Astral Radiance Pull Rates Are Surprisingly Good in New Pokemon TCG Set!

Astral Radiance Pull Rates

The newest Pokemon TCG set, Astral Radiance, comes out this month and fans everywhere are looking forward to opening some packs. Luckily for us we can see a glimpse of what the pull rates will look like before the set releases on May 27th. Not only are prerelease boxes being sold in stores that have 4 booster packs in each box, but YouTubers and content creators are getting early access to this set. Plenty of videos have already been released of PokeTubers opening hundreds of booster packs. We went through a bunch of these videos and crunched the numbers to get the early Astral Radiance pull rates and they’re looking really good so far! The chart below depicts what pulls came out of 135 packs total. Here’s what to expect when opening Astral Radiance packs.

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Holo Slot Rares

Card Type Ratio Percent Chance
Regular Rare 1:2 (1 out of 2 packs) 57.78% per pack
Holo Rare 1:6 16.30%
V 1:7 14.07%
Secret Rare 1:22 4.44%
VSTAR 1:27 3.70%
VMAX 1:67 1.48%
Trainer 1:67 1.48%
Alternate Art 1:135 0.74%

Reverse Slot Rares

Card Type Ratio Percent Chance
Trainer Gallery 1:9 11.11%
Radiant Pokemon 1:12 8.15%

Looking at these charts, we can clearly see that you’ll get a Holo Rare card or better about 43% of the time! This means if you open 2 packs, you’ll likely pull something better than a Regular Rare card. Not only are V cards pretty common but VSTAR and Secret Rares seem to be 3x more common in Astral Radiance compared to Brilliant Stars pull rates. The combination of good pull rates and great art in this set makes opening Astral Radiance worth it!

Where To Buy Astral Radiance Packs

One of the best places to buy Astral Radiance packs is GameStop. Not only will you be getting them from a trusted source for a good price, PokePatch earns commission from some orders, so you’ll be helping our website stay up. Thank you!

Is Astral Radiance Worth It? – Pokemon TCG

YouTubers and content creators are getting early access to Astral Radiance packs, letting everyone get a sneak peek into what this set has in store for us. We even have a chart for pull rates based on early information. Astral Radiance releases May 27th so we’ll have to wait until then to open packs. While we wait, let’s talk about how this set compares to Brilliant Stars and other previous ones. Is Astral Radiance a good set?

Is Astral Radiance Worth It?

First off, this set is pretty loaded as it has a set list of 189 cards and that’s not including all 50+ secret rares and trainer gallery cards. This alone means there are a staggering amount of full art cards you can pull from this set. Another thing that determines if a set is worth it is the alt art cards, you can see them all here.

Another big thing in Astral Radiance is Radiant Pokemon cards are being introduced. These are basically Shiny Pokemon with special abilities used in the Pokemon TCG. Sadly, Radiant pokemon are not full art cards. Previous special sets that included Shiny Pokemon usually had them on Holo, V, or VMAX cards. This time around we’re getting Shiny Pokemon on Reverse Holo cards. To some fans this seems like a bit of a downgrade compared to what we’ve seen in the past, but they are still very cool looking collectables.

Lastly, what makes Astral Radiance so special is the introduction of Hisui Pokemon and Hisuian Pokemon forms! This Hisui Region was first introduced in the Switch game Pokemon Legends Arceus, and since then fans have been waiting for Hisuian Pokemon cards. This is the first set that features Hisuian Pokemon at all and we’re getting TONS of them, which is exciting.

Where To Buy Astral Radiance Packs

One of the best places to buy Astral Radiance packs is GameStop. Not only will you be getting them from a trusted source for a good price, PokePatch earns commission from some orders, so you’ll be helping our website stay up. Thank you!

Watch Astral Radiance Openings

Most of the time, deciding which Pokemon set you want to open is based on your opinions. A good way to form an opinion without spending money is watching other people open new packs before you do. This way you won’t see all of the cards in the set, while still getting a taste of what it has to offer. Some great videos of YouTubers opening this set are from Leonhart and SuperDuperDani.

How To Get Scarf Lapras & More in Pokemon GO Water Festival 2022

If you’ve been playing Pokemon Go lately, you’ll know there are a lot of events going on as we get ready for the Pokemon Go Fest later this summer and this week is no exception. This week we’ll have the Water Festival to enjoy which adds new Shiny Pokemon and introduces Pokemon we haven’t seen in Pokemon Go before.

Pokemon Go Water Festival Info

The Water Festival event runs through May 12 – May 20 and will focus on Water type Pokemon. During this event you’ll have the chance to catch a Lapras wearing a scarf and three new Pokemon that are being introduced to Pokemon Go, Dewpider, Araqaunid, and Tapu Fini. There are plenty more Pokemon that will appear more during this event as well. To see the full details, go to the Pokemon Go Live website here. Here’s how to catch all Water Festival Pokemon that are new.

How To Catch Lapras with a Scarf

Most people playing Pokemon Go during the Water Fest will be trying to catch Scarf Lapras because it seems to be the focus of the event along with the other three new Pokemon. Not only is Lapras my personal favorite Pokemon of all time but this is the first event Lapras we’ve seen and it’s adorable. To get this limited edition Lapras wearing a scarf you’ll have to find them in 3 Star Raids. You also have a chance of catching this Lapras when finishing certain Field Research tasks. You can also get a shiny Scarf Lapras if you’re lucky enough!

How to Catch Dewpider

You can catch a Dewpider if you find them in a wild encounter or by completing new field research during the Water Festival event.

How to Catch Araqaunid

Currently, Araquanid doesn’t appear to be catchable. You can only get an Araquanid from evolving a Dewpider.

How to Catch Tapu Fini

Since Tapu Fini is a Legendary Pokemon, the only way to catch them right now is through Five Star raids. There are no other ways to catch this Pokemon during this event.

Dark Phantasma Pull Rates in New Japanese Pokemon TCG set

The newest Japanese Pokemon TCG set just released and has already exceeded expectations in terms of amazing art with new Hisuian Pokemon cards. There’s no doubt this set has some really cool looking cards that fans will be chasing for a while but what are the pull rates like and is it worth getting packs?

What’s in Dark Phantasma?

Pikachu Reverse Holo Bleed via UnlistedLeaf

The Reverse Holo’s in this set are very unique as they have a holo bleed onto the art. Usually holo bleeds are accidental and considered error cards but in this set it’s on purpose and looks amazing. Radiant Pokemon are back in this set, which are Shiny Pokemon with special abilities. Dark Phantasma also introduces new Hisuian Pokemon that haven’t yet got their own cards such as Hisuian Zoroark VSTAR. Not only does this set have all of that but it also has some of the best Character Rares we’ve seen!

Dark Phantasma Pull Rates

We gathered these pull rates from several videos opening booster packs. In total we calculated these odds from 114 packs, so the sample size is relatively small at the moment but still gives us an idea of how common certain types of cards are and how hard others are to pull.

Holo Slot Rares

Card Type Ratio Percent Chance
Holo Rare 1:2 (1 out of 2 packs) 57.02% per pack
V 1:4.5 21.93%
VSTAR 1:9.5 10.53%
Radiant Pokemon 1:19 5.26%
V Full Art 1:57 1.75%
Trainer 1:57 1.75%
Secret Rare (UR) 1:57 1.75%

Reverse Slot Rares

Card Type Ratio Percent Chance
Character Rare (CHR) 1:6.5 15.79%

Is Dark Phantasma Worth It?

Obviously if you enjoy collecting Japanese Pokemon cards, this new set is not one you want to miss. If you prefer English Pokemon cards, you might want to wait because they’ll likely come to English sets in the coming months. Meanwhile, we also have Astral Radiance and the Pokemon GO TCG sets to open and look forward to.

Buy a Dark Phantasma Booster Pack

TCGplayer button packs dark phantasma

If you’re looking where to buy Dark Phantasma booster packs, TCGPlayer.com is the perfect place! They provide a marketplace with transparent pricing and condition for each item.

Where To Watch Pokemon Hisuian Snow Series

A new Pokemon series set in the Hisui Region is coming soon! The latest Pokemon game on the Switch, Pokemon Legends Arceus has introduced us to this region and fans have loved it. Since then, players have explored the new region and look forward to more content and lore behind it. This new series will be a 3-episode anime series about a boy named Alec in the Hisui region who has been taught that Pokemon are very dangerous creatures and then meets a Hisuian Zorua that might change the way he thinks for good. Even though it’s a short series, many people are hyped for it and everyone’s asking where do you watch it and when will it come out?

Pokemon Hisuian Snow Release Date

The 1st episode of Hisuian Snow will come out on May 18. Release dates for episode 2 and episode 3 are not yet known but will be announced soon. We’ll keep this page up to date on when those episodes will come out and how to watch them.

Where To Watch Hisuian Snow

the first episode of Pokemon: Hisuian Snow will air exclusively on Pokemon TV and official Pokemon YouTube channel. It’s assumed that all following episodes will also be available on the same platforms for free! You can watch all the shows on PokemonTV just by going to their website or downloading the Pokemon TV app on your Nintendo Switch or preferred device.

Play Pokemon Legends Arceus

If you haven’t played Pokemon Legends Arceus and explored the Hisui Region for yourself yet, it’s highly recommended. You don’t have to play the game to know what’s going on in the show or vice versa but it’s one of the best Pokemon games we’ve seen in a while! By purchasing on GameStop using our links, we get commission and you’ll be helping the PokePatch website stay up. Thank you!

Is Brilliant Stars Worth It in Pokemon TCG?

Is Brilliant Stars Worth It?

Brilliant Stars came out in Feburary and fans have had enough time to open plenty of packs and form opinions on the new set. Some fans are claiming Brilliant Stars is the best set in the Sword and Sheild generation of the Pokemon TCG. At the same time, others are saying they’re taking a break from collecting until the new set Astral Radiance comes out. Why do some people think this and what does Brilliant Stars have what other sets don’t?

Brilliant Stars VS Other Sets

When compared to other sets, it becomes clearer why Brilliant Stars is a favorite in some fans eyes while others completely skip it. Brilliant Stars introduced a new type of card to the English Pokemon TCG called VSTAR. These VSTAR cards are new full art rare cards, similar to VMAX with special abilities in the Trading Card Game. Recently, the English TCG has brought back Character Rares and Alt art cards. These are usually very rare chase cards that everyone wants. Brilliant Stars has an abundance of these alternate arts and character cards. On top of the amazing selection of cards in this set is the decent pull rates. In previous sets we’ve seen some arguably bad pull rates where fans would have to open dozens of packs to get anything good. With Brilliant Stars, the pull rates aren’t that bad. Although some alternate art and secret rare cards are still really rare, there are plenty of cool looking cards that aren’t extremely difficult to pull.

VSTAR vs VMAX

If you like the way VSTAR cards or the alternate cards look in this set, it’s definitely worth a shot to try to pull them. Otherwise, you should look at the upcoming Astral Radiance set that will feature new cards with Shiny Pokemon and Hisuian Pokemon. Some people don’t like VSTAR cards but at least we have future sets to look forward to as well!

What do you think about Brilliant Stars? Let us know in the comments below.

Where To Buy Brilliant Stars Booster Packs

If you’d like to get your hands on some Brilliant Stars packs, one of the best sources is GameStop! Not only will you be getting it from a trusted source for a good price, but PokePatch earns commission on some orders, so you’ll be helping our website stay up. Thank you!

What’s Inside the Pokemon Precious Collector Box & Where to Get One

A new upcoming Pokemon product was just announced and has everyone’s attention! The new Precious Collector Box is one of the nicest looking Pokemon boxes we’ve seen in a while. Despite most of the writing you see being in English, this product will only be sold in Japan. It could just be that they like the way English characters look. They also did this with the Japanese 25th Anniversary box. But where do we buy the Precious Collector Box and what’s inside?

What Comes in The Precious Collector Box?

The Precious Collector Box comes with a Card Box, Card Binder / Album, Card Frame, Divider, and a Promo Pikachu card! Sadly, this box doesn’t have any booster packs in it but that’s not what this box is about. The Pikachu promo card alone looks amazing enough for people to buy this but with all of the other quality products it comes with, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

  • Card Box
  • Card Binder
  • Card Frame
  • Divider
  • Promo Card featuring Pikachu

Where to Buy The Precious Collector Box

With how many amazing products come in this limited edition Pokemon box, a lot of fans are already wondering how much does the Precious Collector Box cost and where do we buy one? Preorders will begin in May and the product will come out in November. This will only be available on the Japanese Pokemon Center website for 17,600 yen which is about $135. This may seem like a steep price but considering what it comes with and how limited they may be people will be buying this up very quickly. When the Celebrations Ultra Premium Collection box (UPC) came out last year, they sold out very quickly and people are now selling them for 3x the retail price. A similar thing may happen to this, but we’ll just have to wait and see. If you live in the US, you’ll have to buy it from a third party or reseller because it does not ship directly to the US. Do you plan on getting one, yourself? Let us know in the comments below.

Looking To Buy Booster Packs?

The Precious Collector Box doesn’t come with booster packs but if you’re looking to open some packs, GameStop has you covered! Not only will you be getting the newest cards from a trusted source for a good price, but PokePatch earns commission on some orders, so you’ll be helping our website stay up. Thank you!

VSTAR Energy Card Explained in Pokemon TCG

What Is a V STAR Card?

The latest set in the Pokemon TCG, Brilliant Stars, has been out for a while now but people are still opening them like crazy. This new set introduced the new V STAR card, which are ultra rare cards with special abilities. Some say this is the best set in the Sword and Shield era, but this generation isn’t over yet. People have been opening Brilliant Stars and Astral Radiance packs every day. If you’re one of those people, while opening Pokemon packs, you may have noticed sometimes you’ll pull a V Star card instead of energy card also called a VSTAR black card. A lot of people think this is an error card or some type of really rare pull when they first see it. Sadly, it’s not that rare but it does have a purpose. What does a VSTAR card mean and why do we keep seeing it?

What Does It Mean When You Pull A VSTAR Card?

Pulling a VSTAR energy card in a pack does not guarantee that you’ll get a VSTAR Pokemon card and doesn’t seem to affect your odds of pulling anything. We’ve already pulled dozens of these cards without seeing a single VSTAR rare. When opening packs, keep this in mind so you don’t expect to pull a rare card and become disappointed. On the flip side, if you don’t pull a VSTAR energy card you can still get a VSTAR Pokemon. This means these cards have no correlation and are completely random. They do not signal that there is a rare card in the pack, unlike code cards.

What is the Black VSTAR Card For?

Now that we know these VSTAR cards aren’t really rare and they’re in fact pretty common, what are they used for? This new VSTAR energy card isn’t really an “energy card” at all, we just refer to it as that because it takes the place of an energy card in a pack. When you get a V STAR card instead of energy card this VSTAR card is specifically used in the Pokemon Trading Card Game. VSTAR Pokemon cards are very powerful with unique attacks and abilities, called a VSTAR power. This VSTAR move can only be used once by each player in a game. While playing the Pokemon TCG, if you want to play a VSTAR Pokemon card, you’ll need to use normal energy to play it and once you’ve used the VSTAR power, you flip this VSTAR card from white to black to signal that you’ve used up your one-time-use ability.

Where to Buy Pokemon Cards

If you’d like to get some booster packs at the chance to get a rare V STAR card, the best place to get it is GameStop. Not only will you be getting them from a reliable source for a good price, but PokePatch earns a commission on qualifying purchases, so you’ll be helping our website stay up. Thank you!

Is Pokemon Go Fest 2022 Worth It?

Is Pokemon Go Fest Worth It?

Pokemon Go Fest is coming back once again with even more features than before! Last year was a blast so many players are excited for this years event as well. The first notable difference for player is this Pokemon Go Fest ticket will cost $14.99 instead of the $4.99 last year. $14.99 is the usual price, it was cheaper last year because of a 5 year anniversary celebration, but it introduced a lot of players to this annual event. Even with the price difference, is Pokemon Go Fest worth it?

Pokemon Go Fest 2022 takes place on Saturday June 4th, 2022 and Sunday June 5th, 2022. You don’t have to be anywhere specific to attend, player all over the world can join in! Whether you have the event ticket or not, you should be able to encounter most of the Pokemon during the event. If you have an event ticket you’ll be able to do research, claim free cosmetic item(s), get free Raid Passes at Gyms, and participate in a special finale event on August 27th, 2022 and more. Here’s what you can get with the pass.

Pokemon Go Fest 2022 Details

Day 1

You’re chances of catching Shiny Pokemon, especially with incense are better on Saturday than on Sunday. So if you’re only able to play for one day, try to play on Saturday. This day will start the Global challenges and special research. Every hour will be a different habitat theme and you’ll be able to catch different Shiny Pokemon based on what hour it is.

Day 2

Sunday is raid day! Shiny Axew and a new Shiny Costumed Pikachu will be appearing in One-Star Raids again while an unrevealed Pokemon will be in Five-Star Raids. On this day, everyone will be able to participate in Global challenges and a short research story. Every Pokemon featured on Saturday will also appear on Sunday during event hours as well.

For full details of what Pokemon can be caught during the event, visit the PokemonGoLive website!

Is It Worth It?

Regardless, if you buy the event ticket or not, you should definitely get out there and play Pokemon Go during the event hours. You’re likely to encounter several shiny Pokemon even without the pass. One of the most convincing reasons to buy a ticket is because of the Global Challenge Arena. This is when everyone works together to complete challenges that change each hour and become more difficult as the day progresses. With an event ticket you can contribute to these challenges and claim rewards if completed. Other features include Shiny Unown Pokemon, access to Special Research and Collection Challenges, or the ability to catch Shaymin. If any other these features sound good, you should buy a Pokemon Go Fest event ticket. Otherwise, you shouldn’t need one to enjoy playing and catching rare Pokemon this weekend.

All Pokemon Go Fest Ticket Exclusives

  • Catch Shaymin
  • Avatar item and pose
  • Special Research
  • More Pokemon attracted to Incense
  • Collection Challenges
  • Global Challenges
  • More Team GO Rocket balloons
  • Free Raid Passes
  • Special Event Stickers

Where to Preorder New Pokemon GO TCG Set

Pokemon Go TCG Preorder

About a month ago we got word that The Pokemon Company was working on a Pokemon Go TCG set that was to be released as a special Holiday set. Now we’ve finally got more official information about this upcoming set of Pokemon Go cards. The release date for this set is July 1st. Here’s where you can preorder Pokemon Go Booster Packs.

Preorder Pokemon GO Booster Packs

This set being a Holiday set means that Pokemon Go Booster Packs will ONLY appear in Elite Trainer Boxes and various Collection Boxes. There wont be a Pokemon Go booster box available and they also won’t be sold in blister packs or individual packs. Keep this in mind when you’re looking to preorder or buy Pokemon Go cards because there are fakes and counterfeits out there that you should avoid. If they’re being sold individually, that means someone has obtained them from a box. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a scam but it’s best to buy it from a trustworthy source. At the moment, one of the most trust worthy places to get these booster packs is from the Pokemon Center.

Pokemon Go Elite Trainer Box

While the usual ETB will contain 10 Pokemon Go booster packs, this Pokemon Center edition ETB contains 12 Pokemon Go packs! It also has several exclusive accesories that are Mewtwo themed and have a different look compared to the usual box.

Pokemon Go Premium Collection – Radiant Eevee

Along with 8 Pokemon Go booster packs, this Premium Collection box is filled with amazing Radiant Eevee themed goodies. This list includes a playmat, Eevee pin, a foil promo card, and a code card for TCG Live. Radiant is another word for Shiny, the term introduced in the new Astral Radiance set.