The Pokémon Trading Card Game caps off a strong 2024 with Surging Sparks, a new expansion with beautiful art and impactful cards. Set to release on November 8, Surging Sparks is the final set for Pokémon TCG's 2024 slate. The new set continues to build on the Tera ex Pokémon card archetype, adding new powerful Stellar Tera Pokémon ex cards with overpowered moves that require three types of Energy to activate. Chief among the new cards in Surging Sparks is Pikachu ex, a new card that could finally push the popular Pokémon mascot as a viable centerpiece in competitive play.

However, the real draw of Surging Sparks isn't the potential new decks or powerful new cards: it's the absolutely stunning selection of Illustration Rare and Secret Illustration Rare cards. From the amazing brooding Ceruledge Illustration Rare to the joyful Exeggutor ex Secret Illustration Rare, the new cards are a visual treat for collectors of any age. Pulling any one of these cards in a pack would be a blast, even if it's not necessarily one of the most powerful cards. The only major drawback to the set is that it contains over 250 cards, making it difficult for collectors to get a complete set unless they want to shell out major bucks on the secondary market.

What Are The Most Powerful Cards In Surging Sparks?

Pikachu ex & Ceruledge ex Are Two Early Standout Cards

There are two decks that seem poised to make an impact in the Pokémon TCG meta and both involve powerful Stellar Tera Pokémon ex cards. The Stellar Crown set released earlier this year had the first round of Stellar Tera Pokémon ex, but none really made the splash that some anticipated. Even Terapagos ex, the set mascot of Stellar Crown, has yet to emerge as a viable option likely due to the steps needed to properly set it up. More Stellar Tera Pokémon ex cards are added in Surging Sparks, with two obvious standouts in Pikachu ex and Ceruledge ex.

Pikachu ex is a straightforward attacker that deals 300 damage with its Topaz Bolt attack, but at the cost of discarding all energy attached to it. Luckily, there are a number of ways to keep Pikachu stacked with energy, including a new Magneton card that can pull three energy cards from the discard pile and onto any Electric-type Pokémon with its Overvolt Discharge ability. Magneton's ability will knock it out, but it sets up a 2-for-1 prize trade that can push a player towards a win. Pikachu ex can also survive an extra turn thanks to its Resolute Heart ability, which prevents it from being one-hit KOed. This means that a single Pikachu ex can potentially stay on the board long enough to knock out two opposing Pokémon ex.

Ceruledge ex is a bit more complicated to play as the card seems most viable when using its secondary move Abyssal Flames. Abyssal Flames deals out 30 damage plus an additional 20 damage with every Energy card in a player's discard pile. To make a Ceruledge ex deck work, players will need to find ways to get Energy into the discard as quickly as possible. One way is the new ACE SPEC card Brilliant Blender that lets a player pull five cards from their deck and immediately discard them. A Ceruledge ex deck requires some setup to really get going, but it will be fun enough to attract at least a bit of attention when the set comes out.

What Are The Chase Cards In Surging Sparks?

Pokémon Collectors Will Want The Secret Illustration Rares

In of collector's items, Surging Sparks is loaded with fun chase cards. Early reports from Japan indicate that the Special Illustration Rare version of Pikachu ex will be the crown jewel of the set, but there are plenty of other cards that collectors will chase after. Other notable highlights in the set include Illustration Rare Latios and Secret Illustration Rare Latias ex cards that form a single image. The Ceruledge Illustration Rare card (not to be confused with Ceruledge ex, which is a separate card) is also absolutely stunning, with a painted, brooding look. I'm also a fan of the Braviary Illustration Rare card that draws from a Van Gogh aesthetic.

Unfortunately, the plethora of gorgeous Secret Illustration Rare cards highlights a growing problem for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Surging Sparks is one of the biggest Pokémon TCG sets of all time with over 250 cards. While not the largest set in the current Scarlet and Violet era, Surging Sparks is the biggest set released in 2024. These large sets usually contain too many filler cards and drive up the price of valuable cards due to relative rarity. I'm not a fan of these oversized Pokémon TCG sets, especially as smaller sets like Twilight Masquerade have shown that sets with fewer cards can still make a big impact on the game.

Final Thoughts

Can Stellar Tera Pokemon ex Cards Remain Relevant In 2025?

Surging Sparks caps off a fun 2024 for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The game is in a relatively healthy spot with a good mix of viable, budget-friendly decks. Surging Sparks looks to add to that, with Pikachu ex set to make an immediate impact into 2025. One thing to look ahead to is the arrival of Trainer's Pokémon in 2025, which adds another level of potential synergy to decks.

Ancient and Future Pokémon continue to be dominant in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and I'm guessing that Trainer's Pokémon will have a similar impact. That could mean that the current batch of Stellar Tera Pokémon ex cards will get quickly left behind, although good cards and decks always seem to rise to the top. Players can check out the new Pokémon Trading Card Game Surging Sparks cards starting this weekend at pre-release tournaments.

Surging Sparks product was provided to the writer for the purpose of this review.