Stormfront (TCG): Difference between revisions

'''Diamond & Pearl - Stormfront''' (Japanese:  '''破空の激闘''' ''Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky'') is the seventh and final expansion of cards of the English Diamond & Pearl Series of the TCG. The Japanese release is the sixth and final of the Japanese DP Era.

'''Stormfront''' is the seventh Diamond & Pearl Series expansion, originating from Japan as the sixth DP Era expansion, '''Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky'''. The 38th English expansion overall, it was released on November 5, 2008, with 106 total cards. The Japanese expansion was made available on July 10, 2008, but only contained 92 cards. The additional cards in the English expansion originated from the {{TCG|Giratina vs Dialga Deck Kit}}, which was released on the same day in Japan and is seen as a complement to the main expansion.

The Japanese release was in commemoration of the eleventh movie ''[[M11|Giratina and the Sky's Bouquet: Shaymin]]'', which debuted in theaters a little more than a week later. Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky features the debut of {{p|Shaymin}} in the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]]; however, as the movie wasn't going to be released until about seven months later in the United States, all of the movie-related [[Legendary Pokémon]]—Shaymin, {{p|Giratina}}, and {{p|Dialga}}—were saved for the English {{TCG|Platinum}} expansion, which was released within the same week as the movie. Thus, the English release was forced to pick up new focuses based on the cards that remained.

The {{TCG|booster pack}} artwork for this expansion features {{p|Infernape}}, {{p|Torterra}}, {{p|Dusknoir}}, and {{p|Regigigas}}. Infernape and Torterra were featured in the expansion as Rare Holofoil cards, while Dusknoir and Regigigas were two of five Pokémon featured as {{TCG|Pokémon LV.X}}, the others being {{p|Machamp}}, {{p|Raichu}}, and {{p|Heatran}}. The {{TCG|Theme Deck}}s {{TCG|Raging Sea}} and {{TCG|Dark Rampage}} feature {{p|Gyarados}} and {{p|Tyranitar}} respectively, with Raging Sea containing {{ct|Water}} and {{ct|Grass}} Pokémon, and Dark Rampage including {{ct|Darkness}} and {{ct|Fighting}} Pokémon. The illustrations are done by [[Kouki Saitou]].

The expansion introduces several other features that will remain prominent inclusions throughout the subsequent Platinum Series. [[Shiny Pokémon]] return to the card game after last being featured at the end of the [[Generation III]] EX Series expansions. The three Shiny Pokémon cards are featured at the end of the expansion with their own numbering (starting at SH1) that continued throughout the {{TCG|Platinum}}, {{TCG|Supreme Victors}}, and {{TCG|Platinum: Arceus|Arceus}} expansions. The Japanese prints featured Starlight Holofoil, while the English prints came in Mirror Reverse Holofoil. Also included were the first releases of {{TCG|retro card}}s, a series of reprinted cards from the Original Series updated to the current standards of the [[Generation IV]]. In this expansion, re-releases of [[Mitsuhiro Arita]]'s {{TCG|Base Set}} {{TCG ID|Base Set|Charmander|46}}, {{TCG ID|Base Set|Charmeleon|24}}, and {{TCG ID|Base Set|Charizard|4}} were included with updated illustrations, card layout, and card text for the current standards. This feature continues through the Platinum Series but ends with Supreme Victors. They are included in the English expansion as {{TCG|Secret card}}s. Stormfront marks the end of [[held item]]s appearing the TCG, but introduces {{TCG|Trainer card}}s with a + at the end of their name, which each have a different effect depending on whether the player uses one or two of the same card at a time.

Pokémon LV.X in the Japanese release feature a new printing style not used on any of the Pokémon LV.X beforehand: each of the six Pokémon LV.X feature a Glossy overlay atop their Cosmos Holofoil. Since it only started with Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky, this feature is exclusive to the in-set print of {{TCG ID|Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky|Heatran LV.X|15}}, not being included on the {{TCG|DP-P Promotional cards|DP-P Promotional print}} release four months prior. Additionally, because of the earlier promotional release, Heatran LV.X was not provided with a regular Heatran to Level Up from, causing Heatran LV.X to be useless in a {{TCG|limited format}} setting. This is a trend continuing from {{TCG|Secret of the Lakes}} {{TCG ID|DP-P Promo|Lucario LV.X|4}}, {{TCG|Moonlit Pursuit}} {{TCG ID|DP-P Promo|Garchomp LV.X|58}}, and {{TCG|Temple of Anger}} {{TCG ID|DP-P Promo|Porygon-Z LV.X|75}}. Each of these promotional Pokémon LV.X were made available as inserts in the previous sets' Official Visual Books.

Heatran LV.X isn't the only Pokémon in the expansion without the rest of its evolutionary family. {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Torterra|11}}, {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Infernape|3}}, and {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Empoleon|2}} were each released without the rest of the [[Starter Pokémon]] families, most likely due to their inclusion in the expansion utilizing the second type of their dual-type status. For each of these three Pokémon, this expansion marks the first time these three Pokémon utilized their second type. The {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Sceptile|10}} in the Japanese release was also left without its evolutionary family, with the {{TCG ID|Giratina Half Deck|Treecko|1}} and {{TCG ID|Giratina Half Deck|Grovyle|2}} being included in the {{TCG|Giratina vs Dialga Deck Kit}}.

In the Japanese expansion, none of the Pokémon cards featured [[Pokédex]] entries due to several of the cards containing too much card text for one to be fit on the card. However, in Stormfront, if a card has either an attached item (such as a Magnet) or more than three items of text (such as a Pokémon Power and two attacks), the card will not include a Pokédex entry: otherwise, it will, unlike in the Japanese expansion.