Silver Tempest SWSH12: The Last Sword & Shield Set and Its Lugia VSTAR
By Dexhaul Team · September 7, 2026
Silver Tempest is where Sword & Shield ended. Released in November 2022 as SWSH12, it closed out four years of the Sword & Shield era with Lugia VSTAR as its headline card. That card now appears in three distinct numbered variants within the set, creating an entry ladder that stretches from $40 raw singles to graded copies at $100 and above.
With Scarlet & Violet firmly established and the 30th Anniversary Celebration launching September 16, 2026, the SWSH era is definitively closed. Collectors looking to complete it, or to pick up its signature chase card, are working from a fixed pool.
Here is everything worth knowing about Silver Tempest as a closed set.
What Silver Tempest Contains
Silver Tempest (SWSH12) has 195 cards in the base set, with additional secret rare cards numbered above 195. The set includes Lugia as a recurring subject: Lugia V appears, Lugia VSTAR appears at Ultra Rare (139/195), and two secret rare Lugia VSTAR cards sit above the base numbering at 202/195 and 211/195.
Other notable cards in the set include Alolan Vulpix VSTAR, Serperior VSTAR, Regidrago VSTAR, and Regieleki VMAX. The set is not single-subject: it has a broad roster. But Lugia VSTAR is what collectors remember Silver Tempest for.
The set's booster box contains 36 packs, each with 10 cards. A complete base set run requires pulling or acquiring 195 cards before touching secret rares. The two Lugia VSTAR secret rares are the finish line for most set-completionists.
The Three Lugia VSTAR Variants: A Tier by Tier Look
Silver Tempest is unusual among SWSH sets for having the same Pokémon appear at three distinct collector tiers within a single set.
139/195: Ultra Rare
The Lugia VSTAR at 139/195 is the Ultra Rare version, a holographic foil card available raw from independent sellers. It is the entry point for collecting Lugia VSTAR from this set and the most commonly pulled version. Raw copies are available now starting around $48.
202/195: Secret Rare (Alternate Art)
The 202/195 card is the illustrated secret rare. It features an alternate full-art treatment showing Lugia in a scene-based composition rather than the character-focus of the base Ultra Rare.
This is the card most buyers mean when they say "the Lugia VSTAR alt art." Raw copies trade between $40 and $55 from independent sellers, with PSA 9 copies listed around $55.
211/195: Secret Rare (Gold/Rainbow)
The 211/195 is a second secret rare numbering for Lugia VSTAR, distinguished from the 202/195 by its card treatment. Graded copies at SGC 10 are listed around $73, with CGC 9.5 raw-graded examples around $50. This card attracts graders more readily than the 202/195 because its surface treatment responds predictably to grading services.
Across the three tiers, collecting all three Lugia VSTAR variants from Silver Tempest costs roughly $155 to $175 raw, assuming near-mint condition across all three cards. That's the most complete version of the set's central chase target without touching graded copies.
The Lugia V Full Art: The High-End Outlier
One card sits significantly above the Lugia VSTAR variants in current asking prices: the Lugia V Full Art at 186/195. PSA 10 copies of this card are listed by some sellers above $1,800.
This is not because the Lugia V card is rarer than VSTAR in a raw pull sense. The gap reflects collector preference: Lugia V Full Art has a distinct painted-style illustration that some collectors prioritize over the VSTAR cards. It is also less frequently submitted for grading, which reduces the supply of high-grade copies in the market.
For most collectors, the three Lugia VSTAR variants are the more accessible target. The Lugia V PSA 10 is a specific high-tier acquisition.
What Makes Silver Tempest's Three-Tier Structure Unusual
Most Sword & Shield sets gave a single Pokémon one secret rare slot at most. Charizard V in Brilliant Stars has one alt art. Umbreon VMAX in Evolving Skies has one alt art.
Silver Tempest gave Lugia VSTAR two distinct secret rare slots (202 and 211) plus the base Ultra Rare at 139. This created something almost no other SWSH set offered: a tiered collecting path for a single subject, starting at $40 raw and extending through the graded market without chasing cards across multiple sets.
That structure is worth understanding before buying. The 202/195 alt art and the 211/195 are not interchangeable duplicates. They are different cards with different art and different grading profiles.
Completionists need both. Collectors focused on one card usually pick the 202/195 for the illustrated composition.
Sealed Product: Where Booster Boxes Sit Now
Silver Tempest booster boxes are currently listed by independent sellers between $484 and $549.95 for a 36-pack box. That is a wide spread for the same product: sealed condition, seller reputation, and location all drive the variation.
A booster bundle (5 packs) is available at $125 from at least one independent seller. Single packs are listed starting around $14.
For collectors who want specific singles rather than box luck, the individual card market is more efficient. Silver Tempest's pull rates for secret rares are consistent with other SWSH sets: roughly one secret rare per box or slightly better. Hitting a specific secret rare in a box is a long-odds proposition.
The sealed booster box is the choice for collectors who want to complete the base 195-card set through pulling, or who are preserving sealed product from a closed era. For Lugia VSTAR specifically, buying the singles directly is cheaper and certain.
Silver Tempest as a Closed-Era Set
The Sword & Shield era ran from February 2020 (Sword & Shield base) through November 2022 (Silver Tempest). Twelve main expansion sets, plus a handful of specialty sets, compose the complete era according to Bulbapedia's Sword & Shield series overview.
Silver Tempest is the last of those twelve. Crown Zenith, released in January 2023, is a subset-style release with a unique Galarian Gallery subset rather than a standard expansion, and most collectors treat it as a separate arc rather than SWSH era proper.
With no new SWSH product coming and Scarlet & Violet now the active era, Silver Tempest's supply is fixed to what was printed and what is in circulation. No reprint announcements have been made for any SWSH main expansion, and The Pokémon Company's current publishing focus is entirely on SV-era sets.
That closure changes what Silver Tempest is. It is not a product with ongoing retail support. It is the end point of an era, available through independent sellers who have remaining stock.
What Collectors Are Actually Buying in Silver Tempest
The majority of Silver Tempest activity in the current market is single-card focused. Collectors are acquiring specific Lugia VSTAR variants rather than cracking boxes. Sealed booster boxes exist in the market but are slower movers compared to the card singles.
The 202/195 alt art is the most searched variant. It is the card that defined the set's identity at launch and remains the first Lugia VSTAR result most collectors are looking for. Raw copies in the $40 to $55 range are the common transaction.
Graded copies attract a narrower buyer. PSA 10 Lugia VSTAR copies are listed at $100 from at least one independent seller, which represents a roughly 80% to 100% premium over raw near-mint price. Whether that premium makes sense depends entirely on whether the collector values slab display and provenance over loose-card storage.
The checklist approach: 139/195 Ultra Rare for the base tier, 202/195 Secret Rare for the illustrated version, 211/195 Secret Rare to complete the Lugia VSTAR representation in the set. Three cards, three transactions, full Lugia VSTAR coverage from Silver Tempest for under $200 raw.
Browse current Silver Tempest listings from independent sellers, including booster boxes and all three Lugia VSTAR variants, at DexHaul's Silver Tempest search. DexHaul is an independent Pokémon product finder, not affiliated with The Pokémon Company.