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Pokemon TCG Ace Spec Cards List (Full List)

Ace Spec and Related Cards

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Computer Search
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Crystal Edge
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

Tied to a specific Pokemon, Crystal Edge can only be used if it’s attached to White Kyurem-EX as a Pokemon Tool.

Pokemon White Kyurem EX Card
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Crystal Wall
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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. 

Pokemon Black Kyurem EX Card
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Gold Potion
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Dowsing Machine
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Scramble Switch
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Victory Piece
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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?

Pokemon Victini EX Card
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Life Dew
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Rock Guard
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - G Booster
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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. 

Pokemon - Genesect EX Card
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - G Scope
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Master Ball
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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; 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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Scoop Up Cyclone
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Spiritomb Card
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Awakening Drum
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card: Hero's Cape
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - New Master Ball
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Maximum Belt
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Prime Catcher
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Reboot Pod
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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)

Pokemon Ace Spec Card - Neo Upper Energy
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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!

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 Pokemon 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)

Ace Spec Card Hyper Aroma 152/167
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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 Pokemon, 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon offer over their Basic forms.

Scoop Up Cyclone (162/167)

Ace Spec Card Scoop Up Cyclone 162/167
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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 Pokemon and all attached cards from play, and putting them in your hand.

Secret Box (163/167)

Ace Spec Card Secret Box 163/167
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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 Pokemon 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)

Ace Spec Card Survival Brace 164/167
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

Though Survival Brace is undoubtedly useful for certain Pokemon, it perhaps feels as if the stars really do have to be properly aligned for it to be of use.

A Pokemon Tool card, Survival Brace is attached to a Pokemon like any other Tool, and as long as the Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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)

Ace Spec Card Unfair Stamp 165/167
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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 Pokemon 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)

Ace Spec Card Legacy Energy
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon, rather than an ex or other special Pokemon type, the opponent could be expending effort and HP on getting rid of a Pokemon that will net them no Prize Cards at all!

Even a Knocked Out ex Pokemon 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 & Violet video game DLC, Mochi Mayhem. It also brings three more Ace Spec cards to the Pokemon TCG, so let’s take a look at them!

Dangerous Laser (058/064)

Ace Spec Card Dangerous Laster
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

Given that status conditions in Pokemon 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 Pokemon the Burned and Confused special conditions.

With Burn, a player’s Active Pokemon 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 Pokemon is Confused, the card is turned vertically upside-down (not flipped to show the back, just rotated). Any time a Confused Pokemon attacks, a coin must be flipped; on heads, the attack is successful, but on a result of tails, the attack is unsuccessful and the Pokemon deals 30 HP of damage to itself.

It’s worth noting that there are ways of dealing with Special Conditions; switching a Pokemon 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)

Neutralization Zone Ace Spec Card
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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 Pokemon, as long as they don’t have a Rule Box (for the record, Pokemon ex or V do have Rule Boxes), cannot be damaged by attacks from their opponent’s Pokemon ex and Pokemon 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 Pokemon in the game, is a very intriguing twist, and basically elevates the use of single-prize, standard Pokemon cards.

Poké Vital A (062/064)

Ace Spec Card Poké Vital A
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

There’s numerous ways to heal your Pokemon, 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 Pokemon. 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 Pokemon’s health for a number of turns!

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Stellar Crown (September 2024)

The Stellar Crown set introduced Stellar Pokemon to the TCG; though these are essentially Tera Pokemon 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 had its own Ace Spec cards, which we’ll take a look at now.

Deluxe Bomb (134/142)

Deluxe Bomb ACE Spec Card
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

As the saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold. However, armed with Deluxe Bomb, revenge for one of your Pokemon being damaged is instant, and very explosive indeed. So what does Deluxe Bomb do, exactly?

A Pokemon Tool card, you can attach Deluxe Bomb to one of your Pokemon. If the Pokemon it’s attached to is in the Active Spot and is damaged by an attack by an opponent’s Pokemon (even if it’s Knocked Out by the attack), you get to place an astonishing twelve damage counters on the attacking Pokemon, before discarding Deluxe Bomb. Just so you understand that correctly: that’s 120 HP of damage, without your own Pokemon 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)

IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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 Pokemon that evolves from 1 of the Basic Pokemon they already have in play, then place it onto that Pokemon to evolve it. They can then immediately search their deck for a Stage 2 Pokemon and evolve the Stage 1 Pokemon 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 Pokemon 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)

Sparkling Crystal
IMAGE CREDIT: THE POKEMON COMPANY

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 Pokemon ex, but especially powerful for the new Stellar Pokemon that can be found in Stellar Crown.

Sparkling Crystal is a Pokemon Tool, and the Tera Pokemon 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 Pokemon, 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.

Are Other Ace Spec Cards On The Way?

It looks like Ace Spec cards really are here to stay this time around, 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 Pokemon TCG!


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