Digital Vault Wiki

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pinsir is a Basic Grass-type Pokémon card featured in the Evolving Skies expansion. With 120 Hit Points, it sits in the mid-range for basic Pokémon in terms of longevity on the bench and in active play. The card is designated as Rare, indicating a relatively lower drop rate in booster packs and a degree of collectibility among players and collectors. Its artwork, illustrated by Shin Nagasawa, presents Pinsir in a stance that emphasizes its natural durability and horned silhouette, aligning with the set’s broader emphasis on forested and natural imagery that evokes the Pokémon’s beetle-like appearance and ground-dwelling traits. The card’s flavor text offers a small glimpse into Pinsir’s behavior in the wild, describing its toughness and sensitivity to cold, which adds a touch of lore to a otherwise straightforward battle-ready card.

Card Information

Name: Pinsir
Category: Pokémon
Card Number / Set: swsh7-1, Evolving Skies
Rarity: Rare
HP: 120
Type: Grass
Stage: Basic
Dex ID: 127
Illustrator: Shin Nagasawa
Flavor Text: "Although it's tough, it can't handle cold well. When night falls, it buries itself in leafage and sleeps."
Attack: Seismic Toss — 110 damage; Cost: Grass, Grass, Colorless
Ability: Vise Coach — Damage from your Single Strike Pokémon's attacks isn't affected by your opponent's Active Pokémon's Resistance.
Weakness: Fire ×2
Retreat Cost: 2
Set: Evolving Skies
Legal formats: Expanded (Standard not legal at the time of the card data)
Regulation Mark: E
Variants: Normal and Reverse variants (First Edition, Holo, and promo variants not listed for this print)

Gameplay and Strategy

Pinsir’s key contribution in gameplay lies in its solid HP total for a Basic card and a high-damage attack in Seismic Toss. The 110 damage output is substantial for early to mid-game exchanges, particularly when supported by energy acceleration and field control strategies. The attack cost—two Grass Energy plus one Colorless—requires careful energy attachment planning, but it can translate into a strong tempo swing when the player can consistently set up two Grass Energy on Pinsir alongside a source of Colorless energy. In standard deck-building practice, this combination encourages variants that maximize Grass Energy efficiency or utilize energy acceleration tools available within the Expanded pool.

The Vise Coach ability adds a nuanced layer to strategic planning. By preventing damage from your Single Strike Pokémon’s attacks from being reduced by your opponent’s Active Pokémon’s Resistance, Pinsir can serve as a supportive enabler within a broader Single Strike-focused lineup. In practice, this makes Pinsir a potential anchor for hybrid decks that aim to leverage Single Strike pressure while maintaining a Grass-type presence on the bench. In matchups where opponents heavily rely on resistances to mitigate incoming damage, Pinsir’s ability helps preserve the damage output of allied Single Strike attackers, potentially improving overall consistency against certain defensive strategies.

Pulling together these elements, Pinsir can function as a mid-game closer or a tempo-preserving pivot depending on the deck’s composition. Its 120 HP helps it survive in situations where two or three turns of pressure could be decisive, while its grass-typed vulnerability to Fire remains a factor to manage through side-deck options or by pairing with support Pokémon whose attacks or abilities can cover weaknesses. Players may also consider using Pinsir in combinations where other Grass-type or non-Grass attackers create favorable type matchups that reduce risk while maintaining consistent damage output.

Collector and Market Information

Rarity and print history contribute to Pinsir’s collectibility within the Evolving Skies subset. The swsh7-1 print is noted as non-First Edition, with non-Holo and standard print variants existing, including a Reverse Holo variant. As a Rare card, Pinsir typically sits in the market as a target for players assembling a complete Evolving Skies set or collectors seeking specific print runs. Market activity for this card is reflected in the latest pricing data from Cardmarket and TCGPlayer, which show low absolute value points alongside occasional uplift for near-mint or reverse holo copies.

Pricing data (as of late 2025) indicates subdued but steady interest. Cardmarket listings show average prices around €0.06 with occasional low points near €0.02. Holo and reverse-holo variants show higher values, reflecting collector demand for cosmetic variants even when gameplay impact remains similar. TCGPlayer pricing shows normal copies with a typical market price around $0.12 and a low copy around $0.01, with a few exceptional listings reaching higher prices due to demand or condition. Reverse holofoil versions can fetch slightly higher values, with market prices around $0.15 or more in some cases and direct-low listings near $0.07. These figures help collectors gauge relative investment without assuming rapid appreciation, as the card’s intrinsic competitive value remains moderate, aligned with Expanded-format viability rather than standard mainline play.

In terms of legality, the card is listed as Expanded-legal while not allowed in Standard play, reflecting its role within the broader ecosystem of formats where older expansions remain viable. The E regulation mark places Pinsir within the set of cards that meet specific rotation and eligibility criteria for expanded play, affecting how collectors and players frame their acquisitions within organized play or casual collections.

Art and Lore

Shin Nagasawa, the illustrator credited for Pinsir, contributes a visual style that emphasizes naturalistic textures and bold line work. The artwork in Evolving Skies often captures Pokémon in dynamic, forested or rugged settings, aligning with the expansion’s broader motifs of nature and exploration. The flavor text complements the imagery by hinting at Pinsir’s resilience and environmental preferences, such as its sensitivity to cold and its behavior of burrowing into leafage at night. This combination of art and lore reinforces Pinsir’s identity as a sturdy, forest-adapted creature whose demeanor is quiet yet formidable in the right conditions.

The Evolving Skies set itself is renowned for featuring diverse Pokémon motifs, including Grass types that emphasize vitality, growth, and natural adaptability. Pinsir’s illustration and flavor text contribute to that thematic coherence, connecting the physical design of the card with in-world behavior. Collectors often appreciate such cohesion when evaluating card art, rarity, and potential in-game synergy, making Pinsir a fitting addition for those who value both playability and visual storytelling within their collections.

Trivia

The card depicts Pinsir as a basic Grass-type Pokémon with a strong 120 HP statline for a base form, aligning with several other Grass-type basics that emphasize durability on the frontline.
The Vise Coach ability references Single Strike Pokémon, a mechanic historically linked to a subset of the Sword & Shield era. Its presence on Pinsir signals deliberate cross-compatibility considerations in deck-building within Expanded formats.
The Seismic Toss attack delivers a high 110 damage figure for a basic card, presenting a substantial threat when energy acceleration allows its full cost to be paid consistently.
Prints of this Pinsir card exist as Normal and Reverse variants, with no listed First Edition or Holo print for swsh7-1 in the provided data.
Legal status indicates Expanded playability at the time of data collection, reflecting ongoing diversity in format eligibility for older expansions.

CTA & NETWORK LINKS

Pinsir — Pokémon TCG

📘 Pinsir — Pokémon TCG