Pokemon TCG’s Paldean Fates set is almost here!
So what can Pokefans expect from the newest special set for Pokemon, when are the new products due to be released – and where can the Paldean Fates range be purchased from?
Let’s find out!
What Cards Will Be In Paldean Fates?
We don’t yet know exactly what cards will appear – beyond a very small number of cards that have been teased – but we do know that many of the shiny cards from Japanese set, Shiny Treasure ex, will be making an appearance.
For a card gallery and details of every single card in the Shiny Treasure ex set, check out our Shiny Treasure card list.
We do know that there’ll be over 240 cards, which will, excitingly, include over 130 Shiny Pokemon.
Given how many Shiny Pokemon are included in Shiny Treasure ex, it’s great to see that so many of them are heading West!
In fact, there’s also going to be 11 Shiny Pokémon ex, 7 Pokémon ex and – continuing to expand the selection of Tera Pokemon that have proven so popular in the last few set releases – 3 Tera Pokémon ex too: Charizard (again!), Forretress, and Espathra will be appearing in Tera form.
Additionally, Ancient and Future classifications are going to be added to more Pokemon – with Great Tusk ex becoming Ancient and Iron Treads ex receiving the Future keyword – giving Paradox Rift fans more options with the Paradox Pokemon-specific Items that set featured.
In fact, seeing as Paradox Rift didn’t make the journey West fully intact, Paldean Fates is expected to include further cards that didn’t initially make the cut.
Where Can I Buy Paldean Fates Products?
Just like last year’s Crown Zenith, Paldean Fates is a ‘special’ Pokemon set – so unfortunately, individual booster packs won’t be on sale.
Instead, you will only be able to find booster packs within other products.
These will be on sale through the usual channels, so if you’re in the UK you can secure your Paldean Fates products from sites such as Chaos Cards, Magic Madhouse, Total Cards or the UK-specific Pokemon Center site.
In the US, retailers such as Fusion Gaming, Best Buy, Toys R Us and the US Pokemon Center will be able to help with your Paldean Fates purchases!
What Paldean Fates Products Will Be Available?
So, with no individual booster packs being released to stores, and therefore, no booster boxes available either, what (and when) can fans expect to find when it comes to Paldean Fates being available in retail stores and online?
Wave 1 – 26th January
Paldean Fates Elite Trainer Box ($49.99/£49.99)
Releasing as part of the first wave of Paldean Fates products, the Elite Trainer Box (or ETB) contains just about everything you expect in a ‘standard’ ETB.
Get ready for nine booster packs, an illustration Rare Mimikyu Promo card, Paldean Fates Player’s Guide, card dividers, Mimikyu card sleeves, damage dice, a six-sided die, status tokens and a Pokemon TCG Live digital content code.
The Pokemon Center exclusive ETB (priced at $59.99 – though the UK price remains the same as the standard at £49.99) contains two more booster packs and an extra Mimikyu Illustration Rare – one of which features the Pokemon Center logo – but is otherwise the same as the standard version of the box.
Paldean Fates Tech Sticker Collection ($15.99/£16.99, per pack)
A new take on the three booster blister packs released with most sets, these will come in three different variations – Fidough, Maschiff and Greavard – with the pack containing a shiny promo of one of those three Pokemon, and a matching sticker of your chosen card too.
These large, nicely designed stickers fit the Paldean Fates colour and design aesthetic. They are intended to be stuck on tablets, laptops or other devices; hence the Tech Sticker naming of these packs!
Wave 2 – 9th February
Paldean Fates Mini Tins ($9.99/£10.99, per tin)
As is standard for Mini Tin releases, these arrive in five different variations, with tins adorned with your choice of Pokemon from the following: Finizen, Flamigo, Maushold, Smoliv or Tinkatink.
Inside each tin are two Paldean Fates booster packs and a sticker matching the design of your chosen tin.
Paldean Fates Tins ($29.99/£28.99, per tin)
Not to be confused with the mini tins, these larger tins are another staple of many sets.
Three different variations are available, with your choice of shiny Pokemon card – which is displayed in a window on the tin – from the following: Tera Charizard ex, Great Tusk ex or Iron Treads ex.
Now these tins are slightly odd, in that their contents (and even tin shape) vary by region – North American versions of the tins will contain five booster packs and the displayed Pokemon ex promo card, whereas the tins only have four booster packs and the promo card in Europe!
Paldean Fates Premium Collections ($49.99/£52.99, per box)
Elite Trainer Boxes aside, Premium Collections are usually the best way to kickstart your collection for any given set, giving you an excellent starting point for a specific Pokemon and their evolved forms.
The Paldean Fates Premium Collections are no exception.
These will be released in three variations: Meowscarada ex, Quaquaval ex or Skeledirge ex.
Each includes an oversized card of the featured Pokemon (and, as a bonus, these Paldean Fates oversized cards all feature Shiny variants!), along with a three card display – which gives you your chosen Pokemon’s Basic, Stage 1 and then Stage 2 forms as playable cards; the latter of which matches the oversized card featured in the box.
As a further incentive to get hold of these collections, each one of the three, standard sized cards features a Shiny Pokemon.
That means you will immediately have three Shiny Pokemon in your collection!
The Basic and Stage 1 form cards in every box are Baby Shiny cards; for more information on those, check out our guide to Baby Shiny Pokemon.
Naturally, it’s not just a single oversized card and three standard cards in the Premium Collection boxes – you’ll also find eight Paldean Fates booster packs in each one too.
Wave 3 – 23rd February
Paldean Fates Booster Bundle ($26.94/£24.99)
Finally, the third wave concludes the various Paldean Fates releases, with a single product: the booster bundle.
The booster bundle is exactly what it sounds like: a box of booster packs.
Inside, you’ll find six Paldean Fates booster packs. But in a set which doesn’t have booster packs released separately, that may be just what the Pokemon Professor ordered, right?
