Pokemon Trading Card Game Brilliant Stars - What is a VStar Power?

For fans of the Pokemon Trading Card game, a brand new set is available today. This is called the Pokemon Trading Card Game Brilliant Stars set. With it is a new mechanic, while you could get V cards previously this set will be the first set that has VSTAR cards with the extremely powerful VSTAR Power moves. In this Pokemon Trading Card Game Brilliant Stars - What is a VSTAR Power guide we'll go over what the VSTAR power is, how to use them, and what Pokemon have them.

What is the Pokemon Trading Card Brilliant Stars set?

This new set is a continuation of the Pokemon Sword and Shield series of cards. There are a grand total of 216 cards available in the set, from that the breakdown is as follows:

• 172 Normal Cards
• 14 Secret Cards
• 30 Subset cards

For the purpose of this guide, we'll be focusing on the Four VSTAR Pokemon Cards, though each has a Rainbow Rare variant, as well as one Alternate Artwork card. You'll be able to identify cards from this set by the symbol of the diamond encircled by a circle like the structure that sits around Arceus.

How do I recognize VSTAR Pokemon Cards?

You'll be able to immediately recognize a VSTAR card by looking at the title of the Pokemon. Just like other special editions of cards where you might see something like Charizard GX, or Charizard V the card from this new set will display Charizard VSTAR.

Another new entry on the card will be a white bar partway down the card labeled "VSTAR Power". Underneath this bar, you'll see either a move or a Pokemon ability.

How do I use VSTAR Pokemon Cards?

Much like how you'd use a base Pokemon's V card to then evolve it into a VMAX Pokemon in order to play a VSTAR Pokemon you need to be able to evolve it from the V Pokemon of the same species. If a Pokemon has multiple V cards across different sets then you can evolve it from any.

What is the limitation of VSTAR Pokemon Cards?

Having an ultimately powerful attack or ability might sound like an amazing special move to pull out when in a moment of need but there is a very big drawback to these VSTAR powers, you can only use a VSTAR power once per battle. Even if you have multiple VSTAR Pokemon in your deck for the whole battle you can only use these powers once.

While these VSTAR Pokemon are powerful they aren't invincible. Another addition to the VSTAR Pokemon Card is a note at the bottom that reads as follows

VSTAR Rule: When your Pokemon VSTAR is Knicked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards

This ruling follows along the lines of other extra powerful Pokemon, it's a higher risk but the power output of some of these attacks is incredibly powerful.

What are all of the VSTAR Pokemon Cards?

Below is a list of all of the VSTAR Pokemon available in the Pokemon Trading Card Brilliant Stars set. For the first instance of a Pokemon showing up their VSTAR Power has been listed under their name. Any of their variant cards, Rainbow Rare or Alternate Art, all have exactly the same statistics so the VSTAR Power is also the same.

• Shaymin VSTAR (14/172 - Rare)
  • VSTAR Power - Ability: Star Bloom - During your turn, you may heal 120 damage from each of your Benched Grass Pokemon
• Charizard VSTAR (18/172 - Rare)
  • VSTAR Power - Attack: Star Blaze - 3x Fire Energy, 1x Colorless Energy - 320 Damage - Discard 2 Energy from this Pokemon
• Whimsicott VSTAR (65/172 - Rare)
  • VSTAR Power - Attack: Fluffball Star -  1x Psychic Energy - This attack does 60 damage to 1 of your opponent's Pokemon for each Energy attached to this Pokemon. (Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokemon)
• Arceus VSTAR (123/172 - Rare)
  • VSTAR Power - Ability: Starbirth - During your turn, you may search your deck for up to 2 cards and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.
     
• Shaymin VSTAR (173/172 - Rainbow Rare)
• Charizard VSTAR (174/172 - Rainbow Rare)
• Whimsicott VSTAR (175/172 - Rainbow Rare)
• Arceus VSTAR (176/172 - Rainbow Rare)
   
• Arceus VSTAR (184/172 - Alternate Artwork)

Where else will VSTAR Pokemon be available?

At the moment while it's assumed later Pokemon sets will also include VSTAR Pokemon there's only two other places to obtain VSTAR Pokemon. The Pokemon TCG: Leafeon VSTAR Special Collection and Pokemon TCG: Glaceon VSTAR Special Collection. Inside these boxes you'll get a Leafeon VSTAR and a Glaceon VSTAR respectively and a VSTAR Marker that you can use to help track when you've used up your one VSTAR Power use for the battle.

If you're picking up the new Pokemon Brilliant Stars expansion and want to learn more about identifying Pokemon Card Rarity then check out our helpful guide.