Look, let’s be real for a second. When the obsidian flames card list first leaked, everyone lost their collective minds over one specific card. You know the one. That dark-type Charizard ex. It wasn't just about the nostalgia bait—though Pokémon is great at that—it was about the fact that the TCG was finally leaning into the "Tera" gimmick in a way that actually felt dangerous.
People were worried.
Would this set just be a one-hit wonder? Was it all flash and no substance? Honestly, looking back at the 190+ cards that make up this expansion, it’s clear that Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames was a massive turning point for both collectors and the people actually grinding out wins at local leagues.
The Heavy Hitters in the Obsidian Flames Card List
If you're opening packs, you're hunting the lizard. The Charizard ex (Card 125/197) basically redefined what a Stage 2 Pokémon could do in the modern era. Its "Infernal Reign" ability is frankly ridiculous. When you play it from your hand to evolve one of your Pokémon, you get to search your deck for up to three Basic Fire Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like.
That’s instant acceleration.
But it’s the typing that throws people off. Even though it uses fire energy to power up its "Burning Darkness" attack, this Charizard is a Darkness type. This means it hits those pesky Psychic-type Gardevoir ex decks for weakness while having a different set of vulnerabilities itself. It’s a meta-shifter.
Then you’ve got Tyranitar ex. It’s a Lightning type here. It’s beefy, hitting for massive damage, but it’s always lived in the shadow of the Zard. Pidgeot ex is the real sleeper hit of the obsidian flames card list, though. Its "Quick Search" ability is a callback to the old-school Pidgeot from the Jungle era. Being able to search your deck for any card once per turn? That’s the kind of consistency that wins tournaments.
The Weird Mid-Tier Stuff Nobody Talks About
Everyone talks about the Special Illustrations (SIRs), but the meat of the set is in the weird stuff. Have you actually looked at the Scovillain? It’s a Grass type that feels like it belongs in a chaos deck. Or the Revavroom ex? It can have up to four Pokémon Tool cards attached to it.
Four.
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Imagine loading that thing up with Bravery Charms and Choice Belts. It becomes a rolling fortress. Most players ignored it because it’s clunky to set up, but in a casual setting or a specific rogue build, it’s a nightmare to play against.
The obsidian flames card list also introduced some really interesting Trainer cards. Poppy lets you move up to two Energy from one of your Pokémon to another. It sounds niche, right? But in a game where tempo is everything, moving energy to a fresh attacker after your active takes a big hit can completely flip the prize trade in your favor. Town Store is another one—a stadium that lets you search for a Tool card. Simple. Effective. Essential for those Revavroom dreams.
Why the Pull Rates Felt Different
If you spent any time on Reddit or X (formerly Twitter) when this set dropped, you saw the "god pack" claims. While "god packs" are technically a Japanese-exclusive phenomenon for high-class sets, Obsidian Flames felt remarkably generous.
Some people hated it.
They felt like it devalued the cards. If everyone has a Gold Charizard, is it really special? But for the average kid or the player on a budget, it was a godsend. It made the game accessible. You didn't have to spend $500 to build a competitive deck because the supply was actually meeting the demand for once.
The obsidian flames card list isn't just a list of names; it's a snapshot of a time when the TCG was trying to figure out how to keep the Scarlet & Violet era exciting after the initial hype of the base set and Paldea Evolved started to cool down.
Key Rarity Tiers in the Set:
- Common/Uncommon: The bulk. You’ll see a lot of Oddish and Dartrix.
- Double Rare (ex): The workhorses like Victini ex and Pawmot ex.
- Ultra Rare: Full-art versions of the big names.
- Illustration Rare: These are the beautiful, full-art cards that don't have the "ex" sparkle but look like actual museum pieces. The Cleffa (191/197) is a standout here—it’s just a Cleffa looking at the stars, and it’s arguably one of the best looking cards in the entire set.
- Special Illustration Rare (SIR): The "Chase" cards. The Zard, the Pidgeot, the Poppy.
- Hyper Rare (Gold): Shiny, gold-etched versions of the top-tier cards.
Strategy: How to Actually Use These Cards
If you’re looking at the obsidian flames card list and wondering what to build, start with the "Pidgeot/Charizard" engine. It’s been a staple for a reason. You use Rare Candy to skip the middle stages, get Pidgeot ex out first so you can search for whatever you need, then drop the Charizard ex to flood your board with energy.
It’s fast. It’s mean. It’s very hard to stop once it gets rolling.
But don't sleep on the Entei from this set either. It’s a basic Pokémon with a solid attack if you can get the right supporters behind it. And speaking of supporters, Ryme is a card that forces your opponent to switch their active Pokémon while drawing you three cards. It’s a "Disruption-Draw" hybrid that can really mess up an opponent who spent three turns powering up a single attacker.
The Problem With Tera Types
Look, the "Type Shifting" thing is cool, but it can be confusing for new players. Just because a card is a Darkness type doesn't mean it uses Darkness energy. You have to look at the attack symbols. This is where a lot of people tripped up during the pre-release events. You're playing a Fire deck, but you're swinging with a "Black" card. It’s a bit of a mental hurdle, but once you get it, it opens up a lot of "Type-Box" strategies where you can hit almost any opponent for weakness without having to run a complicated multi-color energy base.
The Financial Side of the Obsidian Flames Card List
Is it worth "investing" in? Honestly, probably not as much as Evolving Skies or 151. Because the pull rates were higher, the secondary market prices for a lot of these cards stayed relatively low.
That’s good for players!
The Charizard ex SIR is obviously the big ticket item, but even that settled at a price point that won't require a second mortgage. If you're a collector, focus on the Illustration Rares. The Ninetales (199/197) is a fan favorite that has held its value surprisingly well because the art is simply top-tier.
Getting Practical With Your Collection
If you're sitting on a pile of these cards, here is what you actually need to do to make the most of them.
1. Check Your Revavroom/Pidgeot counts.
Don't bulk these out. Even the non-holo versions of key support lines are worth keeping because players are always looking to build new decks.
2. Protect the Illustration Rares.
Even the "cheap" ones. The TCG market is fickle. Today’s $5 card is tomorrow’s $50 card once the set goes out of print and the "nostalgia cycle" for the Paldea region kicks in three years from now.
3. Build a "Battle Box."
Obsidian Flames is a great set for "Cube" drafting or building a set of balanced decks to play with friends. Since the power level is relatively contained within the set, you can make some really fun matchups using just the cards from this specific list.
4. Watch the Meta Shifts.
Every time a new set comes out, go back and look at the obsidian flames card list. Sometimes a new Supporter in a later set makes an old, "bad" ex card from this set suddenly broken. It happens all the time.
The reality is that Obsidian Flames was a "bridge" set. It moved us away from the basic mechanics of the start of the generation and into the more complex "Tera" strategies that defined the middle of the Scarlet & Violet era. It’s a set that rewards people who actually read the card text instead of just looking at the HP and the damage numbers.
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Whether you’re hunting that Special Illustration Rare Charizard or just trying to find a consistent way to draw cards with Pidgeot, this set has a lot more depth than people give it credit for. It’s messy, it’s flashy, and it’s exactly what the TCG needed to stay relevant.
To make progress with your collection, start by sorting your pulls by "Role" rather than rarity. Group your attackers, your "bench sitters" with abilities, and your engine-driving Trainers. This gives you a much better bird's-eye view of what decks you can actually build without having to buy dozens of singles. Focus on completing the four-of sets for the key uncommons like Umbreon and Scovillain first; these are the backbone of most consistent decks and are often harder to find in good condition later on than the big "hits" that people immediately sleeve. Once your "engine" cards are secured, you can then pivot to hunting the high-art cards to pimp out your favorite deck lists.