Have you ever wondered why they don’t print Fairy-type Pokemon cards anymore? This article will explain everything about Fairy-type Pokemon cards disappearing in Pokemon TCG.
After the addition of the Fairy-type Pokemon in the video games, many Pokemon fans became excited as to how such a change would affect the franchise.
Thankfully, after more than a decade, we can safely conclude that Fairy types blended well with the other types, and it even gave players more options to counter the seemingly invincible Dragon-type Pokemon.
But what about the introduction of Fairy types in Pokemon TCG?
Apparently, this type struggled to replicate the success it achieved in the video games when introduced to the Pokemon TCG.
Before we provide the explanation behind the disappearance of Fairy-type Pokemon cards in the trading card game, let’s talk about its history first.
Remembering Fairy-Type Pokemon Cards
The first batch of Fairy-type Pokemon cards was included in the base set of the X and Y series in 2013. The Pokemon Company decided to add Fairy types to their card game to promote the new Pokemon type that was present in Generation IV.
The other sets that came after the X and Y base set also followed suit to the Fairy-type trend until the Cosmic Eclipse expansion in 2019, which featured the last Fairy-type Pokemon cards.
Throughout the lifespan of Fairy-type Pokemon cards, it became available in almost all sets under the eras of X and Y, as well as Sun and Moon.
After the Cosmic Eclipse set, all cards depicting Fairy-type Pokemon have either fallen to the Psychic-type category or are labeled with whatever secondary type they have.
Examples of Fairy-type Pokemon cards transitioning to Psychic or other types include Tapu Fini (became a permanent Water-type card), Clefable (turned into Psychic type), and Mawile (turned into Psychic or Metal type).
So Why Were Fairy-Type Pokemon Cards Discontinued?
The reason as to why Fairy-type Pokemon cards are no longer available is because they don’t add up any significant value to Pokemon TCG’s metagame.
Based on an article published on The Official Pokemon Website, Fairy-type Pokemon cards have been rearranged as Psychic types to maintain the balance of the game.
Dragon-type Pokemon cards, powerful as they are, are still susceptible to other types since they often have no weakness or resistance.
The only Pokemon cards that can be weak to Dragon-type attacks are also Dragon-type Pokemon, but these cards are rare.
Since the Dragon-type cards fall into the neutral category in Pokemon TCG, this makes the Fairy-type cards obsolete.
Another point of halting the production of Fairy-type Pokemon cards is that if you observe all the moves and effects of these pink cards, you’ll immediately notice that they don’t possess any unique mechanics that make them more distinctive to other types, especially to Psychic-type cards.
After all, Pokemon fans have long been used to the Pokemon TCG rules without the use of Fairy types, so removing them from the game didn’t hurt much.
All Fairy-type Pokemon can still be played, although as we already mentioned, they are available in the form of other card types, particularly those that use Psychic energy.
And lastly, don’t forget that Pokemon TCG had a rather weird system of labeling Pokemon card types. While we currently have 10 types of Pokemon cards, some of them can actually represent other types.
Examples of these types include Grass (also represents Poison and Bug-type Pokemon), Fighting (also represents Rock and Ground-type Pokemon), and Colorless (also represents Flying and Dragon-type Pokemon).
Psychic, on the other hand, isn’t only exclusive for Psychic and Fairy types, as it can also host Ghost and Poison types too.
Will Fairy Types Come Back in Pokemon TCG?
There’s no definitive answer to this question, but seeing that the franchise has already abandoned the idea more than four years ago, it is unlikely that we’ll see any new copies of Fairy-type Pokemon cards soon.
However, just like the video games, the mechanics in Pokemon TCG can still evolve over time, so we can’t really say for sure what the future holds for Fairy-type Pokemon.
Conclusion
Now that you know why Fairy-type Pokemon cards aren’t printed anymore, it’s expected that some cards of the said type might increase in value thanks to their limited supply.
While Fairy-type Pokemon cards aren’t playable anymore in the Standard format, these cards can still be used in games that follow the Expanded format.
The only problem with Fairy-type Pokemon cards is that they are barely efficient enough to be used on stronger decks.
We hope this article gives you the insights you need about Fairy-type Pokemon cards. For more Pokemon TCG-related contents, check out our other pages here at PokeCardHQ.
