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During the Pokemon World Championships 2023, it was revealed that Ace Spec Item cards would be returning to thePokemon: Trading Card Gamefor the first time since their introduction back in Black And White: Boundaries Crossed set. Although not many Ace Spec cards were released, they were a major part of that era of the game.
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Only 13 Ace Spec cards were ever released in the Black & White era, appearing in only four sets (Boundaries Crossed, Plasma Storm, Plasma Freeze, and Plasma Blast). But with them making a comeback in the Scarlet & Violet era, it’s worth revisiting how Ace Specs works.
How Do Ace Spec Cards Work?
Ace Spec cards are all Item cardswith very powerful effects. Due to their power, youcan only play one Ace Spec card in your entire deck. It is not just one of each, you can only choose one Ace Spec card to use for your deck - meaning if you choose to playComputer Search,you could not playGold Potion.
Outside this restriction, Ace Spec cards act like any other Item card. You canplay as many Item cards as you likeon your turn, with that single Ace Spec included. The only difference between a regular Item card and an Ace Spec is the Ace Spec’s effect tends to be much stronger.
How To Make The Most Of Ace Spec Cards
Many Ace Spec cards have specific uses that can help specific strategies. In the Pokemon TCG, many decks are built around a small handful of Pokemon. Five of the 13 Ace Spec cards can only be used on specific Pokemon togive them new attacks or abilities.
Other Ace Spec cards can help slow your opponent down such asLife Dew. If you’re playing a deck with Pokemon that give multiple prize cards when knocked out (such as an ex or VMAX Pokemon), Life Dew can make it so your opponent takes fewer prize cards instead. Since taking all your prize cards is one of the ways to win a Pokemon TCG game, hindering that can be quite useful.
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In most cases, however, the Ace Spec cards that get the most use are the more generic ones that don’t need any conditions met to use them. For example,Master Ballcan unconditionally add any Pokemonfrom your deck to your hand. In Pokemon where most decks are built around only a couple of Pokemon - this effect is phenomenal.
If you have an important Pokemon,Scoop Up Cyclonecan save it from being knocked out, as it’ll return to your hand instead along with any cards that were attached to it.
Since you can only play one Ace Spec Item card in your deck, it’s important to choose the one that is most valuable to your deck and your general game plan.
How Many Ace Spec Cards Are There?
As of Scarlet & Violet 151, there arecurrently 13 Ace Spec cards. However, the cards released prior to 2024 arenot legal in the current Standard format, and are only playable in theExpanded and Unlimited formats, meaning the only ones that will be legal in Standard are ones that, as of 151, have yet to be revealed.
Of the 13 Ace Spec cards, seven of them are Pokemon Tools (Items that attach to Pokemon that do not currently have a Pokemon Tool already attached), and of those seven, five of them can only be attached to specific Pokemon.
