[Update 17 Sep 2024] This card has become part of a new version of the Regidrago VSTAR deck because the addition of Radiant Charizard allows the Regidrago VSTAR deck to better handle otherwise problematic matchups such as those against the Miraidon ex and Roaring Moon ex decks.

Charizard cards aren’t just some of the most iconic—a few of them have also proven to have been key pieces in championship-winning decks such as one recently used by Marco Cifuentes to win a major Pokémon TCG tournament in Goiânia, Brazil. Cifuentes’ deck deployed the Radiant Charizard card from the Pokémon GO [S10b] expansion set to fill a very specific niche which we’ll detail later.

Like all Charizard cards, Radiant Charizard is prized by collectors too—in general, likely even more than it is by players. As is the case with every Radiant Pokémon, this Radiant Charizard card has a rarity of Radiant Rare (K). Apart from the iconic status of Charizard as well as the associated nostalgia factor, there are two other clear reasons why this card is much-desired.

The illustration for this Radiant Charizard card depicts a Shiny Charizard. Mostly black, Shiny Charizard is one of the Pokémon franchise’s best-known Shinies—so much so that a sizable number of fans prefer it to the standard version. In addition, all cards from the Pokémon GO [S10b] set have the logo of the titular augmented reality mobile game on them.

When it was first released, the Pokémon GO mobile game took the world by storm and helped bring millions into the Pokémon fandom. The logo’s presence hearkens back to an undoubted high point in the history of Pokémon.

Gameplay-wise, at first Radiant Charizard appears to be an example of a “good but not outstanding” card. However, it’s within the context of Cifuentes’ winning deck that this card truly makes its impact. Without this Radiant Charizard card, Cifuentes’ deck—as well as all other decks built around the Pidgeot ex card from Ruler of the Black Flame [SV3]—is left vulnerable to the Giratina VSTAR card from Lost Abyss [S11].

Radiant Charizard, while not necessarily a direct Giratina VSTAR counter, poses enough of a threat to the Renegade Pokémon that Giratina VSTAR decks become much less difficult to handle.

The English version of this card is 011/078 of the English Pokémon GO expansion set.

A Radiant Charizard (Pokémon GO [S10b] 011/071) card sells for ¥8,000 (~US$54).

In other TCG-related news, check out the Erika’s Invitation card from Pokémon Card 151 [SV2a]. Alternatively, you can also head over to the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below and find the top trending and latest single cards and boxes.