📘 Blaine's Arcanine (Gym Challenge)

Category: Pokemon TCG · Created: · Updated:

Artwork of Blaine's Arcanine from Gym Challenge, illustrated by Ken Sugimori

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Blaine's Arcanine is a Fire-type Pokémon card from the Gym Challenge expansion. As a Rare Holo, it represents one of the more sought-after holofoils from the Gym Challenge set, commemorating the gym-leader Blaine and his fiery companion. The card depicts a single-stage evolution of Growlithe, reflecting the classic Fire-type progression in the early trading card game era. Its presence in the Gym Challenge line emphasizes thematic linkages to gym leaders and their signature Pokémon, a recurring motif in the late 1990s and early 2000s TCG sets.

Printed with Ken Sugimori as the illustrator, Blaine's Arcanine embodies the bold, action-forward artwork characteristic of Sugimori's Pokémon card illustrations. The card’s design and rarity reflect its status as a prized collectible within both competitive and casual collecting circles, particularly among those pursuing holofoil and gym-leader themed decks from the era.

Card Information

  • Name: Blaine's Arcanine
  • Pokémon Type: Fire
  • Rarity: Rare Holo
  • Set: Gym Challenge
  • Set Details: Official card count 132 (total); Gym Challenge set ID gym2; Set symbol available via Gym Challenge symbol
  • Illustrator: Ken Sugimori
  • Dex Number: 59
  • HP: 90
  • Stage: Stage 1
  • Evolves From: Growlithe
  • Weakness: Water ×2
  • Attacks:
    • Heat Tackle — Cost: Fire, Colorless, Colorless; Damage: 40; Effect: Blaine's Arcanine does 10 damage to itself.
    • Firestorm — Cost: Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire; Damage: 120; Effect: Discard 3 Energy cards attached to Blaine's Arcanine in order to use this attack.
  • Legal in Formats: Not legal in Standard or Expanded as of the card data provided.
  • Variants: Normal, Reverse, and Holo versions were produced for this card; first edition was not indicated in the provided data.

Gameplay and Strategy

Within the Pokémon TCG, Blaine's Arcanine presents a high-damage option tempered by substantial energy management and a self-inflicted drawback. The Heat Tackle attack provides a reliable early-game option, dealing 40 damage at the cost of 1 Fire and 2 Colorless Energy, while also dealing 10 damage to Blaine's Arcanine itself, creating a self-damage risk that must be balanced against board presence and opponent pressure.

Firestorm represents a much more explosive threat, delivering 120 damage at the cost of four Fire energy and the requirement to discard three Energy cards attached to Blaine's Arcanine to use the attack. This combination makes Firestorm a late-game finisher or a decisive swing when sufficient Fire Energy reserves are established, but it leaves the Pokémon temporarily less able to attack or defend if extra resources are not secured or preserved.

Strategically, Blaine's Arcanine benefits from a game plan that prioritizes energy acceleration and resource planning. Decks featuring this card typically aim to maximize Fire energy uptime, enabling the smoother execution of Firestorm while still leveraging Heat Tackle for consistent stage-based pressure. The Water-type weakness twice as much as standard, combined with the Fire energy requirement, means matchups against Water-focused or Water-heavy decks require careful sequencing and energy allocation to avoid being overwhelmed by faster Water-type strategies or multi-attack builds.

Because the card is from Gym Challenge, it also serves as a bridge between the classic gym-leader theming and early archetype development, making it a natural fit for nostalgia-driven or thematically cohesive decks. Its Stage 1 status places it in line with other Growlithe-to-Arcanine evolutions in the broader Fire-type lineup, while its holo presentation was often a centerpiece in collector-led strategies and display-focused playgroups.

Collector and Market Information

The Blaine's Arcanine card bears the Rare Holo designation, which typically contributes to higher collector value relative to standard non-foil counterparts. The Gym Challenge set itself holds a distinctive place in early modern Pokémon TCG history, with a complete official card count of 132 cards. The gym-themed line, featuring Blaine as a leader figure, has remained a focal point for collectors pursuing retro gym artifacts and holofoil memorabilia.

Pricing data sourced from major marketplaces (as of late 2025) illustrate a broad spectrum of values depending on edition, foil status, and condition:

  • Average price around €84.87; low €11.50; market trend 70.35. The holo variants show incomplete or separate data, with a holo trend of 20.65 and holo-specific averages listed as 27.50 (1st week), 18.59 (7 days), and 33.79 (30 days) in some datasets, indicating variability across listings and time.
  • TCGPlayer (updated 2025-10-31): 1st Edition holofoil: low €/USD equivalent $209.99; mid around $297.49; high around $300; market price approximately $280. Unlimited holofoil: low around $53.24; mid around $76.31; high around $245.99; market price around $79.50. These figures reflect edition and condition variance, with 1st Edition holofoil typically commanding substantially higher prices.

Collectors should note that market values are sensitive to edition (1st Edition vs Unlimited), foil status (Holo vs non-Holo), and card condition (graded vs raw). The data above are snapshots and should be consulted alongside current listings for precise valuations. The presence of holo-foil variants generally elevates value, particularly for first-edition examples from Gym Challenge, which are often sought after by flagship collectors of retro Pokémon cards.

Art and Lore

The artwork for Blaine's Arcanine, credited to Ken Sugimori, exemplifies the classic late-1990s TCG aesthetic—a dynamic, flame-driven scene that emphasizes motion and power. Sugimori’s illustrations for Gym Challenge cards frequently capture the elemental essence of Fire-type Pokémon through bold color choices and dramatic posing, aligning with Arcanine’s legendary status within the Fire-type archetype. The card’s association with Blaine, the gym leader famed for his fiery competence on Cinnabar Island, reinforces the thematic link between the trainer’s persona and the Pokémon’s battlefield role.

In a broader lore sense, the Blaine’s Arcanine card ties into the era of early trainer-focused expansions, where gym leaders and their signature Pokémon served as both in-game adversaries and collectible anchors. While the card itself is a game piece, its art and flavor text (where present) echo Blaine’s reputation as a practitioner of fiery strategy and a formidable opponent in gym-based battles, contributing to the nostalgia and historical appreciation of the Gym Challenge set within the Pokémon TCG narrative universe.

Trivia

  • The card is identified as a Rare Holo from the Gym Challenge set, with the gym2-1 local card number in the dataset provided.
  • Illustrated by Ken Sugimori, whose portfolio includes many iconic Pokémon card artworks across multiple sets.
  • Not currently legal in Standard or Expanded formats based on the provided card data, reflecting its place in an earlier generation of the game’s card pool.
  • Heat Tackle inflicts 10 damage to Blaine's Arcanine itself, introducing a built-in self-damage mechanic that affects decision-making during play.
  • The Firestorm attack’s requirement to discard three attached Energy cards represents a significant energy-management challenge, emphasizing resource planning in deck construction and gameplay pacing.

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