New Pokémon Expansion ‘Astral Radiance’ Coming in May!

The Pokémon Trading Card Game will welcome a brand-new expansion based on Pokémon: Legends Arceus this Spring. Coming in May, the Sword & Shield collection is titled ‘Astral Radiance’, with cards featuring the Hisuian forms of Pokémon as well as environment art inspired by the Hisui region. 

Since The Pokémon Company first made the announcement on 8th March 2022, many excited fans have been wondering which of their favourite pocket monsters will soon be joining their deck. Let’s dive into what we know about new expansion so far!

What Do We Know About Pokémon Astral Radiance?

Astral Radiance is the tenth main Sword & Shield expansion that’s set for release on 27th May 2022 in the UK. In Japan, it is due for release as the dual ‘Time Gazer’ and ‘Space Juggler’ on 8th April 2022, which together will form the tenth collection of the TCG’s Sword & Shield era.

Here’s the official statement released by Pokémon: “Travel back to a land of myths, legends, and wilderness as Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR and Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR shape the fabric of time and space! Decidueye, Typhlosion, and Samurott arrive as Hisuian Pokémon VSTAR, joining more Pokémon and Trainers from the ancient region of Hisui. Meanwhile, Shiny Pokémon reappear as Radiant Pokémon, with Radiant Greninja leading the charge in the Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield - Astral Radiance expansion!”

According to the official Pokémon website, the new expansion will include over 180 cards. This doesn’t include secret rares, of which there are expected to be around 76 according to ScreenRant!

Here’s exactly what we can expect:

• Three brand-new Radiant Pokémon
• Eight awesome Pokémon VSTAR
• 21 powerful Pokémon V
• Two enormous Pokémon VMAX
• 30 cards with special art in the Trainer Gallery subset
• Over 20 Trainer cards

The eight VSTAR Pokémon confirmed to be in Astral Radiance include:

• Origin Form Dialga and Palkia
• Hisuian Decidueye
• Hisuian Typhlosion
• Hisuian Samurrott
• Darkrai 

As mentioned earlier, cards within Astral Radiance are anticipated to be sourced from the Japanese Time Gazer and Space Juggler expansions. In addition to this, select cards from the Battle Region subset and the VMAX Climax subset are also expected to be featured in the collection. Other Pokémon confirmed to be in the set are promo cards for Eevee, Sylveon and Oricorio. This shows that despite the predominance of Legends: Arceus cards, regions outside of Hisui and Galar are still getting representation in Astral Radiance.

One thing’s for sure - and that’s that this new set is going to be high in demand. Not just from an aesthetic standpoint - but also from a gameplay perspective. The most exciting news to come from Astral Radiance is the three ‘Radiant Pokémon’ (Greninja, Hawlucha and Heatra) which will be huge in the TCG community once the set comes out.

The Introduction of Sparkling and Radiant Pokémon

The big breaking news to come from this new expansion is the introduction of the mechanic ‘Radiant Pokémon’, alternatively known in Japan as ‘Sparkling’ Pokémon. 

But what do we know about this mechanic? Essentially, Radiant Pokémon will comprise Shiny Pokémon that come with a unique power and glimmering card details. Radiant Pokémon will offer an ability or attack with the potential to impact the Pokémon TCG metagame. Its function is similar to ‘Shining Pokémon’ from the Neo Series, and ‘Pokémon ☆’ from the EX Series, and players will only be able to include one Radiant Pokémon in their deck. 

While this may feel like a lot of cards being revealed all at once, there are still plenty that remain a secret, all of which we can eagerly look forward to learning more about in the lead up to 27th May!

Astral Radiance at Seventh Dimension

While you may not be able to get your hands on Astral Radiance until the end of May, we at Seventh Dimension Gaming and Collectibles have plenty of different card packs available for you to browse and pre-order. Here’s a summary of some of our favourites which we can’t wait to get in stock!

Astral Radiance Build and Battle Stadium

Priced at £65.00, with this Build and Battle Stadium, you can construct two decks from a powerful set of components, and then you’re ready to play straight away! 

Each Build and Battle Stadium contains a massive set of cards, including:

• Two Build and Battle Boxes, each containing:
• 40-card decks
• Unique foil promo cards
• Damage counter dice
• Flip coins
• Condition markers
• And a collector's box to store it all!

Astral Radiance Elite Trainer Box

Looking to jump-start your Astral Radiance collection? Then the Elite Trainer Box is perfect for you! Priced at £42.50, this pack includes:

• Eight booster packs
• 65 card sleeves featuring Darkrai
• 45 Energy Cards
• A player's guide and rulebook
• Damage-counter dice
• Flip coins and condition markers
• A code card for the Pokémon TCG Online
• All contained in a stylish collector's box!

Astral Radiance Mini Portfolio

With the Astral Radiance Mini Portfolio, you can store up to 60 of your latest and greatest Pokémon cards in style for just £5.25! 

Each portfolio comes with a booster pack from the new Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield Fusion Strike expansion, so you can start filling it up right away!

Astral Radiance 3-Pack Booster Display

Jump-start your Astral Radiance collection with three booster packs at once for just £13.50. In this display, expect an additional card featuring either the Basic-Type Eevee or its Psychic-Type evolution, Sylveon, plus a special game coin featuring Eevee!