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Caterpie card art from Fusion Strike (SW SH8-1)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Caterpie is a Basic Grass-type Pokémon card included in the Fusion Strike expansion (SW SH8). As a low-HP, early-game option, it serves as a practical stepping stone within the evolution line that leads to Metapod and ultimately Butterfree. The card emphasizes a strategic mechanic—bench setup via search—that enables a player to accelerate their evolution tempo and deck thinning, a common objective in Grass-type-focused decks of the Expanded format where this printing remains legal.

Released as a common rarity within a large set, Caterpie functions as a foundational piece for players seeking to establish a reliable progression from the opening turns. The card’s design, illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, reflects a traditional grassroots approach: a simple, reliable starter that can contribute to more complex evolution-based strategies as the game unfolds.

Card Information

Pokémon: Caterpie
Set: Fusion Strike (SW SH8)
Card number: swsh8-1 (localId 1)
Rarity: Common
Dex entry: 251
Type: Grass
Stage: Basic
HP: 50
Illustrator: Mitsuhiro Arita
Attacks:
- Flock — Colorless (Cost: 1)
- Effect: Search your deck for a Caterpie and put it onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.
- Bug Bite — Grass (Cost: 1)
- Damage: 10
Retreat cost: 1
Regulation mark: E
Legal formats: Expanded only (Standard format not legal for this printing)
Variants: Normal and Reverse-Holo (no First Edition, no Holo variant for this specific print)
Set details:
- Official card count: 264 (total set) / 284 (printed)
- Logo: Fusion Strike logo
- Symbol: Fusion Strike symbol
Pricing snapshot:
- CardMarket (EUR) — avg 0.04; low 0.02; trend 0.05; short-term changes include avg1 0.02, avg7 0.06, avg30 0.04; holo variants show higher values (avg-holo 0.14, low-holo 0.02, trend-holo 0.18, avg1-holo 0.20, avg7-holo 0.11, avg30-holo 0.14)
- TCGPlayer (USD) — normal: low 0.01, mid 0.10, high 9.99, market 0.07; reverse-holo: low 0.05, mid 0.20, high 2, market 0.19

Gameplay and Strategy

The core utility of Caterpie in this printing rests on its Flock attack, a Colorless-cost ability that searches the player’s deck for a Caterpie and places it onto the Bench, followed by shuffling the deck. This mechanic is particularly valuable in Expanded formats where deck-thinning and rapid evolution chains contribute to early-game tempo. By consistently populating the Bench with Caterpie in the immediate turns, a player can more reliably evolve into Metapod and ultimately Butterfree in subsequent turns, capitalizing on each next stage’s potential attack options and increased HP.

Because the Flock attack requires no Grass energy and serves as a bench-advancement tool, it pairs well with trainer cards and other strategies that emphasize quick evolution and board presence. Players often leverage this mechanic to disguise a longer-term plan—fostering an uninterrupted evolution path while maintaining pressure with the basic Bug Bite attack for early direct damage. In practice, deck builders may emphasize search-supporting cards and Evolution-focused engines within the Expanded format to maximize the chance of pulling Caterpie to the bench when needed.

Given the card’s HP of 50 and its Grass typing, Caterpie remains highly vulnerable to faster, higher-damage early threats. Its value is not in raw damage output but in enablement: accelerating bench development and reversible deck states through strategic searches. As a foundational piece, it often sits alongside other basic Pokémon that provide complementary utility while the player sets up the late-game, more potent evolutions. In any competitive context that permits this printing, understanding its role in the evolution ladder—Caterpie to Metapod to Butterfree—helps players gauge when to employ the Flock ability and how to optimize bench space for efficient evolutions.

In terms of format relevance, this Caterpie is not legal in Standard play, which constrains its practical competitive use to Expanded environments or casual play. This limitation highlights how card legality shapes how a given printing contributes to deck-building strategies and how collectors and players view card value across formats.

Collector and Market Information

As a Common rarity, Caterpie from Fusion Strike is generally accessible to players and collectors. The card’s existence in both Normal and Reverse-Holo variants increases its appeal to collectors who value variant forms of a printing. The absence of a First Edition or Holo printing for this specific local print enhances its accessibility while potentially lowering distinct premium values compared to holo or first-edition counterparts in other sets.

The set, Fusion Strike, is identified by the SW SH8 code and is part of the Sword and Shield era. The card’s official count for the set and the printing’s local identifier contribute to cataloging in databases and price-guide aggregations, aiding collectors in verifying authenticity and edition scope. The pricing data from CardMarket and TCGPlayer indicates a market presence characterized by very low price points for the standard non-holo printing, with holo counterparts typically carrying higher values due to rarity and presentation.

For collectors monitoring price trends, the provided market data reflect a dynamic but modest market for this lowercase-common Caterpie. The average values cited for CardMarket and TCGPlayer underscore the card’s status as a low-cost staple for expanders and beginners: affordable enough to acquire in bulk for deck-building experiments, yet with potential upside in variants or condition, particularly if a reliable reverse-holo sample or near-mint copy is desired for a display or collection binder.

Art and Lore

The Caterpie artwork in this printing is attributed to Mitsuhiro Arita, a prolific Pokémon TCG illustrator whose long history encompasses some of the most iconic early-card artwork in the franchise. Arita’s style often emphasizes clean lines, bright coloration, and approachable character portrayal, aligning with Caterpie’s nature as a simple, ground-level creature that players encounter early in their journey through the Kanto region. The Fusion Strike set itself features a wide array of Pokémon from multiple eras, but Caterpie’s presence underscores the enduring appeal of the original Bug-type line and its evolution into Butterfree—a thematic throughline that resonates with collectors who appreciate classic Pokémon lore embedded within modern printings.

From an in-universe lore perspective, Caterpie’s continued presence in TCG printings across generations emphasizes its role as the first evolutionary step in the iconic Bug/Butterfree line. While the card’s primary function is gameplay utility, the artwork contributes to the broader Poké-world aesthetic by invoking familiar, nostalgic imagery that bridges generations of players and collectors alike.

Trivia

The Flock attack enables a deck-search mechanic that can accelerate the evolution ladder from Caterpie to Metapod and beyond, a core concept in many evolution-based strategies.
This particular printing is part of Fusion Strike (SW SH8) and carries Regulation Mark E, indicating eligibility for Expanded-format play while remaining outside Standard-format legality for this version.
The card exists in Normal and Reverse-Holo variants, but does not have a First Edition or Holo variant for this local printing, affecting its collectability and price dynamics relative to holo-first-edition counterparts in other sets.
Dex ID 251 corresponds to Caterpie in the National Pokédex, a numerical identifier used across media and databases to reference the Pokémon in question.
Illustrator Mitsuhiro Arita has contributed extensively to the Pokémon TCG, with this Caterpie artwork representing one of his many collaborations across multiple sets and generations.

📘 Caterpie — Pokémon TCG Card Printings Overview