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Episode VI : Dragons Exalted
GLOBAL PRESENTATION
The sixth series of the Black and White set is Dragons Exalted, and this is released one year after the first series of this set in 2012.
A lot of changes are introduced in this set. First, the numbering changes : before the holographic card were placed at the first place of the series and the rarity was decreasing as the number was increasing with the exception of ultra-rare cards at the end of the numbering, bow cards are classified by families and by Pokémon types. The totality of the Black and White extensions starts with a non-evolved grass type Pokémon. Also, ultra-rare cards won’t be the end of the classification anymore but with their respective types.
This set introduces “full art” cards, these are Pokémon which are no longer limited by the illustration frame. These full art cards have a Pokémon illustrated on the whole front of the card. It can be an Ex, a secret, a Mega-Ex (with the next XY set) …
Dragons Exalted also adds a new Pokémon type: the dragon one. Before this addition, dragons were most of the time with a Normal type in the card game, which is not logic but is now resolved with a correct type.
The logo of the series is representing two claws, which evocates the good amount of dragon type Pokémon available in this series.
CONTENT OF THE SERIES
CARDS PRESENTATION
Dragons Exalted includes 128 cards, with 12 Ex (including 6 full art), 13 holographic and four shiny secret cards.
DISPLAY BOX & BOOSTERS
There are four booster designs in Dragons Exalted: the Terrakion, Giratina, Gyarados and Rayquaza. Each one includes ten cards.
The display box is designed with the four booster illustrations on the sides and the Giratina one on the top. Two decks are available in this series: the first one is “DragonSpeed” with Garchomp on the front and the other is “DragonSnarl” with Hydreigon.
The Rayquaza booster pack, the display (view from the top) and the DragonSpeed deck with Garchomp.
MOST ICONIC CARDS OF THE SERIES
Holographic cards are changing their style is the Black and White set. The dot holo style is replaced by lines of colors in the background. We preferred the old one because it is sometimes hard to even see that a card is holographic.
So, with that change and the poor design of most of new holo cards, these ones are quite forgettable, and it is no exception in Dragon Exalted. However, the introduction of full art cards and they are pretty well-designed cards at least! The best ones are probably the Rayquaza and Ho-oh, but we will give you more details on them in the next chapter. There are also others great full art cards like Registeel and Giratina as you can see next.
If Ex cards are quite nice, their full art version are even better!
If holographic cards didn’t convince us, they are still some nice common and rare cards in Dragons Exalted. Some with warm and refined designs, others with majestic and blooming ones: for example, these versions of Gothita and Milotic.
THE REDACTION’S CHOICES
This series is well known for its stunning full art and secret cards. Here are three of them that we picked for you!
THE cards of Dragons Exalted is this one: the Rayquaza Ex full art! Among the best full art cards designed to this day, Rayquaza, here, is fully visible in bright orange flames that contrasts well with the green tint of the Pokémon. We also notice the yellow rings on the Pokémon that are really shiny which give to this superb card even more brightness!
The other card symbolizing this series is the Ho-oh Ex full art. As of his others previous illustrations, this Pokémon is wonderful with the insane amount of colors on its tail and its skin. But in the past, the Pokémon was a bit “blocked” by the height of the illustration. Now he has no limits anymore thanks to the full art card, we can fully see him on the front of the card and it really shines over the rest of Pokémons! One of the best illustration of Ho-oh ever created!
If most of the best cards from Dragons Exalted are full art ones, it exists at least one other great card, and we are talking about the shiny secret Rayquaza! If this Pokémon is put up in front in this series (the XY Roaring Skies isn’t out yet), it’s surely because of the full art card and this one! It takes back the stunning alternative black color and it is another superb shiny representation of Rayquaza, along with the gold star the SL versions!
COMMENT COLLECTIONNER DRAGONS EXALTES
As a set is more and more recent, it becomes easier to complete it of course and there is no exception for Black and White: Dragons Exalted. Except some secret cards, everything else is easy to find.
In this series, you can find common and rare cards on Ebay or every other site for less than 1 euro in mint conditions. There are also good chances to find this set (as well as XY and Sun/Moon) in flea markets.
Classic Ex cards will be around 10 euros in near mint conditions, they are still really easy to buy right now.
Some full arts are a bit harder to find that the others, but most can be found around 50 euros in light played and 100 euros in near mint conditions. The exception will be Rayquaza which will cost 150 euros in great conditions, between 200 and 250 euros in mint conditions.
The secret cards’ prices will vary. Reuniclus, Krookodile and Serperior shiny will cost between 40 and 50 euros in mint conditions each. But Rayquaza will cost a bit more: 100 euros for great to near mint conditions, around 200 euros for a mint one and surely this card will be the most expensive and the hardest card to get in Dragons Exalted.
As a result, it is a very easy series to complete in played conditions and quite easy in near mint / mint conditions, only the shiny secret Rayquaza could be a problem, even more for those who will decide to complete the set in gem mint conditions.
CONCLUSION
Most of collectors will say they do not like the fifth generation of Pokémon, but they should give another chance to this set. Especially Dragons Exalted, one of the best series of the Black and White set along with Next Destinies. A good extension with great full art/secret cards and easy to complete: what else do you need to start the collection of Dragons Exalted?
We end this article dedicated to Dragons Exalted here and we thank you for your reading till the end. Next, we will continue our reviews with a series from the XY set. We hope that you will be with us!
Have a nice week, dear collectors!
