📘 Blaziken — Pokémon TCG Card Overview

Category: Pokemon TCG · Created: · Updated:

Blaziken card art from POP Series 1

Blaziken is a Fire-type Pokémon card released as part of the POP Series 1 set. This edition presents the character at Stage 2, evolving from Combusken, with a robust 110 HP. The card exists in multiple print variants, including normal, holo, and reverse holo, reflecting the promotional nature of the POP Series. As a rare card in the POP lineup, it holds a notable place for collectors and players seeking a representative Fire-type evolved Pokémon from early promotional releases.

Overview

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), Blaziken functions as a mid-game Fire-type attacker with a balance of reliability and potential damage output. The card’s evolution from Combusken places it in the classic three-stage growth line for this family, though its POP Series origin distinguishes it from standard expansion releases. The combination of 110 HP and two distinct attacks offers players two paths to utility: consistent mid-range damage through Fire Punch and a high-variance, higher-damage option via Double Kick. The presence of a Water-type weakness aligns Blaziken with common meta considerations of the era, encouraging deck-building decisions that mitigate or exploit elemental matchups.

Card Information

  • Card name: Blaziken
  • Card ID: pop1-1
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Type: Fire
  • HP: 110
  • Stage: Stage 2
  • Evolves from: Combusken
  • Set: POP Series 1 (pop1)
  • Dex ID: 257
  • Illustrator: Katsura Tabata
  • Variants: Normal, Holo, Reverse
  • Variant details: firstEdition: False; holo: True; normal: True; reverse: True; wPromo: False
  • Legal: Standard: No; Expanded: No
  • Weakness: Water
  • Retreat cost: 2

Attacks

  • Fire Punch — Cost: Fire, Colorless. Damage: 40.
  • Double Kick — Cost: Colorless, Colorless, Colorless. Effect: Flip 2 coins. This attack does 50 damage times the number of heads.

Set and Print Details

Gameplay and Strategy

The card presents two distinct offensive options, each with trade-offs that influence how it is deployed within a Fire-centric deck. Fire Punch provides reliable, first-turn or early-mid-game damage at 40 damage for two energies (Fire plus Colorless). This makes Blaziken a practical mid-range beater, capable of applying pressure without requiring an aggressive energy ramp. Its Stage 2 status means players must invest in evolving from Combusken, which can delay the threat if the build relies on rapid acceleration or fielding between turns.

Double Kick introduces a probabilistic element that can dramatically swing outcomes. With three Colorless energy, players roll two coins to determine the damage, delivering up to 150 damage if both flips land heads (50× for two heads and 100× for three heads would require interpretation of the exact wording; in this text, the official wording indicates 50× the number of heads, so three heads would yield 150). The attack’s high variance makes it a match-winning option in favorable coin scenarios but can be unreliable in standard play. Decks aiming to maximize Blaziken’s impact typically pair it with strategies that either increase the likelihood of favorable coin flips (through specific card effects that influence coin outcomes) or that can quickly retreat and re-enter with a more favorable board state if the coin results are unfavorable.

From a broad gameplay perspective, Blaziken’s Fire typing and Water weakness shape its pairing choices. In formats where Fire-centric strategies appear, Blaziken can act as a solid supplementary attacker to pressure an opponent’s HP while the player builds the board for a more powerful late-game presence. The Retreat cost of 2 adds a reasonable energy management consideration—Blaziken is not excessively costly to retreat relative to its damage potential, but it is not the most mobile heavy-hitter either. In practice, Blaziken often serves as a transitional attacker that helps bridge the gap between early-stage pressure and late-game threats from other Fire-type Pokémon within a given deck archetype.

In historical context, POP Series 1 cards were promotional in nature and varied from standard expansion cards in terms of rarity, distribution, and card availability. As a Rare card within this promotional set, Blaziken holds appeal for collectors who aim to complete the POP Series 1 collection and for players who value its two-attack dynamic. The existence of holo and reverse holo variants adds another layer of strategy for builders who emphasize a cohesive Fire-type roster with visually distinctive holo aesthetics.

Collector and Market Information

Collector interest in this card is influenced by its promotional status, rarity, and the presence of holo variants. While the non-holo version is more common among early-released promotional cards, holofoil iterations typically command higher prices due to popularity and visual appeal. Market data reflects a snapshot of price movements across primary collecting markets, including CardMarket (EUR) and TCGPlayer (USD), as of late 2025.

Pricing

CardMarket (EUR): Officially reported values show an average around 3.65 EUR, with a low of 2.99 EUR. The 1-month to 30-day trend indicators show a positive movement, around +16.86% in the reported window. Additional metrics include average price on shorter and longer time horizons (avg1: 3.95 EUR, avg7: 14.63 EUR, avg30: 17.39 EUR). For holo variants, the dataset provides a separate but related set of metrics (avg-holo, low-holo, trend-holo, etc.), though some holo fields are marked as not available in the current snapshot.

TCGPlayer (USD): For the standard non-holo version, pricing data show a low of about $7.50, a mid-price near $9.99, and a high around $10.00, with a market price of approximately $9.74. Holofoil variants show a lower bound around $6.77, a mid-price near $8.50, and a high around $17.44, with a market price near $10.02. These figures reflect market activity as of late October 2025 and are subject to change with market conditions and new printings.

Notably, the POP Series 1 designation and the card’s holo status influence collector valuation more than standard modern expansions. The card’s rarity, combined with its function as a playable Stage 2 Fire-type with two viable attacks, contributes to its enduring interest among both players and collectors. When evaluating price, it is important to distinguish between the non-holo and holo versions, as well as the potential for grading and certification to impact long-term value in the hobby market.

Art and Lore

Katsura Tabata is credited as the illustrator for this release. Tabata’s work on Pokémon cards often emphasizes dynamic motion and bold visual storytelling, capturing Blaziken in a poised, action-ready stance that emphasizes speed and fiery energy. The POP Series 1 art direction, while promotional in nature, retains the high-contrast style and kinetic composition associated with early Pokémon card illustrations, contributing to the character’s on-card presence and collectible appeal. The artwork aligns with Blaziken’s in-universe traits as a fiercely capable Fire-type starter evolution, embodying both speed and power in a compact card portrait.

The broader lore surrounding the POP Series introduces these cards as promotional items distributed through events and special campaigns. While not part of the main expansion lineups, POP Series cards maintain a distinct place in the Pokémon TCG canon as early, collectible representations of iconic Pokémon in the TCG ecosystem. Blaziken’s depiction within this context reflects the character’s established role in the Fire starter family and its longstanding popularity among fans of the franchise.

Trivia

  • The card exists in multiple print variants, including Normal, Holo, and Reverse Holo; there is no First Edition variant for this specific POP Series 1 release.
  • Blaziken is listed as pop1-1 in the POP Series 1 set, placing it at the beginning of that promotional collection’s numbering sequence.
  • The card is not legal in Standard or Expanded formats as of the latest reporting; POP Series cards were promotional and predate modern format delineations.
  • Illustrator Katsura Tabata is a recurring contributor to Pokémon card art, with Blaziken representing one of the notable Fire-type illustrations from early promotional sets.
  • Market values for this card show a clear distinction between non-holo and holo variants, with holo cards frequently exhibiting higher collectible price points due to aesthetics and demand for holo aesthetics in older sets.

References

For additional context and data points referenced in this article, consider consulting the following sources that catalog the POP Series 1 card and related market data:

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