Pokémon Strikes Again in Sun & Moon Ultra Prism Expansion

Thanks to our wonderful friends over at the Pokémon Company, we were given the wonderful opportunity to review the latest expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card game, Pokémon Sun & Moon: Ultra Prism. The set not only includes 150 cards to add to your collection, but it also introduces 6 Prism Star cards that brings a new gameplay element to the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Check out the blurp from The Pokémon Company below, as well as our review of Ultra Prism!

Supercharge your deck with the Pokémon TCG: Sun & Moon—Ultra Prism expansion and new Prism Star cards that will change the way you play! These Prism Star cards are so powerful that you can have only one of each in your deck—and to ensure that you can only use them once, they go to the Lost Zone rather than the discard pile, never to return! The Sun & Moon—Ultra Prism expansion can be found in booster packs, theme decks, and special collections.

For the purpose of this review, The Pokémon Company sent over 5 booster packs and two themed decks for us to open and try. The real star in this set, however, are the Prism Star cards, which we will talk about first.

Prism Star Cards

Prism Star Cards seem to be the next evolution of the EX, GX style of cards, although unlike the GX cards, when defeated, Prism Star Pokémon only generate one prize. Although there is not limit to the number of Prism Star Pokémon you can have in your deck, you can only have one of each kind. On top of that, when a Prism Star card is knocked out of play – whether a Pokémon or an energy card – it goes to what is called the “Lost Zone” and it cannot be retrieved for future use. When it’s gone, it is gone. But what are the advantages of a Prism Star Card?

First, even if you are using a 1st or second evolution Pokémon, it will be considered a basic, so it can be used without prior evolutions. On top of that, having trainers that allow you to pull one basic Pokémon from your deck into your hand CAN be used on these cards, making them even more powerful.

The Prism cards, in general, seem to bring that extra level of strategy, combined with attacks and abilities that are slightly better than a basic Pokémon with no GX or EX attached. It’s another great addition to the Pokémon universe, and one that – as I accumulate more Prism cards – I’ll come to terms with and understand better.

Booster Packs

The artwork on the booster packs is again, top notch. Ripping these packs open always kills me a little inside, because I’m tearing away the beautiful art on the front. From the 5 packs I opened, I was able to get a pretty good selection of cards, including an ultra rare (see below). The packs are a good value if you are hoping for a big pull, but for those looking for a more balanced assortment of cards, I’d highly recommend the Themed Decks.

Themed Decks

The themed decks are a huge in my home; although I’m a bit more advanced when it comes to the Pokémon Trading Card Game – and therefore am generally liable to create my own deck of 60 cards – my young kids are not as ready for that; having battles between myself and my 8 year old son using themed decks is always a hit for us, as these decks tend to be very balanced. Here are the two decks available in the Ultra Prism expansion.

Imperial Command: The royal Empoleon is ready to lead Abomasnow and a team of Water types into battle! Together, they can overwhelm and freeze out foes with perfect timing. Unlock the power of ice, wind, and wave with the Imperial Command theme deck!

Mach Strike: A Dragon-type Pokémon knows that how you begin a battle determines how you end it—so call on Garchomp and Lucario, and go for the big attack with powerful hits at top speed! The Mach Strike theme deck pulls no punches!

Our review of how these Themed Decks play against each other will be coming up soon, so stay tuned to GamesReviews for more! If you want to explore the Ultra Prism collection yourself, head over to the Pokémon Company webpage!