Chilling Reign in 2026: The SWSH Set That Gave Calyrex Two Alt Arts at Once
By Dexhaul Team · September 4, 2026
Chilling Reign did something no Sword and Shield set had attempted before: it introduced a single Legendary Pokémon as two distinct VMAX alternate art cards at the same release.
That Pokémon was Calyrex. Released in June 2021 as the sixth expansion of the Sword and Shield era, Chilling Reign (SWSH6) combined two Japanese sets into one English release and set a precedent the franchise would echo in later sets: equal collector treatment for equally prominent legendary forms.
Here is what the set contains, why its dual alt art structure was a first, and how collectors can still find its key cards in 2026.
Why Chilling Reign Came From Two Japanese Sets
In Japan, the Sword and Shield era often released thematic sets in pairs. Chilling Reign draws from Silver Lance and Jet-Black Spirit, two separate Japanese sets released in April 2021.
Silver Lance centered on Ice Rider Calyrex: the form of Calyrex mounted on the newly introduced Legendary horse Glastrier. Jet-Black Spirit centered on Shadow Rider Calyrex, mounted on Spectrier. Merging them into a single English set preserved that thematic split while giving English collectors access to both legendary lines at once.
This origin explains why Chilling Reign feels balanced in a way few SWSH sets do. Neither Calyrex form is an afterthought; both were headlined in their own Japanese expansion before the English merge.
The Calyrex Alt Arts: What Made Them a First
In the SWSH era, alternate art cards (high-rarity prints with fully illustrated artwork extending across the full card face) were the top chase cards in any set. Most sets gave the headline Legendary one alt art: Zacian V in Sword and Shield base, Rayquaza VMAX in Evolving Skies.
Chilling Reign gave two. Both Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX and Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX received alternate art treatments in the secret rare section of the set.
The Ice Rider version shows Calyrex and Glastrier in a cold, sweeping landscape. The Shadow Rider version places Calyrex and Spectrier in a night scene with dramatic purple energy.
The deeper reason this mattered: both alt arts had equal rarity. Most sets with dual legendary structures show pull-rate asymmetry, with one version appearing slightly more often. Because Chilling Reign drew from two separately weighted Japanese sets, the Ice Rider and Shadow Rider alt arts arrived at parity in the English release.
Collectors could not simply target one over the other.
Crown Zenith, the final Sword and Shield set released in early 2023, revisited the Calyrex line through its Galarian Gallery subset. Both Calyrex VMAX forms received Galarian Gallery cards there (GG59 and GG60 of 70).
These are not reprints of the Chilling Reign alt arts. The Galarian Gallery artwork is distinct, with a different card border treatment and a different aesthetic palette. Collectors who want the originals still need to look specifically at Chilling Reign.
That distinction matters when you are comparing prices. Chilling Reign alt arts and Crown Zenith Galarian Gallery cards for the same Pokémon trade at different levels and have separate collector communities.
The Galarian Birds: Chilling Reign's Secondary Targets
Beyond Calyrex, Chilling Reign introduced the V card versions of the three Galarian legendary birds: Galarian Articuno V, Galarian Zapdos V, and Galarian Moltres V. These three Pokémon debuted in the Crown Tundra DLC alongside Calyrex.
Each bird received a standard V card and a full art V card. None received a VMAX treatment in Chilling Reign, which kept them as secondary targets rather than top-tier chase cards. The full art versions, particularly Galarian Moltres V with its dark fire aesthetic, are collector favorites at a more accessible price than the Calyrex alt arts.
For collectors building thematic sets around the Crown Tundra storyline, Chilling Reign provides something Crown Zenith cannot: the only V card versions of the Galarian bird trio in a standard booster set.
Galarian Slowking and the Supporter Full Arts
Galarian Slowking VMAX is the third major Legendary-tier card in the set. The Galarian Slowking line had previously appeared in card form during the Shining Fates era, but Chilling Reign is where it received the full VMAX treatment alongside its V form.
The set also features supporter cards with full art treatments, including Caitlin (the Unova Elite Four member) and Avery (the rival trainer introduced in the Isle of Armor DLC). Supporter full arts were never common in the SWSH era and add collector depth to Chilling Reign beyond its legendary VMAX pulls.
A complete Chilling Reign set pull means chasing not just two Calyrex VMAX alt arts, but also Galarian bird full arts, Galarian Slowking VMAX alt art, and multiple supporter full arts in the same sealed box. That layered chase structure is part of what makes it one of the more rewarding SWSH sets for set completers.
What Collectors Can Still Find in 2026
Sealed Chilling Reign products have thinned since the 2021 release. Booster boxes, ETBs, and loose packs still surface through independent sellers, but availability fluctuates and prices reflect the set's age and collector demand.
For collectors who want the original Chilling Reign alt arts, the most reliable path is singles from the secondary market. A sealed ETB does not guarantee a Calyrex alt art, and per-pack costs on older sealed products often make singles the more rational choice.
Crown Zenith products provide the alternative for those who want sealed SWSH packs with Calyrex pull chances. The Chilling Reign card list on Serebii is a useful reference for confirming which cards are original to this set versus later reprints.
The Crown Zenith Elite Trainer Box Plus, originally sold exclusively through the Pokémon Center, provides more pack access per purchase and is the broadest Galarian Gallery pull vehicle in the Crown Zenith product line. It remains findable through independent sellers at a premium over the standard ETB.
Two Types of Collectors Who Still Want Chilling Reign
The first is the set completer. Chilling Reign contains the only standard V card versions of the Galarian legendary birds and the original Calyrex V and VMAX base cards. Crown Zenith has the Galarian Gallery reprints, but not every Chilling Reign card has a Crown Zenith equivalent.
A complete SWSH collection requires Chilling Reign.
The second is the alt art hunter who cares specifically about set of origin. The Chilling Reign alt arts and the Crown Zenith Galarian Gallery cards are different artworks. For collectors who distinguish between original and reprint versions of the same Pokémon, only one sealed set provides the original Calyrex VMAX alt arts.
For everyone else, singles remain the most direct route. Buying a targeted Calyrex alt art from a secondary market seller avoids the pull-rate lottery entirely.
Search DexHaul for Chilling Reign to find available sealed products from independent shops alongside Crown Zenith options. Dexhaul is independent and unofficial, not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or any of the sellers listed.