Pokemon TCG Temporal Forces ETB review: Stunning artwork & ACE SPEC wonders

Temporal Forces brings more devastating Paradox Pokemon cards to the Pokemon TCG, so I cracked open an Elite Trainer Box to see what the latest expansion has to offer.

With a choice between Walking Wake or Iron Leaves designs, the Temporal Forces Elite Trainer Box provides a solid introduction to a set that ushers in some of the biggest shakeups the TCG scene has experienced in the Scarlet & Violet era so far.

As well as debuting several Paradox Pokemon like Gouging Fire and Iron Boulder, the new expansion has brought back ACE SPEC cards. You're only allowed one of these Trainer cards in each deck, but they could be a game-changer in battle.

Stunning artwork, tricky pull rates

I've opened quite a few Temporal Forces packs since the expansion launched, and it's safe to say my luck has been pretty bad. I fared slightly better with this ETB, opening my first full-art card and my first ACE SPEC card from the set, which I'm very happy about - but like I said, my overall pulls haven't been great.

Temporal Forces has been out long enough to get a good idea what the pull rates are like, and it seems most of the collecting community is in agreement that it's pretty rough. The last set I saw people complaining this much about was Pokemon 151, and that was a special expansion, unlike this mainline set.

That's a real shame, as Temporal Forces has some of the best Illustration Rare artwork I've ever seen in the Pokemon TCG.

Iron Crown stands tall atop a tree draped with cherry blossoms. Meowth watches on as a ghostly parade of Gastly floats by in the night. A cute Deerling jumps through pastel-coloured forests while Sawsbuck - on a different card - watches back with pride.

Other full-art cards, like Excadrill and Mudbray, feature Pokemon helping out their human partners in their daily lives. It's this artwork, the kind that expands our view of how Pokemon exist outside their Poke Balls, that makes collecting cards so enjoyable. I just wish I was able to pull some of them.

ACE SPEC cards are back

The most significant change for the competitive scene with Temporal Forces is the addition of ACE SPEC cards. These cards were last seen in 2013 as part of the Black & White era, so their return has been long overdue.

Whether it's the Master Ball, which lets you search your deck for any Pokemon with no restrictions, or the Hero's Cape, which adds 100 HP to a single Pokemon, it's not hard to see how these cards could be make-or-break in battle. They're also lovely to look at!

Given their power, Trainers are only allowed one of these ACE SPEC cards in their deck, so finding the one you want and adding it to your collection will no doubt be one of the highlights of opening Temporal Forces packs.

What's inside the ETB?

If you've opened an Elite Trainer Box before, you'll know what to expect here. The main draw is the nine Booster Packs you'll get to tear open (or 11, if you manage to get your hands on a Pokemon Center ETB) and a full-art Flutter Mane promo, which is a great addition to any collection.

Elsewhere inside the box, you'll get 65 card sleeves featuring either Walking Wake or Iron Leaves - depending on which version you've bought - as well as four card dividers featuring the same artwork. These are always my favourite parts of an ETB, as I'm big on storage.

Finally, there are the usual dice, status counters, and a pack of Energy cards for your deck-building needs. These are ideal for newcomers to the Pokemon TCG scene, but will most likely just be left in the box if you've already purchased Elite Trainer Boxes in the past.

The Verdict

Temporal Forces is another win for the Pokemon TCG. It's got some of the loveliest card art of all time, while the return of ACE SPEC is a significant moment that has the potential to shake up the competitive scene. If you can stomach the painful pull rates, it's definitely worth collecting.

4/5

GGRecon was provided with a Temporal Forces ETB for the purpose of this review.