Pokemon TCG fans already cautious about “disappointing” Shrouded Fable

Previews for the Pokemon TCG’s third special set of the Scarlet and Violet era have failed to ignite hype among fans.

Pokemon 151 and Paldean Fates proved to be wildly successful accompaniments to Pokemon’s Gen 9 expansions, due largely to leaning on nostalgia and Shiny Pokemon respectively. Shrouded Fable, on the other hand, boasts no such gimmick.

Players and collectors alike have voiced disappointment over the set’s lackluster offerings, with many singling out promotional cards as the only saving grace.

Responses to initial reveals for English versions of the set on fansite PokeBeach didn’t hold back.

“I am honestly glad that the best cards will be promos. Affordable to everyone, and if I get a hit or two from the packs within the products, the better,” read one comment, adding, “I hate how they are making SIRs harder to pull in newer ScVio sets, so this at least offsets it a bit.”

“This set gives me Champion’s Path vibes in terms of quality, but it’s also nowhere near as bad as CP, because there’s no lazily shoehorned Charizards for cash-grabbing purposes,” added another.

The negative sentiment has been prevalent across social media. Users on Reddit have been similarly downbeat.

“The Ukiyo-e cards are gorgeous and I’m delighted that they’re promos, but the rest of the set looks kinda mid from a collecting and gameplay standpoint. I’ll probably grab the promo boxes and switch to singles for the IRs and gameplay-relevant cards.”

“Main set is terrible IMO, the Duskull AR line is probably the best thing in it. Promos are insane though. Funny they had to put some of the juiciest, cleanest promos in this set.”

“I’m just gonna buy the promos and then it’s good. Worst set so far in Scarlet & Violet.”

The promotional cards in question, Kingdra and Greninja EX, will be available in Special Illustration bundles when Shrouded Fable products start rolling out on August 2. It’s worth noting that, as has been the case with special set products in the past, not every product will be available at launch.

Booster Bundles for Shrouded Fable won’t be available on shelves until September 6, so hardcore collectors may want to wait a while before filling their binders.