Gym Heroes (TCG)
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Gym Heroes (Japanese: ジム拡張第1弾 リーダーズスタジアム Gym Booster 1: Leaders' Stadium) is the name given to an expansion of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It is based on the first four Kanto Gym Leaders.
Set size
- 132 cards in English release
- 133 cards in Japanese release (96 available in booster packs and 37 exclusive to theme decks)
Sequence
- 6th English Expansion
- 5th Japanese Expansion
Release dates
- Fall 1998 - Japanese Expansion
- 14th August 2000 - English Expansion
Theme decks
English releases
Japanese releases
Card list
English expansion |
Japanese expansionNote: To avoid listing the same card twice, the only fixed Theme Deck cards added are the ones that form the complete set. The fixed cards have no rarity symbols (designated "--"; holographic cards in the deck are designated "H"). |
Trivia
- There is a significant difference between the English and Japanese releases, namely what cards were available in those sets. Gym 1 focused solely on the first four Kanto Gym leaders (Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge, and Erika). Because of this, there was a lack of Psychic Pokémon. Wizards of the Coast, when releasing the English set, decided to mix in a few cards from Gym 2, just to add some Psychic Pokémon to the set.
- As the set symbol for Gym 1 and 2 in Japan was the same, the symbols were changed for the release of Gym Heroes and for the next set Gym Challenge, allowing players and collectors to distinguish between the two. This was the first time this was done.
- Since there were a number of "fixed" cards in the Japanese release of Gym 1 (cards only available in special pre-constructed theme decks), Wizards decided to give a number of them a Rare rarity. However, many players felt that a number of those originally-fixed cards, such as Misty's Tentacool, Misty's Goldeen and Brock's Zubat, were not given appropriate rarities, considering the simplistic abilities those cards had. These "common rares" created quite a stir in the Pokémon TCG community; by Gym Challenge however, Wizards decided to base the rarity of fixed cards on their game play abilities over their "fixed rarity" properties.
- Gym 1 was the first expansion in Japan to feature pre-constructed Theme Decks.
- Blaine's Moltres, the first card that required 5 Energy cards for an attack, debuted in Gym Heroes (Gym 2 in Japan).
- This was the first expansion released since the Base Set that wasn't a reprint and contained the six basic Energy cards.
- Several of the Pokémon belonging to the Gym Leaders were based off of the Pokémon they owned in the anime, most specifically Brock and Misty.