Pokemon TCG's Lost Origin Preview: One of Pokemon TCG's Most Beautiful and Most Unwieldy Sets Yet
All the strengths and weaknesses of the Pokemon Trading Card Game are on display in the game's upcoming Lost Origin expansion. Due for release next month, Lost Origin is a behemoth-sized expansion to the Pokemon Trading Card Game that adds over 240 cards to the game with an ever-expanding list of rare "chase" cards and new mechanics. This particular set re-introduces the Lost Zone, a mechanic that acts as a sort of "double secret" discard pile that cards rarely escape from. Not only can this be used to exile an opponent's key cards permanently, several cards have abilities triggered when a certain number of cards hit the Lost Zone itself. Unlike the Battle Styles mechanic that added synergies to a number of common, uncommon, and rare cards throughout multiple sets, the Lost Zone will likely only appear in Lost Origin and whatever new sets are due to be released later this year, as the card game will functionally reset with the release of the first Scarlet & Violet card sets in early 2023.
Last week, I had the chance to attend a Pokemon Trading Card Game preview event for Lost Origin that showcased both the strengths and weaknesses of the new card set. While our preview event was held in the posh Corinthia Hotel in London with finger sandwiches and tea, many similar pre-release events will be held across the world at local game stores. These events are great for players who are either looking to get their hands on some Lost Origin cards early or learn how to play the trading card game itself. Sitting across from a player who had competed in the Pokemon World Championships Trading Card Game tournament the day before, I received a multi-game refresher on how to play the card game. While I remembered the basics of the game from the last time I played the Pokemon Trading Card Game a few years ago, the event was a great reminder of some of the nuances about the game. It was also a fun chance to open a few packs early which paid off when I pulled an Alternate Art version of the Giratina V card, which is already poised to become one of the mostly highly sought-after cards in the set thanks to its gorgeous artwork. The Japanese version of the card can be seen below, just to give you an idea of how much more elaborate some of these card artwork is in these more recent Pokemon TCG sets.
However, the one thing the preview event didn't do was show how the Lost Zone would actually impact the Pokemon Trading Card Game over the next two years. Most cards that utilize the Lost Zone mechanic are rare cards, which means that players will likely only pull one or two cards that actually use the mechanic. Although checking out the handy Player's Guide for the new set (found in each Elite Trainer's Box) was a useful way of seeing what the Lost Zone cards do, there wasn't really an opportunity to see the cards in action during the event. I feel like there's not enough Lost Zone cards in Lost Origin to really make much of a longstanding impact in the Pokemon TCG, unless the mechanic continues into 2023.
From what I understand, several of the cards in the set will fit in nicely with the game's current metagame. The Radiant Gardevoir card, for instance, can help blunt the damage of an opponent's Pokemon V card thanks to its Veil of Affection ability. Several cards can deliver especially potent Poison conditions that deal much more damage per round than usual. Coupled with the Radiant Hisuian Sneasler card, players can potentially deal up to 100 damage per turn via Poison alone. Giratina V can ignore Resistances and other effects when dealing damage, while Giratina VStar can deliver a guaranteed KO provided there's more than 10 cards in the Lost Zone. There's a few cards that should be useful for competitions, although this card might not be the best set for those looking to dive into competitive Pokemon card battling.
Lost Origin also continues the Pokemon Trading Card Game's recent push to add more collector-focused cards into every set. The Trainer's Gallery is a fantastic addition to game and adds an extra layer of cool cards to hunt for while opening booster sets. Lost Origin contains a few potential gems, including a pair of Pikachu VMAX cards, a Charizard Card, and a Eternatus VMAX card. The attendees at our preview event oohed and ahhed at several of the rare pulls, which honestly might be the best part of these card previews.
Like the preceding sets before it, Lost Origin adds a bunch of cool cards but lacks a bit of focus as to what it actually brings to the Pokemon Trading Card Game. Luckily, the cards are more collectible and gorgeous than ever before, and a new series of cards is looming on the horizon which should help to re-focus the card game itself around a few key mechanics.
Pokemon Trading Card Game's Lost Origin set will be released on September 9th.