Stellar Crown is right around the corner, and for Pokémon TCG fans, the excitement is palpable.

While the expansion promises new strategies and powerful cards, there are already a few existing cards that will see a resurgence thanks to new mechanics and support coming with Stellar Crown.

If you want to stay competitive in the metagame, now is the time to scoop up these gems before their prices soar.

Let’s dive into four cards you need to grab before the Stellar Crown releases!

1. Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR

Palkia VSTAR has been a consistent performer in the Pokémon TCG, even making an impact at the 2022 World Championships. Its power lies in the Subspace Swell attack, which deals more damage based on the number of Benched Pokémon.

At its peak, this attack can deal 260 damage, a solid number, but not enough to take down the hard-hitting Pokémon ex like Charizard ex and Dragapult ex. However, Stellar Crown is set to change this with the introduction of Area Zero Underdepths, a Stadium card that allows both players to have up to 8 Benched Pokémon as long as you have a Tera Pokémon in play.

This transforms Palkia’s attack from formidable to game-breaking, increasing the damage output to a staggering 380 in a fully loaded scenario. Adding to this, Palkia also benefits from the new Jewel Seeker ability of Noctowl, which lets you search for two Trainer cards when you evolve it, provided you have a Tera Pokémon on the field.

This will add much-needed consistency to Palkia VSTAR decks, keeping them competitive throughout the match. If you haven’t picked up Palkia VSTAR yet, now is the time!

2. Charizard ex

Charizard ex has been a powerhouse ever since its release, boasting 330 HP and an ability that accelerates Energy. Its attack, Burning Darkness, grows stronger as the game progresses, but with Stellar Crown, Charizard ex is set to receive some incredible buffs from three new cards.

The first major upgrade is Briar, a Supporter card that allows you to take an extra Prize card if your Tera Pokémon knocks out an opponent’s Pokémon while Briar is in play and they have only 2 Prize cards left. This boosts Charizard’s ability to sweep through opposing teams with ease, especially considering that Burning Darkness can hit for 300 damage once your opponent has taken 4 Prize cards.

For even more devastating plays, you can combine Briar with Cursed Bomb from Dusknoir or Dusclops to push that damage further and knock out opposing Benched Pokémon. Taking a 4-Prize turn is entirely possible in these scenarios, making Charizard ex a scary opponent. To add consistency, Noctowl returns here as well, fetching crucial Trainer cards like Prime Catcher or Canceling Cologne at just the right moment.

If you’re a fan of Charizard, you’ll definitely want to have this card ready before Stellar Crown drops.

3. Dragapult ex

Dragapult ex hasn’t had the easiest time in the metagame, often overshadowed by other strategies. However, Stellar Crown is poised to give Dragapult a new lease on life. The new Sparkling Crystal ACE SPEC card will play a pivotal role in making Dragapult ex a top contender again.

Sparkling Crystal reduces the Energy cost of any attack by 1 Energy as long as it’s attached to a Tera Pokémon. This turns Dragapult’s Phantom Dive from an awkward two-energy attack into an efficient one-energy attack, allowing for quicker, more consistent plays.

On top of that, Crispin, another new card, lets you search your deck for two different basic Energy cards and attach one directly to a Pokémon. This ensures that Dragapult can keep up the pressure without sacrificing momentum.

Finally, just like with Charizard ex, Briar can turn Dragapult’s multi-damage capabilities into an easy way to take 4 Prize cards in a single turn, making it one of the most aggressive decks going into the Stellar Crown meta.

4. Blissey ex

While Blissey ex has seen limited success in competitive play, it’s about to become a vital piece of the metagame, thanks to a new Item card from Stellar Crown: Glass Trumpet. This card allows you to attach a basic Energy from your discard pile to two of your Benched Colorless Pokémon.

With Blissey’s Happy Switch ability, you can then move Energy around your Pokémon as needed, creating an unprecedented level of Energy acceleration.

This strategy opens the door for Blissey to synergize with various Pokémon types that currently lack solid Energy acceleration, like Fighting types. If you want a versatile Energy engine, Blissey ex is the card to keep an eye on.

It will likely become a staple in many decks that require consistent Energy setups, so it’s wise to pick it up sooner rather than later.