I have another question that highlights the importance of correctly wording card text and/or the need to read the text of previous editions of many Magic cards (and not only the available Oracle Text).
Let’s suppose Active Player has a Wardscale Dragon in play from several turns, and it’s the only creature in play.
It’s the draw phase, and immediately after drawing the card, the Defending player –
who has 4 life remaining only –
decides to play his last Magic card:
specifically, a reprint from one of the more recent sets.
Defending player knows perfectly the text of the White Dragon card the Active player owns, and therefore hopes to save himself by casting Fog before the Attack phase,in order to avoid it,since he can’t cast no more spells during the attack phase
(before damage is assigned).
He believes everything is fine, because the recent card text doesn’t mention the need to cast Fog during the Attack phase.
So, he tries to prevent any damage while also evading the protection from spells provided to Active Player by the White Dragon.
The Active player, however, shows to the Defending Player a Fog card from the very early Magic sets, which clearly states that a Player must:
“play [Fog] any time before attack damage is dealt.”
This old card text admits that Fog has to be cast during the Attack Phase (before damage is assigned).
The defending player, however, still complains, pointing out the complete absence of a specific Fog Ruling in its latest reprints.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Stormgate, despite its rocky start in early access. The free-to-play RTS not only comes from a studio helmed by ex-Starcraft devs, but it has a science fantasy universe and worldbuilding assisted by Blizzard legend Chris Metzen, as well as some sick looking graphics. I’m usually the kind of person who waits for a game to leave early access before I take the plunge, so luckily for me, Stormgate is hitting 1.0 today. Even better, you can play its much-anticipated debut campaign right now.
A spiritual successor to Starcraft 2, Stormgate showed all the promise of being one of the best RTS games when it launched into early access last year. Although there’s been plenty of kinks that have needed to be smoothed out, the game has seen a lot of improvements, and even more are set to arrive with this new 1.0 launch.
The 1.0 update also comes with a whole host of fixes, tweaks, and a balance update for all three factions: the human Vanguard, the demonic Infernal Host, and the angelic Celestial Armada. The latter also receives a complete revamp, with a massive mechanical overhaul arriving in 1.0 for the heavenly cohort.
That’s not all. From today, players can experience Stormgate’s debut paid campaign, Ashes of Earth – a 12-mission affair that focuses on the Vanguard, packed with a narrative that’ll kick Stormgate’s universe into a higher gear. Three missions will be available for free for all players, alongside Stormgate’s lineup of free game modes.
The campaign launch will be aided by the game’s star-studded cast, including videogame favorite Matthew Mercer and Marvel’s Shang-Chi (and my favorite from Kim’s Convenience Store) Simu Liu. There will also be new unlockable pets and 36 all-new Steam achievements. If Simu Liu is not enough to convince you to play Stormgate, then the Fuzzy Moth definitely should. I mean, just look at this cute little guy.
There’s also an all-new Sigma Labs experimental hub, which allows you to playtest three player co-op modes and the Terrain Editor, which will open the doors to full community map-making and custom games support.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg – you can check out the full 1.0 release notes on Steam here.
Stormgate’s 1.0 update launches today, August 5. You can buy the new Ashes of Earth campaign for $24.99, or the Ultimate Edition bundle at $64.99, which includes all six purchasable heroes, the full Ashes of Earth campaign, an adorable chicken pet (not as cute as Fuzzy Moth though), and the Firestorm fog of war shader.
If Stormgate doesn’t quite hit the spot for you, delve into other worlds with our guide to the best fantasy games. Or cut your teeth on these best strategy games to hone your skills.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
Some effects state that damage “can’t be prevented.” If unpreventable damage would be dealt, any applicable prevention effects are still applied to it. Those effects won’t prevent any damage, but any additional effects they have will take place. Existing damage prevention shields won’t be reduced by damage that can’t be prevented.
Figuring out which decks to play in Pokémon TCG Pocket is a lot harder than it used to be. When the game originally dropped and had just one expansion set, you had roughly five viable decks to choose from – but nowadays, there’s a mountain of meta decks on offer.
Wisdom added plenty of powerful cards into the Pocket scene, giving competitive players even more tools to use during their matches. Here’s a rundown of the best Wisdom of Sea and Sky Pocket decks right now, not listed in any particular order.
The Escapist recaps
Pokémon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky introduced 241 new cards into the game, shaking up the competitive meta and adding new decks into the mix
While it’s not been as disruptive as previous sets, this release did present a variety of new decks to experiment with and a handful of crucial tools for competitive players
Crobat ex stands out as one of the best decks in the game right now with the addition of Sylveon ex. The Intertwining Pokémon also pairs perfectly with the new Espeon ex as well
Other viable decks to consider include Silvally-Pichu, Ho-Oh ex and Lugia ex, and Donphan ex, along with older decks like Dragonite ex, with new cards added in
Crobat-Sylveon
Crobat ex has had people talking since the expansion launched. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
If you saw my rundown of the strongest ex cards in Wisdom of Sea and Sky, you’ll know that Crobat ex has been one of the most hyped cards of the expansion.
It’s not pulling in the tournament numbers that I would’ve expected initially at the time of writing – although I believe in the bat, I think it’ll come out on top over the coming weeks. It’s still a powerhouse, though, especially when paired with Sylveon ex.
Crobat ex provides simple, consistent damage for just one Energy, adding Poison into the mix for chip damage. Sylveon ex also provides a decent chunk of damage, but is mainly played here for the draw power.
When building this list, make sure to use the Wisdom of Sea and Sky Eevee for additional draw power, alongside Supporters like Silver and Lyra to stay ahead of the competition. Choosing the Zubat and Golbat with Poison attacks is also worthwhile.
Some players run a variant of this with Darkrai ex included, capitalizing on the Nightmare Aura ability and stacking up extra damage over time.
Sylveon-Espeon
These two adorable Eeveelutions pack a punch. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
If you like fast-paced decks in Pocket, this is what you need to be playing during this season. It’s quick to get going, with a tasty self-heal and plenty of draw power.
Sylveon ex allows you to set up quickly and get your Espeon ex into position via the Happy Ribbon ability, dealing a decent 70 damage as needed. Espeon ex acts as the main hitter, healing up whenever needed with Psychic Healing and whittling away with Super Psy Bolt.
To ensure that Espeon ex is as hard to kill as possible, I’d suggest running at least one copy of Giant Cape to get an extra sliver of HP on there.
Other crucial cards to have at your disposal here include Sabrina and Cyrus for control, the A4 Eevee for additional draw power, and Eevee ex for speedy evolutions. I could also see Mew ex helping to fill in the damage output gaps with Genome Hacking.
Silvally-Pichu
This surprising duo is a lot of fun to play. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
Acting as a riff on Silvally-Oricorio, this deck features plenty of Supporter cards and two copies of the Lightning-type Oricorio to help mitigate any ex threats in battle.
Silvally is the main source of damage thanks to the Brave Buddies attack, putting out 100 damage for just 2 Energy when a Supporter is used. Pichu acts as a crucial source of Energy movement, using Crackly Toss to spread Lightning Energy Tokens around.
Gladion and Silver are vital Supporters to include here, alongside Cyrus and Sabrina for control, Giovanni for a simple damage buff, and Lyra for easy movement.
Ho-Oh ex and Lugia ex
The pack Legendaries are a mighty combination. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
The two-pack Legendaries are decent on their own, but when they’re paired together, they can put out brutal levels of damage.
Ho-Oh ex provides the exact Energy Tokens that Lugia ex needs to use the obscenely powerful Elemental Blast, which deals 180 damage in return for a total Energy discard. Cards like Elemental Switch and Dawn can help to keep the Energy moving quickly.
It’s worth having at least one copy of Pichu if you’re running this deck, along with a couple of Zeraora cards to keep Lugia ex ready.
Donphan ex
With the right list, Donphan ex is a beast. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
I wasn’t overly impressed with Donphan ex when I saw it for the first time, but the tournament results that are rolling out post-expansion launch have changed my mind. With the right list, this Fighting-type can do some serious damage.
On its own, Donphan ex can deal 50 damage for one Energy Token, spiking to 110 damage if there are at least two extra Energy Tokens attached. Adding two copies of Lucario into the mix helps this attack hit even harder.
Alongside Donphan ex and Lucario, it’s important to have Marshadow for re-balancing, Lyra for easy movement, and Red for extra damage boosts against ex-foes.
Some players run Donphan ex with the Rampardos line instead of Lucario and Marshadow, so it’s worth experimenting with this setup as well.
Honorable mentions
I’d strongly encourage you to build the five decks listed above as they’ve got the highest potential out of the newer lists from Wisdom of Sea and Sky.
If you’re looking to enhance an older deck, though, these are the lists you should look into improving with fresh cards:
Dragonite ex. This deck can be taken to a new level by adding in Pichu and Elemental Switch, allowing for easy Energy movement to power up Dragonite ex
Eevee ex. Since Eevee Grove, there have been heaps of iterations on Eevee ex decks. Using Flareon ex, Leafeon ex, Sylveon ex, and the new Eevee alongside Eevee ex might seem unbalanced, but it works a treat
Darkrai-Giratina. This deck was powerful before Wisdom of Sea and Sky dropped, but with the addition of Silver and potentially Lyra, it’s now an absolute demon. It also works nicely to counteract Sylveon-Espeon players
Out of these, I’d urge you to try out Darkrai-Giratina, as this deck is putting on an incredible performance in the tournament scene right now. With Wisdom Supporters in the list, it’s a punchy deck to play.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky has plenty of powerful decks to pick from, with Crobat-Sylveon, Espeon-Sylveon, Donphan, Silvally-Pichu, and the pack’s Legendary duo standing out as the best options. Older decks like Dragonite ex can also be enhanced with cards from the new set.
Ask The Escapist
When did Pokémon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky come out?
Wisdom of Sea and Sky was released on July 30, 2025, making it the fourth main expansion set for Pokémon TCG Pocket.
Which are the strongest ex cards in Wisdom of Sea and Sky?
On their own, Crobat ex and Umbreon ex stand out as the strongest ex cards in Wisdom of Sea and Sky. Make sure you’re opening Ho-Oh packs to get these two gems.
What are the best Supporters in Wisdom of Sea and Sky?
Silver, Lyra, and Will stand out as the most competitively viable Supporter cards in Wisdom of Sea and Sky, and they all feature in prominent decks that are currently swarming the tournament scene.
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It’s safe to say that there’s a ravenous hunger for Riftbound, the League of Legends TCG that’s finally getting an English release this year. Pre-orders went live earlier today, August 4, and within minutes Riftbound appeared to sell out. Fans trying to secure decks and packs of its first set, Origins, also had to fight through checkout issues and crashes on Riot’s website. Now, the company has acknowledged the issues and says that it’ll be “keeping a close eye on market demand” to ensure it gets in players’ hands.
I remember when Riot first revealed Riftbound (then known simply as Project K) at the tail end of last year. At the time, it was a surprise to see Riot committing to transforming League of Legends into a Magic The Gathering-style card game, but on reflection, it feels like a natural fit. A huge treasure chest of characters, abilities, factions, and storylines to dive into, the world of Runeterra does make sense as a physical TCG.
The next big question, though, was whether LoL fans (or TCG enthusiasts aware of this universe through either Riot’s multiplayer games or the Arcane Netflix series) would gravitate towards it. Based on today’s events, I can confidently say that yes, they will.
For anyone with a Riot ID in good standing, pre-orders for Riftbound Origins went live today, and within minutes there were reports on social media of products being sold out, items being removed from baskets, checkout issues, and general website sluggishness. Within about 15 minutes of pre-orders opening, Riot had taken to X to tell fans that it was “working to resolve issues” with its online store.
Now, Riot has released a statement promising to improve its pre-order experience after it experienced “overwhelming demand” for Riftbound.
“We’re humbled by the support and enthusiasm for Riftbound: Origins so far ahead of the English release,” the statement reads. “Due to the overwhelming demand for our preorders, the store experienced extremely heavy traffic which resulted in loading or checkout errors for many of you. The team is looking into potential solutions to make future preorder experiences smoother. We’re also keeping a close eye on market demand for Riftbound and we’ll be working towards increasing supply to ensure that players have reasonable access to the product.”
Riftbound is slated to fully launch on Friday, October 31. Hopefully the process of getting some packs, booster boxes, or decks won’t be as scary as that date suggests.
For a TCG-inspired experience on your PC, check out some of the best card games. Alternatively, if you’re a regular League of Legends player, check out what’s on sale in the LoL Mythic shop right now.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
A method used by memory experts states that to remember a whole deck of 52 cards is to create yourself a memory palace with at least 18 rooms that will be used forever. Why do we need 18 rooms? What is its purpose?
Pokémon TCG Black Bolt and White Flare both dropped on July 18, 2025, introducing a plethora of beautiful new cards for collectors to sink their teeth into. Featuring a brand new rarity and artwork by legendary Pokémon artists, it’s a dual set worth watching.
To help you plan which chase cards to go after, I’ve hunted down the most expensive cards in Pokémon TCG Black Bolt and White Flare, using data from a multitude of sites to pick out the most valuable pieces at the time of writing.
The Escapist recaps
Pokémon TCG Black Bolt and White Flare released as a dual special set on July 18, 2025, with 172 and 173 cards apiece.
A new rarity was introduced with this release, called a BWR, or Black White Rare.
Due to the popularity of the Unova Pokémon and the beautiful artwork, the prices for this set have been high since launch day, although some are settling down.
The most expensive cards in Black Bolt and White Flare include all three of the Black White Rares, as well as the Special Illustration Rares for the box Legendaries.
Seismitoad (BLK 105)
Shinji Kanda has an utterly iconic art style. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
Card
Seismitoad
Card Number
105/086
Set
Black Bolt
Card Type
Illustration Rare
Selling For
$70-$200
Is anyone surprised to see this card on the list? I honestly thought it’d be higher up – Shinji Kanda is an absolute icon in the Pokémon TCG community, with a following of dedicated fans that adore his mind-melting art style.
Seismitoad isn’t a hugely popular Pokémon by any means, but it looks powerful and otherworldly thanks to the psychedelic artwork on this card.
I spotted auction prices ranging from $70 all the way to $200 while digging around for data on this card, so if you’re keen on getting it, I’d suggest watching the prices and seeing if they settle down in the coming weeks.
Reshiram ex (WHT 166)
This piece accurately captures the strength of Reshiram in the lore. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
Card
Reshiram ex
Card Number
166/086
Set
White Flare
Card Type
Special Illustration Rare
Selling For
$120-$215
This card manages to make Reshiram look poised and powerful, which pairs with the Pokémon perfectly. It’s an elegant yet destructive Special Illustration Rare, with spectacular artwork by kawayoo.
It’s one of the most expensive Special Illustration Rare cards in the White Flare list, giving fan-favorites Keldeo and Hydreigon a run for their money.
While researching, I found that the majority of the auction prices for this card sat in the range of $120 to $190, with a few higher prices based on quality. Graded copies, particularly PSA 10 slabs, went for even larger sums.
Zekrom ex (BLK 166)
This card has an electrifying aesthetic. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
Card
Zekrom ex
Card Number
166/086
Set
Black Bolt
Card Type
Special Illustration Rare
Selling For
$100-$220
While it’s not selling for quite as much as its Black White Rare counterpart, this iteration of Zekrom ex is still a worthy chase card to pick up for your collection.
With artwork by danciao, Zekrom feels as if it’s ripping out of the card, shredding the sky apart with lightning bolts. It’s a visually stunning piece, so I wasn’t surprised to see prices ranging from $100 to $220, with even higher prices popping up for graded copies.
Reshiram ex (WHT 173)
Much like the next card in the list, Reshiram ex is strong. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
Card
Reshiram ex
Card Number
173/086
Set
White Flare
Card Type
Black White Rare
Selling For
$310-$440
Reshiram ex is a magnificent card, topping the charts as one of the most expensive pieces in White Flare. It’s the most affordable Black White Rare currently on the market, but that’s not saying too much as the prices are still decently hefty.
Most auctions that I found for the BWR copy of Reshiram ex placed it between $300 and $380, with a few exceptional prices at either end of that spectrum. There were a few copies up for auction on eBay in the realm of $180, but I can’t see that lasting too long as it’s an immensely popular card right now.
As with any high-value Pokémon card, it’s crucial to make sure that you buy from verified sellers and always do a price check before making a purchase. Despite the set dropping a few weeks ago at the time of writing, prices are still likely to change somewhat.
Zekrom ex (BLK 172)
This card has some competitive potential. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
Card
Zekrom ex
Card Number
172/086
Set
Black Bolt
Card Type
Black White Rare
Selling For
$300-$450
There isn’t much of a difference between the BWR cards for Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex, but the Black Bolt card comes out ever-so-slightly on top.
In my opinion, it’s the best looking card out of the bunch – it’s dynamic and polished, with the lighting on Zekrom still managing to make the creature pop despite the overall aesthetic theme being incredibly dark.
The majority of the prices I found while digging into this card ranged from $300 to $400, with a few higher-quality pieces taking the auction price well over the $400 mark.
Graded copies are selling for higher prices, so if you pull this and don’t want to keep it, it could be worth getting it graded before choosing a platform to sell it on.
Victini (BLK 171/WHT 172)
It’s not a powerful card, but it’s exceptionally valuable. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
Card
Victini
Card Number
BLK 171/086 or WHT 172/086
Set
Black Bolt/White Flare
Card Type
Black White Rare
Selling For
$300-$600
At the time of writing, Victini is one of the most expensive cards you can pick up from both Black Bolt and White Flare. Unlike most of the cards in this list, it pops up in both sets, featuring slightly different card numbers.
While searching for live auction data, I found prices in the range of $300 to $600 for good quality copies of the card, but also spotted some PSA 10 copies that were starting to creep into the thousands. It’s a card that’s got the community talking and the current prices reflect this.
Victini is one of the first Black White Rare cards in existence and it has a striking aesthetic, with a vivid red color theme and dynamic design.
I’m predicting that the hype for some cards from Black Bolt and White Flare will start to die down, but I think Victini will continue to be a hugely popular card in the collector’s scene, at least for the next few months.
Pokémon TCG Black Bolt and White Flare both have an impressive roster of cards up for grabs, and they’re worth picking up if you’re a collector looking to stock up on valuable pieces. The prices in this list are sure to fluctuate after publication, so always double check prices on other sites before making a purchase, especially for higher value cards.
Ask The Escapist
Does Black Bolt or White Flare have the most valuable Pokémon cards?
While they both offer plenty of artistic and monetary value, Black Bolt stands out as a slightly better option for avid Pokémon TCG collectors who are looking to invest in top-tier cards.
Where do you find out how valuable a Pokémon card is?
I’d recommend shopping around and using a range of sources – for example, I referenced Cardmarket, Price Charting, TCGPlayer, Collectr, and eBay for this article. If you’re investing in an expensive card, research is crucial.
What’s the difference between Pokémon Black Bolt and White Flare?
Despite being part of the same release, it’s best to think of Pokémon TCGBlack Bolt and White Flare as separate special sets. They have individual card lists and rare hits, with a variety of art styles contained in each pack.
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I have another question that highlights the importance of correctly wording card text and/or the need to read the text of previous editions of many Magic cards (and not only the available Oracle Text).
Let’s suppose Active Player has a Wardscale Dragon in play from several turns, and it’s the only creature in play.
It’s the draw phase, and immediately after drawing the card, the Defending player –
who has 4 life remaining only –
decides to play his last Magic card:
specifically, a reprint from one of the more recent sets.
Defending player knows perfectly the text of the White Dragon card the Active player owns, and therefore hopes to save himself by casting Fog before the Attack phase,in order to avoid it,since he can’t cast no more spells during the attack phase
(before damage is assigned).
He believes everything is fine, because the recent card text doesn’t mention the need to cast Fog during the Attack phase.
So, he tries to prevent any damage while also evading the protection from spells provided to Active Player by the White Dragon.
The Active player, however, shows to the Defending Player a Fog card from the very early Magic sets, which clearly states that a Player must:
“play [Fog] any time before attack damage is dealt.”
This old card text admits that Fog has to be cast during the Attack Phase (before damage is assigned).
The defending player, however, still complains, pointing out the complete absence of a specific Fog Ruling in its latest reprints.
When is the Battlefield 6 beta? As well as unveiling some explosive multiplayer gameplay, the Battlefield 6 beta dates have also been revealed by EA. Before it launches later this year, everyone will get a couple of opportunities to give Battlefield 6 a spin, and there’s some early access on offer for some players as well.
The Battlefield 6 release date isn’t that far away now, with the highly anticipated shooter dropping in October. Promising a multiplayer experience stuffed with classic modes, a flexible approach to classes, and a new environmental destruction system, it could genuinely challenge this year’s new Call of Duty game, Black Ops 7. In the build-up to launch, you’ll be able to try Battlefield 6 for free thanks to two open betas, and they’re just around the corner.
Battlefield 6 beta dates
The first Battlefield 6 beta weekend will run between Thursday, August 7, and Sunday, 10 August. The first two days will require early access privileges, but the final two days will be completely open for all players.
The second Battlefield 6 beta weekend starts on Thursday, August 14, and wraps up on Sunday, August 17. There is no early access period for this one – it’ll be open to all for the entire duration.
Both beta weekends will be accessible for players on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
How to get Battlefield 6 beta early access
There are two different ways to get early access for the first Battlefield 6 beta weekend – being a Battlefield Labs participant, or through Twitch Drops.
Those who have already been testing the game through the Battlefield Labs initiative will be granted instant access to the first beta weekend. If you weren’t a playtester, your only other port of call is to watch partnered streamers on Twitch to earn early access privileges through Battlefield 6 Twitch Drops.
How to pre-load the Battlefield 6 beta
If you managed to snag yourself a code for the upcoming closed beta, you can pre-load the game from August 4 to save yourself any faff on the day it goes live. To pre-load the Battlefield 6 beta, you must first ensure that your account is correctly linked to your platform of choice using this link.
Once you’re linked, search for ‘Battlefield 6 Open Beta’ in the search bar of your client (EA App, for instance). Once you have located the beta version of BF6, you should be able to download it and be 100% ready for action once the 7th rolls by.
If you can’t wait for the beta to arrive, get a feel of how things are shaping up with our hands-on Battlefield 6 preview. Alternatively, go and play some of the older entries – they’re some of the best FPS games ever made.
“At the beginning of your end step, if a land entered the battlefield under your control
this turn and you control a prime number of lands, create Primo, the
Indivisible, a legendary 0/0 green and blue Fractal creature token,
then put that many +1/+1 counters on it. (2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19,
23, 29, and 31 are prime numbers.)”
Whenever a creature you control with power 4 or greater enters, draw a card.
Does Garruk’s Uprising (and other cards like it) see Primo when it is first created as a 0/0 or do they only see it after the +1/+1 counters are added to it?
