SV11B Secret Rare Guide: SAR, SR, AR and BWR Cards in Black Bolt

Updated November 10, 2026

The SV11B secret rare tier in Japanese Black Bolt (SV11B) means the cards numbered above 086: SR cards such as Genesect ex 164/086, SAR cards such as Zekrom ex 169/086, and the black-themed BWR card Zekrom ex 174/086. This guide names each one and shows where it sits in the set.

If you want to buy a top-rarity card from this set graded, see our PSA 10 Zekrom ex SAR 169/086 listing. The sections below explain what each rarity label means in SV11B and which cards carry it.

What counts as an SV11B secret rare?

In SV11B, the secret rare tier is the group of cards whose numbers go beyond the printed set total of 086. That includes SR, SAR and BWR cards. Our product listings show the pattern clearly: Genesect ex SR is 164/086, N’s Plan SR is 165/086, Zekrom ex SAR is 169/086, Meloetta ex SAR is 170/086, and Genesect ex SAR is 172/086. Each number is higher than 86, so each sits outside the base numbering.

The AR cards in this set follow the same logic but start lower. Victini AR is 097/086 and Carracosta AR is 111/086, so they also exceed the printed total. They are full-art cards rather than ex cards.

The official Pokémon Card set page names BWR, AR and SAR as rarities for this set. The SR label comes from the card data in our own product listings. We use “secret rare” in this guide as collector shorthand for the cards numbered above 086, and we name the exact label for every card so there is no confusion.

One more point on naming. The set is the Japanese edition. The English edition is called Scarlet & Violet-Black Bolt and has its own release date and card count, covered in a later section. When this article says SV11B, it always means the Japanese Expansion Pack Black Bolt.

Which SV11B secret rare and special rare cards are named so far?

Ten cards can be named with their number and rarity so far: one mirror card, two AR cards, two SR cards, four SAR cards and one BWR card. The table below lists them in number order. It is not the full set list; for every card in the set, use our Black Bolt (SV11B) Complete Card List.

Two patterns stand out. First, the same Pokémon can appear at several rarities. Genesect ex has both an SR (164) and an SAR (172), and N’s Plan has both an SR (165) and an SAR (173). Zekrom ex appears as an SAR (169) and again as the BWR card (174). If you collect by Pokémon rather than by rarity, those pairs matter, because each rarity is a separate card with a separate number.

Second, the order of the numbers tells you the tier. In the cards named here, AR cards come first (097, 111), then SR (164, 165), then SAR (169, 170, 172, 173), and finally BWR at 174. Use the number to double-check the rarity before you buy a card.

The 174 total comes from our own card list article, which counts 174 cards in the set. The official Pokémon Card pages do not print a full per-card rarity table, so the cards above are the ones with numbers and rarity labels we can state.

What is the BWR card in SV11B Black Bolt?

The BWR card in Black Bolt is Zekrom ex, and its design is mainly black. Reshiram ex is the matching BWR card in White Flare, and its design is mainly white. The Pokémon Card official site announced both on May 4, 2025, in an article about the BWR cards and other cards in the set (official announcement).

BWR is the only rarity name that the official announcement uses. The official set page repeats that Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex appear as BWR cards. Our Zekrom ex card guide gives the number of the Black Bolt BWR as 174/086.

The same official announcement also shows other Black Bolt cards: Eelektross, Eelektrik, Tynamo, Air Balloon, Professor’s Research and Prism Energy. It does not name their rarities, so we do not assign one. White Flare cards shown include Stoutland, Herdier, Lillipup, Energy Retrieval, Ignition Energy, Cheren and Touko.

The practical point for collectors: Zekrom ex appears as the BWR card of the SV11B set, and you can pick it at two tiers. The SAR at 169/086 is a full-art Zekrom ex. The BWR at 174/086 is the black-themed one. These are not the same card, and graded listings name the number so you can tell them apart. Our Black Bolt chase cards guide covers which cards collectors chase across the whole set.

How do the AR and SAR full-art cards work in SV11B?

Every one of the 156 Unova Pokémon in Black Bolt and White Flare has an AR or SAR card, and these are full-art designs. That is the official statement on the SV11 set page.

In practice, the rarity split goes like this in the cards we can name. Non-ex Pokémon such as Victini and Carracosta appear as AR cards (097/086 and 111/086). Pokémon ex such as Zekrom ex, Meloetta ex and Genesect ex appear as SAR (169, 170, 172) and, for Genesect ex, as SR (164). Trainer cards such as N’s Plan appear as SR (165) and SAR (173).

The official page gives one more useful fact: each Expansion Pack Deluxe contains one guaranteed AR card. A Deluxe is 35 cards for 1,450 yen. That guarantee covers AR only. The official pages do not say that any pack or Deluxe guarantees an SR, SAR or BWR card, so do not plan a purchase around that.

The Card File Set is tied to the AR tier too. It includes a shiny-version Victini promo card whose art matches the AR Victini in Black Bolt. The AR Victini is number 097/086, so the promo and the AR share the same picture. If you are comparing the two, check the number and the card text, not the art alone.

Mirror cards are a separate point. The official page says mirror cards with a Poké Ball pattern are included alongside regular cards. Our Victini R listing at 012/086 is named a Master Ball Mirror, and it sits inside the base numbering rather than above 086. It is a different kind of rare card from the numbered-above-86 group in this guide.

How does Japanese SV11B differ from English Black Bolt?

The Japanese SV11B set and the English Scarlet & Violet-Black Bolt set cover the same Unova theme, but they are different products with different dates, card counts and rarity descriptions. The English set released on July 18, 2025, has over 170 cards and is Standard legal, according to Pokemon.com. The Japanese set released on June 6, 2025.

Shop this setSV11B-Black Bolt Japanese Pokemon Booster Box

¥24,695In stock

Ships from Tokyo with tracking

View product

The rarity names are the main trap. English listings use Illustration Rare and Special Illustration Rare; the Japanese set uses AR and SAR. Do not assume a Japanese SAR and an English Special Illustration Rare share the same number or the same card count. Match by Pokémon name and card number on the actual card instead.

The same caution applies to the BWR label. The English page names Zekrom ex as a highlighted card, but it does not use the BWR label. Our booster bundle vs Japanese SV11 boxes article compares the English and Japanese sealed products in more detail.

Which SV11B secret rare cards can you buy graded from Tokyo?

We list PSA 10 copies of several SV11B cards, and the listings carry the number and rarity in the product name. Each listing is a graded card with a PSA case; the description notes the case may have minor scratches or marks on its surface. Here is what each listing covers.

• PSA 10 Zekrom ex SAR 169/086: the full-art SAR Zekrom ex.
• PSA 10 Meloetta ex SAR 170/086: the SAR Meloetta ex.
• PSA 10 Genesect ex SAR 172/086: the SAR Genesect ex.
• PSA 10 Genesect ex SR 164/086: the SR Genesect ex.
• PSA 10 N’s Plan SR 165/086: the SR Trainer card.
• PSA 10 Carracosta AR 111/086 and PSA 10 Victini AR 097/086: the two AR cards.
• PSA 10 Victini R Master Ball Mirror 012/086: the mirror card.

Our shipping policy covers one special rule for graded cards. PSA graded cards may also be offered through our other sales channels, so an item shown online may already be sold before our team locks the allocation for your online order. Once your payment has cleared, we secure the PSA graded card that matches your order, even if additional sourcing is required, and we provide status updates when the schedule changes. In that case dispatch may take longer than usual.

Which one should you choose? If you want the card tied to the BWR Pokémon of Black Bolt, pick Zekrom ex SAR 169/086. If you collect by Pokémon with two versions, pick the SAR and SR pairs (Genesect ex at 172 and 164, N’s Plan at 173 and 165) and decide by rarity. If you want a lower number in the set, the AR Victini at 097/086 matches the Card File Set promo art.

How do you open SV11B packs to chase these cards?

The official products are the 290-yen Expansion Pack (7 cards), the 1,450-yen Expansion Pack Deluxe (35 cards), and the 2,640-yen Card File Set, and the Deluxe is the only one with a stated guarantee: one AR card. Those are the facts from the official SV11 page. The page does not give odds for any rarity, and neither do we.

For sealed boxes, we list a carton product: one full carton (case) of 12 Japanese SV11B Black Bolt booster boxes, shipped as the carton itself rather than as 12 individual boxes. The listing says it ships from Tokyo by FedEx with a tracking number. The single-box version and its details are in our Black Bolt Japanese booster box guide, and the SV11B Black Bolt carton listing has the carton details.

Opening packs is a gamble on any rarity, and a graded single is a certain card. If you want one named SAR, SR or BWR card, buying the single has no pull risk. If you enjoy opening, the Deluxe at 35 cards gives you one AR as a floor; everything above that is luck. Our Black Bolt booster box buying guide goes through the box side in detail.

How do shipping and payment work for SV11B orders?

Orders ship from Tokyo by FedEx with a tracking number, and most orders are processed and shipped within 5 business days after PayPal or Wise payment has cleared. That handling window is an estimate, not a guarantee. The details below come from our shipping policy and payment methods page.

After dispatch, delivery timing depends on FedEx and the destination country’s authorities. Customs inspections and carrier events can delay delivery, and the policy says such transit delays do not by themselves create a right to cancel or refund after dispatch. Check your address carefully before you order; while an order is paid and its shipment is not yet scheduled, you can update the shipping address yourself from My Account.

For Wise, there is a deadline. Without a screenshot of your transfer, an order is cancelled automatically if payment has not arrived within 12 hours (3 hours if the order contains a pre-order item). With a screenshot uploaded within 5 days, the order price is held for a total of 10 days. If you pay by SWIFT, add JPY 611 to your order total for the receiving fee.

More SV11B guides

These guides cover other parts of the set and the sealed products around it:

• Black Bolt (SV11B) Complete Card List: every card in the set, with rarities.
• Black Bolt (SV11B) Chase Cards: the hits and the box guide.
• Zekrom ex 174/086 Card Guide: the BWR card in detail.
• Black Bolt and White Flare ETB vs Japanese boxes: English and Japanese sealed products compared.

Picked for this article

SV11B-Black Bolt Japanese Pokemon Booster Box¥24,695In stock【No Shrink】SV11B-Black Bolt Japanese Pokemon Booster Box - Damaged Box¥18,240Only a few leftSV11B-Black Bolt DX Japanese Pokemon Booster Box - Damaged Box¥25,040In stock