Though Ace Spec cards were introduced in Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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!
Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon, 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 Pokemon, Crystal Edge can only be used if it’s attached to White Kyurem-EX as a Pokemon Tool.
If it is, White Kyurem-EX’s attacks can deal 50 extra damage to the defending, Active Pokemon; either Dragon Stream for 110 HP damage, or Ice Burn increasing to 200 HP of damage to the defending Pokemon.
Though of course we’re not likely to see this card come back in unaltered form. If it was tied to a modern Pokemon or even not restricted to a single Pokemon 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 Pokemon with a max HP above 300.
One example is the currently popular Tera Pokemon, Charizard-ex, which has an HP of 330.
Back when Crystal Edge was released, however, in the Boundaries Crossed set, having a 300 HP Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon TCG as its effect is still pretty useful.
Scramble Switch allows you to switch your Active Pokemon with one that’s on your Bench, but additionally allows you to transfer as many Energy cards from your old Active Pokemon to the new one as you wish.
It’s a really good way to get a new, undamaged Pokemon 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 Pokemon, in this case Victini-EX.
It’s important to note that all caps ‘EX’ Pokemon are different to the current, lower case ‘ex’ Pokemon 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 Pokemon Tool; if it is, it allows the Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon, 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?
Pokemon Black & White: Plasma Freeze (May 2013)
Life Dew (107/116)
Untethered from the need to use a specific Pokemon, 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 Pokemon as a Tool; when the Pokemon 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 Pokemon, 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 Pokemon, 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 Pokemon.
When your Active Pokemon 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 Pokemon, which in this case is Genesect-EX, G Booster provides an extra attack for that specific card.
If attached as a Pokemon 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 Pokemon, 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 Pokemon Tool and offers an extra attack to its Pokemon card.
The attack is also named G Scope, and it deals 100 HP of damage to one of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon, with a 2 Grass, 1 Colorless Energy cost.
It’s pretty cool, but again with it being tied to a specific Pokemon, 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon TCG’s current format.
So it’s no surprise that we’re going to see Master Ball return in completely unaltered form; so far, it’s the only previous Ace Spec card that will be making a comeback!
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 Pokemon, and all cards attached to it, back in their hand.
Got a Pokemon 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 Pokemon that was on its last legs!
Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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!
Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon in the Active Spot and five Pokemon on the Bench.
Of course, they would all have to be Ancient Pokemon 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 Pokemon, and adds 100 HP to its total.
Given that cards such as Bravery Charm add 50 HP to a Pokemon but only if it’s a Basic Pokemon, being able to add 100 HP to any Pokemon 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 Pokemon, though it is effective against Pokemon ex cards only.
Prime Catcher (157/162)
Prime Catcher allows you to switch one of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon to the Active Spot, then do the same with your own Active Pokemon and one of your Benched Pokemon.
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 Pokemon with one of your Benched Pokemon either; though the card Escape Rope also allows both players to switch their Active Pokemon with one of their Benched Pokemon, the important thing that Prime Catcher does is allow the owner of the card to choose which Pokemon 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 utilises 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 Pokemon in play.
In theory, providing you have a Pokemon in your Active Spot and five on your Bench, as long as they’re all Future Pokemon 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 Pokemon; 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 Pokemon Temporal Forces Card List, so you can see what else is, well, on the cards for the whole set!
