Pokémon TCG Sword & Shield—Silver Tempest closed out the Sword & Shield era in English on 11 November 2022, but its headline chase cards did not start there. They come from two separate Japanese sets: S11a Incandescent Arcana, released 2 September 2022, and S12 Paradigm Trigger, released 21 October 2022. In Japan, the same gold-foil cards English collectors call Hyper Rare are catalogued under a plainer name: Ultra Rare.
This guide maps the Silver Tempest chase cards back to its Japanese set, number and rarity — using S11a and S12 as the two source sets. It does not use S12a VSTAR Universe, which is a different Japanese set that feeds the English Crown Zenith release instead. For the full two-set catalogue and pricing, see our Silver Tempest Japanese card list.
Silver Tempest’s chase cards are sourced from two Japanese sets — S11a Incandescent Arcana and S12 Paradigm Trigger — not S12a VSTAR Universe (that set feeds Crown Zenith instead). The S12 Paradigm Trigger Japanese Pokemon Booster Box is currently listed at ¥21,266 (~$134), and every card mapped below is documented in full in our Silver Tempest Japanese card list.
Prices below are our own Tokyo listings, converted at ¥159/USD (September 2026). We do not quote third-party market prices.
Which Japanese Sets Silver Tempest Was Built From
Silver Tempest is a two-set compilation. Pokémon drew its 215-card English checklist — 195 main-set cards plus 20 secret rares — from two Japanese Enhanced/Expansion packs released roughly six to ten weeks earlier.
| EN set | JP set code | JP name | JP release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Tempest | S11a | Incandescent Arcana | 2 September 2022 |
| Silver Tempest | S12 | Paradigm Trigger | 21 October 2022 |
Incandescent Arcana (S11a) is an Enhanced Expansion Pack and catalogues 94 entries: 3 Ultra Rare, 9 Secret Rare, 3 Triple Rare, 6 Double Rare, 10 Rare, 21 Uncommon, 25 Common, 3 Radiant Rare, 6 Character Holo Rare, 2 Character Super Rare and 6 Holo Rare. Paradigm Trigger (S12) is a full Expansion Pack and catalogues 125 entries: 3 Ultra Rare, 16 Secret Rare, 4 Triple Rare, 8 Double Rare, 10 Rare, 32 Uncommon and 44 Common, plus 8 Holo Rare. Between them, that’s a combined 219 catalogued Japanese entries feeding Silver Tempest’s 215-card English checklist.
If you’re after VSTAR Universe or Crown Zenith cards, S11a and S12 are not your sets — those two belong to Silver Tempest. VSTAR Universe is Japanese set S12a, which is the source for the English Crown Zenith release instead. See our Crown Zenith Japanese card list, our No Shrink vs regular S12a box guide, and our Hisuian Zoroark VSTAR guide if that’s the set you’re chasing.
Silver Tempest Chase Cards and Their Japanese Prints
Ten cards make up the chase-card core of this two-set release: six gold-foil Ultra Rares (three per set) that anchor the top of each Japanese checklist, plus four Secret Rares that mark the start and end of each set’s secret run. Here is each one, mapped to its Japanese set, number and rarity.
1. V-Guard Energy — S11a 94, Ultra Rare
V-Guard Energy sits at the very top of the Incandescent Arcana checklist, S11a 94, catalogued as Ultra Rare (gold). In Silver Tempest’s English rarity language, this gold-foil energy card is a Hyper Rare.
2. Energy Switch — S11a 93, Ultra Rare
Energy Switch, S11a 93, is the second of Incandescent Arcana’s three Ultra Rares — another gold-foil trainer card that reads as a Hyper Rare on the English side.
3. Serperior VSTAR — S11a 92, Ultra Rare
Serperior VSTAR, S11a 92, closes out Incandescent Arcana’s Ultra Rare run and is the set’s flagship VSTAR chase card. We currently list a PSA 10 of this card at ¥9,204 (~$58).
4. Gapejaw Bog — S12 125, Ultra Rare
Gapejaw Bog, S12 125, is the final catalogued entry in Paradigm Trigger and one of the set’s three Ultra Rares — a gold-foil stadium card that carries Hyper Rare status in the English checklist.
5. Lurking Poncho — S12 124, Ultra Rare
Lurking Poncho, S12 124, is the middle Ultra Rare in Paradigm Trigger’s gold-foil run — another item card promoted to Hyper Rare status in Silver Tempest.
6. Lugia VSTAR — S12 123, Ultra Rare
Lugia VSTAR, S12 123, is Paradigm Trigger’s flagship VSTAR chase card and the counterpart to Serperior VSTAR on the S11a side. We currently list a PSA 10 of this card at ¥15,795 (~$99).
7. Wallace — S11a 83, Secret Rare
Wallace, S11a 83, sits at the tail end of Incandescent Arcana’s Secret Rare run. The exact English rarity name applied to this print in Silver Tempest is not confirmed here, though era conventions for this generation used “Secret Rare” or “Rainbow Rare” for comparable supporter prints. This print is not listed on our site at the moment; sourcing requests go through Quick Order.
8. Serperior V — S11a 75, Secret Rare
Serperior V, S11a 75, opens Incandescent Arcana’s Secret Rare run — a full-art Pokémon V print in Secret Rare. This print is not listed on our site at the moment; sourcing requests go through Quick Order.
9. Lance — S12 114, Secret Rare
Lance, S12 114, closes out Paradigm Trigger’s Secret Rare run, mirroring Wallace’s position on the S11a side. This print is not listed on our site at the moment; sourcing requests go through Quick Order.
10. Chesnaught V — S12 99, Secret Rare
Chesnaught V, S12 99, opens Paradigm Trigger’s Secret Rare run — the S12 counterpart to Serperior V. This print is not listed on our site at the moment; sourcing requests go through Quick Order.
| EN card (Silver Tempest) | JP set + number | JP rarity | EN rarity name |
|---|---|---|---|
| V-Guard Energy | S11a 94 | Ultra Rare (gold) | Hyper Rare |
| Energy Switch | S11a 93 | Ultra Rare (gold) | Hyper Rare |
| Serperior VSTAR | S11a 92 | Ultra Rare (gold) | Hyper Rare |
| Gapejaw Bog | S12 125 | Ultra Rare (gold) | Hyper Rare |
| Lurking Poncho | S12 124 | Ultra Rare (gold) | Hyper Rare |
| Lugia VSTAR | S12 123 | Ultra Rare (gold) | Hyper Rare |
| Wallace | S11a 83 | Secret Rare | Secret Rare / Rainbow Rare (era term, unverified exact EN name) |
| Serperior V | S11a 75 | Secret Rare | Secret Rare |
| Lance | S12 114 | Secret Rare | Secret Rare |
| Chesnaught V | S12 99 | Secret Rare | Secret Rare |
Rarity Names: English vs Japanese
Silver Tempest is a Sword & Shield-era set pair, and its rarity vocabulary belongs to that era — not the AR/SAR system used in later Scarlet & Violet-era Japanese sets. In S11a and S12, the gold-foil energy, item and VSTAR prints are simply catalogued as Ultra Rare; the English side renames that same tier Hyper Rare. The plain full-art supporter and Pokémon V prints that open and close each set’s secret run are catalogued as Secret Rare in Japan, carried into English as Secret Rare (era-labelled “Rainbow Rare” in some contexts, though the exact English name for the Wallace print specifically is not confirmed here).
S11a’s own composition also carries additional era-specific tiers beyond a plain Secret Rare: 3 Radiant Rare, 6 Character Holo Rare and 2 Character Super Rare slots. Several of our own graded PSA 10 listings for this pair of sets carry those same distinctions as product-title tags — “SR:SA” (Secret Rare, Special Art), “CHR” (Character Holo Rare) and “CSR” (Character Super Rare) — each a step apart from a plain “SR” code.
| JP rarity | EN rarity name | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra Rare (gold) | Hyper Rare | 6 cards: 3 in S11a, 3 in S12 |
| Secret Rare | Secret Rare / Rainbow Rare (era term) | 4 cards mapped above |
| Radiant Rare / Character Holo Rare / Character Super Rare | Not separately confirmed here | S11a-only tiers; seen as “SR:SA” / “CHR” / “CSR” on some own-stock PSA 10 titles |
Where to Buy the Japanese Silver Tempest Cards from Tokyo
We ship Japanese sealed product and graded singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. If you want a chance at pulling these Ultra Rares yourself, sealed product from either source set gets you there: the S11a Incandescent Arcana Japanese Pokemon Booster Box is currently listed at ¥12,740 (~$80), and the S12 Paradigm Trigger box above is currently listed at ¥21,266 (~$134). A Damaged Box version of Paradigm Trigger (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) is currently listed at ¥20,830 (~$131) for buyers who don’t need pristine outer packaging.
For graded singles, we currently list a PSA 10 Lugia VSTAR (S12 123, Ultra Rare) at ¥15,795 (~$99) and a PSA 10 Serperior VSTAR (S11a 92, Ultra Rare) at ¥9,204 (~$58). Browse more graded singles in our PSA 10 graded card collection, more sealed boxes in our Pokemon card box collection, or build a mixed order — including the four Secret Rares not currently listed here — through Quick Order. For the full two-set catalogue and pricing, see our Silver Tempest Japanese card list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Japanese sets is Silver Tempest sourced from?
Two Japanese sets: S11a Incandescent Arcana (released 2 September 2022) and S12 Paradigm Trigger (released 21 October 2022). It is not sourced from S12a VSTAR Universe, which feeds the English Crown Zenith release instead.
What does “Ultra Rare” in Japan mean in English rarity terms?
The gold-foil Ultra Rare prints in S11a and S12 are Japan’s catalogue name for the cards English collectors call Hyper Rare. Six of them — three per set — anchor the top of Silver Tempest’s secret run.
Are the Silver Tempest Secret Rares, like Wallace or Lance, listed on your site?
Not currently. Sourcing requests for these four Secret Rare prints (Wallace, Serperior V, Lance and Chesnaught V) go through Quick Order.
Is S12a VSTAR Universe part of Silver Tempest?
No. S12a VSTAR Universe is the Japanese source set for Crown Zenith, a separate English release. See our Crown Zenith Japanese card list if that’s the set you’re after.
Can I buy graded PSA 10 Silver Tempest singles from you?
Yes — we currently list a PSA 10 Lugia VSTAR (S12 123) at ¥15,795 (~$99) and a PSA 10 Serperior VSTAR (S11a 92) at ¥9,204 (~$58), both linked in the Where to Buy section above.
When did Silver Tempest release in English versus Japan?
Silver Tempest released in English on 11 November 2022. Its two Japanese source sets released earlier: Incandescent Arcana on 2 September 2022 and Paradigm Trigger on 21 October 2022.
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