The Black & White era of the Japanese Pokémon TCG covers 2010 to 2013 and holds 38 sets and 1,706 cards, 18 of them main expansions. The name refers to the Black & White video games, and the era's later releases carry the Pokémon-EX mechanic. It starts with Black Collection and finishes with EX Battle Boost, with decks, promos and other products making up the sets beyond the main expansions.
Among the main sets, value in the Black & White era is spread across several releases rather than parked in one. Shiny Collection from 2013 leads with a 12 percent share, while Plasma Gale and Everyone's Exciting Battle, both from 2012, follow at 11 percent each. EX Battle Boost and Dark Rush sit next at 8 percent apiece. The highest-value sets of the era mostly date from 2012 and 2013, and no single set takes a dominant slice.
Written from market data as of October 29, 2026; the table updates live.
| Set | Year | Cards | Value rank |
|---|
| Shiny Collection | 2013 | 25 | 1 of 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EX Battle Boost | 2013 | 99 | 2 of 18 |
| BW7: Plasma Gale | 2012 | 79 | 3 of 18 |
| BW4: Dark Rush | 2011 | 76 | 4 of 18 |
| Everyone's Exciting Battle | 2012 | 47 | 5 of 18 |
| BW5: Dragon Blast | 2012 | 55 | 6 of 18 |
Ranked by master set value among the era’s main sets.
The most valuable Black & White era cards begin with a holo Rayquaza from BW-P Promotional cards. Next comes Articuno EX from Plasma Gale, a holo Super Rare, then the Pokemon Center card from the same promo set. The 1st Edition holo Lugia EX, a Super Rare from Plasma Gale, ranks 4th, and Lucario from Everyone's Exciting Battle ranks 5th. Rarity is lopsided: 13 of the era's 25 most valuable cards are Super Rares, with 1 Ultra Rare and 1 Uncommon among the rest.
Among eras of the Japanese Pokémon TCG, Black & White sits between LEGEND, which spans 2009 to 2010 across 17 sets, and XY, which runs from 2013 to 2016 across 39 sets. It ranks 9th of 15 eras by total value and holds 5 percent of the game's total value, a mid-table position among the game's eras.