📘 Vulpix — Pokémon Trading Card Game

Category: Pokemon TCG · Created: · Updated:

Vulpix holo card art from Macdonald's Collection 2016

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

This entry documents a basic Pokémon card from the Macdonald's Collection 2016 release, featuring Vulpix. The set comprises 12 cards in total, and Vulpix appears in multiple print variants within the collection, including normal, reverse holo, and holofoil presentations. Illustrated by kirisAki, this card captures the classic depiction of Vulpix and is part of a broader lineage in the Pokémon Trading Card Game that centers on Vulpix and its evolutionary evolution into Ninetales. While the card bears no assigned rarity in this snapshot, its holofoil and reverse holo variants contribute to its appeal for collectors and enthusiasts of variant prints from mid-2010s sets.

Card Information

  • Category: Pokémon
  • Name: Vulpix
  • Set: Macdonald's Collection 2016
  • Set ID: 2016xy
  • Card Number (Local ID): 1
  • Illustrator: kirisAki
  • Rarity: None
  • Stage: Basic
  • Type: Not specified in the data
  • HP: Not listed
  • Variants: Normal, Reverse, and Holofoil; First Edition: No; Promotional: No
  • Evolution: Evolves into Ninetales; represents the basic stage in the Vulpix/Ninetales line
  • Attacks:
    • Roar — Your opponent switches their Active Pokémon with 1 of their Benched Pokémon.
    • Gnaw — 10 damage.
  • Legal in formats: Not legal in Standard or Expanded formats
  • Flavor text: "While young, it has six gorgeous tails. When it grows, several new tails are sprouted."

Gameplay and Strategy

As a Basic Pokémon with two modest attacks, this Vulpix card is predominantly of historical and collecting interest, rather than a centerpiece of a modern competitive deck. The Roar attack provides a tactical disruption by forcing the opponent to swap their Active Pokémon with a Benched Pokémon, potentially shifting the momentum of a turn. This can be leveraged in decks that emphasize bench management, retreat costs, or forced-switch strategies, particularly in formats where timing and protection of more valuable attackers matter. The Gnaw attack delivers a small, reliable 10 damage, contributing sparingly to board progression.

Print variants—Normal, Reverse, and Holofoil—offer additional strategic layers for collectors and players who appreciate foil treatments. Holofoil variants generally command higher value in the collector market, reflecting print aesthetics rather than a distinct power differential in-game. In terms of format legality, the card is not listed as legal for Standard or Expanded play in the provided data, indicating its role is more focused on collection history and thematic nostalgia than current tournament viability.

In practice, players considering this Vulpix in a deck would likely treat it as a nostalgic or thematic inclusion rather than a core competitive asset. Its attacks are simple and cost-effective, and its ability to swap opponents’ Active Pokémon can contribute to strategic spacing or disruption in niche builds, though it does not align with the power level typical of contemporary competitive Fire-type lines.

Collector and Market Information

From a collector’s standpoint, the Macdonald's Collection 2016 set features a compact, curated slate of 12 cards. The Vulpix card carries an unusual position in rarity, listed as None, which aligns with its status as part of a themed subset rather than a standard- or promo-rare release. The presence of holo, reverse holo, and normal variants expands the card’s appeal for variant collectors, providing options for display or grading emphasis.

Pricing data from TCGPlayer (as of 2025-10-31) indicates that the holofoil version of this Vulpix has a market price around $19–$20 USD. The low and mid prices are both reported at approximately $20.14, reflecting a stable but modest value for holofoil printings from this 2016 subset. The provided data does not include CardMarket pricing, so market context is drawn primarily from TCGPlayer data and the established collecting interest in holofoil printings from mid-2010s sets.

Legal status and playability details underscore that this card functions more as a collectible artifact than a mainstay in current competitive formats. The absence of standard or expanded legality suggests that modern players may not rely on this Vulpix for tournament builds, while collectors may prize its holo and reverse holo variants for display and cataloging within the Macdonald's Collection 2016 release.

Art and Lore

The Vulpix card is illustrated by kirisAki, whose work appears across multiple Pokémon TCG printings. The description text captures a core facet of Vulpix lore: its tails proliferate as it matures, a motif tied closely to the Pokémon’s identity in the franchise. This flavor text reinforces the creature’s evolving tail feature, a defining characteristic that has appeared across various media within the Pokémon universe. The holofoil and reverse holo variants highlight the artwork, which is presented with the characteristic polish of 2010s Pokémon card illustration styles.

Within the Macdonald's Collection 2016 subset, Vulpix stands alongside other Pokémon in a curated presentation that evokes nostalgia for earlier generations while maintaining the visual language of mid-2010s card aesthetics. As part of a broader Vulpix/Ninetales evolutionary theme, the card contributes to the lore surrounding fox-like Fire-type Pokémon and their iconic multi-tail design.

Trivia

  • This Vulpix is part of a limited 2016 subset known as Macdonald's Collection 2016, consisting of 12 cards in total. Its local identifier is 1 within the set.
  • The card exists in Normal, Reverse, and Holofoil variants, yet it is listed with no explicit rarity in the data snapshot.
  • First Edition and Promo statuses are not indicated for this card, and it is not listed as legal in Standard or Expanded formats, reflecting its role as a collectible release rather than a staple in modern play.
  • Illustration is credited to kirisAki, contributing to the card’s distinctive art style within the collection.
  • Market data from 2025 indicates holofoil printings typically hover around the $19–$20 range on major marketplaces, highlighting steady collector demand for holo variants from this 2016 subset.

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