The sixth and final Pokemon TCG expansion of 2024 is the biggest crowd-pleaser of the year. The electric-themed Surging Sparks introduces the iconic Tera Pikachu to the card game with a collection of four unique cards that are already blowing up on the presale charts. The Pokemon Company is evidently looking for a fourth-quarter boost to round out 2024, because this set is going to sell like Poke Puffs.
It doesn’t hurt that the new Pika looks like a powerhouse. The Stellar Tera Pikachu ex (a name I’ll never get used to) has a whopping 300 damage move for a mere three energy. And while you do have to discard three energy after using Topaz Bolt, there’s plenty of good ways to quickly recover the energy from your discard.
Magneton, which comes pre-packed into every ETB this set, offers one method for quickly retrieving and reattaching discarded energy, but there are other options like the Blissey ex and Glass Trumpet combo that will help you keep Pikachu powered up. The card hasn’t been a huge presence in the Japanese meta yet, but it’s so clearly a powerful card – especially with its ability that makes it impossible to one-hit KO – that we can all but guarantee Pikachu ex will show up in top decks sooner or later.
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Arbok snaring Mewtwo ex into steady submission seems to be working well for me, as is my Pikachu ex deck with Zebstrikas firing electric missiles into the enemy’s bench.
Pikachu ex is definitely the star of the set, but it comes with a parade of electric-type support. Unlike this year’s Shrouded Fable set, Surging Sparks thankfully doesn’t go all-in one a single type. The sets’ subthemes include Dragon-type, and in particular a couple of Stellar Tera Pokemon ex dragons in Alolan Executor and Tatsugiri ex, as well as a new crop of eight Ace Spec cards – the most we’ve ever seen in a single set since their re-introduction to the game. Surging Sparks isn’t as narrowly focused on electric-type Pokemon as I expected, but that’s for the best. Pokemon sets need variety to attract the most players.
By the numbers, Surging Sparks introduces 18 ex Pokemon (the most ever in a single set), eight Ace Specs, 23 Illustration Rares, 21 Full Arts, 11 Special Illustration Rares, and six hyper rare gold cards. At 252 cards, this is the biggest set since last November’s Paradox Rift, but not significantly bulkier than what we’ve grown accustomed to in the Scarlet & Violet era. I still believe fewer cards would make the chase more rewarding, but after so many years of 200+ card sets, I think it’s time to accept that it’s a losing battle.
Luckily, the quality of the art is as high as ever. While I personally don’t have as many chase cards this set as some other recent ones, there are definitely a few here that will draw a lot of attention. The minimalist Alolan Dugtrio, Clobbopus, and Exeggcute stand out, while the hyper-detailed Latios, Mesprit, and Skamory offer a nice contrast. I’m a sucker for a pretty landscape, and there are a lot of nice backgrounds to ogle at in this set.
Surging Sparks Is An Instant Classic
While not quite a Pikachu slot machine, Surging Sparks knows the power of the electric mouse, and delivers. In the waning days of the Scarlet & Violet era, when all of the strong video game tie-in expansions are behind us, it’s difficult to make a set with a strong identity. After all, who really remembers Fusion Strike, Unbroken Bonds, or Primal Fates? I bet you didn’t even realize I made one of those up.
Surging Sparks will be remembered as the Tera Pikachu set, though, especially if the price on Pikachu ex singles hold as astronomically high as they are right now. Historically, the one-super-expensive-card sets have never been my favorite. But it’s Pikachu. I can’t help but love it.
Experience the fun of collecting Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) cards with Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, an upcoming game for iOS and Android devices from Creatures Inc., the original developers of the Pokémon TCG, and DeNA Co., Ltd.
In this game, you will be able to open two booster packs every day at no cost. You can collect digital cards featuring nostalgic artwork from the past as well as brand-new cards that are exclusive to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.
Be on the lookout for new “immersive cards,” which will make you feel as though you’ve leapt into the world of the card’s illustration.