Pokémon TCG · 2011 Set Guide
Black & White Set Guide
The first set of the Black & White series, and the oldest set legal in Expanded. It has no Pokémon-EX yet; its value sits in three cards above the regular holos: full-art Reshiram and Zekrom and the secret-rare Pikachu.
Overview
Black & White started the series of the same name in April 2011, with the Pokémon of the Unova region. Its 115 cards are regular Pokémon and Trainers: the Pokémon-EX that define the rest of the series arrived three sets later, in Next Destinies.
It is also where Expanded begins. Expanded allows every set from Black & White on, so this set's Professor Juniper, Pokémon Communication and Switch are still legal there.
Cards and rarities
Black & White has 115 cards. Every card shows its number over the printed total along the bottom, as in "1/114", next to the set code BLW.
The printed total is 114, so only Pikachu, 115/114, is a secret rare. Set completion in TurnZero HQ counts a set against its printed total and keeps the secret rares apart, so finishing the main set and chasing the cards above it read as two separate goals. How set completion works →
Headline Pokémon
No card in Black & White has a rule box. The headline Pokémon are the two legendary dragons and the Stage 2 Pokémon whose Abilities set up a deck:
Reshiram
Black & White #26
130 HP. Blue Flare does 120 and discards 2 Fire Energy from it; Outrage does 20 plus 10 for each damage counter on it.
Zekrom
Black & White #47
130 HP. Bolt Strike does 120 and 40 to itself; Outrage does 20 plus 10 for each damage counter on it.
Emboar
Black & White #20
150 HP Stage 2. Inferno Fandango lets you attach as many Fire Energy cards from your hand as you like during your turn.
Trainers worth knowing
Two of its Trainers, both reprinted later in the series:
The chase card: Pikachu
Black & White's chase card is Pikachu, numbered 115/114, a Rare Secret, illustrated by Kouki Saitou, at $177.08 on October 22, 2026.
The Rare Ultra Zekrom (114/114) was second at $124.26 and the Rare Ultra Reshiram (113/114) third at $107.89.
Pikachu is printed only once in Black & White, here.
Only the exact version is worth its price. The number at the bottom of the card and the rarity symbol beside it tell you which one you pulled. Reading the number and rarity symbol →
Chase cards and prices
The three cards above the regular rarities fill the top of the list, and the holo Reshiram is a distant fourth.
| Card | Rarity | Market price, October 22, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Pikachu | Rare Secret | $177.08 |
| Zekrom | Rare Ultra | $124.26 |
| Reshiram | Rare Ultra | $107.89 |
| Reshiram | Rare Holo | $12.37 |
| Zekrom | Rare Holo | $8.97 |
| Water Energy | Common | $7.52 |
These are each card's headline TCGplayer market price on October 22, 2026. Prices can move a long way, most of all in a set's first months, so treat them as a snapshot. Each card's page shows today's price for every variant and its 90-day chart. How Pokémon card prices work →
What a complete set costs
One copy of every card in Black & White, bought as singles, cost $536.96 on October 22, 2026. That is the 10th most expensive of the twelve sets in the Black & White series.
The three most valuable cards, Pikachu, Zekrom and Reshiram, come to $409.23, or 76% of the total. Without them the set costs $127.73. Of the 115 cards, 93 were under $2.00, together $48.33; the other 22 add up to $488.63.
Each card is counted at its cheapest priced variant, a Normal copy rather than a Reverse Holofoil where both exist, at its TCGplayer market price. This is what it costs to buy the set as singles. It is not what opening packs returns, and not what a complete set would sell for, which after fees and the many cards worth cents would be noticeably less.
Playing it
No Black & White card carries a regulation mark, so none is Standard-legal as printed, apart from its basic Energy cards, which Standard allows from any set. Standard has allowed only the H, I and J marks since April 10, 2026. Every card in Black & White is legal in Expanded, which takes every set from Black & White on.
A reprint with a legal mark makes older printings of the same card legal again, so check a card's name before you rule it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Black & White release?
April 25, 2011. Its set code is BLW.
How many cards are in Black & White?
115. The printed total is 114, and the card numbered above it is a secret rare.
What is the most valuable Black & White card?
The Rare Secret Pikachu (115/114), at $177.08 on October 22, 2026, ahead of the Rare Ultra Zekrom (114/114) at $124.26. Prices move daily, so check each card's page for the current figure.
Track your Black & White cards.
Scan cards in by the set code and number at the bottom, see how much of the set you own, and value every copy from daily TCGplayer prices. Free to start.
Create Free AccountPokémon and Pokémon character names are trademarks of Nintendo. ©Pokémon. ©Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc. TurnZero HQ is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, Creatures Inc., or GAME FREAK inc. Card data comes from the open PokemonTCG dataset, and prices from TCGplayer.