Brilliant Stars ETB: Contents and MSRP (2022)
By Dexhaul Team · October 8, 2026 · 6 min read
The Brilliant Stars ETB contains 9 booster packs, one foil Arceus V promo card (SWSH267), 65 card sleeves, 45 Energy cards, six damage-counter dice, one flip die, two acrylic condition markers, one tournament scorecard, and one player's guide. MSRP was $49.99 at launch on February 25, 2022 (Sword & Shield Brilliant Stars, set code SWSH09).
Two variants exist. The standard ETB comes with an Arceus V alternate-art promo. The Pokémon Center exclusive ETB swaps in a Lumineon V promo with a PC stamp.
Both carried $49.99 MSRP at release and are well above that on the secondary market today.
What's inside the Brilliant Stars ETB
The full contents list for the standard Brilliant Stars Elite Trainer Box, verified against the official TCG product page:
| Item | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brilliant Stars booster packs | 9 | 10 cards per pack; 172-card base set plus 30 Trainer Gallery cards |
| Foil promo card | 1 | Arceus V (SWSH267) alternate art; exclusive to this ETB, not a booster pull |
| Card sleeves | 65 | Arceus artwork; exactly one 60-card deck with 5 spares |
| Basic Energy cards | 45 | Mixed type assortment |
| Damage-counter dice | 6 | Standard six-sided |
| Competition-legal coin-flip die | 1 | Standard for organized play |
| Acrylic condition markers | 2 | Poisoned and Burned status |
| Tournament scorecard | 1 | Win/loss/draw tracker |
| Player's guide | 1 | Visual set overview booklet |
The 65 sleeves follow a deliberate design: 60 fit a tournament-legal deck exactly, and 5 remain as immediate replacements. Anyone planning to sleeve up and play the next day can do so straight from the box.
Brilliant Stars introduced the VSTAR mechanic to the English TCG. Serebii's Brilliant Stars card list confirms Arceus VSTAR 123/172 as the anchor card of the set. Every VSTAR card across every subsequent SWSH set shares its mechanic origin with this expansion.
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MSRP and price per pack
The Brilliant Stars ETB launched at $49.99 MSRP. At that price, each of the 9 packs worked out to $5.55. The ETB has traded well above MSRP since 2022, so today's storefront price is the realistic figure for buyers.
| Format | Packs | MSRP | MSRP per pack | Observed price (Oct 8, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brilliant Stars ETB (standard) | 9 | $49.99 | $5.55 | $170.00 USD (observed Oct 8, 2026) |
| Brilliant Stars ETB (Pokémon Center) | 9 | $49.99 | $5.55 | $254.75 USD (observed Oct 8, 2026) |
| Brilliant Stars booster pack (loose) | 1 | $4.99 | $4.99 | $15.75 USD (observed Oct 8, 2026) |
| Brilliant Stars booster box (36 packs) | 36 | $143.64 | $3.99 | $480.00 USD (observed Oct 8, 2026) |
At MSRP, a booster box offered a better per-pack rate than the ETB. At today's secondary-market prices, both are well above their 2022 launch costs. Whether either format is the right buy now is covered in the Brilliant Stars 2026 collector's analysis.
Standard ETB vs Pokémon Center ETB
The two variants share the same 9 packs and accessory loadout. The only difference is the promo card and sleeve art.
| Feature | Standard ETB | Pokémon Center ETB |
|---|---|---|
| Packs | 9 Brilliant Stars | 9 Brilliant Stars |
| Promo card | Arceus V (SWSH267) alternate art | Lumineon V (SWSH271) PC-stamped promo |
| Sleeve artwork | Arceus | Lumineon |
| MSRP | $49.99 | $49.99 |
| Observed price (Oct 8, 2026) | From $170.00 USD | From $239.49 USD |
| Where available at launch | General retail | Pokémon Center US only |
The Pokémon Center variant commands a premium for one specific reason: the Lumineon V promo. Lumineon V became a competitively significant card in the SV Standard format, functioning as a one-prize search engine in many decks. That gameplay utility gave the PC promo practical value the standard Arceus V promo didn't carry.
The Arceus V promo in the standard ETB is itself non-trivial. It uses an alternate art not available as a booster pull from the set.
Opening any number of Brilliant Stars packs cannot yield the SWSH267 promo art. The only way to get it was through this ETB.
How it compares to similar products
For context, here is how the Brilliant Stars ETB sits alongside two other comparable SWSH-era products and a current SV-era ETB. This is a format-type comparison, not a recommendation. For a full breakdown of what the ETB format delivers versus premium collections, see the ETB vs Premium Collection guide.
| Product | Packs | MSRP | Promo | Accessories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brilliant Stars ETB (2022) | 9 | $49.99 | Arceus V alt art (SWSH267) | Full: sleeves, dice, energy |
| Brilliant Stars Build & Battle Box (2022) | 4 | $14.99 | 1 of 4 exclusive foil promos | 40-card deck included |
| Temporal Forces ETB (2024) | 9 | $49.99 | Walking Wake ex or Iron Leaves ex | Full: sleeves, dice, energy |
The Build & Battle Box had a different purpose: a 40-card prerelease-style deck plus 4 packs, with one of four exclusive foil promos (Duraludon VMAX, Arceus VSTAR, Shaymin-EX, or Mimikyu). Its four promos do not appear in the ETB and are not booster pulls from the set.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Buy the standard ETB if
You want the Arceus V SWSH267 alternate art and you value the full accessory bundle for organized play. Nine packs is enough to open for enjoyment without the commitment of a booster box, and the sleeve design is clean for tournament use.
Buy the Pokémon Center ETB if
The Lumineon V promo matters to you, either for its gameplay utility or its PC stamp as a collector item. The PC stamp is a genuine cosmetic distinction: same card number, same art, different holo treatment. That premium is the only variable justifying the higher observed price.
Skip the ETB if
Your goal is raw pack volume at the lowest per-pack cost. A booster box at observed prices gives 36 packs. If you don't need the accessories and only want the packs themselves, the box format is the more efficient path.
A Brilliant Stars ETB as a gift
The ETB format works as a gift precisely because it's self-contained. Recipient gets 9 packs, a promo, sleeves to protect their cards, and everything needed to sit down and play. No extra purchases required on day one.
For a Pokémon TCG fan who plays at an organized-play level, the 65 Arceus sleeves and the coin die are genuinely useful pieces of kit, not just filler. For a casual collector, the 9 packs with the Trainer Gallery subset give strong odds at landing an Illustration Rare or full art during opening.
If you're comparing gift options across the TCG format range, the Pokémon 2026 holiday gift guide covers the full ladder from stocking-stuffer tins to ultra-premium collections.
Frequently asked questions
How many packs are in the Brilliant Stars ETB?
Nine booster packs. Each contains 10 cards, for 90 cards total from the set before accounting for the promo card.
What promo card comes in the Brilliant Stars ETB?
The standard ETB includes Arceus V (SWSH267) as a full-art alternate foil promo. The Pokémon Center ETB includes Lumineon V (SWSH271) with a PC stamp. Neither promo is available as a pull from Brilliant Stars booster packs.
What is the Brilliant Stars ETB MSRP?
The MSRP at launch was $49.99 for both the standard and Pokémon Center variants, per the official Pokémon TCG product listing. Current storefront prices are significantly higher; observed prices as of October 8, 2026 begin at $170 for the standard version.
What's the difference between the standard and Pokémon Center Brilliant Stars ETB?
Only the promo card and sleeve artwork differ. The PC ETB has Lumineon V (SWSH271) with a PC stamp and Lumineon sleeves; the standard has Arceus V (SWSH267) and Arceus sleeves. Both contain 9 packs and the same accessory bundle.
Is the Brilliant Stars ETB still worth buying in 2026?
At $170 and above, it depends on whether you specifically want the SWSH267 Arceus V promo or the set's Trainer Gallery pulls. For pack volume alone, a booster box at $480 offers four times the packs. The Brilliant Stars 2026 value analysis covers the detailed breakdown.
Browse every Pokémon Elite Trainer Box currently listed by independent shops at DexHaul's Elite Trainer Box collection. DexHaul is independent and unofficial, and refers shoppers to third-party merchant listings rather than selling directly.
Catch 'em all
Brilliant Stars ETBs and booster formats from independent shops.