📘 Beldum (Pokémon TCG)

Category: Pokemon TCG · Created: · Updated:

Overview

Beldum is a Basic Psychic-type Pokémon card released as part of the EX trainer Kit 2 (Plusle) set. This particular card highlights the synergy between basic Pokémon deployment and resource management within the game's early competitive environment. With a modest 50 HP, it serves as a utility entry in decks seeking to accelerate bench development and set up future evolutions, rather than as a primary attacker. The card’s illustrator, Kouki Saitou, brings a crisp, mechanical interpretation of Beldum consistent with other metallic Steel-type-inspired designs seen in the era's artwork.

In the broader context of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Beldum’s inclusion in the EX trainer Kit 2 (Plusle) release reflects the era’s emphasis on trainer-driven interaction—particularly the ability to search for Basic Pokémon directly from the deck. The card’s rarity is listed as None, indicating a non-foil, non-promo presentation within this particular print run. The set’s availability and the card’s non-standard legality (not legal in Standard or Expanded formats) make it a historical entry of interest primarily to collectors, completists, and players studying early bench-accelerating strategies.

Card Information

  • Pokémon type: Psychic
  • Stage: Basic
  • HP: 50
  • Dex Number: 374
  • Illustrator: Kouki Saitou
  • Rarity: None
  • Set: EX trainer Kit 2 (Plusle)
  • Variants: Normal, Holo, Reverse
  • Legal formats: Not legal in Standard or Expanded
  • Weakness: Psychic ×2
  • Retreat Cost: 1

Attacks

  • Call for Family — Cost: Colorless
    Effect: Search your deck for a Basic Pokémon and put it onto your Bench. Shuffle your deck afterward.
  • Metal Ball — Cost: Psychic
    Effect: Put 1 damage counter on the Defending Pokémon.

Illustration and Card Art

The artwork for this Beldum card is created by Kouki Saitou, whose work across various Pokémon TCG releases emphasizes crisp linework and a polished portrayal of metallic Pokémon. The card’s art complements its mechanical, engineering-oriented nature, aligning with Beldum’s in-game traits as a creature that evolves into Metang and eventually Metagross, both of which have strong association with steel and psychic influences in the broader Pokémon universe.

Gameplay and Strategy

In practice, Beldum operates as a support-focused starter in decks that emphasize quick bench development and continuity. The Call for Family attack provides a reliable method to accelerate the bench by fetching a Basic Pokémon from the deck, enabling players to set up evolutions or to fill niches such as Basic non-Evolutions that synergize with other Trainer or Item cards in the kit. The ability to search the deck is especially valuable in formats with a smaller card pool, where consistency is paramount for establishing early game momentum.

The Metal Ball attack, while modest in effect, can contribute to edge cases where inflicting incremental damage is advantageous—such as pressuring opponents with a limited number of HP or enabling synergy with other cards that reward damage counters or spread effects. However, given Beldum’s low HP and lack of immediate direct offense, it is typically deployed as part of a broader strategy rather than as a main attacker.

Strategic implications and synergies for decks featuring this Beldum card include:

  • Deck-search synergy: Combine Call for Family with supportive search cards that reveal or retrieve Basic Pokémon to the Bench quickly, enabling faster evolution lines (Beldum → Metang → Metagross) or simply securing a desired Basic stage for mid-game power plays.
  • Bench development tempo: The ability to place a Basic onto the Bench without shuffling through a Trainer or Supporter line enhances tempo and can disrupt an opponent’s early setup by denying access to certain early-game targets through field pressure.
  • Defense and timing: With a Psychic weakness, players should consider the state of the metagame and protective measures for Beldum to avoid vulnerable early trades against widespread Psychic attackers, leveraging retreat and bench cycling to minimize exposure.

Collector and Market Information

Rarity and collectibility for this print are notable for its absence of rarity designation. The card’s status as non-foil and non-promo within the EX trainer Kit 2 (Plusle) release, along with its non-Standard/Expanded legality, makes it primarily of historical and archival interest rather than a sought-after competitive staple in modern collections.

Pricing data (TCGPlayer): The card’s pricing in the market is captured with the following values, reflecting online market activity as of late 2025:

  • Low: $0.08
  • Mid: $0.31
  • High: $1.49
  • Market Price: $0.33
  • Direct Low Price: (Not reported)

These figures indicate a relatively low current market footprint, typical for non-foil basic cards from older trainer kits that are not legal in current competitive formats. The card market listing was last updated in late October 2025, reflecting ongoing collector interest and historical value rather than playability in modern formats. CardMarket data is listed as None for this specific print.

In terms of preservation and grading, the card’s status as a basic, non-promo print generally does not necessitate special grading considerations beyond standard preservation of a non-foil card. Collectors often emphasize condition, centering, and corner wear as primary factors in valuation for this particular release.

Art and Lore

The Beldum artwork in this release contributes to a broader visual language within the EX trainer Kit 2 (Plusle) set that emphasizes the mechanized, steel-aligned aesthetic of Beldum and related evolutionary lines. Kouki Saitou’s illustration style captures the metallic sheen of Beldum while conveying a sense of compact, engineering-inspired design consistent with Beldum’s in-game traits as a Pokémon that evolves into more powerful forms with significant strategic utility in the right builds.

Beyond the card’s artwork, the card’s place in the EX trainer Kit 2 (Plusle) set positions it within a narrative of trainer-led experimentation and deck-building strategies that were prominent topics in the era when trainer kits and early Trainer cards shaped how players approached deck construction. While the card itself does not advance a specific lore storyline within the Pokémon universe, its design and mechanics reflect the game’s ongoing emphasis on resource management, strategic benching, and evolution pathways.

Trivia

  • This Beldum card is part of a set released within the EX trainer Kit 2 (Plusle) collection, which is notable for its mix of basic Pokémon and trainer-forward themes. The card’s rarity is listed as None, distinguishing it from foil or promo variants found in other releases.
  • The two attacks—Call for Family and Metal Ball—illustrate a transitional design philosophy: utility-focused bench acceleration paired with a minor direct-damage option, rather than relying on raw HP or high-damage attacks for combat efficacy.
  • The card’s legal status (not legal in Standard or Expanded formats) makes it a topic of interest primarily for historical study, collection, and retrospective analysis of deck-building strategies from earlier Pokémon TCG eras.
  • Illustrator Kouki Saitou’s involvement links this card to other mechanical and metallic-themed Pokémon TCG art, providing a consistent visual thread across multiple releases that feature Beldum and related steel-type designs.
  • Dex entry number 374 places this Beldum within the broader Pokedex ordering, which has implications for how players encountered and perceived the creature in the video game and its correspondingly matched card data during the period of this release.

CTA & NETWORK LINKS

EX trainer Kit 2 (Plusle)

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