Though Ace Spec cards were introduced in Pokémon Trading Card Game (or TCG) set Black & White: Boundaries Crossed way back in 2012, they didn’t stick around for very long.
In fact, just 13 Ace Spec cards were released over the next three sets, with Plasma Storm, Plasma Freeze, and Plasma Blast receiving their own before the card type disappeared altogether.
Ace Spec cards are so powerful that players are only allowed one in their deck overall; note that that’s not one of each Ace Spec card, that’s one, single Ace Spec card per deck. So while it was never certain that players would draw an Ace Spec card, their effects gave players, in theory at least, a big advantage if they managed to get one into their hand and into play.
Though there’s been an awful lot of power and ability creep over the years since these Item cards were introduced, which makes some of their supposed game changing power almost laughably quaint, The Pokémon Company have decided that it’s time to bring Ace Spec cards back, more than a decade since players last saw them.
Naturally, the new cards will be in line with the current meta and offer effects that will prove useful for the Pokémon TCG as it exists today, as well as going beyond just being Item cards, as you’ll see.
So what Ace Spec cards were there, what sets were they in, and what new cards can we expect?
Let’s take a look at each Ace Spec card in the order they were released!
Pokémon Black & White: Boundaries Crossed (November 2012)
Computer Search (137/149)
A card with a very interesting history, Computer Search allows players to search their deck for any card, at the cost of discarding two cards from their hand.
What’s interesting about Computer Search is that it was first available in the Base Set of the Pokémon TCG; at the time, this meant that you could legally include four copies of the card in your deck, making it extremely overpowered!
Naturally, this card was rotated out of legality and only returned as an Ace Spec card more than a decade later in the Boundaries Crossed expansion.
Being designated as Ace Spec meant that only one copy could be included in a deck; though still pretty powerful, this did mean that players couldn’t use the effect repeatedly.
Though Ultra Ball in the modern game has a similar effect and cost, it does only allow you to search your deck for a specific Pokémon, rather than a specific card of your choice.
Given that this is the case, however, it wouldn’t be too surprising if Computer Search returned as part of the new Ace Spec card selection, at least at some point!
Crystal Edge (138/149)
Tied to a specific Pokémon, Crystal Edge can only be used if it’s attached to White Kyurem-EX as a Pokémon Tool.
If it is, White Kyurem-EX’s attacks can deal 50 extra damage to the defending, Active Pokémon; either Dragon Stream for 110 HP damage, or Ice Burn increasing to 200 HP of damage to the defending Pokémon.
Though of course we’re not likely to see this card come back in unaltered form. If it was tied to a modern Pokémon or even not restricted to a single Pokémon at all, it could be a card that returns as part of the new Ace Spec card selection.
Crystal Wall (139/149)
A counterpart to Crystal Edge, Crystal Wall can only be used with Black Kyurem-EX.
If it is attached to Black Kyurem-EX as a Tool, its HP becomes 300!
These days, it’s not all that uncommon to see a Pokémon with a max HP above 300.
One example is the currently popular Tera Pokémon, Charizard-ex, which has an HP of 330.
Back when Crystal Edge was released, however, in the Boundaries Crossed set, having a 300 HP Pokémon would have been devastating and much more difficult to deal with.
Particularly as Black Kyurem-EX’s HP went from 180 HP to 300 HP with the addition of Crystal Wall!
Gold Potion (140/149)
With all of the big attacks and massive HP values in the Pokémon TCG these days, a card that heals 90 HP may seem a little quaint and underpowered, but in its day this was an excellent card to have in your deck!
As with other cards on this list, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Gold Potion returning, though that 90 HP effect may have to be tweaked and increased.
Pokemon Black & White: Plasma Storm (February 2013)
Dowsing Machine (128/135)
Much like Computer Search or the aforementioned Ultra Ball, Dowsing Machine requires that players discard two cards from their hand in order for it to be used.
Once that cost is paid, players may use Dowsing Machine to take a Trainer card from their discard pile into their hand, which can be extremely useful.
Could we see Dowsing Machine return in some form?
Its effect certainly still feels as if it has use as an Ace Spec card, so it’s definitely not outside the realms of possibility!
Scramble Switch (129/135)
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect that Scramble Switch could make a return in the modern Pokémon TCG as its effect is still pretty useful.
Scramble Switch allows you to switch your Active Pokémon with one that’s on your Bench, but additionally allows you to transfer as many Energy cards from your old Active Pokémon to the new one as you wish.
It’s a really good way to get a new, undamaged Pokémon into the Active Spot and in a way that makes them instantly powered up too.
Victory Piece (130/135)
Though we’re not likely to see Victory Piece return in its original form, that’s not to say that it can’t make an appearance as an updated Item card.
That’s because Victory Piece is another Ace Spec card that needs to be paired with a specific Pokémon, in this case Victini-EX.
It’s important to note that all caps ‘EX’ Pokémon are different to the current, lower case ‘ex’ Pokémon too, even though the cards can and do often look very similar!
So what does Victory Piece do?
Well, it can be attached to Victini-EX as a Pokémon Tool; if it is, it allows the Pokémon to use its attacks whether or not it has Energy cards attached, but it also ignores the Energy type too.
Though this is undoubtedly a powerful effect, the fact that it’s tied specifically to Victini-EX does make it incredibly limited in scope.
Add that to the fact that Victini-EX only needs one Fire and two Colorless Energy to use a 50+ HP attack (which seems woefully underpowered over a decade later!), and the usefulness of this card seems even lower!
Victini-EX can also power up Benched Pokémon while it has just one Fire Energy attached, so again, this Ace Spec card is a bit of a baffling one.
If its usage wasn’t restricted to a single Pokémon, it could definitely be a big game changer.
This is pure speculation, but perhaps we’ll see it come back without the Victini-EX stipulation?
If we did, it’d undoubtedly be a staple card in just about every deck, surely?
Pokémon Black & White: Plasma Freeze (May 2013)
Life Dew (107/116)
Untethered from the need to use a specific Pokémon, Life Dew is a flexible and powerful card that can definitely mean the difference between winning and losing a game.
It’s another Item that’s attached to a Pokémon as a Tool; when the Pokémon it’s attached to is knocked out, the player who dealt the damage must take 1 fewer Prize card.
Attached to a standard, single Prize Pokémon, this can see an opponent pretty much wasting their time in getting it Knocked Out as they’ll be no closer to victory; even if they’re dealing knock out damage to an EX or other type of multi-Prize Pokémon, Life Dew provides an excellent way to slow them down.
Rock Guard (108/116)
The second and final Ace Spec card from the Plasma Freeze set, Rock Guard still feels like a pretty powerful card even now.
That’s because it deals retaliatory damage to any attack, providing it’s attached to the Active Pokémon.
When your Active Pokémon is dealt damage, if it has Rock Guard attached as a Tool, it deals 60 damage to the attacker!
Not bad, right?
Though the 6 damage counter retaliation may need to be tweaked for the modern game, it’s not outside the realms of possibility to expect that Rock Guard may return in some form, now that Ace Spec cards are making a comeback.
Pokemon Black & White: Plasma Blast (August 2013)
G Booster – Team Plasma (92/101)
Yet another card that can only be used with a single, named Pokémon, which in this case is Genesect-EX, G Booster provides an extra attack for that specific card.
If attached as a Pokémon Tool to Genesect-EX, G Booster provides an attack of the same name, which costs two Grass and one Colorless Energy to use.
It’s an attack that deals 200 HP of damage and isn’t affected by any effects on the defender.
However, it does require that 2 Energy cards attached to Genesect-EX are discarded in order to use the attack.
In the contemporary TCG, a 200 HP attack isn’t all that uncommon; there are plenty of big hitters in the modern game that deal in excess of 200 HP damage.
Which means that this Ace Spec card, particularly as it’s tied to a specific Pokémon, isn’t likely to stage a modern comeback!
G Scope – Team Plasma (93/101)
Another card that benefits Genesect-EX only, G Scope is also attached as a Pokémon Tool and offers an extra attack to its Pokémon card.
The attack is also named G Scope, and it deals 100 HP of damage to one of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon, with a 2 Grass, 1 Colorless Energy cost.
It’s pretty cool, but again with it being tied to a specific Pokémon, we’re not likely to see this particular card returning in this form.
Master Ball (94/101)
The currently popular Ultra Ball card has a similar effect to this Ace Spec Master Ball, in that it allows you to search your deck for any Pokémon card, reveal it and put it into your hand.
However, Master Ball has a big advantage over Ultra Ball.
You see, Ultra Ball requires you to discard two cards from your hand in order to use it; though it is, of course, very powerful, losing two cards to use it can be quite costly.
Master Ball has no such restriction, making it still an effective card even in the Pokémon TCG’s current format.
So it’s no surprise that we’re going to see Master Ball return in completely unaltered form; however, it’s worth noting that other Ace Spec cards will be returning too, as you’ll see with more of the cards below!
Scoop Up Cyclone (95/101)
The final Ace Spec card of the original run, when you consider its set release and card number, Scoop Up Cyclone allows its owner to put 1 of their Pokémon, and all cards attached to it, back in their hand.
Got a Pokémon that’s Poisoned or just damaged beyond all hope? Scoop Up Cyclone removes them from play so they can return fully refreshed, with everything they had also attached.
Certain modern cards can combat the effectiveness of this, such as Trainer card Iono, which sees both players shuffling their cards onto the bottom of their deck, then drawing cards equal to the number of Prize cards they have left.
However, it’s still a card that can give its owner the ability to shift the balance of power in a game, giving them a bit of breathing room and potentially bring back a powerful Pokémon that was on its last legs!
Pokémon Black & White: Legendary Treasures (November 2013)
Spiritomb (87/113)
I suspect that if you’re especially observant, you’ll see that this isn’t an Ace Spec card at all.
So what is this specific Spiritomb, a Pokémon which debuted way back in 2008 in the Legends Awakened set and is still popular today, doing in the list of Ace Spec cards?
Well, this particular Spiritomb, one of nearly 20 different cards for this Pokémon that have been released over the years, has an ability that specifically combats Ace Spec cards!
That’s right, this Dark type version of Spiritomb has the Sealing Scream ability, which prevents all players from using Ace Spec cards.
Though of course that hampers your own chance to play your Ace Spec cards, if you don’t have any or you’ve already played the single Ace Spec card you have in your deck, this is a particularly useful pre-emptive measure.
Especially if you know that your opponent(s) have an Ace Spec card in their deck that they’ve yet to play!
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Temporal Forces (March 2024)
Ace Spec cards return in Temporal Forces with a striking new colour scheme, mostly comprised of new cards.
There are seven cards in total in Temporal Forces; only one is a card that returns unaltered from the previous Ace Spec card selection.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at all of the Ace Spec cards that appear in Temporal Forces.
Awakening Drum (141/162)
The introduction of Ancient and Future Pokémon has added extra opportunities for Trainer cards to capitalise on the new subtypes; this Ace Spec card is a good example of that.
As an Ancient card itself, Awakening Drum allows you to draw a card for each of your Ancient Pokémon in play.
This can allow players to draw up to six cards, in theory at least; that’s if we go by the usual assumption of having a Pokémon in the Active Spot and five Pokémon on the Bench.
Of course, they would all have to be Ancient Pokémon in order for the Awakening Drum’s effectiveness to be maximised.
Given that cards such as Professor’s Research allow players to draw seven cards (albeit at the cost of discarding their hand; however, this can be cleverly played when players have a depleted hand anyway), it doesn’t seem to me that Awakening Drum is so powerful as to warrant its status as an Ace Spec card.
However, players who encounter Ancient-focused decks may disagree!
Hero’s Cape (152/162)
Now here’s a card that really does justify its status as an Ace Spec card.
Hero’s Cape can be attached to any Pokémon, and adds 100 HP to its total.
Given that cards such as Bravery Charm add 50 HP to a Pokémon but only if it’s a Basic Pokémon, being able to add 100 HP to any Pokémon is very powerful indeed!
Master Ball (153/162)
The Master Ball is the only Ace Spec so far that makes its return from the classic, Black & White era cards.
It does exactly the same thing as the classic card too, making the jump into the future entirely unchanged, aside from its aesthetic update of course.
Maximum Belt (154/162)
Maximum Belt performs a similar function to the classic Crystal Edge card.
However, where that card only granted extra 50 HP damage to attacks from White Kyurem-EX, Maximum Belt instead allows itself to be used by any Pokémon, though it is effective against Pokémon ex cards only.
Prime Catcher (157/162)
Prime Catcher allows you to switch one of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon to the Active Spot, then do the same with your own Active Pokémon and one of your Benched Pokémon.
Though this is similar to the newer card, Counter Catcher, it’s not subject to the limitation of that card, which requires that you can only use it if you have more Prize Cards left than your opponent.
Counter Catcher also doesn’t allow you to switch your Active Pokémon with one of your Benched Pokémon either; though the card Escape Rope also allows both players to switch their Active Pokémon with one of their Benched Pokémon, the important thing that Prime Catcher does is allow the owner of the card to choose which Pokémon end up Active on both sides!
Reboot Pod (158/162)
Another card that takes advantage of a new subtype, Reboot Pod is different to Awakening Drum in that it utilizes the Future keyword, rather than Ancient.
It also feels as if Reboot Pod is a much better and more useful card, as it allows you to attach a Basic Energy card from your discard pile to each of your Future Pokémon in play.
In theory, providing you have a Pokémon in your Active Spot and five on your Bench, as long as they’re all Future Pokémon and you have enough Energy in your discard pile, that’ll be six Energy that you can attach in a single turn!
That’s a hugely powerful effect and definitely shows why this card is an Ace Spec!
Neo Upper Energy (162/162)
All previous Ace Spec cards were Item cards; that changes with the new range of Ace Spec cards, which throw an Energy card into the mix!
Neo Upper Energy will provide one Colorless Energy, unless it’s attached to a Stage 2 Pokémon; if that’s the case, it then provides 2 Energy at a time, with any type of Energy of the owner’s choice available.
With the full set now revealed, it’s also worth checking out our Pokémon Temporal Forces Card List, so you can see what else is, well, on the cards for the whole set!
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Twilight Masquerade (May 2024)
With just 13 Ace Spec cards having been released when they were initially introduced in the Black & White era of the Pokémon TCG, you could be forgiven for thinking that they may not be an aspect of the game that’d stick around for very long this time around either.
However, with seven Ace Spec cards in the Temporal Forces set, we were already just over halfway there with the number of cards available; now, with Twilight Masquerade featuring a further six Ace Spec cards, in just two sets we’ve matched the number of Ace Spec cards that were released over the course of the Black & White era sets!
So let’s take a look at the exciting new Ace Spec cards in Twilight Masquerade.
Hyper Aroma (152/167)
Though Ace Spec cards in the Scarlet & Violet era have moved beyond just Item cards, and are starting to be featured as more and more different types of Trainer card, Hyper Aroma is another Item card. It’s a good one too, allowing you to search your deck for up to three Stage 1 Pokémon, then reveal them and put them in your hand (don’t forget to shuffle your deck after you’ve done so!).
Though it’s not the most spectacular Ace Spec card, if you’ve got numerous Basic Pokémon in play, in your hand or even still in your deck, having their Stage 1 forms in hand and ready to go is massively helpful, particularly if you’re relying on certain abilities or attacks that the evolved Pokémon offer over their Basic forms.
Scoop Up Cyclone (162/167)
Given its simplicity and flexibility, it’s a little surprising that Scoop Up Cyclone wasn’t included in the first set of new Ace Spec cards from Temporal Forces. However, we clearly didn’t have to wait long for this Black & White era card to make a reappearance, and here it is, as part of the Twilight Masquerade set.
Nothing has changed in terms of what this Scoop Up Cyclone can do in comparison to the original card; it’s as straightforward as just removing one of your Pokémon and all attached cards from play, and putting them in your hand.
Secret Box (163/167)
An entirely new Ace Spec card, Secret Box is one that can prove incredibly powerful with the right combination of cards, and in the correct circumstances!
In order to use Secret Box, however, you will need to discard three cards from your hand, which is quite a high cost to pay. However, the card’s effect then allows you to search your deck for an Item card, a Pokémon Tool card, a Supporter card and a Stadium card. You then reveal them before putting them in your hand and shuffling your deck.
You can definitely turn the tide of a game using Secret Box; it’s an underrated, excellent Ace Spec card that truly proves the worth of this card type, and also demonstrates exactly why you’re only allowed one Ace Spec card in any given deck!
Survival Brace (164/167)
Though Survival Brace is undoubtedly useful for certain Pokémon, it perhaps feels as if the stars really do have to be properly aligned for it to be of use.
A Pokémon Tool card, Survival Brace is attached to a Pokémon like any other Tool, and as long as the Pokémon has full HP, if it is to be Knocked Out by damage from an opponent’s attack, it’s not Knocked Out and instead remains on 10 HP. Then the Survival Brace is discarded.
It doesn’t account for conditions such as Poisoning, however, which, if that were to be an effect of the same attack, would Knock Out your Pokémon during checkup anyway. So Survival Brace could certainly prove useful, but it does seem to be one of the less impressive Ace Spec cards so far, overall.
Unfair Stamp (165/167)
This one has been used against me more than a few times, and let me tell you: Unfair Stamp really does live up to its name. You can only play Unfair Stamp if any of your Pokémon were Knocked Out during your opponent’s previous turn, but of course there’s usually plenty of opportunity for that to happen and to time the playing of this card well.
So, what does it do? Well, Unfair Stamp sees both players shuffling their hand into their deck; the player who played Unfair Stamp draws 5 cards, and their opponent draws just 2. It can be brutally effective in derailing an opponent’s plans, particularly if they have a decent number of cards in their hand, which they’re likely to be strategising with just as you hit them with the Unfair Stamp!
Legacy Energy (167/167)
With Neo Upper Energy flying the flag as the very first Ace Spec Energy card, it was only a matter of time before the selection widened, and here we have another with Legacy Energy. Given that the one per deck restriction on Ace Spec cards means that you won’t consistently draw them in every game, you can’t rely on an Ace Spec Energy card to come up, but both Legacy Energy and Neo Upper Energy are great options for any deck, given their versatility.
Just like Neo Upper Energy, Legacy Energy can provide 1 of any type of Energy at a time. If the Pokémon it’s attached to is Knocked Out, the opposing player take 1 fewer Prize Card; this means that, if it’s attached to a standard Pokémon, rather than an ex or other special Pokémon type, the opponent could be expending effort and HP on getting rid of a Pokémon that will net them no Prize Cards at all!
Even a Knocked Out ex Pokémon will only grant 1 Prize Card instead of 2; sometimes, that’s enough to slow down an opponent and get the upper hand.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Shrouded Fable (August 2024)
The Shrouded Fable set brings Pecharunt & The Loyal Three from the Scarlet and Violet video game DLC, Mochi Mayhem. It also brings three more Ace Spec cards to the Pokémon TCG, so let’s take a look at them!
Dangerous Laser (058/064)
Given that status conditions in Pokémon can be devastating individually, inflicting two at once is going to be particularly difficult to deal with if timed correctly. Dangerous Laser does exactly that, giving the opponent’s Active Pokémon the Burned and Confused special conditions.
With Burn, a player’s Active Pokémon takes 20 HP of damage between each turn, though on their own turn they can flip a coin to try and ‘cure’ the Burn. If they flip heads, the Burn is gone; if tails, the Burn remains to continue inflicting damage on them until their next turn.
Then there’s Confusion. Though Burn is marked with a special Burn token, Confusion is different; to show that a Pokémon is Confused, the card is turned vertically upside-down (not flipped to show the back, just rotated). Any time a Confused Pokémon attacks, a coin must be flipped; on heads, the attack is successful, but on a result of tails, the attack is unsuccessful and the Pokémon deals 30 HP of damage to itself.
It’s worth noting that there are ways of dealing with Special Conditions; switching a Pokémon from the Active Spot to the Bench will heal them of their Special Conditions, as will evolving them. There’s also numerous Item cards which will heal Special Conditions, though I think it’s fair to say that most players don’t build these into their decks. Which means that Dangerous Laser could end up being quite the devastating Ace Spec card going forward!
Neutralization Zone (060/064)
As the very first Ace Spec Stadium card, Neutralization Zone has the potential to shake up the meta quite a bit, and it’s likely that players will need to ensure they have some kind of Stadium removal plan, or at least add a few Stadium cards of their own into their decks in order to be able to counter Neutralization Zone.
So, as the first, and so far only (in English at least) Ace Spec Stadium card, what does Neutralization Zone actually do? Well, when in play, Neutralization Zone ensures that any player’s Pokémon, as long as they don’t have a Rule Box (for the record, Pokémon ex or V do have Rule Boxes), cannot be damaged by attacks from their opponent’s Pokémon ex and Pokémon V. There’s also an extra rule on Neutralization Zone; once discarded from play, you’re forbidden from using other card effects or abilities to put it back into your hand or have it shuffled into your deck. Once it’s discarded, it’s gone.
It’s always a big risk to hinge a strategy on Stadium cards, as there are many ways for them to be removed from play; given that you may only have one Neutralization Zone in your deck and this prevents you from using any other Ace Spec cards, it definitely remains to be seen how effective it is in general. However, being able to essentially block damage altogether, from what tend to be the most powerful Pokémon in the game, is a very intriguing twist, and basically elevates the use of single-prize, standard Pokémon cards.
Poké Vital A (062/064)
There’s numerous ways to heal your Pokémon, but none are quite as effective as this ridiculously powerful Ace Spec card, Poké Vital A. Of course, with it being an Ace Spec card, it’s a one-off effect so opponents can rest assured you won’t have another up your sleeve when this one’s used; it also can’t be retrieved from the discard pile once used.
It’s effect is simple but an absolute game changer, given that it can immediately heal a massive 150 HP of damage from one of your Pokémon. This could easily make the difference between success and failure for you or your opponent, and can be particularly demoralising if they’ve been chipping away at your Pokémon’s health for a number of turns!
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Stellar Crown (September 2024)
The Stellar Crown set has introduced Stellar Pokémon to the TCG; though these are essentially Tera Pokémon ex, they differ in that they require a mixture of Energy types for their attacks. Though more complex to use, they’re pretty powerful. Of course, Stellar Crown also has its own Ace Spec cards, which we’ll take a look at now.
Deluxe Bomb (134/142)
As the saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold. However, armed with Deluxe Bomb, revenge for one of your Pokémon being damaged is instant, and very explosive indeed. So what does Deluxe Bomb do, exactly?
A Pokémon Tool card, you can attach Deluxe Bomb to one of your Pokémon. If the Pokémon it’s attached to is in the Active Spot and is damaged by an attack by an opponent’s Pokémon (even if it’s Knocked Out by the attack), you get to place an astonishing twelve damage counters on the attacking Pokémon, before discarding Deluxe Bomb. Just so you understand that correctly: that’s 120 HP of damage, without your own Pokémon having to attack at all.
It’s certainly a mighty deterrent for attacking at all, and definitely earns its status as an Ace Spec card!
Grand Tree (136/142)
Great Tree, which we’ve pictured above, is the second Ace Spec Stadium card, following the release of Neutralization Zone in the Shrouded Fable set.
As it’s a Stadium card, both players can make use of it, though it’s a once per turn action only. During their turn, a player may search their deck for a Stage 1 Pokémon that evolves from 1 of the Basic Pokémon they already have in play, then place it onto that Pokémon to evolve it. They can then immediately search their deck for a Stage 2 Pokémon and evolve the Stage 1 Pokémon they have just put into play! They then shuffle their deck; the only restrictions (aside from this being once per turn) are that Great Tree can’t be used on a player’s first turn, or on the same turn that their Basic Pokémon was played.
It’s worth noting that Stadiums, as we mentioned in our Neutralization Zone entry, can be removed from play in a variety of ways, so there may not be much opportunity for players to truly make use of Great Tree. Then again, it’s not that often that players do have ways to deal with Stadium cards, unless they have Stadiums of their own in their deck, so Great Tree could end up being another Ace Spec card that really transforms the meta.
Sparkling Crystal (142/142)
After the rather complicated, convoluted wall of text on Grand Tree, it’s quite refreshing to see a much simpler Ace Spec card. Sparkling Crystal is going to prove useful for just about any Tera Pokémon ex, but especially powerful for the new Stellar Pokémon that can be found in Stellar Crown.
Sparkling Crystal is a Pokémon Tool, and the Tera Pokémon it’s attached to can reduce the cost of their attack by 1 Energy. Sparkling Crystal works with any Energy type, so if you need or want to reduce the cost by one Fire, Lightning or Water type Energy, you can do so (though only one at a time of course!).
Given the introduction of Stellar Pokémon, any player using them will almost certainly carry a Sparkling Crystal in their deck, to ensure they have the right balance of Energy to use their attacks with, at any given time.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Surging Sparks
Perhaps the strongest indication so far of just how popular and impactful Ace Spec cards have been, since being reintroduced to the Pokémon TCG, there are an incredible 8 new Ace Spec cards in Surging Sparks. Let’s take a look at them all.
Amulet of Hope (162/191)
Another Pokémon Tool card, Amulet of Hope is attached to a Pokémon as normal. If the Pokémon it’s attached to is Knocked Out by damage from an attack by your opponent’s Pokémon, you can search your deck for up to 3 cards and put them in your hand. That’s right: any 3 cards can go directly from your deck to your hand. That’s pretty powerful, and even though there’s always the chance for a Pokémon card to shake up the meta, Amulet of Hope really feels like a game changer.
Brilliant Blender (164/191)
This Ace Spec card couldn’t be simpler; it just allows you to search your deck for up to 5 cards, discard them, then shuffle your deck. Why would you want to do this? Perhaps your plans have gone awry, and you have numerous cards in your deck that are no longer of use. Or maybe you’ve got to get to some specific cards, and thinning out the number of cards remaining in your deck is a viable, desirable strategy. Regardless of the why, this is a cool and unusual card that creative players are sure to be able to find a use for.
Energy Search Pro (176/191)
A card that feels tailor made for the introduction, and rise, of Stellar Pokémon, Energy Search Pro allows players to search their deck for any number of Basic Energy cards of different types, reveal them and put them in their hand, before shuffling their deck. Even by the standards of other Ace Spec cards, this is one that feels particularly strong, and in a set not lacking Ace Spec cards, this might be the strongest and best of them all.
Megaton Blower (182/191)
Got a pesky Stadium card in play that’s hampering every move you make? How about a particularly powered up Pokémon, or several of them, on the opposing side? Megaton Blower will deal with it all; when played, it discards all Pokémon Tools and Special Energy from every single one of your opponent’s Pokémon, as well as a Stadium that’s in play!
Miracle Headset (183/191)
We’ve all been in situations when playing the Pokémon TCG where our plan has fallen apart, and it could be somewhat repaired if only we had access to those Supporter cards we used a little too early on in the game. Miracle Headset allows you to get them back; well, 2 of them, at least, as you’ll play this to retrieve up to 2 Supporter cards from your discard pile, then place them in your hand.
Precious Trolley (185/191)
By now, it should be clear that not only do Ace Spec cards, despite being limited to just one per deck, can really shake up individual games, but they can also have a huge effect on the meta. Surging Sparks seems to be dropping a wild amount of powerful cards into the Pokémon TCG, and Precious Trolley is another excellent example of this. Simply put, it allows a player to search their deck for any number of Basic Pokémon, which can then be placed onto their Bench immediately. Though this of course is still limited by the number of Pokémon a player is allowed on their Bench (up to 5 in total, unless a card’s ability overrides that), that means they can get all of their most powerful Basic Pokémon in play instantly!
Scramble Switch (186/191)
Being able to switch an Active Pokémon with a Benched Pokémon is an often necessary action, for numerous reasons. Perhaps your Active Pokémon is affected by a Special Condition that means it can’t retreat, or maybe it’s facing a Pokémon it has a weakness against. Whatever the reason, the popular Switch card usually suffices, and it’s a Trainer card you’ll find in most decks. Scramble Switch does the same thing, except you can also switch the Energy cards from the previous Active Pokémon to your new one, instantly giving it everything it needs to continue attacking seamlessly!
Enriching Energy (191/191)
At first glance, this Ace Spec Energy card isn’t particularly special. Attached to a Pokémon, it provides 1 Colorless Energy. However, you can draw 4 cards from your hand when it’s attached to a Pokémon from your hand, which can be particularly useful early on. Card draw and Energy in one? Sign me up!
Are Other Ace Spec Cards On The Way?
It looks like Ace Spec cards really are here to stay this time around, especially with the veritable flood of them we’ve seen in Surging Sparks, and of course more will be revealed as new sets emerge. There’s been some incredibly interesting cards already that have earned themselves Ace Spec status, and though not all of them have proven useful in the meta, they’re all cards that we’re glad to see shaking things up, and perhaps even being used to deal with certain staple cards that we always see. As new card details are revealed, we’ll continue to update this list of every Ace Spec card in the Pokémon TCG!
Check out our list of Tera Pokémon, and if you want to delve even further into the history of the Pokémon TCG, check out our feature on the Game Boy Color adaptation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game!
