Pokemon Unova Starter Cards Guide: Serperior, Samurott & Emboar

Every Unova Starter Print and Where It’s From

Eight current prints across four sets, plus the two 2025 boxes that started the split:

The pattern is straightforward once you see it laid out: Black Bolt carries the grass line (Snivy to Serperior) on its own, while White Flare carries both the fire line (Tepig to Emboar) and the water line (Oshawott to Samurott). If you’re opening boxes specifically to chase one evolution family, that split determines which box you actually need — it isn’t one starter per box the way some sets divide their mascots.

Each line also stops at a different evolution stage depending on the card. The Basic-stage prints — Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott — are alternate-art versions of the entry-level Pokemon, while Emboar and Samurott are the fully-evolved, two-stage forms carrying an ability and a scaling attack. Serperior ex goes a step further as a Pokemon ex, which is why it’s the only one of the seven printed at the higher SAR rarity rather than AR.

White Flare’s Fire Line: Tepig to Emboar

Tepig, SV11W 096/086, AR

Emboar, SV11W 098/086, AR

Tepig (096/086, AR) starts the line as a Basic Fire Pokemon at 70 HP, illustrated by Orca. It’s a straightforward alternate-art print with no ability — the interesting card in this line is what it evolves into.

Emboar (098/086, AR) is a two-stage evolution at 180 HP, illustrated by NC Empire. Its ability lets you attach any number of basic Fire Energy from your hand freely during your turn — a callback to the same free-attachment idea that Emboar carried in the original Black & White era, now rebuilt for the current rules. Its attack costs four energy (three Fire, one Colorless) and deals 120 damage. Between the ability and the flat damage output, Emboar is built to ramp fast and hit hard once it’s set up.

Before Black Bolt: Serperior VSTAR and Hisuian Samurott VSTAR

Serperior VSTAR, S11a 006/068, RRR

Hisuian Samurott VSTAR, S9a 053/067, RRR

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Black Bolt and White Flare aren’t the first time these two evolutions got a high-rarity treatment. Serperior VSTAR (006/068, RRR) appeared in 2022’s Incandescent Arcana, illustrated by PLANETA Mochizuki, at 270 HP with a three-energy attack for 190 that also lets you rearrange Energy, and a VSTAR Power whose damage scales with attached Energy. Hisuian Samurott VSTAR (053/067, RRR) appeared the same year in Battle Region, illustrated by 5ban Graphics — a regional-variant Dark-type form of the final water evolution, also at 270 HP, with a VSTAR Power that adds four damage counters to an opposing Pokemon.

Neither of these is part of the current Black Bolt / White Flare lineup — they’re separate prints from a different set era — but they’re worth knowing if you’re tracking every high-rarity Serperior or Samurott print rather than just the newest ones. We source both boxed and single-card Japanese product through the same Quick Order page used for current sets.

Where to Buy Japanese Unova Starter Cards

We ship Japanese sealed product and singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. For Serperior, the direct route is sealed Black Bolt, currently listed at ¥24,128. For Emboar and Samurott, it’s sealed White Flare, currently listed at ¥20,800. For graded singles from either set or a mixed order of boxes and cards, our Quick Order page is the fastest checkout route.

For other regional starter lineups from Japanese sets, see our Sinnoh starters guide and Paldea starters guide, or browse the full card list.