Digital Vault Wiki

Snivy holographic card from Macdonald's Collection 2011

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Snivy is a Basic Grass-type Pokémon card released as part of a promotional subset, specifically the Macdonald's Collection 2011. The card exists in at least one holographic variant within the set, reflecting the common practice of promotional releases to include holofoil renditions that appeal to collectors as well as players. While Snivy is a familiar species across the Pokémon world, this particular card belongs to a limited-in-number subset that was distributed through promotional channels rather than being part of the main competitive print runs.

The Macdonald's Collection 2011 designation identifies the broader product line that included a small batch of Pokémon TCG cards tied to the McDonald’s marketing initiative in 2011. The card’s presentation aligns with the era’s design language, featuring a concise flavor description that highlights Snivy's intelligence and its swift movements when exposed to sunlight. The combination of a low HP value, a single basic attack contingent on coin flips, and a holo presentation makes this Snivy card notable primarily for collection and historical interest, rather than for high-level tournament play in modern formats.

As a basic card with no listed standard-era legality, Snivy serves as a window into early promotional sets that introduced players to the broader ecology of Grass-type Pokémon within the TCG. Its place within the Macdonald's Collection emphasizes the cross-promotional nature of the hobby during the early 2010s, when card releases increasingly intersected with popular consumer brands. This context is relevant for collectors who study print runs, variant distributions, and the longevity of promotional releases in the overall Pokemon TCG ecosystem.

Card Information

Name: Snivy
Set: Macdonald's Collection 2011 (ID: 2011bw)
Card Count (official / total in set): 12 / 12
Illustrator: Ken Sugimori
HP: 60
Type: Grass
Stage: Basic
Rarity: None
Variants: holo (standard size); first Edition: No; normal: No; reverse: No; wPromo: No
Description: It is very intelligent and calm. Being exposed to lots of sunlight makes its movements swifter.
Attacks: Slam — Flip 2 coins. This attack does 20 damage times the number of heads.
Evolution: Snivy is the first stage in its evolutionary line, evolving into Servine and later Serperior. In the catalogued set, this card is a Basic Snivy and does not list a direct evolution on the card itself.
Legal formats: Standard: Not legal; Expanded: Not legal
Pricing (TCGPlayer holofoil): Low USD 1.59; Mid USD 3.75; High USD 9.99; Market USD 4.30; Direct Low Price: N/A

Gameplay and Strategy

The Slams attack, with its two-coin mechanic, introduces a probabilistic element to the card’s offensive output. The official damage formula is 20 times the number of heads obtained from flipping two coins. Consequently, the attack yields 0 damage on two tails, 20 damage on exactly one head, and 40 damage on two heads. This stochastic component means the card’s impact is highly variable from turn to turn, and in practical terms, it provides a modest, luck-dependent threat rather than a reliable source of consistent damage.

With 60 HP, Snivy presents a relatively fragile profile by later standards of the Pokémon TCG. In a hypothetical deck built around this card, players would need to balance the risk of an underwhelming Slam with the potential benefit of a holo-foil variant that remains visually appealing even if not optimal in competitive play. Because the card is listed as not legal in Standard or Expanded formats, its in-game utility is best understood within the context of vintage or collector-focused play environments, where players value the card for its historical significance and aesthetic appeal as much as its battle capabilities.

Strategically, Snivy could function as a bench-stable starter or a supplement in a Grass-type family that aims to accelerate into more powerful evolutions in other sets. Its evolution line—Snivy evolving into Servine and eventually Serperior—reflects a typical starter-to-midgame development arc seen in Grass-themed decks from various eras. While this particular card does not display an explicit evolution on the card itself, its place in the lineage remains relevant for players who are assembling themed decks or attempting to replicate nostalgic, era-specific playstyles. In practice, players seeking to maximize a Snivy’s value would focus on synergies that emphasize energy acceleration and draw power from other Grass-type cards active in the same era or format, while recognizing the card’s primary strength lies in its collector’s appeal rather than raw in-game power.

Additionally, the holo variant notes the card’s standout feature from a visual collection standpoint. For players who build or display complete Macdonald's Collection sets, Snivy represents both a gameplay artifact and a milestone in the promotional releases that circulated outside standard retail packaging. The card’s straightforward move set and its short, flavor-driven description also emphasize the design ethos of early 2010s Pokémon TCG cards, where prominent artwork and branding suggestions were often balanced with compact, bite-sized mechanics.

Collector and Market Information

The card’s collection status, with a rarity listed as None and its inclusion in a 12-card official subset, positions it as a sought-after item primarily for collectors interested in promotional releases and vintage McDonald’s-branded Pokémon cards. The holo variant, in particular, tends to attract attention due to its enhanced foil treatment, which was a common driver of collector value in promotional lines of that era. The official print run information confirms a finite number of cards within the Macdonald's Collection 2011 set, reinforcing its status as a limited-access item outside the main expansion cycles.

Pricing data from contemporary secondary markets for the holofoil version offers a snapshot of market dynamics for this card. The TCGPlayer holofoil listing indicates a spread with a low price around $1.59, a mid-range around $3.75, and a high around $9.99, with a market price near $4.30. The discrepancy between the mid-range and high values reflects a typical collector-market behavior where pristine or highly graded copies command a premium, while more common or worn examples fetch lower prices. The absence of a CardMarket listing in the provided data suggests limited availability on that particular platform, which is common for older promotional cards that circulated primarily through specific retail promotions and regional distributions. These figures are useful for collectors cataloging sets, as well as for market researchers tracking the long-tail value of promotional Pokémon cards.

In terms of ownership and grading, collectors often seek authenticated examples that preserve the holo surface integrity and print quality associated with early promotional releases. The Ken Sugimori art, synonymous with many classic Pokémon TCG illustrations, adds tangible value to the card beyond its gameplay potential. Because this Snivy card originates from a McDonald’s-branded collection, it may also attract interest from collectors who curate cross-media memorabilia or who focus on brand-collateral cards that illustrate the broader marketing history of the franchise.

Art and Lore

The illustration for Snivy on this card is credited to Ken Sugimori, the primary artist responsible for the original Pokémon character designs and many early TCG artworks. Sugimori’s style—characterized by clean lines, expressive poses, and a sense of naturalistic movement—contributed to the enduring appeal of the franchise’s imagery. In the Macdonald's Collection 2011 release, Sugimori’s artwork is presented within the constraints and aesthetics of the era, balancing iconic character design with the compact, border-driven composition typical of early Pokémon TCG cards.

The lore excerpt accompanying the card—“It is very intelligent and calm. Being exposed to lots of sunlight makes its movements swifter.”—echoes Snivy’s established in-world traits as a Grass-type starter with a poised, analytical demeanor. While the card itself is a promotional release rather than a mainline expansion, the flavor text remains consistent with Snivy’s identity within the broader Pokémon universe. The emphasis on sunlight as a factor enhancing movement aligns with the Grass-type motif of photosynthesis-driven vitality, and it contributes to the card’s thematic resonance within a set designed to celebrate the Pokémon’s natural habitat and temperament.

From a design perspective, the Macdonald’s Collection line is notable for pairing well-known Pokémon with promotional branding, creating a collectible footprint that intersects gameplay with merchandising history. This Snivy card serves as an example of how promotional sets embedded recognizable species into marketing collateral while preserving the core attributes that define the character within the game’s ecosystem. For researchers comparing artwork across time, this card also provides a data point illustrating how Sugimori’s illustrations were adapted for collectible promos in a way that remained faithful to the character’s design language and personality.

Trivia

This Snivy card originates from a McDonald’s promotional set released in 2011 and is part of the Macdonald's Collection 2011 (ID: 2011bw).
The card’s variant is holo, indicating a holographic printing within the set, but it is not listed as first edition, normal, reverse, or promo-only in the provided data.
Rarity is listed as None, reflecting its status as a promotional card rather than a standard rarity distribution within main expansion sets.
Illustrator Ken Sugimori contributed the artwork, aligning this card with many other classic Pokémon TCG illustrations by the franchise’s principal artist.
In official play, the card is not legal for Standard or Expanded formats, which is typical for many promotional cards released outside contemporary competitive sets.

📘 Snivy — Pokémon TCG Card (Various Sets)