📘 Alakazam — Pokémon TCG

Category: Pokemon TCG · Created: · Updated:

Alakazam card art from Legendary Collection (LC) holo

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Alakazam is a Psychic-type Pokémon card from the Legendary Collection reprint series, designed as a Stage 2 evolution that follows Kadabra. The Legendary Collection line reissued classic cards with updated foiling and print formats to bring familiar artwork to a new generation of players and collectors. This Alakazam is notable for its combination of a battlefield-control ability and a high-cost, single-attack move that can influence the tempo of a match through status effects. As a rare card, it has long been of interest to collectors and players seeking to integrate iconic Psychic-type staples from the late 1990s into their decks.

In the historical arc of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Alakazam represents one of the archetypal “brain-powered” Pokémon with emphasis on management of damage and status effects. The card leverages a Poke-Power alongside a straightforward but effective attack, illustrating the design philosophy of early era Legends Collection prints: preserve familiar mechanics while enabling new physical-foil presentation for modern audiences.

Card Information

  • Name: Alakazam
  • Dex ID: 65
  • Type: Psychic
  • HP: 80
  • Stage: Stage 2 (evolves from Kadabra)
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Set: Legendary Collection (LC)
  • Illustrator: Ken Sugimori
  • Artwork Variants: normal, holo, reverse holo (firstEdition: false)
  • Legal (Format): Not legal in Standard; Not legal in Expanded
  • Illustrated Imagery: The image depicts Alakazam in its Legendary Collection presentation, as reproduced from the original artwork cycle represented in the LC print run.
  • Evolution: Evolves from Kadabra
  • Weakness: Psychic ×2
  • Pricing reference: Card pricing data available from Cardmarket (EUR) and TCGPlayer (USD) as of late 2025 shows holo and non-holo variants with distinct value ranges (see Pricing and Market Information).
  • Abilities: Damage Swap (Poke-Power): As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), you may move 1 damage counter from one of your Pokémon to another as long as you don’t Knock Out that Pokémon. This power can’t be used if Alakazam is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
  • Attacks: Confuse Ray — Psychic ×3, 30 damage. Effect: Flip a coin. If heads, the defender is now Confused.

Gameplay and Strategy

The dual presence of Damage Swap and Confuse Ray defines Alakazam’s core gameplay niche within the Legendary Collection reprint framework. The Poke-Power Damage Swap provides a flexible mechanic to redistribute damage counters across your bench, enabling safer preservation of Alakazam while pressuring opponents’ Pokémon to sustain chipped damage over multiple turns. Because the power can be used repeatedly on your turn before attacking, it allows for deliberate, tempo-based damage management—shifting threats away from Alakazam or redistributing residual damage to weaker targets on the bench.

Confuse Ray is a straightforward offensive option that can disrupt an opponent’s plan via a coin flip—if successful (heads), the defending Pokémon becomes Confused, potentially forcing misplays or slowing a key attacker’s viability for a turn. The combination of a multi-energy cost for Confuse Ray and a relatively modest 30 damage means that this card benefits from support that accelerates Psychic energy acceleration or protects Alakazam from heavy retaliation. In practice, effective deployment relies on opponent card choices and the player’s ability to position Alakazam advantageously while leveraging Damage Swap to mitigate risk.

Strategic synergies exist with other damage-distribution or self-healing tools available in the broader Psychic-type ecosystem of the era. For example, cards that help remove or redirect damage counters or that enable safe retreats from unfavorable matchups can extend Alakazam’s stay on the field. However, the card’s 80 HP and a Faithful Psychic-type weakness test its resilience against faster, higher-damage opponents. Players often weigh the benefits of the Damage Swap flexibility against the risk of being overwhelmed by a powerful Psychic foe or exhaustion of resources needed to keep counters moving.

Collector and Market Information

Alakazam (LC-1) carries the rarity designation Rare within Legendary Collection. The LC set was released as a reprint line that updated many iconic Base Set-era cards with holofoil and reverse-holo treatments, contributing to sustained collector interest in these reprints. The card’s value is influenced by its holo variant, the overall condition of the card, and the specific market environment for vintage reprints.

Pricing data from major online marketplaces as of late 2025 illustrate the range of values for this card. Cardmarket (EUR) reports:

  • Non-holo: Average €12.84; Low €9.99; Trend €14.12; Average for non-holo variants around this range.
  • Holo: Average €66.62; Low €59.99; Trend €90.19; These holo versions command a premium relative to non-holo printings.

TCGPlayer (USD) data indicates:

  • Holofoil: Low $35.20; Mid $47.75; High $79.69; Market Price $53.06; Direct Low Price $30.45
  • Reverse Holofoil: Low $137.50; Mid $221.25; High $499.99; Market Price $250; Direct Low Price $499.99

These figures reflect the card’s status as a collectible reprint from a foundational era of the Pokémon TCG. Collectors often seek holofoil variants for their aesthetic appeal and historical significance, while players weigh the practical utility of the card within older formats or for thematic decks celebrating Psychic-type archetypes.

Art and Lore

The Alakazam card is illustrated by Ken Sugimori, whose work helped define many early Pokémon card visuals. Sugimori’s art for this lineage emphasizes the telepathic and psionic theme associated with Alakazam, often capturing the creature’s measured, analytical stance and psychological focus. The Legendary Collection presentation preserves much of the classic character design while applying modern holofoil or reverse-holo finishes. This combination has contributed to the card’s enduring status among collectors who prize nostalgic artwork alongside functional gameplay elements.

Lore-wise, Alakazam is widely recognized within the Pokémon universe as a highly intelligent Psychic Pokémon with exceptional telepathic powers. In the TCG context, the card’s Damage Swap ability echoes the character’s theme of manipulating mental energy to influence the battlefield, while Confuse Ray aligns with the broader set of Psychic-type moves that seek to derail opponents through status effects. The card’s evolution from Kadabra connects to the series’ long-running evolutionary storyline, illustrating how single-stage evolutions contribute to stronger mid-game powerhouses within older deck builds.

Trivia

  • The card number is LC-1 in the Legendary Collection set, indicating its place among reprints in this special expansion line.
  • Damage Swap is a Poke-Power that allows repeated shifting of damage counters, a mechanic that emphasizes field management over raw damage output.
  • The card exists in holo, normal, and reverse-holo variants within the LC print run, reflecting the era’s printing practices for collectible emphasis.
  • Alakazam’s attack, Confuse Ray, uses a three-Psychic-energy cost, which is relatively high for an 80-HP Stage 2 Pokémon, highlighting a trade-off between control and speed.
  • Although the card is not legal in Standard or Expanded formats, it remains a prominent collectible piece within Vintage and Legacy collections due to its artwork, rarity, and nostalgia factor.

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Alakazam — Pokémon TCG

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