Paldea Evolved Player's Guide (TCG)
| Paldea Evolved Player's Guide | |
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| ISBN: | None |
| Pages: | 56* |
| Published: | 2023 |
| Publisher: | The Pokémon Company International |
| Author: | Holly Bowen, Mia Violet, Amelia Bottemiller, Tyler Ninomura |
The Paldea Evolved Player's Guide is a booklet included within the Paldea Evolved Elite Trainer Box detailing the Paldea Evolved expansion of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The booklet is written by Holly Bowen, Mia Violet, Amelia Bottemiller, and Tyler Ninomura and was published by The Pokémon Company International in 2023. The content features strategy for the new cards introduced within the Paldea Evolved expansion as well as a complete checklist for the expansion.
Contents
Command a Rousing Performance!
Energy surges as new powers awaken and perilous legends are revealed! First partners Meowscarada ex, Skeledirge ex, and Quaquaval ex have evolved to take the stage with meserizing magic, song, and dance. Meanwhile, Forretress, Slowking, and Dedenne shine as Tera Pokémon ex, and Chien-Pao ex, Ting-Lu ex, and others bring daunting strengths requiring courage to command. Even Pikachu joins the Pokémon ex party in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved expansion!
Welcome to the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved Expansion!
Spotlights shine bright as the curtain rises on more than 190 new cards taking the stage in Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved, the second expansion of the Scarlet & Violet Series. This time, you'll find 18 new Pokémon ex at different stages of Evolution, including three new Tera Pokémon ex. Like other Pokémon ex, they give up 2 Prize cards when Knocked Out, but they're immune to attack damage as long as they're on the Bench. Look for the Tera symbol on these powerful cards—or just keep an eye out for Pokémon with a special crystallized appearance, complete with ornate Tera Jewels upon their heads! And of course, get ready to see even more newly discovered Pokémon, people, and places from the Paldea region in this exciting expansion.
What's New in This Expansion?
- Dragon-Type Pokémon Return
- After sitting out of the first expansion of the new series,
Pokémon swoop back into the game in Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved. And they bring a formidable boom: the two Sound Wave Pokémon Noibat and Noivern ex have no Weakness, and their attacks are powered by multiple types of Energy. After evolving from Noibat, Noivern ex has the potential to really annoy your opponent with its attacks and free Retreat Cost. In addition to doing damage, Covert Flight blocks attacks from opposing Basic Pokémon, and Dominating Echo prevents your opponent from playing any Special Energy or Stadium cards during their next turn. Dominating Echo costs 
, so pair Noivern ex with other Pokémon of those types to ensure you can find enough Energy cards to attack.
- New Special Energy Cards
- Speaking of Special Energy, this expansion is filled to the brim with it! Four new Special Energy cards provide players with a wealth of strategic options when it comes to powering up Pokémon. Two of them are designed to benefit Pokémon that can use
Energy: Jet Energy lets you quickly switch a Benched Pokémon into the Active Spot, and Therapeutic Energy protects against certain Special Conditions.
- The two other cards, Luminous Energy and Reversal Energy, can of course be used for attack costs, but they really shine when attached to Pokémon of other types. Luminous Energy can serve as any type of Energy as long as it's the only Special Energy attached to a Pokémon, and Reversal Energy offers even more of a power boost—but with even more strings attached. If it's attached to an Evolution Pokémon that doesn't have a Rule Box, and if you have more Prize cards remaining than your opponent, it provides 3 Energy in any combination of types. Play your Special Energy cards right, and you just might make an amazing comeback—perhaps with a rainbow at the end!
- A Notable New Pokémon ex
- It's about time Pikachu made its electrifying debut as a Pokémon ex! With 190 HP, no Retreat Cost and an attack that does 220 damage, it's a pretty good option for a Basic Pokémon ex. But remember that it can't evolve into Raichu. That's because Raichu evolves from Pikachu, not Pikachu ex. Hmm, a Pikachu who doesn't want to evolve...sound familiar?
Meet Newly Discovered Pokémon!
- Wo-Chien ex, Chi-Yu ex, Chien-Pao ex & Ting-Lu ex
- While all four of these intimidating-looking Pokémon ex are Baisc Pokémon, it would be foolish to underestimate them. Wo-Chien ex can help you make a big comeback with Covetous Ivy, and Chi-Yu ex's Flame Surge is a quick way to get your other
Pokémon fired up with Energy. Chien-Pao ex's Shivery Chill ability fills your hand with the 
needed for its icy Hail Blade attack. And last but not least, Ting-Lu ex delivers a one-two punch: Cursed Land shuts off the Abilities of your opponent's damaged Pokémon (except for Pokémon ex), and Land Scoop damages 2 of your opponent's Pokémon at once. Check out the combos section of this booklet to learn more about Wo-Chien ex and Chien-Pao ex.
- Chien-Pao ex and Ting-Lu ex pair wonderfully with two of the new Stadium cards in this expansion. With Calamitous Snowy Mountain, any Basic Pokémon who's not type gets hit with 2 damage counters any time an Energy is attached to it from the hand, an effec that can really snowball. And when Calamitous Wasteland is in play any Basic Pokémon who's not
type gets stuck in the mud with an extra tacked onto its Retreat Cost.
- Paldean Tauros
- The Wild Bull Pokémon Tauros makes a name for itself in Paldea with not one but three regional forms, each with a different type. In this expansion, they all have Raging Horns, an attack that can do up to 140 damage depending on how many damage counters are on Paldean Tauros. Raging Horns is especially potent with the Combat Breed of Paldean Tauros—this type's second attack, Combat Tackle, does 130 damage to the opposing Pokémon and 30 recoil damage to Paldean Tauros itself, adding fuel to the Pokémon's rage.
- Paldean Wooper & Paldean Clodsire ex
- Just as adorable as its Johtonian counterpart, the -type Paldean Wooper appears on two different cards in this expansion, and one of them has an attack that helps set up its Evolution for success. The Find a Home attack lets you put a Stadium card from your deck into your hand, meaning you'll be ready to trap your opponent in a Toxic Wetland after evolving Paldean Wooper into Paldean Clodsire ex.
- Farigiraf, Dudunsparce & Annihilape ex
- Discovering a new Evolution of a previously known Pokémon is always an exciting surprise—and the Scarlet & Violet series does not disappoint with its additions. In this expansion, you can find three of them. First, Girafarig's head and tail have combined forces and become the 10-foot, 6-inch tall Farigiraf, whose Either Face attack can be used to help yourself or disrupt your opponent, depending on the circumstances—whichever player you choose shuffles their hand into their deck and draws 4 new cards. Another Pokémon originally discovered in Johto, Dunsparce, has the Find a Friend attack to help you find its Evolution, Dudunsparce, and stun your opponent's Active Pokémon with Dig Away Flash. And finally, Primeape's newly discovered Evolution, Annihilape, appeared in the Scarlet & Violet expansion but now unleashes its full wrath as an ultra rare Pokémon ex. Its Angry Grudge can do up to 240 damage if you're willing to put enough damage counters on it.
Use Abilities to your Advantage
The Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved expansion features lots of Pokémon with Abilities that will prove useful in a variety of situations. Think about how you might incorporate them into your next deck!
- Abomasnow
- Create a Freezing Disaster by preventing your opponent from healing their Pokémon, but be careful—this Ability affects your Pokémon, too.
- Luxray
- Hold off on a looming loss with the Swelling Flash Ability, which lets you put a Luxray from your hand directly onto your Bench, skipping Shinx and Luxio, if you have more Prize cards remaining than your opponent.
- Spiritomb
- Just like Abomasnow's Ability, Spiritomb's can spell disaster for your own Pokémon if you don't plan carefully: Fettered in Misfortune shuts off the Abilities of all Basic Pokémon V. Remember that Pokémon ex aren't the only big-HP threat!
- Hariyama
- Let Hariyama be your bodyguard with Arm Thrust Practice! With this protective Ability, all of your Pokémon take 10 less damage from opposing attacks. And there's no better practice partner than another Hariyama: this Ability can stack, reducing damage up to 40 damage if you have 4 Hariyama in play.
- Garganacl
- The Rock Salt Pokémon offers a refreshing remedy of electrolytes, healing 20 damage from each of your Pokémon during Pokémon Checkup. Just like Hariyama, this effect stacks—with 4 Garganacl in play, you're healing 80 damage from each Pokémon between turns.
- Pelipper
- Add your own version of the Rocket Prize Master to your deck with this winged wonder who seems to know everybody. When you evolve Wingull into Pelipper, Hearsay lets you put a Supporter card from either your discard pile or your deck into your hand.
- Squawkabilly ex
- Rock and roll with Squawkabilly ex—as long as you can get it into play on your first turn! That's when (and only when) its Squawk and Seize Ability lets you discard your hand and draw 6 new cards. It's a great prelude to this Pokémon's Motivate attack, which can accelerate 2 discarded Energy onto 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
Evolve Your Combo Game
- Closing Curtain
- Meowscarada ex's Bouquet Magic Ability lets you discard a
Energy card from your hand to put 3 damage counters on 1 of your opponent's Benched Pokémon, a potent effect in its own right. If you have multiple Meowscarada ex in play, each can throw its own hat into the ring as long as you have enough Energy cards to pay the overall cost. Thankfully, this Magician Pokémon has a useful assistant: Superior Energy Retrieval, which lets you discard 2 cards from your hand to get 4 Basic Energy cards back from your discard pile. With this Item card as the closing curtain, your full roster of Meowscarada ex can all perform Bouquet Magic, hitting a Benched Pokémon for 120 damage and leaving your audience baffled in your show's wake.
- Dance the Pain Away
- Let's talk about Skeledirge ex—this terrifyingly powerful Pokémon has 340 HP and the Burning Voice attack that does up to 270 damage for just . But despite its devotion to its craft, its heart won't go on forever: Burning Voice does 10 less damage for each damage counter on this Singer Pokémon. Thankfully, this isn't a one-Pokémon show: Oricorio is here to provide backup with its Ardent Dancing Ability, an effect that heals 20 damage from your Active Evolution Pokémon every turn. With these two performers working in tandem, your foes will be grooving all the way to the discard pile.
- A Ghostly Quick-Change
- Quaquaval ex is a high-endurance Pokémon at 320 HP, but even it has a reason to shy away from powerful
Pokémon. To mitigate uneven type matchups, it can duck and cover with Exciting Dance, a 60-damage attack that forces your opponent to switch out their Active Pokémon and helps your Dancer Pokémon escape to the safety of your Bench. Mimikyu is your ideal partner: with its Safeguard Ability protecting it from attack damage done by your opponent's Pokémon ex and Pokémon V, it can sashay into the fray with little concern.
- Ambush!
- Weavile is a useful Stage 1 Pokémon whose Assaulting Hunt Ability lets it chase down 1 of your opponent's Benched Basic Pokémon and switch it into the Active Spot, where it'll be more vulnerable to attacks. All Weavile has to do is move from your Bench to your Active Spot, which can be facilitated by equipping it with Jet Energy, a new Special Energy card that does just that! Jet Energy not only helps pay for Weavile's Slashing Claw attack, but it can also be discarded to pay Weavile's Retreat Cost if you want to swap it out for a more potent attack after you've used its Ability.
- Hailsfall
- Brrrr! Baxcalibur's Super Cold Ability helps deluge your Pokémon with Basic Energy. Chien-Pao ex pairs perfectly with this Ice Dragon Pokémon—it's Shivery Chill Ability searches your deck for 2 Basic Energy cards and adds them to your hand, but it works only if Chien-Pao ex is in the Active Spot. If you can find a way to switch multiple copies of this toothy Pokémon into the Active Spot during a single turn, each of them can use Shivery Chill to fill your hand with Energy cards. Perform this ice dance enough times to let Baxcalibur cover your field with Energy. Then, send your opponents to the edge with Chien-Pao's Hail Blade, a powerful attack that does 60 damage for each Energy you discard from your Pokémon.
- Iono About That, Wo-Chien
- Wo-Chien ex is a powerful attacker, but both of its attacks have hefty Energy costs. Thankfully, Forretress ex offers Exploding Energy, using its Ability to sacrifice itself and empower your other Pokémon with Basic {e|Grass} Energy from your deck. Remember, your opponent will get to take 2 Prize Cards when Forretress ex is Knocked Out, but as a result, it'll be easier for Wo-Chien ex's Covetous Ivy to crush your opponent's Benched Pokémon. Meanwhile, Iono gets your opponent caught in her Electroweb to zap their chances of taking advantage of the situation. The Supercharged Streamer has each player shuffle their hand and put it on the bottom of their deck, then draw a card for each Prize card they have remaining.
- Blimp, Bash & Beyond
- Tinkaton is here to smash the competition with its Special Hammer! This attack does 180 damage as long as Tinkaton has a Special Energy attached. To help you find that Speical Energy, the Gather Materials Ability lets you discard a card to draw 3 new ones. Once you've dug into your deck, Wigglytuff can provide some support with its Balloon Therapy. This Ability allows you to attach a Theraputic Energy card from your hand to Tinkaton, not only powering up Special Hammer but also helping the Hammer Pokémon stand tall and recover if it happens to be Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
- United Wing Stand
- Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved features three avian Pokémon with the United Wings attack: Wattrel, Murkrow, and Flamigo. Its effect may sound familiar if you've played since the days of Night March or Mad Party—in a similar fashion, United Wings does 20 damage for each Pokémon in your discard pile that has the United Wings attack. The trick, of course, is powering it up while keeping a strong attacker in play. Flamigo is a good choice to fill the role. Not only can it use United Wings itself, but when it lands on the Bench its Insta-Flock Ability also lets you search your deck for up to 3 more Flamigo to put in your hand. From there, you can discard them with Trainer cards.
Trending Trainer Cards
- Artazon
- Once per turn, Artazon lets you search your deck for a Basic Pokémon and put it onto your Bench. While you can't use it to grab a Pokémon with a Rule Box, it's a good way to find a Basic Pokémon who can evolve into a more powerful Stage 1 or 2 Pokémon ex. But remember that Artazon is a Stadium card, which means your opponent can use its effect, too.
- Boss's Orders (Ghetsis)
- Ghetsis returns for the first time since the Black & White Series, featured on the now-ubiquitous Supporter card—Boss's Orders! This dastardly villain can help you stay one step ahead of your opponent, pulling their star Pokémon into the Active Spot. From there, you might hit it with a Knock Out before it's ready to battle, buy time to evolve your own Pokémon by dragging an opposing Pokémon with a high Retreat Cost, or steal victory from your opponent's clutches by Knocking Out a different, low-HP Pokémon instead!
- Bravery Charm
- Bravery Charm is a simple Pokémon Tool, adding 50 HP to the Basic Pokémon it's attached to. But this effect is not to be underestimated: you can use this card to protect a Pokémon from being Knocked Out before it can evolve, beef up one of your Basic Pokémon ex, or help your Paldean Tauros carry a heavier burden to increase the strength of its Raging Horns attack.
- Clavell
- Clavell not only serves as an academy director—he's also now a Supporter card! With his tutelage, you can collect 3 Basic Pokémon with 120HP or less from your deck and put them into your hand. Clavell's mentoring can also help fill your hand for Tinkaton ex's Big Hammer attack, which does 30 damage for each card in your hand, or thin your deck down so your future draws don't go back to Basics.
- Fighting Au Lait
- If you find yourself in a pinch, look at Fighting Au Lait to bail you out! This delicious Item card can be used only if you have more Prize cards remaining than your opponent, but it heals a massive 60 HP from any of your Pokémon. Consider pairing this card with Pokémon that depend on being healed, like Skeledirge ex, or turn the tables and take advantage of its effect after using Forretress ex's Exploding Energy Ability.
- Giacomo
- Giacomo isn't here to mess around, discarding a Special Energy from each of your opponent's Pokémon. If your opponent has a full Bench and Special Energy on each of their Pokémon, you'll discard 6 cards! Want to be extra devious? Combine this card with Mismagius. Its Magical Flick Ability can help spread out your opponent's Special Energy by moving it from their Active Pokémon to the Bench.
- Grusha
- Grusha is a supporter who draws cards until you have 5 in your hand. But if your game is running cold and you find yourself without any Energy in play, the Glaseado Gym Leader will help you draw cards until you have 7 instead. This is a great card to add to decks with low attack costs so that you can regroup after being Knocked Out (or even go big and try to play a deck that doesn't need any Energy to attack)!
- Iono
- Iono is here to administer some pain to get you back N the game! This Supporter card is similar to Marnie from Sword & Shield, forcing each player to shuffle their hand and put it on the bottom of their deck. However, the Levincia Gym Leader further restricts the number of cards drawn, making each player draw cards equal to their remaining Prize cards. Try to play this when your foe is getting close to taking their last Prize card.
- Super Rod
- Super Rod isn't just an oldie and a goodie, but it's also a reel-y good Item card! Last seen in XY—BREAKthrough, Super Rod shuffles 3 in any combination of Pokémon and Basic Energy cards from your discard pile back into your deck. This is perfect to get back key Pokémon who were Knocked Out or add Energy cards to your deck so effects like Forretress ex's Exploding Energy can achieve their full potential.
- Superior Energy Retrieval
- While this card hasn't appeared since Black & White—Plasma Freeze, Superior Energy Retrieval continues to live up to its name. Even though you need to discard 2 cards in order to play it, it can return up to 4 Basic Energy cards from your discard pile to your hand. This is the perfect Item card to add to decks with Pokémon who benefit from having a bunch of Energy in hand, like Baxcalibur or Meowscarada ex.
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved Card List
This section lists the 193 cards in the Paldea Evolved expansion, and their rarities, as well as the 86 secret cards.
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Series Promo Cards
You can add even more Pokémon to your collection with promo cards! These cards can be found in various Pokémon TCG products that feature the Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved expansion.
- Baxcalibur, Tinkaton, Murkrow & Pelipper
- Found in Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved Build & Battle Boxes
- Smoliv & Growlithe
- Found in Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved single-booster pack blisters
- Tinkatink & Varoom
- Found in Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved three-booster pack blisters
- Pikachu
- Found in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved Elite Trainer Box
Credits
Original Japanese Game
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English-Language Version
The Pokémon Company International
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This article is part of both Project TCG and Project Merchandise, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Trading Card Game merchandise. | 
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