Stellar Crown is upon us. The Pokémon TCG's latest set, released on 13 September, has teased some transformative cards, drumming up excitement across the fan base.
This new set takes us below the Earth’s surface to discover the true potential of the Terastal Pokémon, with their crystal-like appearance and competitive viability making them feel like they truly imbue qualities from the underdepths.
There are over 170 cards, including several new ex Pokémon. Among them, the shining, shimmering star of the set, Terapagos ex – introduced to the TCG with colourful verve.
With many hits to watch out for, this set is one not to miss. But what exactly should competitive players be looking to pull from the latest expansion in the Scarlet and Violet series?
Table of Contents
1. Terapagos ex
Where else can we start but the MVP of this new set, Terapagos ex? It is an extremely viable card that has already been trending in Japan (with Stellar Miracle releasing slightly earlier).
The poster Pokémon for the terastalisation mechanic, Terapagos ex, might seem like a collector card initially. After all, 230HP for a two Prize Card Pokémon doesn’t exactly give the allure of an attacker ready to take the TCG by storm.
But you’d be wrong in thinking that, as so many cards compliment Terapagos ex, earning it acclaim with its own archetype. That is because both of the attacks this Pokémon boasts allow it to take on some of the top decks in the meta.
Unified Beatdown, Terapagos ex’s attack that can be potent with the correct set up, costs just two Colourless Energy. The attack does x30 damage for each of your benched Pokémon, and with the Stadium card Area Zero Underdepths in play, you can rack up this multiplier.
The legendary Pokémon’s second attack, Crown Opal, does 180 damage for one Grass Energy, one Lightning Energy and one Water Energy. It’s a little awkward to power but it comes with the huge benefit of preventing any damage done to Terapagos ex by Basic non-Colourless Pokémon the next turn. Raging Bolt ex, you have been nullified. Radiant Charizard, you have been found off limits in Area Zero. Cramorant, you can’t attack.
2. Sparkling Crystal (ACE SPEC)
One of the prettiest ACE SPEC cards from the Scarlet and Violet era with its cross-hatch, holofoil effect, Sparkling Crystal is a card of style matched with substance.
This mechanically-minded card reduces the attack cost of any Terastal Pokémon it is attached to by one of any Energy type. With so many beneficiaries of this card spread among the top tiers of the TCG, Sparkling Crystal could potentially see a fair amount of play – especially since you can search it out with Arven.
When looking for attackers that will truly harness this Tool card to punish the opponent, you needn’t look much further than Dragapult ex, which is already decimating decks using its incredible moveset. With Sparkling Crystal, the Terastal Dragon can use Phantom Drive for just one Energy card (either Fire or Psychic). This attack does 200 damage and allows you to put six damage counters on your opponent’s benched Pokémon in any way you like. Being able to use this attack for just one Energy feels broken.
3. Hydrapple ex
Competitive players of the Pokémon TCG have long been looking to the horizon to see when they will be given grass type attackers capable of countering the Terastal Charizard ex that has been so dominant in the meta.
Stellar Crown may have just provided an option: a Hydrapple ex that keeps the Charizard ex away. This is proving true with the Grass-type attacker trending as a viable deck in Japan.
With 330HP, Hydrapple ex is an attacker with tanky potential. Powerful to the core, it can take chunks out of the opponent with its attack, Syrup Storm. Syrup Storm does 30 damage, plus 30 more for each Grass Energy attached to your Pokémon.
And there is much to make this a recipe for success. Hydrapple ex’s Ripening Charge ability allows you to attach a Grass Energy from your hand to one of your Pokémon once per turn and then heal 30 damage from that card. It's a refreshing boost if you’ve taken hits.
You also have Teal Mask Ogerpon ex – a card making a name for itself in the meta. In this instance, Teal Mask Ogerpon ex perfectly compliments Hydrapple ex thanks to its ability Teal Dance, which says you may attach a Grass Energy card from your hand to Teal Mask Ogerpon ex, and if you do, you can draw a card. This is the epitome of Energy acceleration meets draw engine; it allows you to stack those Energy cards to power up Hydrapple ex while ensuring your hand doesn’t run thin.
4. Area Zero Underdepths
Area Zero Underdepths is the Stadium card that unchains the power of Terastal Pokémon, helping them to gang up in gameplay and take over the board. It is a throwback to the Sky Field Stadium card released in Roaring Skies in 2015.
Area Zero Underdepths allows each player who has any Terastal Pokémon in play to have up to eight Pokémon on their bench. It also says if a player no longer has any Terastal Pokémon in play, that player discards Pokémon from their bench until they have five. When the Stadium card leaves play, both players discard Pokémon from their bench until they have five, and the player who played Area Zero Underdepths discards first.
Since many Terastal cards are extremely powerful, such as Charizard ex, Area Zero Underdepths will likely become a helpful inclusion. For those that run multiplier attacks, such as Hydrapple ex, it will become a staple. More energy acceleration with Terastal Pokémon equals more Energy acceleration, resulting in heftier attacks and more knockouts. Simple right?
5. Fan Rotom
This may be a little short and sweet, but this spot goes to Fan Rotom, which is touted as a perfect plug-in for the Terapagos ex team deck build.
Fan Rotom is on this list because of its ability, Fan Call. Fan Call lets you search your deck for three Colourless Pokémon with 100HP or less on your first turn. You can then reveal them and add them to your hand.
But how does this relate to the 220HP Terapagos ex, and what might you want to be searching out with this ability…
6. Bouffalant
And so, after Fan Rotom, it’s time to turn our attention to the card you’ll be searching out. The 100HP Bouffalant is there because of its ability, Curly Wall, which says if you have any other Bouffalant in play, your basic Colourless Pokémon take 60 less damage from attacks (the effect of Curly Wall doesn’t stack).
Rewind back to Terapagos ex, and you’ll realise that this strategy – which takes you from Fan Rotom to multiple Bouffalant – can add some much needed extra HP to what will be the deck’s primary attacker. 220HP doesn’t seem quite as frail when you have bovine bulk, helping to reduce damage.
7. Noctowl
Noctowl is another useful support Pokémon, making the list because of its ability Jewel Hunt. If you play Noctowl from your hand to evolve a Hoothoot while you have a Terastal Pokémon in play, you may search your deck for up to two Trainers cards, reveal them, and add them to your hand.
This card will likely see considerable play with the Terapagos ex build, searching out Trainers cards like Area Zero Underdepths, Sparkling Crystal, or even Bravery Charm.
Though don’t discount the prospect of Noctowl finding its way into the deck lists of builds, such as Charizard ex or Dragapult ex given it can seek and find cards that can swing the game, such as Boss’s Orders. Expect plenty of players to send this owl on a mission to find useful cards from their deck.
8. Glass Trumpet
Next up is the Item card, Glass Trumpet. As long as you have a Terastal Pokémon in play, Glass Trumpet allows you to choose up to two of your benched colourless Pokémon and attach a basic Energy card from your discard pile to each of them.
Fresh in the mind, Terapagos ex is likely to pair nicely with this new card. Though other Pokémon synergise well, too – even beyond the releases from Stellar Crown.
Take Blissey ex, for example. If you have this happy-go-lucky Pokémon on your bench and play Glass Trumpet, you can recover two Energy cards, attach them to Blissey ex, and then shift them on with its ability, Happy Switch. Happy Switch allows you to move one basic Energy card from one of your Pokémon to another once per turn. So if you’ve been discarding Energy cards to launch attacks such as Greninja ex’s Mirage Barrage, you can now recycle them with this call to action.
9. Crispin
The first Supporter card on this list is Crispin, which looks set to have real use among one of the meta’s top performing decks in Regidrago VSTAR.
Crispin allows you to search your deck for up to two basic Energy cards of different types. You can then attach one to one of your Pokémon and add one to your hand. This is a real plus point for those attackers with slightly awkward Energy requirements.
A case in point is Regidrago VSTAR, which needs two Grass Energy and one Fire Energy to use its attack, Apex Dragon. Ideally, Crispin also makes things easier when playing Dragapult ex, which, as tournament turnouts have made clear, comes into its own when there are only two Prize Cards remaining.
10. Briar
Finally, we have Briar. This Supporter card is ready to amp up your late-game plays and help you to steal a quickfire win.
Briar can be played if your opponent only has two Prize Cards remaining. During the turn you play Briar, if you knock out your opponent’s active Pokémon then you take two Prize Cards instead of one.
Expect this card to find its way into Charizard ex deck lists, as the Terastal attacker is already built to grow in strength the longer the game wears on, with Burning Darkness doing an extra 30 damage for each Prize Card you’ve lost. By the time you are ready to play Briar, it’s more than conceivable you’ll have an attack doing 240+ damage at least. This means you’ll be in a good spot to wipe out most Pokémon with an OHKO and take two Prize Cards.
You can get similar use by pairing it with Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex, which typically gets a reduced attack cost the match wanes on. This means you could likely be able to use the 240 damage Blood Moon with greater ease, giving you a greater chance of taking two cards in the turn you play Briar.
What else is out there?
Stellar Crown is a set shaking up competitive play by buffing Terastal Pokémon and introducing cards that slot into already-playable strategies.
While not making the shortlist, Joltik is another card that fits this description. While it is incredibly frail with just 30HP, Joltik can use its attack, Jolting Charge, and grab two Grass Energy and two Lightning Energy from your deck, allowing you to attach them in any way you like. For the Raging Bolt ex build, this is a huge boon. You can put four Energy into play during turn one (if you move second) to quickly ready Bellowing Thunder. Or, you can accelerate Energy to Teal Mask Ogerpon ex and catch a Charizard ex unaware.
The second honourable mention is the Tool card, Gravity Gemstone, which can complement stall decks. While the Pokémon Gravity Gemstone is attached to is in the active spot, each player's active Pokémon's retreat cost is one Colourless more. It seems an ideal card for frustrating plays, and it can pair well with Calamitous Wasteland from Paldea Evolved to further bog things down.
Shop the Stellar Crown release here. Browse our full collection of Pokémon TCG and other trading card games here at Gathering Games.
