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Aerodactyl card art from Base Fossil set (base3-1) high-resolution image

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Aerodactyl is a historic Pokémon Trading Card Game card introduced in the Fossil expansion, part of the early Base family of sets. Printed as a Rare Fighting-type Pokémon with 60 HP and a Stage 1 evolution, Aerodactyl sits within the Fossil motif of prehistoric Pokémon and fossil-derived mechanics. The card is notable for its unique ability, Prehistoric Power, a Pokémon Power that restricts the ability to play Evolution cards under certain conditions. Its single attack, Wing Attack, costs three Colorless energy and delivers a solid 30 damage for the era’s power level. The artwork on this card is attributed to Kagemaru Himeno, whose work helped define the look of Fossil-era Pokémon cards. While the card is a collectible piece with historical significance, it is not legal in the current Standard or Expanded formats, reflecting its placement in the early chapters of the Pokémon TCG’s competitive history.

The Fossil expansion (Base3) centers on ancient Pokémon and the concept of fossil revival, with Aerodactyl serving as a quintessential example of a fossil creature that transitions from the prehistoric to the modern game world. Its rarity and distinctive ability highlight the strategic diversity of the era, where players balanced powerful Pokémon Powers with the risk of foreclosing future evolutions during a match.

Card Information

Name: Aerodactyl
Set: Fossil (Base3)
Card number: base3-1
Rarity: Rare
Type: Fighting
HP: 60
Stage: Stage 1
Evolves from: Old Amber (via fossil-evolution mechanic in the Fossil expansion)
Illustrator: Kagemaru Himeno
Attacks:
- Wing Attack — Cost: Colorless Colorless Colorless; Damage: 30
Ability:
- Prehistoric Power (Pokémon Power): No more Evolution cards can be played. This power stops working while Aerodactyl is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
Weakness: Grass ×2
Resistance: Fighting −30
Illustration style and variants:
- Variants include Normal, Holo, and Reverse layouts; First Edition is not printed for this specific base3-1 card.
Legal in formats: Standard: False; Expanded: False
Dexterity: Dex ID 142

Gameplay and Strategy

As a fossil-era card, Aerodactyl reflects the era’s emphasis on disruption and raw aggression balanced by modest stats. Its defining feature, Prehistoric Power, is a Pokémon Power that effectively halts the opponent’s ability to play Evolution cards for as long as Aerodactyl remains in play and not affected by certain conditions. In practical terms, this ability can temporarily blunt decks that rely on evolving stronger stage Pokémon to mount a late-game offense. However, the effect is conditional: it ceases to function if Aerodactyl is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed, introducing a vulnerability that requires careful positioning and minding status conditions. The 60 HP stat places Aerodactyl in the lower end of survivability by modern standards, and Wing Attack, dealing 30 damage for three Colorless energy, reflects the era’s relatively modest damage outputs. In today’s game design language, Aerodactyl’s raw stat line and a single three-energy attack require a patient, tempo-focused approach. The combination of a powerful-but-temporary lock on evolutions with a low-HP profile means Aerodactyl often functions best as a strategic disruptor or a mid-game pivot rather than a long-term attacker. Notable synergies from its era include using Old Amber as an evolution conduit to access Aerodactyl through fossil revival mechanics. Because Aerodactyl’s Prehistoric Power blocks Evolution cards, players could attempt to pair it with other Fossil-era strategies that either bypass evolution needs or leverage non-evolving threats to apply pressure while maintaining a defensive stance. In modern formats, where the card is not legal, these strategies serve as historical reference points for how early TCG design explored evolution denial and prehistoric themes. Deck archetypes from the Fossil era often centered on tempo control, stall elements, and fossil-based accelerants. Aerodactyl’s role in such themes was to present a disruptive threat that could force opponents to adapt their plans, especially when supported by other Fossil Pokémon Powers or Trainer cards that affect the timing of evolutions or the state of the board. While not competitive in contemporary play, Aerodactyl remains a classic case study in how early sets experimented with prevention mechanics and fossil revival motifs.

Collector and Market Information

Aerodactyl is categorized as Rare within the Fossil expansion, and its print run includes Normal, Reverse, and Holo variants, though First Edition was not issued for this particular base set card given its era's distribution patterns. For collectors, the card offers historical significance as part of the pre-errata era of the Pokémon TCG, particularly illustrating how Prehistoric Power could shape gameplay in practice.

Pricing data (as of late 2020s/2025 snapshots) reflect the card’s status as a relic rather than a current staple. CardMarket’s EUR pricing shows an average around 28.19 EUR for non-holo versions, with a broad range due to condition and edition status. The data also indicates price movement in the 1st-edition holofoil market with elevated figures when applicable, though this card’s official First Edition print status is not present in the base3-1 listing. On TCGPlayer, non-holofoil versions exhibit a typical range, with unlimited holofoil values showing a mid-price around 19–27 USD and a market price trending around the mid-20s, while 1st-edition holofoil variants can command substantially higher values, often in the multiple tens to low hundreds of USD depending on condition and provenance. These figures are subject to market dynamics and external factors affecting vintage Pokémon cards.

Collectors should consider provenance, variant condition, and edition status when evaluating Aerodactyl’s value. The card’s position within the Fossil set and its role in early TCG design history often contribute to its appeal beyond competitive considerations. For researchers and collectors tracking historical price movement, the five-year and longer trends can reveal how early-era cards maintain a stable if modestly fluctuating demand among dedicated collectors.

Art and Lore

The Aerodactyl artwork, credited to Kagemaru Himeno, embodies the Fossil set’s aesthetic—bold linework with a prehistoric motif and a dramatic sense of motion. Himeno’s illustration emphasizes Aerodactyl’s fossil-derived heritage, aligning with the set’s narrative of reviving ancient Pokémon to walk again in the modern game world. The Fossil expansion’s art direction is characterized by stark color contrasts and dynamic poses that evoke a sense of primordial power, a theme echoed across Aerodactyl’s card presentation, including its conditioning and attack title, Wing Attack.

In terms of lore within the Pokémon universe, Aerodactyl is a fossil Pokémon that existed long before contemporary species. The card’s in-game mechanic—embodied by Prehistoric Power—plays into the broader lore of an ancient era when Pokémon relied on fossilization and revival as a means to reintroduce primitive beings into the present-day ecosystem. While the Pokémon TCG card game uses its own balance and rules, the atmospheric connection to Earth’s prehistoric past remains evident in how Aerodactyl is presented within the Fossil set’s narrative arc.

Trivia

Aerodactyl appears in the Fossil expansion as a Fighting-type Stage 1 Pokémon with a distinctive evolution mechanic tied to fossil revival in the set’s lore.
The card’s ability, Prehistoric Power, reflects the Fossil theme by restricting Evolution plays while Aerodactyl remains in play, adding a historical strategic twist to early gameplay.
The artwork is by Kagemaru Himeno, a prominent illustrator associated with the Fossil era’s visual identity.
Print variants include Normal, Holo, and Reverse holo versions; there was no First Edition print for this specific base3-1 Aerodactyl card.
Market data for the card shows typical vintage pricing ranges with notable variation based on edition, condition, and market, underscoring its status as a collectible relic rather than a contemporary staple.

References

Aerodactyl — Pokémon TCG

📘 Aerodactyl — Pokémon TCG