Which Pinsir card and set should be used (set name and card number)?

Pinsir BW4-1 card art from Next Destinies (BW4)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Pinsir is a basic Grass-type Pokémon card from the Next Destinies expansion (BW4). In this release, the card presents Pinsir as a compact, sturdy attacker with a focus on energy manipulation and retreat disruption. The card is issued as a Rare and is available in multiple print variants within the set, including normal, holo, and reverse holo representations. As a Basic Pokémon, Pinsir enters play without any evolution requirement, ready to engage opposing Pokémon in the early stages of a match.

Next Destinies (BW4) is part of the Black & White series, a transition era that introduced a mix of modern mechanics and classic Pokémon designs. Pinsir BW4-1 is printed with the card number BW4-1 and is associated with the set symbol and logo for Next Destinies. The card’s Grass typing, combined with its dual-attack suite, reflects design choices common to Grass-type Pokémon in this era, emphasizing energy management and controlled aggression rather than pure raw power.

Card Information

Name: Pinsir
Set: Next Destinies (BW4)
Card Number: BW4-1
Rarity: Rare
Type: Grass
Stage: Basic
HP: 80
Illustrator: Masakazu Fukuda
Dex Num: 127
Evolves From: None
Evolves To: None
Attacks:
- Power Pinch — Cost: Colorless, Colorless
  Effect: Flip 2 coins. For each heads, discard an Energy attached to the Defending Pokémon.
- Grip and Squeeze — Cost: Grass, Grass, Colorless
  Effect: The Defending Pokémon can't retreat during your opponent's next turn.
  Damage: 70
Weakness: Fire ×2
Retreat Cost: 2
Legal in formats: Expanded (Standard: not legal)
Variants: Normal, Holo, Reverse; First Edition: False; WPromo: False
Set Card Count (official/total): 99 / 103

Gameplay and Strategy

Pinsir offers a two-pronged approach that leverages both disruption and solid progressive damage. The first attack, Power Pinch, centers on energy denial through a coin-flip mechanic. By flipping two coins and discarding an energy from the Defending Pokémon for each heads, Pinsir can reduce the opponent’s available attachments over several turns. This effect is situationally powerful against decks that rely on rapid energy acceleration, making Pinsir a candidate for strategies that aim to slow opponents' momentum or buy time to set up stronger board states.

The second attack, Grip and Squeeze, deals a respectable 70 damage for three energy and imposes a retreat-lock on the Defending Pokémon for the opponent’s next turn. This can be a pivotal moment in a matchup, enabling Pinsir to shut down enemy retreat options and forcing the opponent to stay in favorable matchups or to use retreat accelerants, thereby exposing their energy lines for further disruption.

In the Expanded format, Pinsir BW4-1 can slot into Grass-themed or energy-denial-oriented decks that seek to control pacing rather than simply maximally optimize damage output. Its Grass typing, while susceptible to Fire-type threats, also aligns well with Grass-oriented Energy acceleration and synergy cards that exist in older Expanded ecosystems. Players should weigh the risk of relying on coin flips for Power Pinch against the predictable force of Grip and Squeeze when planning in-game sequences, especially in meta contexts where opponent strategies emphasize fast energy installation and retreat mechanics.

Notable strategic notes include:

Use Power Pinch to pressure an opponent’s active, aiming to strip critical energy cards from their attacker and reduce threat projection over multiple turns.
Grip and Squeeze can deter retreat-focused plays from opponents, increasing the likelihood of favorable exchanges if Pinsir remains on the field.
Because Pinsir is a Basic Pokémon with relatively low HP for a modern standard, defensible positioning and smart energy budgeting are essential in longer games within Expanded formats.
Be mindful of Fire-type weaknesses, and plan matchups accordingly with supportive teammates or tech choices to mitigate vulnerability.

Collector and Market Information

Pinsir from Next Destinies carries Rare status and is produced across multiple print variants (Normal, Holo, Reverse). As a BW4 card, it is primarily collected by players and collectors seeking representation from the BW era and those assembling Expanded-format collections. The card’s value is influenced by its condition, print variant, and market demand within the community of players who favor older expansions.

Pricing snapshots (as of late 2025) provide a factual reference for collectors and traders:

Updated 2025-10-31 — average around €0.50; low around €0.05; holo variants average around €0.76, with low around €0.10; trends show modest activity for this set in the market.
TCGPlayer (USD): Updated 2025-10-31 — normal copies: low around $0.25, mid around $0.50, high around $5.09; market price around $0.37; reverse-holo copies show low around $0.41, mid around $0.67, high around $1.99; market price around $0.74.

These figures reflect typical price ranges observed for non-foil and foil copies in the specified windows. Collectors and players should verify current values through their preferred marketplace before making purchases, as prices can vary with demand, grading, and availability.

Art and Lore

The Pinsir card from Next Destinies bears art by Masakazu Fukuda, whose work for this era emphasizes clean linework and bold color contrasts aligned with the Black & White generation’s visual language. The artwork presents Pinsir in a dynamic, action-ready pose that communicates its Bug/Grass thematic resonance within the card’s mechanical focus on quick disruption and control. While the Pokémon’s in-world lore provides Pinsir as a Bug-type Seasonal Ranger Pokémon with notable physical prowess, this card’s grass-typed treatment is a design choice specific to the set’s broader balancing and color-coding strategy. The combination of the artwork and the card’s dual-attack kit reflects a design emphasis on tempo play and battlefield presence rather than raw numbers alone.

Trivia

Key trivia points for Pinsir BW4-1 include:

The card exists in multiple print variants (Normal, Holo, Reverse) but is not printed as a First Edition or promotional card variant for this release.
It is legally playable in Expanded format but not in Standard, reflecting its release period and card pool restrictions.
The PW4-1 designation identifies this card as part of the Next Destinies set (BW4), a transitional phase within the B/W series that featured a mix of new and older Pokémon in the Expanded ecosystem.
The two-attack kit—Power Pinch and Grip and Squeeze—demonstrates a balance between energy disruption and reliable high-damage output, a hallmark of some Grass-type cards within the era.

Notes on Set and Card Details

Card data indicates that Pinsir BW4-1 is part of a 99-card official set and a total of 103 unique cards in Next Destinies. The card’s print variants include holo and reverse holo versions, which contribute to collectibility beyond mere playability. The card’s illustrator, Masakazu Fukuda, contributed to a number of Pokémon cards in this generation, with Pinsir BW4-1 representing a representative example of his work during the BW era.

References

For context on the broader card pool and market references, the following five URLs provide related content across discussions of rarity, lore, and deck-building considerations (listed in the order provided):

📘 Which Pinsir card and set should be used (set name and card number)?