants. It perhaps leans a bit too much, though? Let’s get into it.
Paldean Fates follows sets like Shining Fates and Hidden Fates, with a theme of aesthetics more than anything more specific. It’s only available in special tins and such — basically everything but booster boxes — and it’s meant to be a bit different from a more main-line set. The main attraction? Shiny variants of existing cards. The rare color versions are sought after in the video games, so seeing them here does make for a certain appeal.
So much of Paldean Fates’ card count is its shiny collection, but due to the rarity ratios, the overwhelming majority of packs are sort of boring reprints. In the search for just one shiny, you might open a few entire boosters of stuff you’ve seen before. And in that way, it’s maybe a bit too much like video game shiny hunting.
And also like shiny hunting, the special card you get at the end is functionally identical to a way more common normal version. The TCG has implemented “shiny” creatures through the Radiant mechanic, allowing one-off cards in your deck with cool effects. And that made them fun to pull and use. In this, sometimes your reward at the end of the journey is a shiny Shroodle, a slightly different-colored useless card?
We wish they’d put a bit more effort into the art and presentation, too. Regardless of their actual origins, most of these cards feel like existing character art, recolored and placed in the frame with some identical star graphics spread around them. It’s a decent enough look on the foil, but would have made more sense if their rarity were a bit more reasonable.
There are a few debut cards in the set, though! And it’s possible they may be of interest. There are big new behemoths like Great Tusk ex and Iron Treads ex, but it’s the smaller, more nimble pieces that could see more play. Like a stadium, Moonlit Hill, that pairs well with Gardevoir ex and feeds energy into the discard pile for healing. Or Gholdengo, which provides energy acceleration for a Steel type that doesn’t have as many options for that.
If you’re looking for a few guaranteed sparkles, the set’s existence in special boxes and such mean there are ways to do that. The Paldea starter lines have their own collections, and you can get the sought-after Tera Charizard ex in a tin, too. Even a trio of heckin’ good doggos — Fidough, Greavard and Maschiff — are attainable through blister packs.
Still, more than any other set, Paldean Fates seems destined to be one of ignoring the rest of the pack and rushing to check if there’s a shiny reward in the back. Our advice? Be especially careful to spend responsibly on this one.
The newest Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion, Paldean Fates, launches January 26, 2024. For more Pokemon TCG coverage, check out our archive.
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