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Snivy card art from Black & White BW1-1.

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Snivy is a basic Grass-type Pokémon card from the Black & White expansion (BW1) of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Printed as a common rarity, this card presents a compact, early-game option for Grass-type decks built around the Unova region. The BW1 release marks Snivy as part of the inaugural wave introducing Black & White-era mechanics and artwork to players. As a Basic Pokémon with modest HP and two straightforward attacks, Snivy functions primarily as a ramping or evolving generalist—serving as the first step in the classic Snivy → Servine → Serperior evolutionary line and providing a bench presence to begin an evolving strategy. The card’s artwork, credited to Kagemaru Himeno, embodies the clean, nature-driven aesthetic characteristic of the BW1 set and the Unova region’s grass-type starters.

Card Information

Name: Snivy
Set: Black & White (bw1)
Card Number: bw1-1
Rarity: Common
Illustrator: Kagemaru Himeno
HP: 60
Type: Grass
Stage: Basic
Dex Num: 495
Evolution Line: Snivy → Servine → Serperior
Attacks:
- Tackle — Cost: Grass — Damage: 10
- Vine Whip — Cost: Grass, Colorless — Damage: 20
Weakness: Fire ×2
Resistance: Water −20
Retreat Cost: 1
Legal Formats: Expanded legal; not legal in Standard (as indicated by BW1-era rules at the time of this card’s original printing; Expanded legality applies to this card in later rotations).
Variants: Normal, Holo, Reverse Holo
Set Details: The BW1 set includes a total of 115 cards (official count 114; total 115), with the Black & White symbol and a dedicated logo; Snivy is among the early BW1 printings, contributing to the inaugural Unova lineup of starter Pokémon.

Gameplay and Strategy

In gameplay terms, Snivy serves as a straightforward early-game attacker and a stepping-stone toward the more potent Servine in the evolution chain. With 60 HP, Snivy is relatively fragile by modern standards, making it vulnerable to quick early KO pressure in formats that feature faster Grass or Fire-type attackers. Its attacks reflect its role as a basic starter: a low-cost, two-attack package designed to establish field presence and accelerate evolution rather than to carry the primary load of a competitive turn.

The first attack, Tackle, delivers a modest 10 damage for a single Grass energy. While underpowered on its own, it provides a reliable opener for players who are building toward Servine and eventually Serperior. The second attack, Vine Whip, costs Grass and Colorless and deals 20 damage. The inclusion of Colorless in the second attack’s cost helps ensure Snivy can contribute meaningful early damage when players are already supplying Grass energy for future evolutions. This design supports a gradual engine: basic Snivy on the bench while Grass energies are prepared, followed by Servine’s emergence and a more powerful attack set in subsequent turns.

Weakness to Fire ×2 aligns with the typical Grass-type vulnerability profile, which is a consideration in deck construction when countermatchups arise. The −20 resistance to Water provides a minor defensive offset, but it does not significantly alter matchups that favor Water or Fire-heavy lines. Retreat cost of 1 means Snivy is reasonably mobile on the battlefield, allowing players to reposition it with limited energy or to use it in dual-purpose roles as a gatekeeper while awaiting evolution supplies.

From a strategic perspective, decks built around Snivy tend to emphasize evolution pacing and bench management. Players may use Snivy as a draft pick to fill early turns while setting up Servine on the bench and preparing for Serperior’s array of attacks in later turns. In BW1-era formats, this kind of laddering aligns with more general Unova strategies that sought to leverage the fan-favorite starter trio into mid-game pressure, often aided by draw and search-support cards available within that generation’s toolset. While Snivy’s raw attack power is limited, its role in enabling the standard growth curve for Grass-type lines remains a foundational element in many Bolstered Unova-themed decks.

Collector and Market Information

As a Common rarity card, Snivy from BW1 is frequently encountered in booster packs and related products from the Black & White era. The card’s value is influenced by its nostalgia, its status within the evolution chain, and the presence of holo and reverse-holo variants. Market prices reflect its status as a foundational, entry-level card rather than a powerhouse in competitive play. Market data (as of late 2025) shows modest figures consistent with common grass-type basics from early sets, with holo and reverse-holo printings typically commanding higher prices than standard prints due to collector demand for variant-looking cards.

CardMarket reports an average price around 0.14 EUR for the standard non-holo printing, with occasional fluctuations and a low end near 0.02 EUR. For holo and reverse-holo copies, the price indicators are higher on average, with market values often exceeding the standard print due to collector interest in holo treatments. TCGPlayer data (as of late 2025) shows the normal print carrying a typical low around $0.08, a mid around $0.32, and a high around $1.63, with market pricing around $0.36 and direct-low access around $0.19. Reverse-holo variants fetch higher values, with low-end prices near $0.50 and mid-high values rising substantially (up to several dollars in some listings). These figures illustrate the general market dynamics for common BW1-era cards and their holo-family variants, highlighting ongoing collector interest even for lower-rarity staples.

In terms of availability and format legality, Snivy BW1-1 is Expanded-legal in contemporary play, reflecting updated rotation and card pool histories that include older sets within the Expanded environment. The card’s relatively broad print run and its status as a common starter further contribute to its accessibility in both casual and collector contexts.

Art and Lore

The artwork for Snivy in this BW1 printing is credited to Kagemaru Himeno, an illustrator known for his work across Pokémon TCG sets. The BW1-era art style emphasizes clean lines, natural settings, and characterful representations of Pokémon in motion or repose, aligning with the Unova region’s thematic emphasis on grassland imagery and elemental vitality. Snivy’s depiction, as with many BW1 Grass-type cards, conveys a sense of readiness and natural agility—qualities that fans associate with the grass starters of Unova. While the card itself centers on gameplay data, the lore surrounding Snivy as a member of the Unova starter trio resonates with players who appreciate the region’s diverse Pokémon ecology and the narrative of evolving strength through strategic growth.

Within the broader Pokémon world, Snivy is renowned for its sharp intellect and pride, traits that are often reflected in its in-game evolutions and battle behavior. The BW1 Snivy card captures the essence of a beginning-stage Pokémon that players nurture toward more formidable forms, mirroring the real-world experience of teaching new tactics and building toward a stronger, final evolution in competitive play.

Trivia

The BW1 card with number bw1-1 places Snivy among the initial printings released for the Black & White expansion, making it a notable entry for collectors seeking early Unova-era cards.
The card exists in multiple print variants (Normal, Holo, Reverse Holo), each with distinct appeal for collectors and players alike. Holo and Reverse Holo versions typically command higher interest due to their aesthetic appeal.
Snivy’s presence as a basic card in BW1 supports its role as the grass starter’s first link in the evolutionary chain, a common theme across generations that encourages players to pursue Servine and Serperior as larger strategic goals.
In market tracking, Snivy BW1-1 demonstrates the classic dynamic of common cards retaining value primarily through variant interest and nostalgia rather than sheer competitive strength.
The card’s legal status—Expanded-legal in modern play—reflects ongoing rotations that bring older sets back into broader play formats, enabling players to incorporate classic starters into diverse deck builds today.

📘 Snivy (Pokémon TCG Card)