Base Set

About this set

Game

Pokémon TCG

Released

January 1999 (English)

Size

102 cards in the English release

Featured here

6 cards

Base Set is the first English-language Pokémon TCG expansion. It introduced the structure that the game still follows today: Basic and evolved Pokémon, Trainer cards, and Energy cards in the types of the original video games.

The set is the home of the Pokémon that many people picture when they hear the words Pokémon cards: Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Pikachu and Mewtwo. Its holographic cards carry a distinctive look that later sets moved away from.

Early print runs are known for two details collectors check for. Cards stamped 1st Edition came from the first run, and Shadowless cards lack the drop shadow around the artwork frame that appears on the later Unlimited printing. We explain both in our rarity and finishes guide.

What to look for in this set

How to explore this set

Base Set works best as a classroom. Almost every rule a newcomer needs appears in it in its original form, and the cards are easy to tell apart. Start with the starter trio: Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur. Each is a Stage 2 with a Pokémon Power and a different Weakness, so together they teach Evolution, Abilities and Weakness in one sitting. Read each card page one after another and notice what stays the same and what changes.

Next, open Pikachu, a Common that shows a Basic Pokémon growing into Raichu. After that, look at Mewtwo, a Basic that never needs to evolve. Finish with Professor Oak, since Trainer cards say a lot about how the set was played.

If you want the story behind the printings, read the Base Set deep dive. It explains 1st Edition, Shadowless and Unlimited with details you can check by eye.

A good first session takes about ten minutes. Pick one card, read its stage, its type and its Weakness, then find the same details on the next card. By the fifth card you will read a Pokémon card without help.

What changed after it

Base Set came out in January 1999, and Jungle, Fossil and the Neo sets followed during the Wizards of the Coast years. The next big shift on this site is Neo Genesis in December 2000. It brought a new foil pattern, Pokémon from the second video-game generation, and new card rules. In 2003 the English game moved to the Pokémon company's U.S. arm. Decades later, Scarlet & Violet—151 revisited the original Pokémon in the modern style.

Questions readers ask

Is Base Set the first Pokémon set ever?

It is the first English-language expansion. The game launched in Japan in October 1996.

How many cards does it have?

The English release has 102 cards.

How can I tell a Shadowless card from an Unlimited one?

Look at the art frame. Shadowless cards lack the drop shadow along the right side of the art box that Unlimited cards have. Our rarity and finishes guide also explains the 1st Edition stamp.

Mechanics you will see

• Evolution How Basic Pokémon grow into Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pokémon.
• Weakness & Resistance Type matchups printed on every Pokémon card.
• Abilities & Pokémon Powers Special effects that are not attacks.
• Trainer Cards Item, Supporter and Stadium cards that support the game plan.