Full 'Champion's Path' Set List: Shiny Charizard V, Rainbow Rare Charizard VMAX!

TheRealBro..

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Member
But yeah, you've summed up a lot of my sentiments about Gen 8. Almost nothing's interesting, there's a couple of nice arts here and there and I'll definitely mention it if I see one I like, a handful of cards I want and I'm happy Darmanitan got some love (even if it's just the Galar form), but otherwise there's not much for me. I was hoping it'd have improved on Sun and Moon, which besides the TTGX sets just disappointed me compared to how much I loved BW and XY.

Yes, same here. But as you also mentioned somewhere else (another topic); the games were also the first Pokemon games devoid of any real ''Pokemon wonder''. Just very uninteresting so maybe it was to be expected (yes some of the actual Pokemon were cool, but that, unfortunately, did not safe the game). Although we are of course heading into another anniversary so they may safe the real goods for next year?

Ah, all right. I only check regular sets. My bad. I just want to pull the card I want so buying it in a collection box doesn't work for me.
 

Scoop

Literally a sheep
Member
Yes, same here. But as you also mentioned somewhere else (another topic); the games were also the first Pokemon games devoid of any real ''Pokemon wonder''. Just very uninteresting so maybe it was to be expected (yes some of the actual Pokemon were cool, but that, unfortunately, did not safe the game). Although we are of course heading into another anniversary so they may safe the real goods for next year?
Yeah, it's this weird contrast where some of it is the most ridiculous Pokemon's ever been, while also having zero soul whatsoever to the point where the series lacks any identity anymore. I think the TCG can do well largely independent of the games (Holon, the Break Era, etc.) but at the same time a lot of the coolest eras in the TCG, such as Plasma were based of actually engaging parts of their games identities. When you have nothing to show in the latest games like SwSh does, it kinda does reflect if you're basing your cards off of said game. I don't care about Dynamax. I cared about Megas, and the Mega cards were great. I don't care about these characters, so a Full Art of Leon isn't going to wow me as much as a Full Art of, say, Cynthia or Ghetsis or N or something like that. I sure hope that they get a little more interesting with the 25th anniversary though, like you said. Generations was a fun set, I hope they do at least something at that level again.

Ah, all right. I only check regular sets. My bad. I just want to pull the card I want so buying it in a collection box doesn't work for me.
I mean, if you really want the card you could always just buy the singles of them. They're pretty cheap (much cheaper than buying the box for sure). I know you like pulling a card but sometimes it's nice to bite the bullet and just get those cards you want otherwise. But if it's about mainly the satisfaction of pulling a card like that then I get that too (though I can't imagine how tough it's been in the modern TCG where there's 5000000 different filler Ultra Rares you've gotta hope you don't get instead of the one you want)
 

TheRealBro..

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Member
but at the same time a lot of the coolest eras in the TCG, such as Plasma were based of actually engaging parts of their games identities. When you have nothing to show in the latest games like SwSh does, it kinda does reflect if you're basing your cards off of said game. I don't care about Dynamax. I cared about Megas, and the Mega cards were great. I don't care about these characters, so a Full Art of Leon isn't going to wow me as much as a Full Art of, say, Cynthia or Ghetsis or N or something like that

This. I think the TCG also draws from the games, so when the games have so little to offer it shows. Don't get me started about Leon. But again, let's be positive. The Tag Team sets weren't based on the games and later expansions tend to be more interesting since the EX series (the Plasma sets, Platinum sets, the Tag Team sets and, although not everyone agrees, Evolutions).
 

Scoop

Literally a sheep
Member
This. I think the TCG also draws from the games, so when the games have so little to offer it shows. Don't get me started about Leon. But again, let's be positive. The Tag Team sets weren't based on the games and later expansions tend to be more interesting since the EX series (the Plasma sets, Platinum sets, the Tag Team sets and, although not everyone agrees, Evolutions).
Well the Tag Team sets were based off of parts of Let's Go, but a lot of the time they largely did their own thing. especially as it went on. It was a good balance between "here's material from the games (Erika, Koga, Sabrina, etc. all got cards), plus let's do our own thing at the same time". The difference though is Let's Go at least had an aesthetic and an identity to it that could be translated to interesting material in the TCG. But I do like that sort of balance, since some my favorite parts of the TCG are when they make cards with an appeal to parts you love in the series, but also the times they get weird and do their own thing, like a lot of stuff such as the e-series with Crystal Types and all that. Another good example would be the 2015 sets with Ancient Traits, which does both of these things.

It's sort of on topic but I do like when they do stuff like Cosmic Eclipse/whatever the Japanese set was with all the trainers and stuff was, where they had a bunch of cards that represented different characters and parts of the TCG. I know it was to promote Pokemon Masters, but it still had a lot of really effective fanservice cards that make for great collectibles. The secret rares, for instance, and the Reshiram/Zekrom GX is my favorite card in the entire Sun and Moon era simply because it's a beautiful card representing my favorite generation in the series. I love when they do effective things like that because it has a fantastic collectible appeal to it. But you kinda have to, yknow, care about the material, which, to be negative again for a second, Sword and Shield gives me little reason to. It could be one of the better TCG eras if they decided to get creative with it but as of this first year I'm really not seeing it.
 

TheRealBro..

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Member
. I love when they do effective things like that because it has a fantastic collectible appeal to it. But you kinda have to, yknow, care about the material, which, to be negative again for a second, Sword and Shield gives me little reason to. It could be one of the better TCG eras if they decided to get creative with it but as of this first year I'm really not seeing it.

Yeah, me too. Used to play the game back in the early 00's, but now it's all about the art. I don't mind lots of Charizards, if the artwork is as wonderful as the Tag Team from especially Unbroken Bonds. But a set with this randomly slapped in shiny Zard is.. cheap. Not gonna buy packs for that. It's just such a shame that I don't have any connection to some very good designed Pokemon (and therefore also the cards) because the game was so disappointing.

Also kind of weird that they still have to resort to Charizard to hype up a set, just as it was back in Base Set. I get that it's a populair Pokemon but you would expect new generations of fans to choose new Pokemon.
 

Scoop

Literally a sheep
Member
Yeah, me too. Used to play the game back in the early 00's, but now it's all about the art. I don't mind lots of Charizards, if the artwork is as wonderful as the Tag Team from especially Unbroken Bonds. But a set with this randomly slapped in shiny Zard is.. cheap. Not gonna buy packs for that. It's just such a shame that I don't have any connection to some very good designed Pokemon (and therefore also the cards) because the game was so disappointing.
My sentiments exactly. I mean, I collect Charizard cards, and I don't mind the Shiny Charizard in terms of looks, it's just the manner of its release that bothers me. They're locking it behind a set I couldn't care less about. I'd be much more inclined to open some packs of it if, like Hidden Fates, Champion's Path had more to it than just the Charizard, so I'd have something to mainly go for but still be satisfied if I pull some other good stuff. Instead, I'd just be like, oh boy, a random Pokemon-V I don't care about. How swell.

Also kind of weird that they still have to resort to Charizard to hype up a set, just as it was back in Base Set. I get that it's a populair Pokemon but you would expect new generations of fans to choose new Pokemon.
I mean, I wouldn't say Charizard was in Base Set to hype it up if that's what you mean. It was put in because it was the first set, of course they're going to have the starters be in that set-Blastoise and Venusaur got equal representation in there when it boils down to it. It's just that Charizard's popularity resulting from it makes them resort to Charizard so much now, which I don't like much. While sure, you could argue they do this with any set that features a Charizard, I think this is the most egregious example because there's nothing else like it in the set. At least with Hidden Fates or, say, Unbroken Bonds and Cosmic Eclipse (the latter of which barely even featured Charizard as a poster boy of the set), they had other reasons to hype it up. HF had the 90-something other shinies people could hunt. UNB and CEC had other cards that appealed to both the collectors and players, depending on who you were.

But this time, and this is echoing a lot of what @Frost said earlier, it's a sloppily thrown together set they knew nobody would care about unless there was some big flashy Charizard. And don't get me wrong, like I said I DO like Charizard, and I like collecting it, but I can still recognize that this was clearly a last-ditch effort to make people remotely care about this set. Believe me, I wish I could care, because I miss opening cards and being a more active collector.
 

MasterGallade

Instagram: @theavalonlegacy
Member
God I hate Charizard :/ I'm trying to collect every Shiny card over here, I don't want to have to spend over $100 on a single one of them literally the day the set comes out just because it's a Charizard; THE ART ISN'T EVEN GOOD.

I'm still waiting for the Hidden Fates Charizard to come back down when the reprint hits (if it even does), damn do I regret not buying it when it was below $200 ugh
 

TheRealBro..

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Member
I mean, I wouldn't say Charizard was in Base Set to hype it up if that's what you mean. It was put in because it was the first set, of course they're going to have the starters be in that set-Blastoise and Venusaur got equal representation in there when it boils down to it. It's just that Charizard's popularity resulting from it makes them resort to Charizard so much now, which I don't like much. While sure, you could argue they do this with any set that features a Charizard, I think this is the most egregious example because there's nothing else like it in the set.

Yeah agreed. No, When Base Set released the Charizard hype wasn't there yet. What I mean is that it's weird that after all these years Charizard is still the GOAT. Nothing comes close.
 

TucanSam202020

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I dont really like these trends with Charizards. There will be a point to where these things will be worthless since they wont be special anymore. Every year we seem to be getting some secret rare Charizard and if every single year this happens I see some serious inflation with it. I feel bad for anyone spending tons of money on something that has been so overprinted at this point.

Next year we get a Gold Charizard / Reshiram GX, then the following year we get a Gold Charizard VMAX, then the year after that we a Charizard XYZABC Ultimate Form Hyper Rainbow Skittles Ultra Rare, then after that we get Charizard with rocket launchers in space magnum Platinum Top 50 Ultimate Rare, etc etc. Like how long can they do this for? At this rate we will have like 10+ Secret Rare Charizards by 2030.

It just feels like Pokemon has ran out of ideas and this is the only way they know how to make money with the cards.
 

ApricornNut

Optimistic Trainer/Collector
Member
I agree with everyone's sentiments about the forced Charizards; I'm just as unhappy as the rest of you that I won't be able to get my freakin' hands on this set just because of the Zards. If they had included more Full Arts and Secret Rares (Not Hyper Rares), I'd be much more inclined to buy this set, that is, if I could even outrun the stupid scalpers who are now charging $900 for the ETBs! It's a real good thing that the Zards are always some of the best-looking cards out there, otherwise, the constant Zard-milking would have turned me off of the TCG a long time ago!
 

TucanSam202020

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I agree with everyone's sentiments about the forced Charizards; I'm just as unhappy as the rest of you that I won't be able to get my freakin' hands on this set just because of the Zards. If they had included more Full Arts and Secret Rares (Not Hyper Rares), I'd be much more inclined to buy this set, that is, if I could even outrun the stupid scalpers who are now charging $900 for the ETBs! It's a real good thing that the Zards are always some of the best-looking cards out there, otherwise, the constant Zard-milking would have turned me off of the TCG a long time ago!

The rest of the set will be dirt cheap since the value of the Charizards will suppress everything else.

And its not really the scalpers fault. Every fall set's average booster pack value is around 7-8 dollars on the secondary market. MSRP is an outddated concept.
 

ApricornNut

Optimistic Trainer/Collector
Member
The rest of the set will be dirt cheap since the value of the Charizards will suppress everything else.

And its not really the scalpers fault. Every fall set's average booster pack value is around 7-8 dollars on the secondary market. MSRP is an outddated concept.
Understood! When I talk about "getting" the set, I'm usually referring to the actual products, not the individual cards. The products, I'm afraid, are indeed victims of scalping because of the Zards, therefore, I or anyone else would have to be under a blue moon to get our hands on any Champion's Path products!
 

johnwick

Aspiring Trainer
Member
If Pokemon starts feeling like these trends are ruining collecting, they will go for the Sports Option.

Example: Tom Brady 2000 Contenders 1/10, 2/10, etc

Imagine: Charizard Refractor Gold 1/100 etc.

Only 100 of them will be printed? Whaaaaat?

That's when you'll truly feel your wallet and soul take the hit.
 

Number51x

Blasting off at the speed of light!
Member
Tricky Gym just did a 6 hour stream opening 1000 packs and hit 6 shiny and 4 rainblow v-max. Gawd...
 
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