Sword & Shield base set: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon's Sword & Shield set of February 2020: its 216 cards, the first expansion with Pokémon V and VMAX, every number block, and Pokémon's counts checked.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 7 min read
Sword & Shield is the first expansion of Pokémon’s Sword & Shield series, released February 7, 2020, and the first expansion to carry Pokémon V and VMAX cards. It brought in Pokémon V and Pokémon VMAX, which evolve from Pokémon V. The set has 216 cards: 202 numbered up to the printed total of 202 and 14 above it. Because the set shares its name with the whole series, this guide calls it the base set.
When did the Sword & Shield set come out?
On February 7, 2020. Pokémon announced the set on November 27, 2019, giving that release date. At launch on February 7, Pokémon called it the series’ first expansion.
The next two expansions were Rebel Clash on May 1, 2020 and Darkness Ablaze on August 14, 2020. On Rip.fan’s price pages the set has the code SSH and is listed as Sword & Shield under the Sword & Shield series heading. Our guide to Pokémon card eras places the series in the longer history.
How many cards are in the Sword & Shield set?
- The number blocks run like this:
| Numbers | Cards | What they are |
|---|---|---|
| 001 to 155 | 155 | Pokémon, including 17 Pokémon V and 4 Pokémon VMAX |
| 156 to 185 | 30 | Trainer cards: 17 Items, 7 Supporters and 6 Tools |
| 186 | 1 | Aurora Energy, a Special Energy card |
| 187 to 198 | 12 | Full-art Pokémon V |
| 199 to 202 | 4 | Full-art Supporters: Bede, Marnie, Professor’s Research and Team Yell Grunt |
| 203 to 210 | 8 | Labeled rainbow rares on Rip.fan’s page: the four VMAX and the four Supporters again |
| 211 to 216 | 6 | Labeled secret rares on Rip.fan’s page: Zacian V, Zamazenta V, Air Balloon, Metal Saucer, Ordinary Rod and Quick Ball |
The full-art cards sit inside the printed total, so a full-art Zacian V reads 195/202. Only the last 14 cards carry a number above 202, which is what CGC means by a secret rare: a card whose number is higher than the set number.
How many cards of each rarity?
The tiers, with the V and VMAX cards sorted by name:
| Tier | Cards | Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 60 | Within 002 to 153 |
| Uncommon | 56 | Within 012 to 186 |
| Rare | 32 | Within 004 to 149 |
| Holo rare | 17 | Within 014 to 178 |
| Pokémon V | 17 | Within 001 to 155, one for each Pokémon |
| Pokémon VMAX | 4 | 050, 080, 116 and 142 |
| Ultra rare | 16 | 187 to 202 |
| Secret rare | 14 | 203 to 216 |
The small symbol beside a card’s number marks its tier: a black star for a rare, a black diamond for an uncommon and a black circle for a common. Two of the 17 holo rares are Cinderace cards, at 034 and 035. The Uncommon tier includes most of the Trainer cards and the Aurora Energy. Every card in the set has the regulation mark D, a printed letter that helps date a card, as our guide to reading a Pokémon card explains.
How many Trainer cards are in the set?
The set has 34 Trainer cards inside the printed total: 30 at 156 to 185 and 4 at 199 to 202. Counted across all 216 cards, it holds 42 Trainer cards, because eight more sit among the rainbow and secret rares.
Which Pokémon have V and VMAX cards?
Seventeen Pokémon have a Pokémon V card, and they split into four groups by how many versions they have:
| Pokémon | Pokémon V | VMAX | Full-art V | Above 202 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lapras | 049 | 050 | 189 | Rainbow VMAX, 203 |
| Morpeko | 079 | 080 | 190 | Rainbow VMAX, 204 |
| Stonjourner | 115 | 116 | 193 | Rainbow VMAX, 205 |
| Snorlax | 141 | 142 | 197 | Rainbow VMAX, 206 |
| Zacian | 138 | None | 195 | Secret rare V, 211 |
| Zamazenta | 139 | None | 196 | Secret rare V, 212 |
| Dhelmise, Torkoal, Wobbuffet, Indeedee, Sableye, Cramorant | 009, 024, 086, 091, 120, 155 | None | 187, 188, 191, 192, 194, 198 | None |
| Celebi, Victini, Keldeo, Tapu Koko, Regirock | 001, 025, 053, 072, 104 | None | None | None |
Three patterns stand out:
- Every VMAX Pokémon has four V and VMAX cards. Lapras, Morpeko, Stonjourner and Snorlax each come as a V, a VMAX, a full-art V and a rainbow VMAX. Each also has a plain card just before its V: Lapras at 048, Morpeko at 078, Stonjourner at 114 and Snorlax at 140.
- Zacian and Zamazenta are the only Pokémon V above 202. Each appears three times, and neither has a VMAX here. Pokémon named both in its launch notice.
- Five Pokémon V have one card only. Celebi V, Victini V, Keldeo V, Tapu Koko V and Regirock V have no full-art version in this set.
Every Pokémon V is a Basic Pokémon with a stylized V after its name. Snorlax VMAX and Lapras VMAX show their Pokémon in Gigantamax form.
The Supporters repeat too. Bede, Marnie, Professor’s Research and Team Yell Grunt each have a regular card at 156 to 185, a full-art card at 199 to 202 and a rainbow card at 207 to 210. Two of them, Marnie and Professor’s Research, are holo rares at their regular numbers, 169 and 178.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
What products held Sword & Shield packs?
Pokémon announced in November 2019 that the set would come in booster packs, Elite Trainer Boxes and special collections, among other formats. It named one product: a Meowth VMAX Special Collection for January 3, 2020, with five booster packs, a Meowth V, a Meowth VMAX and an oversize Meowth VMAX. It was the earliest way to get Pokémon V and VMAX cards.
Check the box or the wrapper for what the set’s Elite Trainer Box held and how many cards each booster pack contained. For how recent products are laid out, see our guides to Elite Trainer Boxes and sealed products. Our guide to spotting resealed Pokémon packs covers the signs of a pack that was opened and sealed again.
How do you check Sword & Shield card prices?
The set has its own page in Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages, under the Sword & Shield series heading. It lists each priced card with its number, rarity and NM market price. Filter it by Rare Rainbow or Rare Secret to see the cards above 202, or sort it by card number to see a Pokémon’s versions in order, such as Snorlax at 140, 141, 142, 197 and 206. For a single card, the card price lookup searches by name, set or number and shows which printing each price is for, and the price changes page shows moves between Rip.fan’s weekly checks.
If you plan to grade a card, our guide to whether a card is worth grading covers the costs.
What should you check before buying a Sword & Shield card?
- The set itself. A listing that says “Sword & Shield” may mean any set from 2020 to 2023. The printed total settles it: a card from this set reads out of 202, and no other set in the series has that total.
- The number. Lapras, Morpeko, Stonjourner and Snorlax have five cards each, counting their plain cards, and the card number is the quickest way to tell a full-art V at 187 to 198 from the regular V below 156.
- The finish. Above 202, Rip.fan’s page separates rainbow rares from secret rares, so match the label as well as the number. Our guide to Pokémon card finishes explains holofoil, reverse holo and full art.
- Genuine cards. Our guide to spotting fake Pokémon cards walks through checks that leave a card unharmed.
The Pokémon hub has the rest of our coverage, and our guides to Vivid Voltage and Hidden Fates cover a later Sword & Shield set and the Shiny Vault set that came before this one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most valuable card in Sword & Shield?
On October 21, 2026, Snorlax VMAX (206/202) had the highest Near Mint market price in Sword & Shield, at $106.99. Next came Snorlax VMAX (142/202), at $46.22.
What is the top-priced Rare Ultra card in Sword & Shield?
On October 21, 2026, Marnie (200/202) led the Rare Ultra cards of Sword & Shield, with a Near Mint market price of $34.86.
Which Sword & Shield Rare Secret costs the most?
It was Zacian V (211/202), at a Near Mint market price of $20.82 on October 21, 2026.
How much is Snorlax VMAX from Sword & Shield?
On October 21, 2026, the 2 Snorlax VMAX cards in Sword & Shield had Near Mint market prices of $46.22 for 142/202 (Rare Holo VMAX) and $106.99 for 206/202 (Rare Rainbow).