Crown Zenith is the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokemon TCG Sword & Shield era's triumphant swan song. With 230 cards including a ton of V, VMAX, and VSTAR, it's the final hurrah, the last best chance for everyone's favorite Pokemon to make the 'V cut' before the mechanic is replaced with the arrival of Scarlet & Violet.
In other words, it's kind of a big deal. And while no set has ever been a stranger to some wonderful card designs, we're pleased as Mega Punch to see that Crown Zenith ranks among the greatest sets in this regard, with stellar artwork galore. Here are our personal favorites.
12 Tangrowth
There's not a lot an artist can do with a Pokemon like Tangrowth. It's a mess - intentionally so. The thing is covered in blue vines from head to toe and then some. The illustrator, zig, brilliantly demonstrates what we rather already knew - that the only way to make a Tangrowth appear striking in any sense is to fully embrace the chaos.
Here is a Tangrowth that is a bit clay-like in creative composition, at the forefront of a lovely-looking bit of forest. Is it coming toward us? Or simply observing us? Who's to say? What we can tell you is that it's the most Tangrowth-y we've ever seen, dialing up the bizarre visage to really leave things unsettling.
11 Zamazenta
With Crown Zenith being Galar's sweet send-off, it would have been a shame if Zacian and Zamazenta weren't here to see their realm off with snazzy card art. Thankfully, the Heroes of Many Battles have both arrived in style. Both the Crowned Sword Pokemon and Crowned Shield companion have a Basic version, a V version, and a VSTAR version. We enjoy the artwork for all six, but this ranks among our faves.
It's the regular Zamazenta card that takes the throne for Crown Zenith. It all comes down to that gallant sense of grace. One can practically see Zamazenta pawing its way through Slumbering Weald and straight off the cardboard. The symmetry in Zamazenta's design has never been more apparent, too. And while overly symmetrical angles can occasionally prove unnerving, there's something pitch-perfect about the fullness of Zamazenta's face and mane here.
10 Snorlax
Renowned Pokemon TCG artist Asako Ito has crafted - truly crafted! - 31 card designs and counting. Rather than drawing, Ito practices the art of amigurumi. Here in the West, we'd say she makes knitted stuffed toys. Even if you dislike the aesthetic, it's hard to argue cards like Crown Zenith's Snorlax don't stand out in a pack.
In fact, now we're just spinning yawns, but who wouldn't play a game like Pokemon: Snorlax's Epic Yarn? Fun for the full family right there.
9 Thievul
Crown Zenith Thievul's utilizes a color pallet and brush style that not only successfully contrasts the vast majority of the Pokemon TCG's cards, but fits the noir bandit motif to a tee. The strong reddish-orange hue of Thievul's fur works so well against the orange and white backdrop. There's not a hint of green here, nor blue, nor yellow; it's a card that makes a statement.
Thievul's design takes inspiration from the 'gentleman thief' trope, with some fans no doubt thinking Zorro in particular. We feel like Zorro himself would reflect fondly upon the boldness of this piece.
8 Nessa
Call us old-fashioned, but there's something pleasant about a Pokemon card as calming as this one. Here, Galarian Water-type Gym Leader Nessa is in her rarest of habitats: far from any shore, nor trapped beneath the limelight of her deserved stardom, she's just drinking something (water, of course) whilst seated and reading.
It's chill. It's nice to see Gym Leaders vegging out from time to time, you know? There's a remarkable bit of at the top-left portion of the art where we see a bit of Nessa's massive and flashy billboard. Not much is shown, but those pearls speak volumes. Enjoy that well-deserved break, Nessa.
7 Magmortar
Magmortar and Electivire are infamous foes; their shared origin as fourth-generation evolutions of first-generation elemental favorites seemed to pit them against each other in everyone's minds ever since. That's what makes the artists' decision to demonstrate the duo on good terms in Crown Zenith so goshdarn heartwarming. Both the Magmortar and Electivire cards involve both buds doing stuff together, and they're both awesome for it. We love the Magmortar card the most.
Just look how happy ol' Maggy is to supply a campfire for he and his friend. Note the sheer bliss in Electivire's eyes as he sits comfortably atop a log. We never knew we needed to see them drawn up like campers, but clearly we did.
6 Mew
Seeing Mew is sort of a once-in-a-lifetime event, right? There's been a whole Pokemon anime saga on the matter; young Goh dedicates himself to catching every Pokemon there is, including the one he has to join an entire expedition team just to stand a shot at finding. But Crown Zenith's full-art Mew card demonstrates the sizable difference in odds between a human seeing Mew and its fellow pocket monsters seeing it instead.
Mew is so cozy and comfortable being seen by other Pokemon that it's just curled asleep happily with a yummy fruit loose against its palms. Meanwhile, all the local Pokemon have come to bear witness, seeming to recognize that even for them, it's not everyday you bump into a buddy this uncommon. It's charming.
5 Zacian V
There are only so many ways to make even a Pokemon as rad as Zacian look cool via traditional methods before it's time to go back to the drawing board. Illustrator Hataya knew this - just look at Crown Zenith Zacian V. It's positively painterly, like a legend upon a mural. The notion suts Galarian legends flawlessly, and feels almost Zelda-esque in depiction.
Holding the Zacian V card is like holding someone's ancient painting of a mystic guardian. The light color shades cast Zacian in a noble light, completing the look.
4 Lumineo⛄n V
At this point every card we cite is a knockout and every card you may argue we neglected to include is undoubtedly a knockout, too. Crown Zenith is such a phenomenally pretty set. Check out Lumineon V. It's as dark in tone as Zacian V is bright, and just as effective at scene-setting. There's a quilt-like whimsy here, as though each colorful part of the card wasn't so much drawn as stitched together.
The star is of course Lumineon itself, and while not much 'real estate' is provided for the title of the card, it is nevertheless gorgeous. No wonder all those other Pokemon are staring. They're just jealous.
3 Magnezone
A big part of the beauty in many of the cards on this list stems from the artists' ability to bring to life the natural world; the trees, the mountains, the seas, and so forth. Magnezone is about as far removed from all that as possible, and yet still one of the coolest-looking cards in Crown Zenith.
Here, Magnezones - as well as Magnemites and Magnetons - are working some form of futuristic factory. Strange pyramid-shaped objects are being inspected as they roll down a conveyor belt. The entire machine seems to be set in space, or... something. It's downright bizarre, and it's really stuck with us.