Latest Gen 5 Pokémon TCG sets introduce new BWR card rarity

Pokémon TCG will once again put Unova Pokémon in the spotlight with the franchise’s recent announcement of a dual set that will also include a new card rarity called BWR.

These sets, likely special expansions for the Scarlet & Violet series, are titled Black Bolt and White Flare and feature Gen 5’s legendary duo Zekrom and Reshiram. The Pokémon Company will release the sets in Japan on June 6, with the English version following on July 18.

Leaked images of the Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex suggest that the upcoming sets will introduce BWR, a new card rarity that is likely characterized by its unique monochromatic design.

Unlike the English Pokémon cards, Japanese Pokémon cards use a different way of labeling card rarities. In contrast to the English cards’ rarity symbols, the Japanese cards have one to three letters to show their rarity. For example, Common cards are printed with the letter C, Uncommon with U, and Rare with R.

For Black Bolt and White Flare, most cards will still follow the same system of labeling card rarities — except the two monochromatic cards, namely the above copies of Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex.

While there’s no confirmed information about the actual meaning of BWR, many fans assume it stands for the term "Black and White Rare." Whether Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex are the only BWR cards in the set, only time will tell.

Then, there’s also Victini, another monochromatic card that isn’t printed on black or white. This card won’t appear in the new Unova-themed sets; instead, it will serve as a Promo card awarded to winners of upcoming BWR battle tournaments in Japan.

Here are some of the other cards in the upcoming Black Bolt and White Flare sets. Keep in mind that as a dual set, some of the cards are only available in one of the two available packs.

Once the sets reach the English market, there’s a strong chance they’ll merge into a single set, just like what happened to Heat Wave Arena and Glory of Team Rocket.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for more news and guides about Pokémon TCG.