Pokemon TCG Scarlet And Violet EX And Tera Mechanics Explained, Preorders Now Open

After teasing the new card type at the Pokemon World Championships last year, The Pokemon Company has officially unveiled the new EX and Tera mechanics coming in the Pokemon Trading Card Game’s Scarlet and Violet expansion in March.

The Pokemon TCG Scarlet and Violet expansion will reintroduce Pokemon EX to the game, which has not been seen since the Sun and Moon series of expansions, however this time there will be two important changes. First, where only basic Pokemon were Pokemon EX before, Pokemon EX in Scarlet and Violet can be either a basic Pokemon, a stage-one evolution, or a stage-two evolution.

The second major change is the debut of Tera Pokemon EX, which pulls from the Terastallizing mechanic from the Scarlet and Violet games. Tera Pokemon EX operate the same as EX Pokemon, but with the added perk of not being able to sustain damage while on the bench. Being able to attack benched Pokemon is a main strategy of current top-tier competitive Pokemon decks–Inteleon from Chilling Reign is a good example–so Tera Pokemon EX being shielded from this will be a new angle to consider for future competitions.

Preorders for the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG set are available now on the Pokemon Center website, with Elite Trainer Boxes themed around Koraidon and Miraidon, booster display boxes, and six-pack booster bundles. Preorders will also receive a free Lechonk promo card with purchase.

The Pokemon TCG Scarlet and Violet expansion releases in late March 2023. It follows Crown Zenith, the final Sword and Shield expansion, which releases January 20.