SWSH9 — the set that launched VSTAR. Fire gets Charizard VSTAR alt art ($200–500+), Colorless gets Arceus VSTAR alt art ($80–200+). Two powerhouse slots in one of SWSH's most important sets.
View Live Breaks →Brilliant Stars (SWSH9) was released February 2022 and debuted the VSTAR mechanic — a new power tier above V but without VMAX's three-prize penalty. VSTAR cards have one-per-game VSTAR Powers (attacks or abilities) that changed the competitive meta. Arceus VSTAR became the dominant deck immediately, while Charizard VSTAR became the collector's holy grail.
Charizard VSTAR Alternate Art Rare (#174) is worth $200–500+. Its illustrated artwork showing Charizard erupting in a volcanic landscape against a golden VSTAR energy burst is considered one of the most beautiful cards in SWSH. Fire type in the TCG — Fire slot in breaks.
| Type | Tier | Key Pull | Est. Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔥 Fire | S+ | Charizard VSTAR Alt Art #174 | $200–500+ |
| 🌈 Colorless | S | Arceus VSTAR Alt Art #176 | $80–200+ |
| 🌊 Water | A | Palkia VSTAR + Glaceon VSTAR | $20–50 |
| 🌿 Grass | A | Shaymin-EX + Torterra V | $15–35 |
| ⚡ Lightning | B | Raichu V + Luxray V | $10–25 |
| 🔮 Psychic | B | Hisui Lilligant VSTAR | $10–20 |
| 💪 Fighting | B | Machamp VMAX + Lucario V | $10–20 |
| 🌑 Dark | C | Weavile V + misc | $5–15 |
Arceus VSTAR is a Colorless type that was the best competitive deck in Standard for over a year after Brilliant Stars released. Its Trinity Nova attack searches any three V Pokémon from your deck, enabling virtually any partner card. Its VSTAR Power (Trinity Charge) searches three basic Energy. The combination made it the most powerful engine in SWSH-era competitive play.
Even after rotating out of Standard, Arceus VSTAR maintains strong value because of competitive use in expanded formats and collector demand for the alt art.
VSTAR Pokémon are an evolution of VMAX. They still give up 2 prizes when knocked out (not 3 like VMAX). The key feature is the VSTAR Power — a one-per-game attack or ability that can only be used once per game. VSTAR Tokens track usage.
Brilliant Stars has a higher single-card ceiling on Fire (Charizard VSTAR AAR at $200-500+ vs Rayquaza VMAX AAR at $200+), but the "second best" slot (Colorless/Arceus) is strong. Both are excellent; Brilliant Stars is better for Fire slot fans, Evolving Skies for Water/Dark fans.
Yes — Brilliant Stars introduced the Training Card subset including several popular supporter SIRs like Cheren's Care, Magma Basin, and Path to the Peak. These add modest value to some breaks beyond just the Pokémon pulls.
Evolving Skies · Fusion Strike · Lost Origin · Obsidian Flames (SV3)