Blaine's Moltres (Gym Challenge 56/132)

Blaine's Moltres card art from Gym Heroes (Gym Challenge 56/132)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Blaine's Moltres is a basic Fire-type Pokémon card from the Gym Heroes set, released as part of the Gym Challenge subset. Within the collectible card game, Blaine's Moltres serves as a high-risk, high-reward central finisher for Fire-focused decks characteristic of late-game pacing. The card bears the Rare Holo designation, signaling its rarity and desirability among players and collectors alike. The illustration, provided by Ken Sugimori, captures the iconic fiery majesty of Moltres in a trainer-themed framing that ties directly to Blaine, the Kanto Gym Leader renowned for his fiery specialization.

As a print from the late-1990s era of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Blaine's Moltres embodies the design language and rules structure of that period, including a relatively straightforward attack framework and a prominent holofoil presentation. The card’s presentation—including its holo variant—contributes to its status as a coveted piece in older collection tiers, while its gameplay properties reflect the then-lingering emphasis on resource management and high-energy-cost assaults.

Card Information

Name: Blaine's Moltres
Dex number: 146
Type: Fire
Stage: Basic
HP: 90
Rarity: Rare Holo
Set: Gym Heroes — Gym Challenge subset (56/132)
Illustrator: Ken Sugimori
Evolution line: Moltres (Basic, non-evolving)
Attacks: Phoenix Flame — Cost: Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire; Damage: 90; Text: Flip a coin. If tails, shuffle Blaine's Moltres and all cards attached to it into your deck (after doing damage).
Resistances: Fighting -30
Weaknesses: None listed in the primary data
Legal formats: Not legal in Standard or Expanded formats
Print variants: Normal holo, Reverse holo, and standard holo prints exist; First edition prints are not indicated in the provided data
Official card count context: Official set size for Gym Heroes is 132 cards; Blaine's Moltres is part of the Gym Challenge subset with the above card number

Gameplay and Strategy

The key attribute of Blaine's Moltres is its flagship attack, Phoenix Flame, which requires five Fire energy to unleash 90 damage. In practice, this makes the card a late-game finisher rather than a first-turn option. Built around resource acceleration and careful energy management, a deck featuring Blaine's Moltres typically relies on establishing a robust Fire-energy base early and using draw or search effects to assemble the necessary attachment density by the time Moltres can attack.

The attack’s coin-flip resolution introduces a significant risk-reward dynamic. If the coin lands tails, Blaine's Moltres, along with any attachments on it, is shuffled back into the deck after dealing damage. This mechanic creates a substantial potential setback, preceding the need to reassemble a fiery pressure plan in the following turns. Consequently, players employing Blaine's Moltres often pair it with strategies that preserve tempo even after the shuffle, such as threats from other Pokémon on the bench or additional damage-distribution options that can finish the opponent before Moltres is cycled back.

Resistance to Fighting-type Pokémon (−30) adds a modest defensive consideration in matchups where Fighting-type decks form the meta. While not a guaranteed shield, this resistance can influence timing decisions and matchups against early-game attackers. The lack of a listed weakness in the core data for this card reflects the era’s typical balance of power and risk, emphasizing strategic energy management and coin-flip outcomes over raw defensive stats.

Strategically, Blaine's Moltres benefits from synergy with other gym-themed or Fire-focused components within Gym Heroes-era decks. While modern play has evolved with new mechanics and card pools, in its original context, players explored combinations that could accelerate Fire-energy attachments, stabilize hand advantage, and create late-game inevitability through Moltres’ high-damage payoff. Collectors and historians of the game often study this card to understand how early Gym Leader-themed cards balanced thematic flavor with competitive viability in the evolving ruleset of early TCG play.

Collector and Market Information

Blaine's Moltres is classified as Rare Holo within the Gym Heroes set, contributing to its collectability and value among players and enthusiasts. Its prints include holo, reverse holo, and standard holo variants, with no explicit indication of a first-edition release in the data provided. The combination of its rarity, iconic trainer association, and the holoness of the artwork typically contributes to a strong collector appeal, especially for fans of Blaine and classic Fire-type Pokémon.

Pricing data drawn from major market aggregators captures the card’s historical and current value dynamics. CardMarket (EUR) shows an average price around 90.44 EUR with a low of 14.90 EUR and a market trend around 83.23, reflecting variability across condition and print. Notable price indicators include higher-end values for near-mint holo copies in the early-to-mid hundreds of euros, consistent with the card’s arcade-era prestige and holo presentation. The dataset also notes average prices across shorter and longer windows, illustrating the liquidity and volatility typical of vintage holo cards.

On the U.S. market side, TCGPlayer reports price tiers for both 1st Edition holofoil and Unlimited holofoil prints. For 1st Edition holofoil Blaine's Moltres, low prices sit around 98.50 USD, with mid prices near 180 USD and high marks around 230 USD, and a market price around 120.27 USD. For Unlimited holofoil copies, prices span from approximately 60 USD to 149.99 USD, with a mid price near 69.75 USD and a market price around 87.71 USD. These figures reflect typical vintage-card market behavior, where condition, edition status, and print run affect pricing, and where holo variants command a premium relative to non-holo counterparts.

As of the provided data, market updates occurred late in 2025, with CardMarket data refreshed in late October 2025 and TCGPlayer data updated around the same period. For collectors and investors, these figures offer a snapshot rather than a guaranteed assessment, underscoring the importance of checking current listings and condition-specific pricing when making purchases or sales.

Art and Lore

The artwork for Blaine's Moltres is credited to Ken Sugimori, whose early Pokémon illustrations defined the visual language of the franchise's inaugural years. Sugimori’s style in this era emphasized bold lines, saturated colors, and dynamic action, capturing Moltres in a manner that aligns with its Fire-type identity and flame-drenched silhouette. The Blaine's Moltres card emphasizes the trainer-pokémon relationship central to Gym Leader-themed cards, presenting Moltres as a fierce emblem of Blaine’s gym challenge approach.

From a lore perspective, the Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge line of cards presented gym leaders and their signature Pokémon as the climactic figures in Kanto’s battle narrative. Blaine, a prominent Fire-type gym leader in the original series, is represented through this card by attributing Moltres to his control. This framing connects the card to the broader Pokémon world’s gym-battle tradition and the narrative of a trainer routing through his or her gym to claim victory.

The visual presentation—complemented by holofoil finishes—also reflects the collectible emphasis of the era, where trainer-associated legendary Pokémon could be acquired in prized formats that balanced artistic merit with gameplay significance. The Moltres artwork in Blaine’s possession stands as a touchstone for fans exploring the intersection of character-driven storytelling and the early mechanical depth of the Pokémon TCG.

Trivia

The card is part of the Gym Heroes set and is specifically tied to the Blaine’s Gym Leader theme, illustrating a direct link between in-universe trainers and their signature Pokémon.
The Phoenix Flame attack demands a substantial five Fire energy costs, reflecting a design ethos of high-risk, high-reward plays common to late-era gym-focused cards.
The coin-flip mechanic in the attack adds a unique stochastic element to the card’s operation, where a tails result reshuffles the attacker back into the deck—a notable risk that shapes its tactical usage.
Print variants exist in holo and reverse-holo formats, contributing to broad collector interest across different presentation styles.
In modern official formats, Blaine's Moltres is not legal for Standard or Expanded play, underscoring its status as a classic-era card rather than a current competitive staple.

📘 Blaine's Moltres (Gym Challenge 56/132)