Digital Vault Wiki

Venonat card art from Silver Tempest (swsh12-001)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

This entry documents the basic Grass-type Pokémon card Venonat from the Sword & Shield era, specifically the Silver Tempest expansion. As a basic Pokémon with modest statistics, Venonat serves as a convenient starting point for Grass-focused decks seeking early board presence and bench development. The card’s simple mechanical footprint—one Grass-energy attack dealing 20 damage—reflects its role as a low-cost, steady option suitable for learners and collectors alike. In the broader context of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), Venonat appears as a common card within a set that emphasizes a mix of illustration styles, energy requirements, and evolving lineages that can complement more powerful later-stage Pokémon.

Silver Tempest (set code swsh12) marks Venonat’s appearance in a contemporary printing block that maintains the classic basic-Pokémon framework: a straightforward attack, a light energy cost, and a modest hit point total. While not among the most explosive options in competitive play, Venonat contributes to deck-building versatility by providing a dependable first-turn bench option and a reliable, energy-efficient opening move for Grass-themed strategies.

Card Information

Category: Pokémon
Name: Venonat
Set: Silver Tempest (swsh12)
Card Number: swsh12-001
Rarity: Common
Stage: Basic
HP: 60
Type: Grass
Attacks:

Tackle — Cost: Grass Energy; Damage: 20

Retreat Cost: 1
Regulation Mark: F
Legal Formats: Expanded (standard print not legal in this instance)
Illustrator: Not specified in the provided data
Evolution: Venonat evolves into Venomoth (Venonat is a basic stage; Venomoth is the typical evolution in the Pokedex lineage)
Dex Entry: Dex ID 48
Variants: Normal and Reverse
Official Card Count in Set: 195 (official), 245 (total)

Gameplay and Strategy

Venonat’s gameplay footprint is intentionally modest. With 60 HP, a single Grass-energy attack, and a retreat cost of 1, it is best utilized in the early game as a bench setup Pokémon rather than a primary attacker. The card’s Tackle for 20 damage is adequate for chipping away at weaker early-game threats or finishing off a damaged opponent that has already been softened by other attackers. Its Grass typing can synergize with Grass-focused energy acceleration and draw-support tools common to many Grass archetypes, enabling a smoother transition into mid- or late-game stages where more powerful evolutions enter play.

In practical deck construction, Venonat can serve as:

A reliable opening bench option to fulfill early energy attachment and board presence.
A target for early-game discarding or deck-thinning strategies that aim to maximize consistency in the first turns.
A candidate for evolution into Venomoth, which provides a stronger platform later in the game and can be the focal point of a grass-based evolution line.

Given its common rarity and modest stats, Venonat is typically paired with supportive Trainer cards—such as searching, draw, and recovery options—that help sustain momentum through the early turns. In formats that rotate older sets, players often leverage Venonat’s basic status to plug gaps in slower Grass decks while other evolutions or partner Pokémon secure the primary offensive tempo.

Collector and Market Information

Venonat from Silver Tempest is a common printing with a straightforward market footprint. The set itself features a standard distribution for common cards, with print runs that include both normal and reverse-holo variants. For collectors, condition and edition (first edition vs. reprint) can influence value; however, the provided data indicates a typical price range for non-holo normal prints as well as reverse-holo variants in the mid-to-lower end of the spectrum.

Rarity: Common
Set Card Count: Official 195 / Total 245
Variants: Normal and Reverse
Pricing (as of late 2020s data):

CardMarket (EUR): Avg 0.03; Low 0.02; Hobbyist variation exists with holo pricing around 0.14 (for holo variants not applicable to Venonat’s normal print in this dataset).
TCGPlayer (USD, Normal): Low 0.01; Mid 0.10; High 1.49; Market Price ~0.05; Direct Low Price ~0.02

Legal Formats: Expanded (Regulation Mark F; Standard not applicable for this print)
Illustrator: Not specified in the supplied data

For collectors, the pricing data demonstrates the card’s role as a low-cost, accessible piece within Silver Tempest. While not a sought-after chase card in terms of rarity, Venonat contributes to a complete set experience for players and collectors who aim to complete the set or acquire a broad sample of common prints. Market values can fluctuate with set rotations, supply trends, and collector demand for the Silver Tempest subset as a whole.

Art and Lore

The artwork for Venonat in Silver Tempest adheres to the set’s penchant for clean, accessible character design while staying faithful to the Pokémon’s iconic insect-like features. Venonat’s large compound eyes and fuzzy body are common motifs across the Pokémon universe, and the card presents these elements in a straightforward, approachable illustration style suitable for a broad audience. The illustrator field is not specified in the provided card data, but Silver Tempest is known for featuring a diverse roster of artists, each contributing their unique interpretation of familiar Pokémon.

From a lore perspective, Venonat is a Bug/Grass-type Pokémon introduced in the first generation that fans remember for its persistent eyes, sensory capabilities, and natural camouflage. In the TCG context, Venonat typically serves as an early-stage support card, enabling players to establish a board presence and transition toward Venomoth or other Grass-type strategies as the game progresses. The card’s identity as a basic Venonat from a core set aligns with the longstanding design philosophy of providing accessible, beginner-friendly components alongside more complex evolutions.

Trivia

The card number swsh12-001 indicates Venonat’s position as one of the initial printings in the Silver Tempest set, aligning with common printing orders that place base-level Pokémon early in the card lineup.
The card’s regulation mark F places it within a period of rotational policy where certain older sets retain expanded-legal status while not always aligning with standard format eligibility, depending on the exact reprint and release cycle.
Venonat’s evolution line (Venonat → Venomoth) is a core aspect of its in-game identity, and the card’s basic status reinforces its role as a stepping stone for evolving Grass-type strategies.
The card exists in multiple print variants within the Silver Tempest subset, including normal and reverse holo versions, which is typical for common cards to maximize collection variety without affecting gameplay strength.
As a basic Grass-type with a modest attack, Venonat remains a staple for collectors seeking a complete set display and for players experimenting with budget-friendly Grass decks in Expanded formats.

Venonat — Pokémon TCG

📘 Venonat — Pokémon TCG