Pokemon TCG Paradox Rift Review – Past, Present & Future Delights

The Pokemon TCG has continued to mesmerize players with stunning cards in recent expansions – and Paradox Rift is no exception. With fantastic pull rates, new card types, and brilliant artwork, this is a set you don’t want to miss out on.

Paradox Rift is a heavily anticipated addition to the Pokemon TCG due to the arrival of Ancient and Future cards. These special variant spotlight Gen 9’s Gimmick, Paradox Pokemon. Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant make their debut in this set, alongside plenty of other favorites, and they pack a punch that is sure to get competitive TCG players excited.

Key Details

• Release Date: November 3, 2023
• Expansion Series: Scarlet & Violet
• Booster Box: Yes
• Card List Total: 266

Take To The Sky Or Fight For The Future With Paradox Rift ETBs

The Paradox Rift ETB comes in two different variations: Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant. The Roaring Moon version was provided to Gamepur via samples of the Pokemon TCG Expansion. This box is stunning, and the perfect option for players who love to display their ETBs. I like the Roaring Moon box over Iron Valiant, as the bright yellow, red, and blue are particularly eye-catching.

Inside the box, players will find the standard array of ETB goodies, including a set of 64 sleeves, 9 booster backs, energy cards, damage counter dice, status markers, and a promo card for either ETB style. Roaring Moon offers an Ancient card featuring Scream Tail, while Iron Valiant’s Box features the Future card of Iron Bundle.

Overall, this ETB felt as rewarding as Obsidian Flames, with the colors, styles, and card pull rates all creating a deluxe experience Pokemon TCG fans look for when picking up these collections. It was a delight to open, and I’d readily grab the Iron Valiant box just to have both sets of sleeves and damage dice.

Paradox Rift Build & Battle Boxes Lack The Gimmick

Build & Battle boxes are a great way to shake up a Pokemon TCG match, and they often highlight the gimmick of an expansion of generation. With the debut of Ancient and Future cards, I was particularly excited to see how this B&B functioned and celebrated the strengths of the new mechanics.

Unfortunately, I was surprised to see that only Iron Bundle was an option as a Holographic promo in the Paradox Rift Build & Battle sets. While Chi-Yu is a fun Legendary, Xatu, and Aegilash lack the wow factor that many players may be hoping for.

I was lucky enough to pull the Iron Bundle promo in my Pokemon TCG Build & Battle. It’s not going to crush your opponent with a hard attack, but its Hyper Blower Ability allows the player to switch around the opponent’s active Pokemon with a benched as long as Iron Bundle is on the player’s bench. This can be a great way to buy time without worrying about Iron Bundle’s low HP or lack of attack power.

A Pokemon TCG Boost Box Full of Surprises

Booster Boxes are back after the special release of the Pokemon TCG’s 151 set, and Paradox Rift doesn’t have the same pull rate problem. This may have been the best pull rate of any set we’ve reviewed from Scarlet & Violet, and it made opening every pack a delight.

The star of Paradox Rift’s card list has to be the Hyper Rare golden Roaring Moon that I pulled three packs in. The accents on Roaring Moon’s body make it a masterpiece of a Pokemon TCG card, and one that will look brilliant in a binder or a competitive deck.

Additionally, players will also have a handful of new Terastallized cards to track down, with Tera Mewtwo ex at the top of the pile for usability. The Transfer Charge attack that costs a single energy allows players to attach two basic Psychic energy from the discard pile to any Pokemon desired, while Photon Kinesis stacks damage for every Psychic energy attached to all of a player’s Pokemon. With the right setup, it could deal a solid blow.

Verdict

The Pokemon TCG Paradox Rift expansion is one to invest in. From the stunning gallery of cards to the new Ancient and Future debuts, there are plenty of reasons to snag a few boosters or pick up an ETB. While the Build & Battle might not be a first choice, the high pull rates of this set make investing in a booster box less painful, and the wide gallery of cards both rare and common create a colorful assortment once opened. There are a few cards in here that could challenge the current competitive Meta for the Pokemon TCG, and having a few on hand right from release could be the perfect way to throw popular deck builds a challenging curve ball.