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expired Posted by MasterChief089 almost 2 years ago
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expired Posted by MasterChief089 almost 2 years ago

Pokémon Trading Card Game: Sword & Shield Astral Radiance Elite Trainer Box

$25

$45

44% off
Target
35 Comments 18,114 Views
Visit Target
Deal Details
Target has Pokémon Trading Card Game: Sword & Shield Astral Radiance Elite Trainer Box on sale for $24.99. Shipping is free with RedCard or on $35+ orders.

Thanks to Community Member MasterChief089 for finding this deal.

Features:
  • 8 Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance booster packs
  • 65 card sleeves featuring Darkrai
  • 45 Pokémon TCG Energy cards
  • A player's guide to the Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance expansion
  • A Pokémon TCG rulebook
  • 6 damage-counter dice
  • 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
  • 2 acrylic condition markers
  • 1 acrylic VSTAR marker
  • A collector's box to hold everything, with 4 dividers to keep it organized
  • A code card for Pokémon Trading Card Game Live

Editor's Notes

Written by Corwin | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • This price matches the recent +174 Frontpage Deal for the Astral Radiance set.
  • About this store:
    • Sign-up for Target RedCard to save an additional 5%, receive free shipping, and attain an extended return period.

Original Post

Written by MasterChief089
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Target has Pokémon Trading Card Game: Sword & Shield Astral Radiance Elite Trainer Box on sale for $24.99. Shipping is free with RedCard or on $35+ orders.

Thanks to Community Member MasterChief089 for finding this deal.

Features:
  • 8 Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance booster packs
  • 65 card sleeves featuring Darkrai
  • 45 Pokémon TCG Energy cards
  • A player's guide to the Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance expansion
  • A Pokémon TCG rulebook
  • 6 damage-counter dice
  • 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
  • 2 acrylic condition markers
  • 1 acrylic VSTAR marker
  • A collector's box to hold everything, with 4 dividers to keep it organized
  • A code card for Pokémon Trading Card Game Live

Editor's Notes

Written by Corwin | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • This price matches the recent +174 Frontpage Deal for the Astral Radiance set.
  • About this store:
    • Sign-up for Target RedCard to save an additional 5%, receive free shipping, and attain an extended return period.

Original Post

Written by MasterChief089
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Top Comments

wakka.chaka
from 6 years to forever

35 Comments

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almost 2 years ago
694 Posts
Joined Dec 2005
almost 2 years ago
sinseven
almost 2 years ago
694 Posts
Quote from maxinquaye :
So is this a self-contained game, like the Battle Academy box?

My son is young (6) and there's this tension between wanting to learn and play the TCG game, and just collecting. The third prong to this world, investment, is not part of the calculus (at least at this time).

We have the Battle Academy box, and it is great for what it is (to learn TCG), but he also wants to just put the cards in his binder and treat them like any other. So it's like we need junk cards on top of what's in that set, as it feels important to keep that set intact.

I see all these Pokemon sales but it's so hard to know what it is what, it feels like a different language. Feels like a big part of the "problem" (if you call it that) is the investing side of things is so enormous it outweighs everything else for most people so when they talk about these deals, that's the main focus. .
These Elite Trainer Boxes have 8 Packs of cards, and a bunch of other goodies, like 60 Card Sleeves along with Dice and Damage Counters to use when you play. At $25 it's a good deal, because you're getting 8 packs for about $3.13 a pack, instead of $4.49 the price of those loose hangers in store (sleeved blisters). Determining cost per pack on a product is a great way to determine if it's a good deal. $2.50 is about as good as it gets, usually.

Filling the binder with cool, shiny cards is what most kids want to do. Opening packs and getting that joy of hitting something cool. You can get packs as cheaply as possible and hunt for them, or buy single cards you want for often very cheap on ebay and tcgplayer. But then there are some chase cards in each set that may be highly sought after and expensive. This set, Astral Radiance, has about 8 cards over $30. 3 of those are over $50 and 1 of those is over $100.

You can also use these packs to build decks of your own, but then you're starting to get pretty complex. Even deck builders often look to experts to form decks and then they follow them. Those decks can cost over hundred easily to build, because the cards in them are usually highly sought after.

For gameplay, Battle Academy is the best place to start, then add in some level 1 decks that you can buy "V Battle Decks" for more varity, and then when looking for more advanced decks, "League Battle Decks", marked Level 3, such as the "Mew VMAX League Battle Deck" currently being sold in stores.
almost 2 years ago
57 Posts
Joined Nov 2011
almost 2 years ago
ljump12
almost 2 years ago
57 Posts
My daughter (5.5 yr old) was interested in Pokémon cards, so I bought her a pack at the store... She thought the cards were cool, but then wanted to know how to play, When I looked into it, it's basically impossible to put together a deck from random packs of cards. We bought the intro Battle set (~$15 on amazon) that comes with three decks. The strategy is still a little complex, but she can follow all the rules, and I press her to read the cards and figure out what the attacks and trainer cards do. I think it's helpful both in reading and in basic math (Your Pokémon has 100 health, and this did 30 damage, how much health do you have left). For the past two weeks, all she wants to do every night is play the game. I think the intro battle decks is definitely the way to start for anyone new to the game. The game is too complex for my 4 year old, but he's happy to sit on my lap and "help me battle her", he'll draw cards, flip coins etc at my instruction.

We've also been able to "swap" one or two cards that she drew from the random pack into the starter battle decks. I think this might be the best path forward. I will get her a few packs as a stocking stuffer for christmas.
almost 2 years ago
954 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
almost 2 years ago
ChrisC1884
almost 2 years ago
954 Posts
Quote from sinseven :
These Elite Trainer Boxes have 8 Packs of cards, and a bunch of other goodies, like 60 Card Sleeves along with Dice and Damage Counters to use when you play. At $25 it's a good deal, because you're getting 8 packs for about $3.13 a pack, instead of $4.49 the price of those loose hangers in store (sleeved blisters). Determining cost per pack on a product is a great way to determine if it's a good deal. $2.50 is about as good as it gets, usually.

Filling the binder with cool, shiny cards is what most kids want to do. Opening packs and getting that joy of hitting something cool. You can get packs as cheaply as possible and hunt for them, or buy single cards you want for often very cheap on ebay and tcgplayer. But then there are some chase cards in each set that may be highly sought after and expensive. This set, Astral Radiance, has about 8 cards over $30. 3 of those are over $50 and 1 of those is over $100.

You can also use these packs to build decks of your own, but then you're starting to get pretty complex. Even deck builders often look to experts to form decks and then they follow them. Those decks can cost over hundred easily to build, because the cards in them are usually highly sought after.

For gameplay, Battle Academy is the best place to start, then add in some level 1 decks that you can buy "V Battle Decks" for more varity, and then when looking for more advanced decks, "League Battle Decks", marked Level 3, such as the "Mew VMAX League Battle Deck" currently being sold in stores.
Yep - echoing this

If you want even a better deal on a per-pack basis, gamestop is still offering 25% off on their cards this week (also stacks with a 5% pickup in-store option), so you can mix and match expansion sets if you want for $2.85 per pack + tax. Probably about as good as you're going to do this holiday season outside of springing for a booster box (36 packs) for one of the lesser-desired expansions.
almost 2 years ago
39 Posts
Joined Jan 2021
almost 2 years ago
johnmacarthur
almost 2 years ago
39 Posts
Quote from joy192k :
This is so crazy complicated, Interested for my 6 yr old as well, for 2 - 4 player which one would be good idea? There are so many , shouldn't it be level 1 considering it's beginners?
Get the battle academy box if you want to learn how to play the actual game and not just collect.
almost 2 years ago
41 Posts
Joined Aug 2015
almost 2 years ago
Plum_Loco
almost 2 years ago
41 Posts
Quote from ljump12 :
My daughter (5.5 yr old) was interested in Pokémon cards, so I bought her a pack at the store... She thought the cards were cool, but then wanted to know how to play, When I looked into it, it's basically impossible to put together a deck from random packs of cards. We bought the intro Battle set (~$15 on amazon) that comes with three decks. The strategy is still a little complex, but she can follow all the rules, and I press her to read the cards and figure out what the attacks and trainer cards do. I think it's helpful both in reading and in basic math (Your Pokémon has 100 health, and this did 30 damage, how much health do you have left). For the past two weeks, all she wants to do every night is play the game. I think the intro battle decks is definitely the way to start for anyone new to the game. The game is too complex for my 4 year old, but he's happy to sit on my lap and "help me battle her", he'll draw cards, flip coins etc at my instruction.

We've also been able to "swap" one or two cards that she drew from the random pack into the starter battle decks. I think this might be the best path forward. I will get her a few packs as a stocking stuffer for christmas.
I'm new to all of this as well. Our library has a Pokemon club where we were able to find some great people willing to teach us the basics and give is a laminated battle sheet (where to place the cards, etc). My 9 yr old started the same way thinking that they just looked cool. Now she, and myself, are starting to understand the basics. We still have a lot to learn but I agree it's great for reading, math, and following instructions... there is a learning curve though.
almost 2 years ago
59 Posts
Joined Dec 2010
almost 2 years ago
darunia484
almost 2 years ago
59 Posts
sold out?
almost 2 years ago
228 Posts
Joined Nov 2011
almost 2 years ago
ma2
almost 2 years ago
228 Posts
Quote from darunia484 :
sold out?
Looks to be back as of right now (limit 4).